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Ava Restaurant, Tampa, FL
animated flamesBooked 19 times today

Ava Restaurant

4.4 (2215)
$30 and under
Italian
718 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33606

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Good for groups
  • Neighborhood gem
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.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian, 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
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    John Lister
  • Private party facilities
    Ava has two private rooms and the patio can be made private for larger parties.
  • Private party contact
    Donald Buzzell: (727) 415-2671
  • 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

Experiences

  • Father's Day Brunch at Ava!

    Jun 15, 2025 only
    Join us Sunday June 15th from 10am to 3pm for our regular brunch menu to celebrate to celebrate Mother's Day!!
    Father's Day Brunch at Ava! Photo

Private dining

What 2,215 people are saying

Ava Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Tampa

    Good for groups

  • Tampa

    Great for outdoor dining

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Ava Restaurant is celebrated for its "best Italian food" and "amazing cocktails," with standout menu items like the "excellent tiramisu." Service is consistently praised as "fantastic" and "exceptional," enhancing the dining experience. While some reviews note noise and occasional service hiccups, the overall ambiance and quality make it a popular choice.

2,215 Reviews
  1. Barry

    Orlando3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Let me start by saying avoid the bread. It was not good and they charge $12. Our appetizer which was a ravioli dish was outstanding. I had the filet (very good) but the potato that came with it was not. My wife had the pork chop to be cooked Medium Well. It was way over cooked, hard and dry. They replaced it and that was one was was very good. Staff was great, although the uniform that the female servers were wearing was degrading IMO. Skimpy to an extreme. One server dressed like she wasn’t having it, which I respected. FYI I am a straight man, so if I felt this was it was way over the top. It’s not Vegas it’s Tampa.

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  2. Gary

    Tampa5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food quality- amazing, in a fun atmosphere We’ll be back

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  3. David VIP

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Sometimes you get lucky and a new place exceeds expectations. Tonight at Ava the special was a wagu filet with mushrooms, steamed gnocchi and a Gorgonzola cream sauce. The beef was delicious with great flavor. When paired with the steamed gnocchi, the mushrooms and the Gorgonzola cream the dish was a home run. Correct that a Grand Slam. Simply the best dish I’ve ever had in any restaurant in Tampa and I’ve been to all the so called best.

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  4. Loranne

    Atlantic City9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best Italian food we have had in ages! Cocktails amazing as well!!

    Is this helpful?

  5. OpenTable Diner

    Tampa1 review

    1.0

    Dined on May 23, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    Ava had a very loud party with DJ piped throughout the restaurant. We usually love it here, but it was a bad experience.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Megan VIP

    Charleston24 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our food was delicious and our server was fantastic! Don’t skip dessert! The tiramisu was excellent!

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  7. Mark

    Tampa1 review

    2.0

    Dined on May 17, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    A great disappointment and I will not be going back again…

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  8. Olivia

    Tampa3 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Went to this restaurant a few years ago and came back, completely different place. The vibes inside are cheap while the food is overpriced and not good. Used to be great Italian food at a cutie place, now just seems like a cheap college spot dressed up like a restaurant

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  9. Cathy

    Tampa4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server was Olivia and she made it such a wonderful experience.

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  10. Deneen

    Tampa4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 9, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food and service were excellent as expected! On this particular night, the noise level in the restaurant was louder than usual.

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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 4.4 stars by 2215 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Tampa / Central Florida West
  4. Tampa
  5. Tampa

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Ava Restaurant

718 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33606

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Howard Ave & Swann
  • Neighborhood
    Tampa
  • 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
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Self parking in the Garage.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    John Lister
  • 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
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    Ava has two private rooms and the patio can be made private for larger parties.
  • Private party contact
    Donald Buzzell: (727) 415-2671
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