Ava Restaurant

4.5

1859 Reviews

$30 and under

Italian

Top Tags:

Ava will have a special limited menu on Valentine's Day, please call for information.
Ava's menu will feature inspired Italian cuisine prepared in a simple and rustic fashion. Central to our vision will be house cured salumi, fresh hand made pasta and Neapolitan pizza cooked at 900 degrees in our Italian-made Acunto pizza oven. Ingredients will be fresh, seasonal, and local whenever possible.
Ava has limited seating, reservations may be inside or outside. We attempt to accommodate special requests, please let us know what your preference may be in the "add a special request' field. However, we can't guarantee all table requests. We look forward to serving you.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Feb 7, 2023

7:30 PM

Booked 51 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Takeout

(813) 512-3030

Other options

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Italian, Wine Bar, Steak
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat 10:30 am–2:00 pm Sun 10:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(813) 512-3030
Website
http://www.avatampa.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
John Lister
Private party contact
Donald Buzzell: (727) 415-2671

Location
718 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33606
Neighborhood
Tampa
Cross street
Howard Ave & Swann
Parking details
Self parking in the Garage.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

The Best Italian Restaurants in Tampa

Popular dishes

Wood Roasted Vegetables$12.00
Sea salt, olive oil
Bruschetta$15.00
Cherry tomato, onion, burrata, balsamic, basil
Grilled Octopus$22.00
potatoes, pickled fennel, dill, aged balsamic
Carciofi Fritti$15.00
Fried artichokes, lemon caper aioli
PEI Mussels$18.00
Grilled bread, nduja, fennel seed, white wine, garlic
Crispy Cheshire Pork Belly$17.00
Glazed Brussel sprouts, mustard jus argrodolce
Ava Inspirato Dip$14.00
roasted eggplant, garlic, caper, olive, lemon, olive oil, grilled bread
Meatballs$16.00
Beef, Pomodoro, Parmigiano, basil
Shrimp Scampi$18.00
Gulf shrimp, garlic, lemon, white wine, grilled house bread
Pan Seared Scallops$24.00
Lemon basil risotto, asparagus, salsa cruda
Ravioli al Tartufo e Formaggio$18.00
Truffle & cheese ravioli, cauliflower puree, mushroom, melted leeks, brown butter, truffle, crispy leeks

Insalate

Ava House$13.00
Mixed greens, radish, tomato, red onion, olives, mozzarella
Mozzarella di Buffalo$15.00
Fresh buffalo mozzarella, heirloom tomato, shaved fennel, orange, opal basil, olive oil, aged balsamic
Apple & Walnut*$14.00
Mixed greens, apples, spiced walnuts, Gorgonzola, lemon dressing
Spinach & Date Salad$15.00
Pistachio, sumac, red onion, goat cheese, sourdough croutons, balsamic

Salumi & Cheese

Chef's Selection of Assorted Cheese$21.00
Grilled bread, fruit and accompaniments
Chef's Selection of Meats and Cheese$36.00
Chef's daily selections
Chef's Selection of House-Cured Meats$28.00
Grilled bread, pickled vegetables, and Mostarda

Secondi

Wood Grilled Cobia$32.00
Cannelloni beans, tomato, kale, basil emulsion
Sesaonal Vegetarian Plate$26.00
Chef's daily preparation
Tuscan Pork Shank$35.00
Braised shank, roasted peppers, cipollini onions, sundried tomatoes, spinach, over soft polenta
Duo of Lamb$40.00
Grilled rib chop, & merguez sausage, companada, fingerling fries, currant emulsion, aged balsamic
Wood Grilled Prime Sirloin$32.00
Potato croquette, grilled asparagus, mushroom sugo
Wood Grilled Salmon$31.00
Chili mustard glaze, zucchini, cherry tomato, fregola, grilled asparagus
Wood Grilled Twin Filets$44.00
Two 4 oz. filets, Gorgonzola gnocchi, sautéed greens, red wine sugo
Boneless Half Chicken$28.00
Lemon caper butter, broccolini, herb whipped potatoes

Paste

Cavatelli al Ragu$26.00
Fennel sausage, tomato
Pappardelle alle Bolognese$30.00
veal, beef, pork, sofrito
Tagliatelle con Funghi$26.00
Mushroom ragu, garlic, thyme, burro fuso, 63 degree egg
Bucatini alla Vaccinara$30.00
Oxtail, pine nuts, currants
Lamb Bolognese$32.00
pappardelle, lamb, sofrito, rosemary ricotta
Fusilli al Pomodoro$22.00
Tomato sugo, olive oil, basil
Gnocchi co Coniglio Ragu$30.00
Braised rabbit, carrots, white wine, black pepper panna acida
Seafood Bolognese$34.00
black pappardelle, lobster, crab, shrimp, crawfish, sofrito

