im so sorry. im just gonna say it: it's overrated. looks, feels like, and is in fact a spot for the WASPy wealthy uncultured people lmao. the restaurant is not necessarily bad... it just is OK and overpriced for what it's worth. the bread given to us as we waited for our apps and main courses was quite stale. the food is kinda bland. service is really slow. if youre in the mood for Italian in Tampa, here is what I recommend (in no particular order): 1. vino e pasta 2. Bella's italian cafe tbh I also recommend maybe expanding your horizons. Tampa is a culturally diverse city with many great food options that are outside of the norm. I implore you to be open and try some new food. read more

The drink "father's daughter" is so pretty! Highly recommend. I've also come for Happy Hour which is pretty great! The pizzas are lowkey burned at the bottom but I think that's actually how it's suppose to be, I'm just not the biggest fan of it. read more

Why 4 stars? Because it was a mix of phenomenal and not so phenomenal. --- --- --- When someone says they have good news and bad news, I always want the bad news first, so that I can end on a good note. So please allow me to get the not so phenomenal out the way, first. My girlfriend ordered a margherita pizza, and I have to say that rating it 2-stars would be kind. I don't want to be too hyper critical of that, as I'm not a margherita pizza fan in general, but this one was particularly unappealing. The crust was burnt beyond the, "slight toasted so it tastes good" level of coal fired pies should be. And there was about 1 ounce of cheese scattered on top, which essentially made this an experience of eating burned dough with marinara on top. Now that that's out of the way... I ordered the Bucatini Alla Vaccinara, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Now that I know, I can easily say that this was the best pasta I have ever had in my entire life. The noodles were thick, and just insanely flavorful. I could not possibly have been more happy with this dish. I can't wait to head back and try it again! Some other details: -They were out of the strawberry panna cotta, which was sad because I was incredibly excited about trying it out. -Joe Maddon was in the house. I guess he wants no part of the Chicago winter. -We had 9:15 reservations, so I expected it to be a bit slower. Nope! Every table was full, and it was incredibly loud inside. It didn't really bother us, but if you are looking for a quiet date-night, Ava might not be the best choice. I look forward to my return visit. read more

Ava - Bucatini Alla Vaccinara - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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One of the best brunch menus especially for Tampa. Everything looked great (see menu pic)! Nothing was boring on the menu. Items vary from lemon ricotta pancakes to lump crab omelets. My wife ordered the Salmon Benedict and I enjoyed the breakfast turkey sandwich. The potatoes, served as an included side, are nicely seasoned with fresh garlic. Many restaurants will serve an omelet without any included sides. Fortunately, Ava provides fruit or potatoes with their entrées. We did not leave hungry. The quality of the ingredients, perfectly prepared eggs, and smart menu indicate that the restaurant meticulously prepared for the new brunch service. Some restaurants serve their regular lunch menu and include one item with eggs and call it brunch. Ava cares about perfecting brunch and it shows. read more

Ava - Brunch Menu - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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The restaurant is gorgeous, and way bigger inside than I expected it to be. We made reservations through Open Table, but when we got there, our table inside was directly in front of the front door. Hating that location, we decided to eat outside, which was a great decision. The patio is enclosed with plastic windows, and they actually have portable A/Cs out there, so the temperature was very comfortable. It was also less noisy outside than it was inside. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient, although it was funny because two separate employees we flagged down to ask a quick question about the menu had no idea how to answer us. The menu is pretty small - essentially a choice of five, give or take, appetizers, salads, pizzas , pasta dishes, and the obligatory steak, chicken or fish entrée. After reading previous Yelp reviews, I knew we had to start with the mussels. They were delicious - small in size, but plenty of them, served in a red sauce that had a little kick to it. We had to ask for more bread, because the two pieces it came with weren't enough to sop up the delicious sauce with. I am a huge pizza fan, and essentially have never meet a pizza I didn't like - until now. I ordered the Margherita pizza which was san marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. Very disappointed in what I was served. I was prepared for thin crust - that's my favorite kind actually - but what was served to me was a burnt exterior, with a mushy, soggy interior, that could barely be cut with a steak knife it was so soft. I ended up ripping off pieces to eat it. Plus - the outer crust was so burnt, that once that flavor was in my mouth, I couldn't taste the flavor of the cheese or the sauce. I tried two different cocktails - first the 1919 Mule which is their version of the Moscow Mule. It was good, but served in the tiniest copper mug I have ever seen - I would be surprised if there was even six ounces of actual cocktail in there, once you put in the ice. My second drink was better, a Figure 8 - their version of a Pimm's Cup, in a normal size glass. While catching up with a good friend is priceless, dinner of mussels, terrible pizza, and two cocktails (including tip) was $66. Completely not worth it in my opinion, and I won't be back. read more

