Caffe Paradiso

It always looks busy and lively when I walk by, so I tried it for the first time tonight. It didn’t disappoint. I sat at the bar and immediately people seated next to me engaged in pleasant convo. The male servers were smartly dressed in white shirts and narrow black ties, and were a cut above most places nearby in their professionalism. I ordered a club soda and pasta primavera. It hit the spot and was exactly the comfort food/healthy veggie meal I craved. $40 including 20% tip and tax seems high for a bowl of meatless pasta. I understand the $3.50 charge for a club soda but most places will serve this at no charge in lieu of tap water.

EXCEPTIONAL!!!! All around outstanding in every way possible. No wonder this place was voted the best Italian Cuisine in Tampa! I would say, “The BEST Italian Cuisine.” …… of anywhere! Upon entering, we could smell the fresh basil from the sidewalk! We ordered the Calamari Fritti for an appetizer. It was the most tender, best tasting Calamari I’ve had yet. For the main course I had the lump crab meat with pasta and they do NOT skimp on the crab meat!!! It was so tender and moist, so fresh and deliciously sweet. The marinara is PERFECT and you can tell it’s made with fresh tomatoes and basil. It was heaven in my mouth. My boyfriend got the Rosemary Chicken with vegetable medley. The Rosemary is fresh and fragrant and the veggies are FRESH, NOT frozen and steamed!!!! Next, we indulged in the limoncello cake for dessert. Also heaven in my mouth. Perfectly soaked, perfectly balanced and perfectly creamy. After that, we had an espresso and an espresso martini! The espresso was VERY dark and strong, just what is needed after a heavy meal. The espresso Martini was slightly bitter and slightly sweet. Perfection in everything. I don’t think words can express the experience that the food gave me. This place is SUPER affordable for the quality of food! The waiter was outstanding and attentive. He even scraped off the crumbs on our table. Your water is always topped off, and never a dirty dish left on the table! I LOVE how the managers (notice how it’s plural) are always walking around interacting with the guests and helping with the tables. You can tell the employees work as a team here. We will be back with ALL of our family!!!

Such a fun, lively restaurant with the most delicious Italian dishes in Tampa!! We love the presence of the owner Paolo and his kind, welcoming heart to everyone! They offer incredible wine options and the dishes always come out to perfection (even when we request something not on menu). They are always happy to accommodate and provide such a fun, friendly and positive evening!

We ordered three apps, the grouper & lobster special, and desserts. I can highly recommend salmone affumicato and the portobello Al balsamico. We found the lemonchello cake to be the best in Tampa Bay compared to equivalent Italian restaurants ($$). The atmosphere was good. It was fun meeting the manager/owner. The waitstaff kept the water glass full. My family struggled to communicate with all the voices in the room when the restaurant was at 100% capacity; however, it helped to sit near the wall. Loved the taste of the food and quality of food. 100% will return. Reservations are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Enjoy!

This place is kind of a hidden gem. Excellent food, service, atmosphere was expecting of this type of restaurant. Sat at the bar, ate dinner and had a few drinks. Nice selection at the bar. Even two types of Knob Creek. Bartender Eileen was great, even though she was very busy. Had to try the tiramisu, also great. Would definitely come here again.