Red sauce classics or modern Italian, these are the restaurants our readers voted the best. Here are the restaurants TAMPA Magazine readers voted Best Italian Restaurant in our 2026 Best Restaurants List, along with the runners-up and the spots voters also loved.
Winners
Featured Winner
Esposito’s Italian Restaurant and Bar
Family-run Esposito’s serves Roman, Sicilian and Italian-American favorites in Carrollwood, from rigatoni alla vodka to beef braciole. Owner Paul Varsalona learned the business from his father, Rocky, and Sinatra on the speakers sets the mood.
Beccofino Italian Bistro
Osteria Natalina
Rocca
Runners-Up
Beau & Mo’s Italian Steakhouse
Bella’s Italian Café
OLIVIA
Trattoria Pasquale’s
Voters Also Loved
Donatello Italian Restaurant
Forbici Modern Italian
Italian Food in Tampa Bay
Italian food has been part of Tampa since Sicilian immigrants settled in Ybor City in the late 1800s. Today the area’s Italian restaurants range from family-run red-sauce spots and pizzerias to Michelin-recognized kitchens making fresh pasta daily.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Italian restaurant in Tampa?
In TAMPA Magazine’s 2026 Best Restaurants List, readers named Beccofino Italian Bistro, Esposito’s Italian Restaurant and Bar, Osteria Natalina and Rocca the winners for Best Italian Restaurant. Beau & Mo’s Italian Steakhouse, Bella’s Italian Café, OLIVIA and Trattoria Pasquale’s were the runners-up.
How were the winners chosen?
The results are based entirely on votes from TAMPA Magazine readers in our annual Best Restaurants contest. Advertising has no bearing on the results.
Where can I find the other categories?
See every category on our 2026 Best Restaurants List, or browse the newest results on our Best Restaurants List.
« Back to the full 2026 Best Restaurants List
Restaurant owners: Want your restaurant featured with a photo, description and contact details? Contact our advertising team.