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In the area and craving some kind of cold weather comfort food we stumbled into Ava for some comfortable, cozy dining during happy hour. We sat at a high top table and received spectacular service from Rico, a bartender there. He was most personable and attentive. We shared the warm ricotta appetizer, the Ava house salad and the la bestia pizza and the funghi pizza. Warm ricotta comes accompanied with crusty hearty grilled bread and is delicious. Dressed with a light tasting vinaigrette, the salad is fresh and delightful with heirloom tomatoes. The pizza is rustic and grilled in an authentic Tuscan oven (I was told on my last visit that it was imported from Tuscany). I enjoyed both selections we had although the funghi was AWESOME! Beware that the pizza comes out slightly charred in some areas, hence the descriptive word "rustic". As this part isn't my favorite the cooking method imparts a nice flavor. My farmer's organic gin and soda water was made well and I could taste the gin :) Food was delightful, service was stellar, and we left full and satisfied. We look forward to subsequent visits. Thank you, Ava, for delivering a great atmosphere and experience. read more

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I've dined at Ava on two occasions and everything I have tried has been great! The menu offers a small selection of rustic Italian dishes and a tempting selection of house-cured charcuterie. On my first visit I had dinner at Ava with my husband and sister. The highlight of our meal was the wood oven-fired pizza. We ordered the Margherita pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil as an appetizer to share. The bubbly, chewy crust reminded me of the pizza we ate with knives and forks while visiting in Naples, Italy. I ordered the Cavatelli al ragu with fennel sausage and tomato for my main course. The portions for this dish are much smaller than your typical American pasta dishes, but the pasta is made from scratch and you can tell all of the ingredients are high quality. My husband ordered the chicken breast with white bean ragu and my sister ordered the prime sirloin. I stole a few bites from each of their plates and thought their meals were really good. We usually skip dessert, but how can you turn down freshly made Zeppole? These heavenly sugar covered donuts are paired with custard and whipped mascarpone. "Magnifico!" I have also had lunch at Ava. My husband and I ordered the crispy pork belly, covered in an egg over-easy and served on top of warm lentils. This appetizer is amazing! For my entree I had the grilled steak salad with arugula, cherry tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese, potato croutons, and grilled red onions. I wasn't expecting much steak on top of a salad that only cost $12.90, but I got a nice size steak on top of my salad! Dinner was great, but I was blown away with the reasonable lunch prices and will make more of an effort to grab lunch at Ava. read more

Ava - Zeppole: Hot and freshly made sugar covered donuts served with custard and whipped mascarpone. - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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This rating is based on Happy hour only. I live close by and enjoy going to happy hours in the area. I will definitely start putting Ava in the mix. Happy hour is Monday - Friday from 4:00 - 7:00 and offers $5 pizza options, wine and liquor. There are also $7 mixed drinks and appetizers priced from $5 to $12. Not listed on the happy hour menu but available are $3 Peroni beer. Happy hour is only available in the bar area. There is bar seating and a few high top tables. I arrived at about 5:30 on a Friday and got the last 2 seats at the bar. We tried three of the four pizzas on the happy hour menu and all were great! Great atmosphere and an over all nice spot to enjoy a pizza and a drink after a long work day. Definitely will return for happy hour! read more

