Let’s make date night unique in Tampa Bay

Kids, this is the story of how I met your mother, and it was all thanks to TBAYtoday.

Ok, so maybe that’s not exactly how the 2000s sitcom went, but if Ted Mosby had consulted us for date night ideas, we could’ve shaved the show down to two seasons (and saved his kids a lot of time).

Regardless of whether you’ve met “the one” or are hoping to impress someone new, we’ve got 50+ local date night ideas that are legen — wait for it — dary.

Photo by @meatmarkettampa

For the ones who want a night out on the town

• Book tickets to one of the hundreds of indie performances that come through The Orpheum or The Ritz Ybor.
• Meat Market is a foodie + social hotspot, popular for its smoking cocktails, steaks, and bougie patio. It’s also Mike Evans’ fave local restaurant.
• Jam out at the historic Floridian Social Club or boogie the night away at retro bars like Good Night John Boy or Lost & Found.
• Take in 360º views of the 813 and indulge in craft cocktails + innovative bites at Beacon, Tampa’s highest bar (on the 27th floor).
• Grab a drink in style at Pluma Lounge, a newly opened cocktail bar on St. Pete’s picturesque Beach Drive.
• Channel your inner Allie + Noah and treat yourselves to a sweet treat at Chill Bros. Scoop Shop or Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream.

Photo via @chillbrosicecream

If the way to their heart is through their stomach

• Stop by Lona at Tampa Marriott Water Street for an authentic Mexican meal. We’re eyeing the Red Snapper Aguachile and Skirt Steak Fajitas.
• Impress your date with high tea at The Vinoy. The historic hotel’s History and High Tea experience combines a one-hour walking tour with Earl Grey tea and in-house sweet treats from the pastry team.
• Order piping hot ciabatta loaves, chicken piccata, and sour orange pie on the romantic patio at Pia’s Trattoria.
• Stop by for Sunday brunch at Jackson’s on Harbour Island. There are chefs on hand to make you personalized pasta and omelets, fresh sushi, and a host of other treats.
• Roam tons of local food vendors at Armature Works + take your spoils to the lawn’s Adirondack chairs.
• Sample everything from barbecue to peanut butter banana pudding at food truck lot St. Pete Social.
• Wow your date at one of our Michelin Star restaurants like Lilac at the Tampa EDITION, whose four-course prix-fixe dinner menu is the stuff of local legend, or Rocca, whose Italian cuisine blends traditional flavors with modern twists.
• Try the Eggs In Purgatory or the Dutch Baby Pancake from The Market at EDITION.
• Channel old-school Chicago vibes with a meal at Historic Kenwood’s Beau & Mo’s Italian Steakhouse.
• Tuck into local fare in the open-kitchen dining room at On Swann.
• Transport straight to Paris with steak tartare or duck confit at Boulon Brasserie.

Photo via @piratewatertaxi

If you love the great outdoors

• Pack a picnic basket (pun intended) and a blanket to watch the sunset over Tampa Bay from your perch at Picnic Island.
• Watch mermaids dance + manatees sway at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
• Sail down the Hillsborough River on a Pirate Water Taxi. Pro tip: The taxi drops you back off in downtown so you can grab dinner or drinks if everything is going smoothly. A stroll along the Tampa Riverwalk is also an option.
• Run, bike, play a little volleyball, or chill out in a hammock with your date at the waterfront North Shore Park.
• Grab a cooler, beach chairs, and sunscreen for a day at the beach. Want something quiet? We recommend Honeymoon Island State Park. Something more fun? Treasure Island could be for you.
• Or get your doggo’s paws sandy. Davis Islands Dog Beach offers off-leash fun for you + Fido.
• Look for birds and other wildlife while hiking at the tree-laden Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.
• If you want to explore the waterfront on your own, rent a kayak or SUP and explore Hillsborough Bay or the Hillsborough River.

Photo by TBAYtoday

For the ones who like to play games (just not with your heart)

• Challenge your new boo to a round of cornhole or bucket pong at Park & Rec DTSP.
• You won’t strike out with a bowling + dinner date at Splitsville at Sparkman Wharf.
• Sip on a craft beer and blast back to another era with arcade games aplenty at Right Around the Corner Arcade Brewery.
• Lowry Parcade is full of retro arcade games, plus locally brewed craft beers + ciders.
• Live out your video game realities at VR Galaxy Lounge.
• Shuffle your way into your new love’s heart with a round at the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club.
• Work up a sweat with a Pilates class at BODYROK, a circuit/HIIT class at F45 Training or Orangetheory Fitness, or a sculpt or stations session at CAMP Tampa.

Photo by TBAYtoday

If you want an “old fashioned”-style date

• Catch a classic flick or indie release at the opulent Tampa Theatre.
• Here’s one for fans of “The Bear.” Mel’s Hot Dogs packs in 50+ years of flavor into its Chicago-style dogs + sandwiches.
• Sip on a Manhattan or Hollywood Land cocktail at The Dan Tampa, located on the ground floor of the historic Hotel Flor Tampa.
• Swoon your date with a visit to the romantic + delicious Harry Waugh Dessert Room at the historic Bern’s Steak House.
• Head to Bo’s Ice Cream in Seminole Heights for a sweet treat. The spot’s been family-owned since it opened in 1954.
• Bowl to your heart’s content at the Wes Anderson-esque Ten Pin Lanes.
• The Ruskin Family Drive-In Theater offers old-timey charm, and showed its first flick back in 1952. And it’s authentically cash-only.
• Last but certainly not least, we’ve got to mention The Columbia Restaurant. Florida’s oldest eatery has 17 rooms, enough space for 1,700+ diners, and legendary Spanish-Cuban cuisine in timeless surroundings.

If you wanna show off by knowing all the hottest events in town

• Shameless plug: Sign up for our free daily newsletter, where we call out our top picks of things to do around town. Your date doesn’t have to know we’re behind it; you can take all the credit.
• Stay up-to-date on the coolest local events around the Tampa Bay Area with our events page.

What did we miss? If you know a perfect date spot that’s not on the list, guide us in the right direction using this survey.

City Guides are presented by Water Street Tampa.