Cool things to do in Tampa for adults – a weekend of fun and food
By Helen Wright
Tampa is one of the coolest cities in Florida, but – especially for Brits visiting from the UK – it’s also one of the most underrated.
From fantastic food, fun attractions and historic neighbourhoods, Tampa has a lot to do and first-timers to the city will love exploring.
It’s the perfect city for a fun weekend or few days’ break, with plenty of things to do in Tampa for adults. In fact, it’s a literal playground for a girl’s weekend or couples’ getaway. I spent three days in Tampa with my best friend, Gen, and we had the most fun time.
This is everything we did as well as some more cool ideas for things to do in Tampa for adults.
Cool things to do in Tampa for adults
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How to spend 3 days in Tampa
Day one:
Heights Public Market at Armature Works is the place to go for breakfast. This former tram shed is now a trendy food hall with everything from sushi to BBQ and pizza, craft beer and fine wine.
For breakfast, trendy Graze 1910 is a must. We opted for the ‘Brunchwich’ – eggs, bacon… basically, brunch in bread. What’s better than that?
Sit outside on the sunny terrace and watch people doing yoga, rollerblading or Feng Shui on the green with the water twinkling on the river behind them.
The Hillsborough River runs right through the heart of Tampa and the picturesque Riverwalk alongside it is a great starting point to explore. The scenic path runs for 4.2 km along the water & through the middle of the city.
To cover the whole route, you can rent bikes from Tampa Riverwalk Rentals and explore on two wheels. This is a great way to stretch your legs after the flight or drive and help you get a feel for the area.
You can take to the river itself on a paddle boarding tour with Urban Kai. This cool company has a shop right on the waterside and a resident dog that sometimes joins you on a tour.
With the warm morning sun on our shoulders, this was the perfect way to start the day. You can rent kayaks and do your own thing or join a guided river tour, which is what we did. The friendly team had great knowledge about Tampa and were also skilled in guiding beginners. Tours start from $55 per person for a 60 minute tour.
For those who want to be out on the water, yet take things a little easier, the Pirate Water Taxi runs along the river, stopping at all the major locations. $34 (£25) will get you a hop-on-hop-off day pass. Used by locals as a commuter service, this boat trip also has a relaxed, personal tour for anyone new to Tampa and there is a bar on board! Now we’re talking.
We hopped off at Stop 12 (Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park) for a late morning stoll around the Tampa Museum of Art. This is a great space with pieces from ancient Greece and Rome to an exhibition by Pop Art legend Roy Lichtenstein as well as work by local artists.
Stick around for a coffee as you get a brilliant view of Downtown Tampa from the plaza in front of the museum. If you want to explore the area around here, you can also be on the lookout for cool street art and wall murals, which also happen to make an ideal Instagram backdrop.
For lunch, head to the Downtown area and squeeze into Supernatural Food & Wine. This one is a bit of a local secret, but this small and unassuming little bar is one of Tampa Bay’s best spots for donuts and breakfast and lunch sandwiches. The thing to get? The Sourdough Donut… so good!
Do you need a car in Tampa?
We rented a car from holidayautos.co.uk in the UK (picked up through Alamo at Tampa Airport) because we also planned to go to Busch Gardens – more on that later. For us, it worked out well to rent the car for the whole trip as we were easily able to drive between areas.
Driving and parking in Tampa is relatively painless (although definitely avoid the area around Raymond James Stadium if there is a game or an event on). However, Lyft and Uber are affordable and there are also really good transport links, including the free Ybor vintage streetcar which goes between Ybor City and Downtown.
Fun things to do in Tampa for couples and friends
In the afternoon, we went for a wander in the Downtown area, arounf he marina and Speakman Wharf. Speakman Wharf is a fun area with food stalls, craft beer and live music on the waterfront. It’s a good place to grab a bite (or a margarita) as the sun goes down and if you are lucky, you might spot dolphin and manatee swimming in the river.
For dinner, we headed at The Pearl, a Tampa institution. This buzzy restaurant was jam packed, with a lively atmosphere and a sexy oyster bar. The main menu has a mix of interesting seafood dishes, such as fried oysters and panko-fried Redfish as well as meat and veggie options. Plus, the restaurant was included in the Michelin Guide 2024-2025, so I advise you make a reservation.
TOP TIP: Save room for dessert as The Pearl is also famous for its house-baked pies (the Pecan being my personal favourite). If you’re too full, they also do them as take out.
Day two:
One of the most interesting things about Tampa is its Cuban history, which can be seen in different ways around the city. Ybor City, one of the coolest neighbourhoods in Tampa, is a celebration of Cuban heritage with historic buildings, restaurants and local businesses, some which have been there since the prohibition era.
