Casa Santo Stefano
Housed in a beautifully re-imagined former 1925 Ybor City macaroni factory, the restaurant is a look back to Sunday suppers, simpler times and shared stories.
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
Popular dishes
Gelato
Casa-made assorted gelatos, flavors: dark cioccolato, vanilla, Sicilian pistachio, hazelnut, stracciatella, Flavor Of The Day
11 reviews
Arancini
Fried breaded risotto balls, mixed with Bolognese, mozzarella and peas, served with tomato sauce
10 reviews
Tiramisu
Coffee-dipped ladyfingers, rum and mascarpone cream, dark cocoa dust
9 reviews
Menu
Awesome food. Very friendly staff. Waiter, Logan was superb!
Service was unacceptably slow on the evening of May 6, 2021 when we dined with a party of four, but there was a apparently a very large group being served on the roof deck so this may not be a fair critique.
All of our dishes were excellent except the Sea Bass Grigliata must have been overcooked because it was very dry and tasteless.
This was our second visit and we will definitely go back to try some other of their other unique specialties.
The food and service were excellent! Can’t Wait to go back!
Great Food, Great Ambience and Wonderful Location
The dishes I ordered were very fresh and well seasoned
The food was amazing the atmosphere is really relaxing. They have a roof top bar that is very beautiful
Glad you found all the nooks and crannies, Jimmy.
Always an amazing experience! My third time there and I could go every week! Hottest place in town and for good reason! GET THE BAKED CLAMS!
So, you liked the clams? ::: kidding ::: So glad you enjoyed your meal, Melissa.
We have been to Santo Stefano twice now. It is excellent! Indeed, I hesitate to write the review because I don't want this gem to become too difficult to get into. It is a beautiful room, rich with character and local Tampa Ybor tradition. Indeed, the food is "Tampa family Sicilian," born in Sicily, but modified by the tastes of locals over generations. Like the venerable Columbia Restaurant next door, this is a uniquely Tampa restaurant. The food is ample and delicious. I had to force myself to save some of my Linguini con Vongole for leftovers. I will finish it tonight. My Insalate di Cesare with a parmesan chip on top is unique and may be the best Caesar salad I have ever had. The service was excellent -- attentive, but not too much so. And the prices are reasonable, especially for this quality. Plenty of free parking right across the street. There is nothing not to like about the Santo Stefano!
We're proud to be a place you enjoy visiting again, Wayne. We look forward to your next visit.
Excellent food and wine, amazing service and great ambiance.
Sounds like we hit the mark, Kimberly. Thanks for your feedback.
We had a great experience! Atmosphere was perfect, food was delicious and most importantly, amazing service! We had a incredible waitress (Caitlin). Caitlin was very attentive, lively and friendly. We can’t wait to return.
Caitlin is a gem. We're so happy that her hospitality made you want to return.
Authentic Italian food. The Canoli was just like my grandmother's canoli. We thoroughly enjoyed the food, ambiance, and excellent service.
Any time we can come close to Nana's food, we're thrilled.
Great place for a Sunday Brunch!!!
Hard to beat the Eggs in Purgatory!
Great food , ambience , service.Thanks to Richard Gonzmart got preserving another piece of Tampa history.
First time dining here. I was pleasantly surprised and now have a new favorite to go to in Ybor.
Fantastic authentic cuisine!! Highly recommended!! Wonderful dining experience!!
So happy to hear you enjoyed your visit.
Sent a private message
Bartender at the bar wasn't very attentive but made good drinks and good suggestions. We were full on the delicious home made fresh bread and apps, which we all good. So not sure about the main dishes. Wine selection was superb as well.
Thank you for your feedback.
Rooftop for a cocktail with friends or a casual date with apps, or the restaurant for a nicer meal!
Either way, a memorable visit awaits.
Best part of meal was wine, appetizers and the company. Entree and dessert were both extremely dry.
Beautifully restaurant with amazing food! You will not leave hungry😊
The food, atmosphere, staff, history, service and overall experience are second to none. Go there, you will not be disappointed! And, order the artichoke.
Stella was amazing!! We were visited by the managers who shared interesting historical facts on how they've evolved. Service, quality of food and atmosphere was outstanding!
Maddy was so nice and gave great service! Food was great and came out very fast!
We're happy you enjoyed Maddy's hospitality, Emily.
A great experience from the food, service and atmosphere. Definitely going back to continue to sample the menu and also experience the upstairs outdoor area.