I was all set to be disappointed by the reviews I had read. I am so pleased with this experience that it deserves a HIGH FIVE! We went as a part of a birthday group, 6 of us on a Wednesday night. Surprised at how busy it was, but it was prime dinner time (7-ish). We self-parked in the garage. Spots were tiny, but found a fairly good place to save us from door dings. I'll start off with our server, Sarah....she was on the ball, attentive and very friendly. We ordered cocktails; I had the 1919 Mule (it was awesome!), my husband the Old Fashioned (he enjoyed it very, very much). We had the mozzarella and tomatoes and the mussels to start and both were absolutely fantastic! Flavors were bursting, the bread some in previous reviews complained about for the mussels, were 2 large slices and were just enough. We felt that the portion sizes were not small, we thought they were just right - like what normal portions should be, not what is typical in fat-America. Then we got the La Bestia pizza and the small order of Cavatelli Al Ragu. Both were also very very good. I don't understand what the big deal is about it not being pre-cut, it's not difficult and was easily done with the butter knives they had on the table. The rest of the table ordered the Ava House salad, the chopped chicken liver, the Margherita pizza, the Bucatini Alla Vaccinara, the pork ribs.....they all raved about it. We shared several things with one another and everyone was super happy with everything we all had. Then, for dessert, we shared the Caramel Budino (OMG so good!) and the rest of the table got the house made gelato (coconut sage), the tiramisu and zeppole. All of those were fantastic too! Throughout the evening, the service was perfect, the noise level - well it was loud, but what you'd expect for an open space with no sound absorbing decor - but it wasn't insane and we could hear everyone at our table just fine. Our meal for 2 starts, 2 smaller dinners, 2 cocktails and a dessert for under $100 was good for an upper end (not super high end) meal. And Joe, himself, was there! Met him, thanked him and complimented him on the place and how impressed we were. He was gracious enough, even, to let us take a picture with him. No question, we'll be back! read more

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I very much enjoyed their happy hour. $5 gourmet pizzas, a nice house salad, crisp bread and goat cheese. $7 craft drinks also offered Happy hour is at the bar area and some four top high tables too. Good people watching. Enthusiastic service. I look forward to expanding my review with more complete coverage of the restaurant's offerings once someone takes me there for my birthday.. which is coming up! It's coal oven style pizza with robust flavors. Some char. Yummy unkess you are from Chicago or prefer Cici's style chain za. read more

Went here for a birthday dinner. The food was okay, nothing special and the service was subpar.

The pork shank was lovely. The drive from Brandon is easy and worth the trip. Love the are. Outdoor seating was nice.

Warm beer, cold food, and burnt coffee all with a forced gratuity from a server who didn't even try. Smh.

I met some friends here for a dinner/meeting. With all the hype, I expected more. It was good, but it wasn't outstanding. I ordered the burrata pizza, which had a vegetable that is a cross between kale and Brussels spouts.I liked it. But to be honest, I have had pizzas just as good at other Tampa restaurants.The wine was also good and not too expensive. My friends got dinner entrees and said it was all very good as well. I must say that the servers were very good and sometimes that can make all the difference. We sat outdoors, and while it is nice to have outdoor seating, it is very loud and somewhat stinky because it is close to the busy road. I would certainly eat here again, and try some other entrees. read more

The drinks were super inconsistent. One plant city was ordered 15 min before the other but they tasted and looked like completely different drinks. The Wagyu Steak looked disgusting on the plate. To be the most expensive thing on their brunch menu I would have expected better. The product looks different every time we go. Zero consistency. read more

Ava - Plant City - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Ava had quickly become one of my favorite dinner spots in Tampa! Everything on their menu is absolutely delicious my personal favorite is the ravioli. I recommend trying all the pizzas. I will be back to try the truffle one next! The only issue I have with Ava is both times my service has been a bit slow but both times I have been with a large party. read more

Came here for my mom's birthday dinner with high hopes and left disappointed with the service and food. Wood grilled salmon was way too salty, but the pizza and chicken parm were very bland. Not worth the price here as most dishes are around 20-30$. My toddlers were not interested in the kids pasta. Our server was nice, but not very attentive. read more

Food quality was horrible. Under seasoned food. Food took forever to get to us, when it got here it was cold. Our waitress came by our table once to take our order and we never saw her again. $16 for cafeteria fruit and one teaspoon of hollandaise on my eggs Benedict. Never coming back and don't recommend this restaurant at all. Absolutely aggregated. read more

Ava - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Nice friendly place. Modern open decor with visible wood burning pizza oven. The service was very good & the food was as well. Roasted salmon was excellent. read more

We had such a great experience at Ava. We went during a very, very busy early evening Gasparilla Saturday and there were no tables available. As we were about to leave admitting defeat to no available bar seats, the amazing gentleman host helped us snatch a bar top where guests were just getting up to leave. He totally made our night. The drinks were amazing and the food was even better. Highly recommend this place! read more

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Macy and Chloe were both so sweet to me! Macy was my server for just drinks, but Chloe dropped them off and complimented my choice of wine. I had a great time at Ava, as usual, but both of them made me feel great after a rough day at work! read more

