It’s been a busy year for Tampa Bay restaurants.

In 2025, diners saw the debuts of highly anticipated eateries on both sides of the bay, from fine dining stunner Elliott Aster, Latin restaurant Pulpo and seafaring spot Cheeky’s in St. Petersburg to contemporary French bistro Bar Terroir, Japanese-Italian fusion spot Kinjo and creative Ybor restaurant Lara in Tampa.

Next year is shaping up to be another excitingone for the dining scene, although more than a few spots have been pushed back with timelines that are creeping into the second and third quarters. From a jam-packed new food hall to Spanish tapas tofast casual farm-to-table fare, there’s plenty to look forward to in the new year.

Five stories, nine dining concepts, four bars, a boutique, several event spaces and a members-only club — that’s all on deck once St. Petersburg’s multi-level food hall opens in early 2026.

It certainly has been a long time coming: Plans for the hall were announced in 2020, along with an ambitious projected opening date of summer 2021. Now, more than four years later, proprietor Natalia Levey of Hi Hospitality Group said she hopes to be open early in the year. Construction and design on the space is completed, she said, but inspection and permitting setbacks have delayed the spot’s launch.

Once open, Central Park will be the largest multi-level food and beverage concept in St. Petersburg. Seven fast-casual concepts will hold court on the building’s ground floor, including a smaller version of Sarasota restaurant Palm Avenue Deli (another Hi Hospitality spot); Constellation Burger, Speaks Pasta, Kojo Wok, Don Ricardo’s Taqueria, Strawberry Fields and Park Pie Pizza. In the basement, there will be a high-end cocktail parlor with roughly 22 seats, a drink program curated by beverage director Silvia Fridegotto, and a self-service “beer wall.”

A dessert concept called The Meadows, with coffee and gelato, sits on the mezzanine level along with 27 Degrees North, a frozen cocktail concept where beer and wine will also be available. There’s also a boutique called Worth, a large television screen for watch parties, several event spaces, a test kitchen and plenty of street-facing booth- and balcony-style seating, Levey said.

One level up, guests will find Kojo, a modern Asian restaurant, and Bar Hana, a tropical-themed cocktail bar with cabanas and lounge-style seating (there is also a Kojo and Bar Hana in Sarasota). One floor up, on the building’s rooftop, is Night Owl, a member’s only club that the website describes as “a coveted gathering spot for global change-makers in Tampa Bay.”

551 Central Ave., St. Petersburg

The new wine bar and restaurant from the folks behind Bandit Coffee Co. was slated to open late 2024. Now, roughly a year behind schedule, it appears the highly anticipated spot is finally ready to make its debut. Spitz could open as early as February 2026, said chef Michael Roberts, who will run the kitchen.

Along with Roberts, Spitz is a team endeavor from Bandit co-owner Joshua Weaver and local wine pro Seth Davis. The team have been quietly building a following for the past year at Small Bar, the makeshift pop-up restaurant and wine bar in the back of Bandit. For fans of Small Bar (and there are many), Spitz’slaunch will be bittersweet: Small Bar will permanently close while the team moves over to their new, much bigger digs.

But there will be plenty of carry-over from Small Bar’s tenure, including some showstopper hits Roberts has been testing out during a lengthy research and development period. Once open, guests can expect a creative wine list with a focus on low-intervention wines and small producers and a menu that Roberts has described as “globally inspired,” with small, shareable plates, heavy on seafood (there will be oysters and seafood towers), and a cocktail list with riffs on the classics.

The space will seat roughly 60 people inside, including a long bar as well as a chef’s counter, and will boast a spacious back patio where an abbreviated menu will be served.

2520 Central Ave., St. Petersburg

A new Mediterranean restaurant will open in mid-January inside St. Petersburg’s SkyBeach Resort in the Skyway Marina District. Chef Ryan VanDusen, who most recently worked at the Don CeSar as a banquet chef and chef de cuisine, is helming the kitchen, and said he plans on tapping what local produce and seafood he can for the new menu.

An early peek of the food lineup included dishes like a roasted garlic hummus with grilled naan and crudites; grilled lamb chops with tzatziki, pickled red onions and black garlic puree; and Florida Gulf ceviche with serrano pepper and citrus. The spot will also sport a Mediterranean-inspired cocktail menu, with ingredients like date syrup, saffron and cardamom bitters.

6800 Sunshine Skyway Lane S., St. Petersburg

Hot on the heels on their big Bar Terroir debut, the team behind Tampa restaurants Rocca and Streetlight Taco have a big slate of spots in the works for the new year.

First up is Oro, a Spanish restaurant scheduled to open in March inside the new Rome Collective, a large mixed-use development opening in North Hyde Park (202 N. Rome Ave., Tampa). The restaurant, helmed by chef Nick Orr, is currently described as a “tribute to the bold flavors of Spain,” and will incorporate wood-fired grilling and include dishes like paella and a list of tapas, along with imported cheeses, meats and other products from Spain.

White Wolf, slated to open in May at a new development off Westshore Boulevard, will serve as a “rustic encore to Rocca’s cuisine.” The Italian-leaning menu will include “handmade pastas, regional Italian dishes and Italian-American classics.”

Carnivore Club, a 28-seat chef’s counter, will open on the rooftop above White Wolf in July and focus on wood-fired grilled meats. The spot is described as a “bold, immersive experience for carnal enthusiasts.” Also on the rooftop is Bar Spuntino, which will serve spritzes, light bites and other drinks inspired by the “Italian aperitivo lifestyle.”

In August, the team plans to launch Kingfish, a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar, also inside the Rome Collective.

Tampa’s taco game is about to get a big boost when Con Amor, a new modern Mexican restaurant, opens its doors in Seminole Heights. The new spot from husband-and-wife team Kayla Chang and Taylor Dillon is expected to open any day now.

The restaurant will open on the ground floor of the Avenue Lofts and feature a robust menu anchored in nixtamalized tacos, an ancient process of turning corn into masa for tortillas. Though the couple are first-time restaurant owners, Dillon previously worked at Cochon in New Orleans, Daniel and Jean-Georges in New York; Counter Culture in Tampa; and Red Mesa Cantina in St. Petersburg.

Once Con Amor is open, guests can expect a regional Mexican menu with everything from a Pueblan mole to specialties from Mexico City, Oaxaca and Tijuana. A full bar includes a heavy focus on mezcal and tequila, with several non-alcoholic options and a short list of draft beers, including several Mexican selections.

5240 N. Florida Ave., Tampa

Also on our radar:

Tommy’s Chophouse, a new steakhouse from the team behind Ybor restaurants Barterhouse and Ocean Ink Raw Bar, will open early next year at 1622 E. Seventh Ave., on the ground floor of the Kress Contemporary building.

St. Petersburg Latin darling Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant is expanding back across the bay with a second location opening summer 2026 at Tampa’s International Plaza and Bay Street.

Pete’s Bagels is opening yet another location, this time in Tarpon Springs. The new spot will launch sometime in 2026 inside the historic Dolphin Gift Shop building at 810 Dodocanese Blvd.