Italian Classics

Eggplant Parmesan$20.00
Eggplant, spaghetti, mozzarella, Granna Padano, Pomodoro
Maddon's Double Play$30.00
Eggplant parmesan and chicken parmesan. (Joe Maddon's favorite)
Spaghetti & Meatballs$18.00
Two meatballs, Pomodoro
Chicken Parmesan$24.00
Chicken cutlet, spaghetti, mozzarella, Granna Padano, Pomodoro

Vegano

Vegan Chicken Parmesan$24.00
Gardein Chick'n, Daiya vegan cheese, Pomodoro, spaghetti
Beyond Bolognese$28.00
Beyond meat, sofrito, penne or spaghetti
Beyond Salciccia Pizza$21.00
Beyond meat Italian sausage, Daiya vegan cheese, San Marzano tomatoes

Pizze

La Bestia$21.00
Spicy nduja sausage, San Marzano tomatoes, arugula, ricotta
Salsiccia$21.00
Fennel sausage, San Marzano tomatoes, ricotta, red onion, Piquillo peppers
Funghi$21.00
Cremini and shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onion, mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, balsamic
Margherita Pizza$20.00
San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olive oil
Basillico Pesto$21.00
Basil pesto, goat cheese, ricotta, fontina, sundried tomatoes
Truffle$27.00
Spinach, black truffles, ricotta, fontina, mozzarella

Additions

Chicken Breast$8.00
Meatball$4.00
Shrimp$10.00
Grilled Fish$16.00
Fennel Sausage$4.00
Nduja Sausage$4.00
Salmon$10.00

Dessert

Tiramisu$10.00
Zeppole$9.00
Donuts, custard, whipped mascarpone
Nutella Mousse Cake$15.00
Peanut butter toffee, skrewball peanut butter whiskey
Cannolis$10.00
Chocolate Torte$10.00
Flourless chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, raspberry sauce, vanilla ice cream

What 1,859 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.4Service
4.5Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Tampa
Italian

