Sure it is easy to find a bar in Tampa. But to find a good bar – whether it be a neighborhood bar with friendly locals or a sexy, chic nightclub with high hells and fruity cocktails or a sports bar with good food and cheap drinks – you need some advice. So here it is – the Dive In list of the Best Bars in Channelside, Davis Islands, Downtown, Hyde Park, SoHo and Ybor.
Bars in the Channelside District
- Howl at the Moon – Don’t miss the Dueling Piano Show. Don’t know what a Dueling Piano Show is? Take a suggestion and visit Howl to find out. www.howlatthemoon.com
- Wet Willies – Because every Florida party district needs a bar that serves a colorful rainbow of alcohol-infused frozen drinks. www.wetwillies.com
- The Pour House (at Grand Central) – Where beer is boss, and hoppy, malty goodness flows from over 40 craft brew taps. www.pourhousetampa.com
- The Luxury Box (Across from the Forum) – This sports bar is a perfect Pre or Post Game (or Forum Event) drink and grub spot.
Davis Islands Bars
- Rick’s Italian Cafe – Go for the pasta, stay for the cheap drinks and conversation with friendly locals. www.ricksitaliancafe.com
- The Anchor Bar – Cozy up to giant flat screens, finger-licking wings and drink specials that will keep you bellied up to the bar way later than you had planned. www.anchorbartampa.com
- Yeomans Road Pub – To Die for Pub Food and the best place to grab a meal when hungover or planning on being hungover the next day. www.myspace.com/yeomansdi
Downtown Tampa Bars
- The Sail Pavilion – Casual outdoor, waterfront, urban tiki bar. Does it get any better than this? Find It on Facebook.
- Taps Beer and Wine Eatery – One of the few restaurants where the beer menu (coming in at 8 pages) is longer than the food menu. www.tapswineandbeer.com
- Gilligan’s Hideaway – It’s easy to get stranded at this island bar and grill’s happy hour party patio. www.gilliganshideawaytampa.com
- Hattrick’s – ESPN’s COLD PIZZA has ranked Hattricks in the Top Ten Sports Bar in the Country. Enough said. www.hattrickstavern.com
Tampa Hyde Park Bars
- Hyde Park Cafe – Indoor/Outdoor bar/night club that can be casual one night and posh the next depending on if a guitar is playing or a DJ is spinning. www.thehydeparkcafe.com
- Four Green Fields – Calling this bar and grill authentic Irish would be an understatement. Walk into Four Green Fields and fall into a bar in the heart of Dublin, where the Guinness is flowing and traditional Irish song and dance rule the wood floors. www.fourgreenfields.com/tampa
- The Retreat – Chic dive bar offering all of the comforts of a hole in the wall pub without all the plastic cups and sticky bar stools. www.retreattampa.com
Bars on Howard
- MacDintons – The solid backbone to SoHo’s success. This is the Irish Pub that either starts or ends a good night on Howard. www.macdintons.com
- The SoHo Tavern –Bigger isn’t always better. What The SoHo Tavern lacks in size it makes up for in friendly patrons and attitude. www.thesohotavern.com
- Yard of Ale – Where you can drink your drafts by the yard or choose a bottle from a selection of over 75 craft and imported brews. www.yardofalesoho.com
- The Dubliner – Where classic bar element swell together in a perfect harmony of craft beer, live music and twinkling deck lights. www.thedublineririshpub.com
- The Lodge – (By night) The Lodge is like an upscale family hunting cabin where you party when your parents are out of town. www.lodgetampa.com
- World of Beer – Consider yourself a beer connoisseur? Test yourself with over 500 beers from around the globe. http://southtampa.wobusa.com/
- Tiny Tap Tavern – It’s only one block from the posh SoHo district but exists a world away. This neighborhood, dive bar is come as you are and prepared to drink Natural Light from a pitcher. Facebook Fan Page
Bars in Ybor
- Centro Cantina – Plopped right in the heart of Centro Ybor, this chill, 2nd-story, outdoor bar makes it easy to feel like you are in the middle of a wild night in Ybor, without feeling all of the pressure of actually being stuck on 7th. On the Web.
- Gaspar’s Grotto – If a pirate were to retire from pillaging, decide to use his remaining booty to invest in an establishment serving quality, Cuban and island-influenced foods and rums from around the world, it would be Gaspar’s. It is Gaspar’s. www.gasparsgrotto.com
- New World Brewery – Go sit in the beer garden and enjoy an extensive selection of microbrews, imports and seasonals as well as awesomely good live music and pizza. www.newworldbrewery.net
- Doppel Decker –There is a reason that German bars have a reputation for a drink-slamming good time. It starts here with a Das Boot. www.doubledeckertampa.com
- James Joyce Irish Pub – Follow the steps up to this 2nd story Irish bar and you’ll never know what you’ll find – live music, bag pipers or jello wrestling. Find it on Facebook.
- Coyote Ugly Saloon – You’ve seen the movie. Now go to the bar. And no, Tyra Banks doesn’t work there, but there are girls dancing on the bar. www.coyoteuglysaloon.com/tampa
- Crowbar – Rock and roll with this courtyard bar of live music and the best karaoke in Tampa. www.crowbarlive.com
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