When you come here with a bunch of Italian New Yorkers and having witnessed them leaving with full stomachs and smiles on their face then you know this place is legit. Came here with a big crowd that night and we order many items off the menu. I couldn't tell you off what exactly what was ordered because I left that to the experts but every thing I had was very good and had me wanting more. They have that open kitchen concept which lets you see exactly what the chefs are doing which makes for a cool ambience. A very nice date spot since the ambience is dark and with mellow music blasting through the speakers. Plus the fact that Joe Maddon is a co ownermakes it all the more appealing! read more

Came here for our first post-quarantine meal. Sat outside on the patio which was very nice and spacious. All the staff wore masks and tables were spread out. Ordered their white sangria which was very fruity and sweet, just how I like it! Ordered the cheese board which arrived at the same time as our meal which was a bit disappointing. The amount of cheese on the board was laughable and they didn't tell us what any of the meats or cheese were. Still pretty good taste wise! Also ordered the mushroom pizza. Came out lukewarm and the crust was soggy from the balsamic. The cheese wasn't hot and melted anymore and the crust had no crisp to it at all. Very chewy and would not recommend at all. Overall, I would come back maybe during a happy hour for drinks but wasn't impressed with the food. read more

Ava - Meat Chef's Selection of Meats and Cheese - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I had high hopes for this place. Everything was way over priced. The ravioli were undercooked, the pizza sauce tasted watery. Definitely not recommending this place to anyone, save your money and go to Olive Garden‍ read more

Ava - Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Brunch was lovely at Ava. No wait and fast service. Our dishes came out very quickly while enjoying bottomless mimosas (ask for different flavor options). Great location with a friendly staff. The food was DELICIOUS. I ordered the tiramisu french toast and I sampled my friends' orders of the biscuits & gravy and shrimp & grits. They let us order from the dessert menu as we lingered a bit. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Great happy hour and relaxed vibe. My girlfriend and I sat at the bar and had a few drinks. The bartender was great. We came in right at the end of happy hour and she told is not to rush our first round, she'll make sure she rings in our second round at the happy hour rate even if it's a little past 7pm (which is when their happy hour ends). We had a great experience. I've had their food before on different visits and it was also great. read more

"Chuck" Brian is so amazing. Our server Amanda neglected us :( we waited for over an hour and then thought Brian was our server initially. He was timely and provided exceptional service. He checked in frequently and honestly saved our meal. Such a good guy. read more

I only ate breakfast here and the food was decent. The place vibe was nice and decor was really cute. Even though it was crowed at brunch time 10am-2pm we managed to get seated inside quickly. They also have all you can drink mimosa for $20 when you purchase a meal which is a great deal. Overall, I would have preferred to eat here during dinner than breakfast but it was a nice vibe. read more

Ava - Ordered: Breakfast Bowl Contains: Home Fries OR Grits, eggs your way, 2 bacon, 1 sausage, cheddar cheese - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I've tried many brunch places in Tampa and Ava has one of the best omelets I've ever had. We came here at like 1:30 pm on Sunday, it wasn't super busy like other brunch places. We were seated immediately, however, our food took a very long time to be served (between 45 mins to one hour). My veggie omelette was huge, it came with home fries. The home fries were ok. read more

Ava - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Deeelish! I came here for a birthday party with some friends. The staff was really nice and quick with our orders. I had some wine and most of my friends ordered cocktails that were apparently really really good. We ordered some starters to share: Pizza Braised octopus Seared scallops Roasted veggies Everything was so fresh and soooo good. Love the seafood here! It's got all the flavors and it's all perfectly cooked. When it came time for dinner, I ordered the Mahi and switched some of my sides. A couple of my friends let me taste their pasta which is made in house and soooo tasty! I love that there's something here for everyone! Will definitely be back =) read more

We loved Ava! Just as soon as stepped in the door, our hostess was welcoming and very helpful & courteous. We showed up with two toddlers and were helped swiftly! My wife loved it and we hadn't even sat down yet! The food was excellent. The table shared a margherita pizza - it was delicious!! I had the pappardelle alle bolognese. It was simple, yet very well balanced. Delicious! My wife had the gnocchi con coniglio ragu - wow! The rabbit was tender and soft - excellent dish!! We loved our experience at Ava! Can't wait to go back. read more

