The restaurants that follow are organized by geographic area: near Busch Gardens, in or near Hyde Park (across the Hillsborough River from downtown), and in Ybor City. Although Ybor City is better known, Tampa's trendiest dining scene is along South Howard Avenue -- "SoHo" to the locals -- between West Kennedy Boulevard and the bay in affluent Hyde Park.
Near Busch Gardens -- You'll find the national fast-food and family restaurants east of I-275 on Busch Boulevard and Fowler Avenue.
Dining on the Bay -- One of the newest additions to Tampa's dining scene is the 180-foot-long StarShip Dining Yacht (tel. 877/744-7999 or 813/223-7999; www.starshipdining.com), which makes 2-hour lunch and dinner cruises from the Channelside out onto Tampa Bay. The ship's four dining rooms serve exceptional cruise fare. A house band plays during dinner and then moves to the top deck for dancing under the stars. Lunch cruises cost $40 per person with a meal, $16 for sightseers. Dinner cruises cost $70. There's also a Sunday brunch for $40. Call for the schedule.