So glad to hear you'll be visiting again to enjoy the rooftop Santo's Drinkeria. It's open daily from 5 to 10 p.m. and requires no reservations.
I love that it's family-owned by the Gonzmart's who do so much for the community. The decor is really nice and I believe I read that much of it was collected over time from Italy. But it feels a bit 'big box restaurant' to me, like chain-like, even though I know it's not. I think the food is good and unique but a bit pricey. We had teens with us this last time who wanted a simple pasta with white/creme sauce - they said 'ok' then brought pasta with no sauce, just olive oil and didn't say anything like "we don't have a white sauce", a little odd.
We should have done more to adjust to your teens' orders instead of bringing what we offer on the menu. The server was correct; we don't have a cream sauce like that on the menu (or the ingredients to make it) but we should have helped them find something they would enjoy.
Highly recommend! Everyone is top
Notch! Service is spectacular and the food was mouth watering!
Thank you for your very kind compliments. Hope you visit us again soon.
Celebrating my husband’s birthday in such a wonderful restaurant was perfect. The ambiance supplied by beautiful marble and old photos that could have come from our families albums added a comfort level that allowed us to taste and enjoy so many of the delicious food items! We felt like we were at home.
All of those photos are contributed by friends and families who grew up in Sicilian families in Ybor City!
Excellent service, drinks and food.
We enjoyed it tremendously.
The chargrilled oysters were excellent and as good as the oysters at Acme Oyster House in Nawlins. The scallops, shrimp and grits were awesome and my wife had the filet. I can’t wait to go back.
Hi, this sounds like a review of our Ulele sister restaurant. Glad you enjoyed!
Long awaited visit to Cafe Santo Stefano. It was my second time, however, it was a first for the rest. We all debated about who picked the best entre, because each one was outstanding.Highly recommended!
Great to hear, Sueann. We like to think there's something for every appetite at the table.
Food and service were both great. We started with the arancini which were great, super flavorful. For dinner, we did the ricotta ravioli and the wrapped flank steak (forgetting the name of the dish right now) and both were incredible. The steak fell apart as you ate it and the ravioli was super flavorful. Would definitely go again
The braciole is meant to be the kind of tender that nana would make. So happy you enjoyed.
Made a reservation for 9 (past peak dinner hours) and was told when I checked in that it’ll be another 10 min wait. So we weren’t seated until 9:15pm. Then our server didn’t get to us for another 10 mins to get our appetizer order. By then it was 9:30pm and I was a bit agitated with the lackluster service so far.
The layout of the restaurant was a bit disorganized as I was sitting in a booth that wraps around when all a sudden the waiters pushed a 2 tables together right in front of my date and I for a large group. So all I can see is the party in front of me as my view for the entire night.
Ambiance and aesthetic is beautiful. Really love the vibe of authenticity that it gives off. Food was well prepared but I believe my appetite went away from all of the early inconveniences.
Dont see myself coming back for a while
My absolute Favorite spot! Service & food are always AWESOME!
Sounds like a great visit, Lori. Thank you! Be sure to try us for lunch!
Excellent food and service!
Thank you, birthday!
Beautiful addition to Ybor. May become my new favorite Italian restaurant in Tampa. Lovely interior. Excellent service. Food very good and a wide variety. Check out the rooftop bar for a before- or after-dinner cocktail.
Great tip on our rooftop Santo's Drinkeria.
Been here several times & loved it, this time it was very... meh. Not bad but not great as I've come to expect.
Thank you for the feedback.
Delicious! Will definitely return and want to try the spaghetti and meatballs! They looked delicious
Wait until you taste that dish! You'll feel like you're eating at nana's house.
This was my second dining experience at Casa Santo Stefano and it was even better and I loved it the first time. The creativity and presentation of some of the best pasta, seafood, meat and vegetable dishes in the Tampa Bay Area is outstanding. The historic building, attention to detail and welcoming hospitality of the staff all contribute to the fabulous ambiance of this restaurant. Congratulations to the Gonzmart Restaurant Group on another incredible dining experience - thank you!
Thank you for your many kind words and compliments.
Other than our meatballs came out cold the rest was great. We specifically came back to this restaurant because we enjoyed it last time.
Hmmm, that's disappointing. Thanks for letting us know. And thank you for returning.
The food, beverage selection, ambiance, and service {Maxwell) was superb. Parking is conveniently adjacent. We highly recommend this restaurant.
Thank you, Teresa. We're happy to hear Maxwell provided such outstanding hospitality.
FAQs
Casa Santo Stefano is rated 4.7 stars by 602 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.
