My favorite spot in Tampa! The best happy hour deals if you sit in the bar. There is also a great private room in the back that I have spent a few birthday dinners at. There are so many options including a vegan option and drinks galore. read more

It's a very nice looking restaurant in trendy SoHo. If you don't mind the hipster flannel wearing staff the food is fairly good but pricey. Made a reservation and the hostess had no clue what that meant by trying to seat us in the worst possible table. Once declined, was offered to sit outside on the coldest night of the year in Tampa. After finally getting a table, the rest was good. Food was fresh and fairly fast. read more

Ava - Tomato and mozzarella salad - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

My wife and I enjoyed my birthday brunch at AVA on a beautiful fall Saturday, here in Tampa! Our first time visit and we will definitely be coming back! We started off brunch with Maddon's Mary - a hot and delicious bloody Mary, we shared a breakfast pizza, a bowl of cheese grits and roasted vegetables! Delicious!! With the exception of the loud table of girls next to us, the afternoon was great! And the Manager made that small annoyance disappear by settling them down and offering us a dessert on the house! Caramel Budino...OMG!!! We couldn't decide which was better....the roasted veggies....the pizza...the grits or the Budino??!?! And to top it off - the Cubs won later than night...what a day! See ya soon Ava! read more

Obsessed with their eggplant parm and the spinach and date salad with goat cheese is to die for. The bread was way under cooked and everything is a little pricey for the quality but great service and atmosphere. Still looking for a super authentic Italian restaurant in Tampa. Highly suggest the outdoor seating, great for people watching. read more

Congratulations on the restaurant having such great business that you turn away 4 paying customers 20 minutes after you open the door. (Enter sarcasm here!) Clearly there were indoor and outdoor tables open. Our name was not taken for a list to wait. "There is nothing available, sorry." REALLY??? Bad, bad business!! This is the 2nd strike in my book. Our first experience we had a reservation which was botched but we were accommodated. Followed by service that was terrible. 2 meals came out then 9 minutes later another meal and 15 min later the final entree came out. Food was "ok" Donut dessert was fantastic! Just can't find it in me to go back even if AVA bought my meal. read more

I made a reservation online for Ava after reading through the Tampa Bay Times best 50 restaurants in the Tampa area. Sounded perfect for a special occasion & something outside our usual selections. Coming from Pinellas we had to get through Tampa traffic and that is never high on my list. They had plenty of parking, either by complimentary valet or self park in the garage with spaces marked for the restaurant. It was a beautiful night with a bit of a breeze so we opted to sit outside. Our brief walk inside gave the impression it would be quieter outside. Waiter was nice but not attentive. Never refilled our small water glasses. Started out by telling us they were out of 2 items because the 2 nights before had been busy. One of the items was what my husband had planned to order - should have been a sign. I got my drink quickly but we had to have another waiter get our waiter to take my husband's drink order. Ava doesn't serve complimentary bread as you would expect in most Italian restaurants. Salads are not included with meals. The portions are small - but if you want to spend $50 then you can order a starter, then a salad, then an entree. My husband had the wood grilled sirloin with mixed vegetables. I had a hard time finding the vegetables. Ava doesn't offer a side menu so for anyone looking for more traditional fare will be disappointed. I had the half chicken with white beans. Good but I expected more flavor. We opted to get dessert elsewhere. We left feeling we paid too much for too little food and subpar service. I was also expecting a different dress code for the prices but the waitstaff wore jeans & plaid shirts. You could walk in from the street in shorts & sandals and fit in. I wouldn't recommend Ava to anyone else based on our food or service experience this evening. read more

Service at the bar was excellent and the cocktails were spot on! While were were there I tried their Italian soda, pomegranate flavor. Yummy! Also their special "holy sh!t batman" a twist on an Old Fashioned. The cherry infused burbon made this tasty drink! We had a large party for dinner a the waitress was quick to take drink orders again. Orders were placed and a long, long time later dinner was delivered. Sometime in between we received some bread and apps which were nothing worth mentioning. I ordered the duck breast which was crispy on the outside but kinda blah on the inside. The duck was served with a cherry sauce and goat cheese... interesting flavors that did work together. Sampling my friends leg of lamb I was disappointed, the lamb was over cooked and the gravy it was served in was like bottled gravy. I also tried my husbands steak which tasted more like the grill it was cooked on then a good cut of beef. There was also a dish of pasta shared with the table that had oxtail, pinenuts and currents called Bucatini but it tasted like beefarooni. Overall the service and cocktails were great, but the food was not. read more

