3 Best Restaurants in The Tampa Bay Area, Florida

Make a date for some of the best Latin cuisine in Tampa. A fixture since 1905, this magnificent structure with an old-world air and spacious dining rooms takes up an entire city block and seems to feed the entire city—locals as well as visitors—throughout the week, but especially on weekends. The paella à la Valenciana, bursting with seafood, chicken, and pork, is arguably the best in Florida, and the 1905 salad (with ham, olives, cheese, and garlic) is legendary. The menu also has Cuban classics such as boliche criollo (tender eye of round stuffed with chorizo), ropa vieja (shredded beef with onions, peppers, and tomatoes), and arroz con pollo (chicken with yellow rice). Don't miss the flamenco dancing show every night but Sunday. This place is also known for its sangria. If you can, walk around the building and check out the elaborate, antique decor along every inch of the interior.

A choice romantic destination as well as an excellent launchpad for a night out, this restaurant offers an astonishing spate of meat, seafood, or veggie small-plate options. You can't go wrong with any of the ceviches, and the paella (featuring vegetables, seafood, or chicken and pork paella) is a good large-plate choice. In the catacomb-like bar downstairs, there's jazz, salsa, and flamenco many nights (the schedule varies each month). While you're here, the sangria is a must.

On trendy St. Armand's Circle, patrons perch for a good meal and amazing people-watching. The local chain's 1905 salad—with ham, olives, cheese, and garlic—deserves its cult status. October through May sees stone crabs fresh from the Gulf of Mexico. Order them chilled, steamed, with butter, with mustard sauce and lemon, or broiled Carioca-style, with Latin spices. The crusty bread and Spanish bean soup enhance the flavors.