Sort by

Filters

SR
SusieR
Atlanta
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
What a great dinner! The restaurant was fun and lively without being overwhelming loud--we could actually have a conversation. Food was delicious--pasta was delicious and perfectly prepared. Service was fantastic, too! Friendly without hovering. Will definitely go again!
EF
EricF
New York Area
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Pork Belly appetizer was amazing. The Lamb Duo was exquisite and cooked to perfection. Will definitely come back to Ava.
AG
AnnG
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on January 29, 2023
overall2food3service2ambience2
Outdoor seating right on the road, very loud car noise, table of 10 obnoxious drunk people shouting next to us (avoid Gasparilla weekend). Had to shout to hear each other. Food mediocre, service ambivalent and slow. Drinks never refilled.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Detroit
11 reviews
vip
3.0
11 reviews
Dined on January 29, 2023
overall3food5service2ambience4
The food was great but the service was very lacking. We barely saw our server, not even at her other tables. And for a busy Sunday brunch, you would expect the servers to be visible and attending to all their tables.
SH
SarahH
Tampa
3 reviews
vip
3.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 27, 2023
overall3food4service2ambience4
Had a good time with some friends, food was great! Only thing though is when we got our food, our server didn’t come to us until we basically had like 2 bites left of the food. We had to ask a different server for items.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Dallas
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 24, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We loved our waiter! He was just so helpful and fun!
KW
KatinaW
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 21, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food, Great service, and even better prices!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Coastal Georgia
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 20, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Ava’s had a great atmosphere! We enjoyed our food and had a great service.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food was so good!
LB
LisaB
Denver
2 reviews
1.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 16, 2023
overall1food4service1ambience1
Service was slow and everyone seemed stressed. Food was good.
E
Erich
Tampa
31 reviews
vip
4.0
31 reviews
Dined on January 12, 2023
overall4food5service5ambience4
Our server “Caesar” was fantastic!
JC
JuliC
Tampa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 11, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent and authentic! Made from scratch! Put on the list of places to go!
AR
AliciaR
Miami
3 reviews
vip
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 8, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
Our waitress was courteous, professional and helpful.
DB
DaphB
Tampa
18 reviews
vip
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on January 8, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience5
We had a great dining experience at Ava. The location was great, the food was delicious, and the service was fantastic. We highly recommend this restaurant; we would go there again and again!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on January 7, 2023
overall4food3service5ambience5
Beautiful ambiance and fantastic service! All food had the same wood fire taste, but too Smokey/ burnt. As if the wood chips needed to be changed.
RM
RichardM
Tampa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 6, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Lasts nights fish special was as good as we have had any place. Waiter was excellent.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Detroit
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Best homemade gluten free pasta!
AK
AlexandraK
Tampa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
I had a dairy allergy and they were extremely accommodating. Never once worried I’d get sick, which is rare. The service was quick (sat before our reservation time) and she was extremely attentive. 10/10 will recommend and go back ourselves!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 31, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We went for an early dinner on New Year’s Eve. The bruschetta was delicious along with the lamb and tagliatelle with mushrooms. Ava is one of my favorite places on South Howard. It’s more upscale but the value of high quality food, great service, and a nice ambiance is there. They also have parking which is a rare find in SoHo.
KB
KristieB
Washington DC
8 reviews
vip
4.0
8 reviews
Dined on December 29, 2022
overall4food4service5ambience4
Great service, food was ok, wine was good
B
Bond
Tampa
4 reviews
1.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 25, 2022
overall1food2service2ambience2
Food was below average. The appetizers and main dishes that were not good. At this price point I had expectations of a higher end experience. Bottom line not even as good as a Carraba’s but at more than twice the price. Service felt like a fast food restaurant rather than what you’d expect for $300 for four people. Obviously will not be back and recommend others look elsewhere for a worthwhile dining experience.
TM
TriciaM
Tampa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 25, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
It was a great Christmas Eve!!
k
kiki007
Washington DC
5 reviews
vip
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 24, 2022
overall4food3service4ambience4
Atmosphere for Christmas Eve dinner good Lamb was fatty according to my mom Risotto and chicken ordered by 3 of us. Just so so. Nothing special. Given prices would have expected better food experience however overall nice evening and we liked the room we were in which was festive.
JW
JuliaW
Tampa
50 reviews
vip
4.0
50 reviews
Dined on December 24, 2022
overall4food3service4ambience4
Ava did well considering the cold temperatures this weekend. Especially on Christmas eve.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 24, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Christmas Eve
RL
RevLindsay
Tampa
22 reviews
4.0
22 reviews
Dined on December 24, 2022
overall4food5service4ambience5
It was a little chaotic when we first arrived but we did not wait too long to be seated and the food was absolutely delicious.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 23, 2022
overall4food4service5ambience4
Service was outstanding. Busy holidays weekend and our waitress was so attentive.
MJ
MagdalaJ
Tampa
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 23, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our first time coming to Ava after a coworker recommended this place to my girlfriend. We decided to have a nice dinner before going to see our families for Christmas. The parking was fairly easy in a nearby garage, it was a Thursday night but still active. We were seated quickly and were tended to often. Our waitress was great, helpful and knowledgeable. The ambiance was great along with the food and the drinks. We had the bolognese and the chicken parm with a number of different drinks that we tried and loved. We had a great night and we both agreed that we would come back to try some other dishes on the menu.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 22, 2022
overall5food4service5ambience5
Great ambience and service.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Charleston
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 21, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
We came with a group of 10 for a birthday and the food was delicious and the service was very quick and attentive. Very impressed!
PC
PaulC
Tampa
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on December 19, 2022
overall3food3service5ambience3
We were not pleased with the spaghetti an red sauce. It was tasteless. We’re very disappointed with my husband’s entree. Mine was great,though. Loved the Ravioli with truffles/mushrooms.
H
Hale
Tampa
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 18, 2022
overall3food4service4ambience5
seared scallops were the highlight of the night. pizza was flavorless but came out very quick. server was nice. bland entrees. quick night, in and out in less than an hour. would probably return to give another try but not worth the money based on this experience.
H
Hedy
New York Area
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 18, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our server was very attentive and pleasant (in additions to the delish food). Will definitely return again!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
16 reviews
vip
5.0
16 reviews
Dined on December 17, 2022
overall5food4service4ambience4
Great experience. Tables were properly set, we were attended to nicely, spent over $500 on 5 people so perhaps we received extra attention, I’d come back. Clean bathrooms!
AF
AnaF
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on December 16, 2022
overall3food2service2ambience4
We were the only people at the restaurant because it was an early week day and the server seemed rushed and short with answers when asked for recs. My brioche bread seemed old. Drinks were good and really cite decorated for the holidays
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 11, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
My birthday
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tampa
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on December 11, 2022
overall4food3service4ambience4
Birthday dinner
FW
FrancesW
Las Vegas
5 reviews
vip
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 10, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Party of ten. Outside in Dec. perfect. Food outstanding. Service was incredible. amazing night
KW
KeithW
St. Louis
7 reviews
vip
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on December 9, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Been to Ava many times. Always consistent. Pork Belly is succulent. Lamb is great. Bolgonese and parpadelle noodles always a winner.
OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 4, 2022
overall5food5service5ambience5
Birthday dinner

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers

Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Contact tracing information collected

FAQs

Ava Restaurant does offer delivery in partnership with Chow Now, Postmates and Uber Eats. Ava Restaurant also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (813) 512-3030.

Ava Restaurant is rated 4.5 stars by 1859 OpenTable diners.