Ava is a great addition to the Tampa restaurant scene. I have not had the chance to venture to Ava for dinner, but my brunch experience was quite good. We chose patio seating on a beautiful cool day. They had the heaters on, which was quite nice with a chill in the air. Our waitress was very attentive. My dining partner ordered all you can drink mimosas and the waitress was frequently checking to see if she wanted another one. We all enjoyed our meals. I went for one of their paninis. It was delicious combination of flavors and was just the right size for brunch. The breakfast potatoes were on the side and were really good with a lil ketchup. All in all, the ambience, service, and food were very good. Can't wait to come back and try one of their decadent pasta dishes. read more

Amazing decor. Amazing energy. Complimentary valet is a nice touch for that area of town. Our server was very nice, extremely knowledgeable, very attentive, had great energy, and did a great job. It was a soft opening so they had a limited menu. I'm looking forward to seeing what else is added when the full menu is available next week. The dishes we ordered were tasty, but a little small... Looking forward to trying some pizza from that big beautiful custom stove they have in the corner. Will definitely be back. read more

The Good: 1. The fried Kale was very crunchy (note- well breaded) and delicious 2. The lamb shank was a leaner cut than expected and, for once, a reasonable portion 3. The meatballs 4. Great outdoor seating 5. Great wine selection The Bad: 1. Inside is VERY loud 2. A little pricey for what you get The Verdict- Not sure I'd be a regular, but would go back to try the pizza which is supposed to be a popular favorite. read more

I'd been putting off coming here for a year due to the 3.5 star reviews... but figured for a chill girls night we could give it the benefit of the doubt. I now understand the 3.5 rating. The space is super cute, great vibes inside and out, great location. Service was mediocre at best, not available when we needed them but quick to give us our checks when we were still eating ( plenty of open tables available it wasn't a busy night) l. When you order a craft cocktail that takes 15 minutes to get to you, you expect it to be good, not to come out in a lipstick stained glass. When we very casually and kindly pointed out something may be on the glass to our waiter he went and poured the drink into a new glass ( still in a pandemic may I add). When the entrees arrived the salmon was raw on the salad and again when we gently mentioned this our waiter offered to place a new fully cooked salmon on the same bed of lettuce... that the raw fish was touching. Needless to say our faith in the Resturant was dwindling and we decided to share the ( delicious) pizza and forgo ordering another salad. I was hoping for a better experience but I can't recommend anyone giving this place their business now. read more

Date night here was a success! The vino was delicious, the choices were plentiful. Our server was phenomenal and she was knowledgeable about their wine and food. We each had pizza which was incredible! The bruschetta also is a must try! read more

Ate here with some colleagues from work while in town for a conference. Our server was Nicholas and he was outstanding. The food was excellent! Was really happy that we discovered this place while here. We started with pizzas which were a perfect way for our group of six to get the meal started. I had a signature cocktail - their version of a brandy old-fashioned - so yummy. For dinner I had some amazing pasta and a delicious goat cheese and date salad. If I lived in the area I definitely come back here again. read more

I love the setup and decor of this place but not impressed with the menu at all. Overpriced super small pasta dishes that are not even good. The oxtail pasta consisted of about a tablespoon size amount of meat over pasta with almost no sauce. The "large" portion was barely enough for one person so don't be fooled into sharing it. Previously ordered the flank steak which tasted ok but was also a very small portion. I thought Ava was supposed to be Italian themed but their pastas are pathetic. Would really like to see them throw a hearty lasagna or some of the great old pasta dishes from 717 on the menu. Chicken calabria would raise my rating to 5 stars. The caprese appetizer was good. The pizzas are probably the best thing on the menu and the only thing I am ordering from now on. I think sitting at the bar (which is actually very cool) and eating pizza is the way to go at this place. For the love of god though, just start slicing the damn pizzas, ESPECIALLY if we are ordering it as an appetizer for the table. We don't care about how they eat it in Italy or whatever the reasoning is for not slicing them. It's annoying having to ask. Thankfully, service has been pretty good the couple of times I have been. read more

