{"id":416113,"date":"2026-10-01T22:06:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T22:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/416113\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T22:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T22:06:15","slug":"2026s-hot-new-restaurants-in-tampa-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/416113\/","title":{"rendered":"2026’s Hot New Restaurants in Tampa Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

The beauty of Tampa Bay is its ever-evolving culinary scene. From limited-time pop-ups to restaurants built to last, the area embraces new concepts and cuisines that continue to cement its reputation as a foodie destination. Here are some of the hottest new restaurants you need to try.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Landon
\nThe Landon<\/a><\/p>\n

717 S. Howard Ave., Tampa | (813) 725-4199 | @thelandonrestaurant<\/p>\n

From the ashes of 717 South comes The Landon, a new culinary concept specializing in refined American cuisine. Already a Best of the City winner for its ambiance, food and overall dining experience, the dinner destination features a menu curated by Chef Robert Hesse of Gordon Ramsay\u2019s Hell\u2019s Kitchen. Expect creative fare such as 10K Scallops, alongside playful takes on starters, including Lobster Popcorn and Truffle Beef Tartare, plus indulgent bread and caviar service.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"ISUISU St. Pete
\nISU<\/a><\/p>\n

10 Beach Drive NE, St Petersburg | (727) 866-4633<\/p>\n

From the creators of Fortu, ISU opened downstairs from its sister restaurant in November with a menu that combines Japanese techniques with Peruvian flavors. With sustainability in mind, almost every part of the fish is used across dishes, whether it\u2019s the signature nigiri, crudo or sashimi. The Akami Crudo with tuna, blood orange and charred garlic has quickly become a customer favorite, as has the nigiri tasting, featuring sauces and toppings made and prepared in-house. Each dish pairs beautifully with something from the expansive, rotating sake collection, Peruvian wines, Japanese beer or a specialty cocktail, like the yuzu- and lychee-forward Pitaya Fizz.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Giancarlo'sGiancarlo\u2019s Tampa
\nGiancarlo\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

1532 W. North B St., Tampa | (813) 851-6646<\/p>\n

Family has always been at the heart of Travis Kaiser\u2019s restaurants. He opened Santoro\u2019s Pizzeria in 2021, naming it after his oldest son and bringing a taste of his New Jersey roots to Tampa. This year, he expanded with Giancarlo\u2019s, named for his youngest son, alongside Homesick Bagels, serving authentic New Jersey-style bagels. Giancarlo\u2019s offers tavern-style fare, from burgers and pizzas to Italian favorites, while its coffee bar transforms into Sidebar, an intimate cocktail lounge, each evening. Signature dishes like the spicy rigatoni and eggplant stack, along with weekend brunch and community events, have made it a neighborhood favorite.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Rio Izikaya
\nRio Izikaya<\/a><\/p>\n

5232 Bridge St., Tampa | (813) 918-7777<\/p>\n

Created by Thomas Qinsen and his wife, Leona, Rio Izakaya brings a refined approach to Japanese dining through precision-driven techniques and exceptional ingredients. After Leona spent a year and a half training in Japan, learning the craft of yakitori, udon and ramen, the couple brought those techniques to St. Petersburg. Opened in May, Rio specializes in yakitori, a traditional Japanese grilling technique where hand-cut portions of chicken are skewered and cooked over Binchotan, a Japanese white oak charcoal prized for its high heat and ability to seal in flavor. The restaurant also features house dry-aged sushi and sashimi, with nearly all fish sourced from Japan and prepared to preserve its natural flavors.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"MeiMei St. Pete
\nMei<\/a><\/p>\n

320 3rd St. S., St Petersburg | (727) 471-7448<\/p>\n

Named after Executive Chef Alex Chamberlain\u2019s sister, Mei blends casual dining with highly executed cuisine rooted in Japanese culinary philosophy. The St. Petersburg restaurant features a French bistro-inspired dining room and a tasting counter highlighting Japanese flavors and Nordic preservation techniques. The menu changes with the seasons, driven by ingredients from local farmers and foragers, with vegetables and sides rotating frequently. While offerings evolve, the house dry-aged duck remains a guest favorite and a staple since opening. From Japanese seafood and sustainable ingredients to house-made breads, pastries and sauces, Mei focuses on simplicity, craftsmanship and letting quality ingredients shine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Curios what the Tampa Magazine staff loves? Check out Staff Selects<\/a>. Or if you\u2019re looking to advertise, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The beauty of Tampa Bay is its ever-evolving culinary scene. From limited-time pop-ups to restaurants built to last,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":416114,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[164797,164798,164799,164800,202,204,203,199,201,200,1704],"class_list":["post-416113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-new-places-to-eat","tag-new-restaurants-in-tampa-bay","tag-now-open","tag-restaurants-tampa-bay","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news","tag-tampa-bay-restaurants"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416113\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/416114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=416113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=416113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}