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I really wanted to like this place. Basically I ordered around $20 worth of food from this restaurant and then their bartender Brittany made a mistake & added a $50 tip. Noticed after 2 days and called the manager immediately. They agreed to send me my slip, mainly because I was on my way out of town and needed to know if this spot could even be trusted in the future. He never sent it. Now it's Monday and I checked again. The manager isn't available to talk ... but he answered a call from his bartender and said that everything will be to me by tomorrow. I wanted to speak with him directly and haven't been able to at all. This is a little too much for an average pizza in SoHo so I hope to hear from someone soon! read more

Thirty of us dined at Ava for an engagement party Saturday night. Not only were they extremely accommodating but they were attentive, patient, and helpful. I was so pleased with the service especially considering the size of our party. There is a bread service for dinner. They make their bread in house and it came warm with olive oil. If there weren't so many of us, I definitely would have pigged out and eaten the entire basket's worth. I had a glass of wine but about half the party got mixed drinks and beers. There were no complaints about the drinks or the speed of making them. I got the Margherita pizza thanks to previous Yelp reviews. I was very happy. The crust was crispy on the bottom because of the oven, yet doughy on the top. The mozzarella was great and there was plenty of basil. My boyfriend for the cavatelli pasta with fennel sausage. The server told me all their pastas are homemade except the spaghetti. The pasta was really good. The sauce wasn't over powering and then noodles delicious. I would definitely come back -- big group or small! read more

Just walk up and order then go around and wait for your number. Small menu but some authentic Italian choices. We opted for a small bestia. The spicy sausage went really well with the arugula but overall it was just ok. The bites where I got the sausage, cheese and arugula it was really good but on the small pizza it was not a lot. The bread was pretty tasty and I really liked the oven baked flavors. The whole armature works is very loud but the pizza was pretty good. We sat at their counter and watched them make the pizza. A cool experience. read more

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So last time I was at Ava (2018)I wrote a review on brunch. Well I'm back and just had dinner here. We were seated. Seemed like there wasn't a server for our table as no one even brought water. The manager looked over said someone would be right with us. Well Anthony was worth the wait. Attentive and polite made our evening very pleasant. We ordered spinach and date salad which they split for us on our own plates! Loved it! Then meatballs and spaghetti for the hubby and chicken parmigiana for me. Both were excellent. The house wines were good, a red blend and a Pinot Grigio especially after a day of dog sitting. So now that I am a resident of Florida I will be back sooner then later then before. read more

Ava - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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The atmosphere and vibes here are unmatchable. Highly recommend sitting outside if you can tolerate it! The cutest photo prop setup inside

this place is a scam. $60 for mimosas and a small breakfast bowl. it is a scam. do not order or come here.

My first time trying octopus and it was amazing, it had a perfect char flavor to it from the grill and was perfectly tender. Was nervous to try because a lot of people say octopus is chewy and I'm not a fan of chewy but it was delicious! I had gotten the rabbit (first time trying) was not a fan of the rabbit or the gnocchi and gnocchi is one of my favorites, I would not recommend. The oxtail (another first) was amazing I would definitely eat it again. read more

Ava - Grilled octopus - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Everything was great about this place except the tiramisu French toast. Very dry and tasteless. The pizza and Benedict's were delicious and bottomless mimosas are only $15. read more

Ava - Tiramisu French Toast - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Ava has a great atmosphere and great food! I like their homemade pasta and drink menu! The pizza they make is delicious as well as the grilled octopus appetizer! We loved our food! It was delicious and you got a perfect portion! Not too much and not too little! Despite the good food and nice ambiance Ava's service and hostess are lacking. My partner and I arrived on time for an 8pm reservation. The hostess informed us that there were no open tables and that they were waiting for people to leave. We waited 30 minutes before we were seated. The whole time there was an empty table not being utilized to seat anyone. The hostess looked flustered as more people started arriving with reservations. They offered us a table at the bar but I made a reservation for the restaurant and not the bar. Ironically my partner and I were seated at the table that was empty for 30 minutes. Our waitress was nice but was either overwhelmed or needs more training. Our appetizer came out before our drinks came from the bar. Drinks were not her fault as she did not make them but our waitress should have checked on the status of the drinks. Also, the waitress took our appetizer order and left. We could not find her to order our entrees. We wound up sitting at the table with the appetizer, no drinks, and menus. By the time our waitress came back to take our orders our appetizer was almost gone and we had a long wait until our entrees came out. Come for the food but beware that you will not be seated in a timely manner even if you have a reservation. read more