Prohibition in the USA was also the origin of Tampa’s other claim to fame, cigars. When cigar imports were banned from Cuba, the J.C. Newman Cigar Company set up in Tampa and has been running 67 years.
The factory, known as ‘El Reloj’, rolls their cigars by hand and by traditional hand-operated cigar machines, still using the classic methods today. We learned all about the history of the cigar industry in Tampa and got to watch some of the experts in action on a guided tour booked directly at jcnewman.com $15 (£11 per adult).
After this, we stopped for lunch at one of my favourite joints, Barrio Tacos in Ybor City
Voted one of the top 10 taco stands in the United States, this is now a dive bar / restaurant that not only does delicious Mexican grub but also serves excellent cocktails. The best menu item is the build-you-own-tacos, plus the hand mixed, fresh guacamole is delicious.
To find out more about this fascinating area, I highly recommend Ybor City Historic Walking Tours. Our guide, Max, was a lively and friendly host, and he knew everything there is to know about the area, which has over 130-plus years of history.
After exploring notorious buildings, key areas and even a patch of land owned by Cuba, we sadly said goodbye to Max and headed off to explore on own, checking out cool shops like the vintage-themed La France.
Stop for a coffee at Blind Tiger and sit outside to watch the bolshy roosters wandering by. You may be surprised to see these birds roaming the streets without a care in the world, but roosters here are actually protected by law in Tampa.
It’s so funny to see, but chickens are allowed to roam freely throughout Ybor City thanks to a city of Tampa ordinance protecting them as living memorials to the founding days of Ybor City.
For dinner, we opted for Predalina, a romantic restaurant in Tampa that is ideal for couples. The Mediterranean menu has main meals and small plates and I recommend a mix of both. The whipped feta was fantastic, as was the steak frites. However, my favourite was the Crispy Brussels Sprouts topped with pomegranate molasses – 10/10 no notes!
What is the dress code in Tampa?
Tampa is generally casual. Even in the evening you will see people out and about in the laid back Florida look of shorts and t shirt. More upscale restaurants, such as Predalina and Market at Edition will have a slightly smarter dress code. However, even in the fine dining restaurants, there didn’t seem to be an expectation to be dressy, but if you did want to get dolled up, you won’t look out of place.
End the night with a drink and a dance back in Ybor City. This area, also known to be the LGBTQ+ hub of Tampa, is a great place for a night out with lots of fun bars and clubs. Sterling Cigar Bar has good vibes and a rooftop bar where you can borrow electric guitars and jam on the roof. Very cool.
Day three:
Hyde Park Village on the other side of the river has a completely different vibe. Start at Sesame for a breakfast bagel – the best in the city.
Then spend the day wandering around the charming shops – a mix of independent stores and big brands – soaking up the relaxed atmosphere. There is a very pretty town square, which is the ideal spot to grab a bench and an ice coffee from Buddy Brew to enjoy in the shade.
Book a table for lunch at Forbici Modern Italian. This is a fun restaurant with excellent food and live music. Sit outside on the shady terrace and people watch with an Aperol Spritz. It’s fabulous.
Since it was our last full day, we took another ride on the Water Taxi from Downtown to Armature Works, before taking a slow walk back along the river for a few hours’ down time at our hotel.
Final night called for drinks at the sexiest rooftop bar in town, The Tampa EDITON Hotel
This slick hotel has a rooftop pool bar with panoramic views across Tampa. Go while it’s still sunny and enjoy a cocktail as that Florida sun sun sets over the city. It’s spectacular.
It was also here that we had one of my favourite meals in Tampa, at Market at The EDITION, the ground floor restaurant at the hotel. Absolutely everything was great. I had a king prawn fettuccine, which I would genuinely fly back to Tampa for (I live in the UK). The Sunburst Salad with chicken was also fantastic and Gen ordered a gluten free pizza, which she said was perfect. The breezy restaurant is very chilled and also has an exceptional wine list.
More cool things to do in Tampa
Busch Gardens: FUN FACT, Tampa has more rollercoasters than Orlando. Yes, that’s right. And most of them are at Busch Gardens. The fun theme park is in Tampa Bay and just a 20-minute drive from the city.
The Florida Aquarium: This may be a family attraction, but it’s a fantastic marine life centre and when I visited with my children, I think I enjoyed it more than they did.
The vintage streetcar. This historic trolley goes between Downtown and Ybor and is totally free. It’s so much fun (and slightly glamorous) to ride on a significant piece of Tampa’s history and it’s very photogenic too.
Columbia Restaurant: This is the oldest restaurant in Florida and a famous spot in Tampa. Even if you don’t go for lunch or dinner, have a peek inside at the beautiful Spanish architecture and design.
See the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team play at Raymond James Stadium. You can also watch music concerts, International football (soccer) games and college football, so check and see what’s on.