I have been here twice and both times, my experience was... less than satisfactory. Both times they were clearly understaffed, and explained to me that they were understaffed because they had "multiple employees walk out"?? I'm not sure how that's possible but okay. The food is honestly not very good. But the service is the most frustrating part. I had a reservation for 10 people, made several weeks in advance, and when we got there we had poor service the whole night. At one point, everyone had finished their meals, dirty plates were everywhere, and all of the water glasses/ vases were empty... and no server in sight. It was like that for about 40 minutes before I had to, again, approach the hostess desk and ask where our server was. Very underwhelming. I gave 2 stars instead of 1 because they refunded my appetizers after I complained about the service as an apology.... Will not be coming back, however. read more

I feel like I'm being grouchy lately, but after going to Toronto and eating amazing food at good prices, I think Tampa needs a kick in the butt. Our once yummy restaurant scene is decaying into Ulele (meh), Fodder & Shine (gross), and small-plates-at-enormous-prices places like Ava (don't even get me started on the demise of Sidebern's and its replacement with a small-plates-and-wine-a-la-2003 throwback). So, we went to Ava on April 2. We requested to sit outside when we made our reservation. When we arrived, we were told that all the tables outside were taken, even though hardly anyone was sitting out there. OK. So we sat inside. We ordered the meatballs and the octopus. The octopus was yummy, the meatballs were cold. We asked for some bread and we were told to order the ricotta and bread appetizer. What kind of Italian restaurant charges for bread? Lame. Then we got the cavatelli with sausage and the bucatini vaccinara thing. Both were good, not great, but outrageously overpriced for what we got. 22 dollars for three pieces of sausage and 4 cavatelli. I actually did count the pieces of sausage. There were 3. For 22 dollars. Super lame. We ordered dessert because we were still starving after our Lean Cuisines. We had the chocolate torte and the zeppole. Both were good, not great. We then went to Taco Bus to eat again later. Not going back to Ava. read more

Friendly staff and the food was delicious! Our server recommended the braised octopus as an appetizer and it did not disappoint. Next time we are in Tampa we will return. read more

My best friends bridal party were all treated to this amazing homey restaurant and we all celebrated the rehearsal dinner here. The back room was quaint and felt like a intimate dinner. They have pizzas with a pizza oven that serves up 900 degree pizzas in 90 secs so if you are hungry - pizza is the way to go. Everything is a shareable plate and they have many gluten free options. Everything from octopus to spicy sausage pizza were the crowd favorites. As a vegan, I had roasted vegetables which were seasoned beautifully and included Cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and carrots. They were great at making modifications to their food without hesitation to accommodate my diet. Steaks are humongous and can feed a small village so be prepared to share that as well. Although, one person in our party was able to finish it all and we were in awe and surprised. read more

I decided to give this restaurant another try, this time excited to try their pizza since I noticed they have a wood fire oven. Unfortunately, I was again very disappointed. The first slice of pizza was actually ok, but the moment it got slightly less hot once on the table, the dough just became chewy. Also, it would be so much better if they added the basil after the margherita pizza was cooked, not before putting it in the oven. read more

I've been back to Ava twice, for lunch, since writing my first review about their reservation process, which resulted in being seated at a community table for a birthday dinner reservation - needless to say, we left. . The first lunch I had was a mixed experience. We walked in for lunch at 11:45 to blaring, hard rock music - I mean, literally screaming versus singing. They did turn the volume down when we asked but we still shouted at each other to be heard. After two other tables asked, they finally put the music at a level where we could all at least converse. The style of music was absolutely inappropriate for a restaurant - especially one that was full of 40-somethings. For a meal, I had the fish special (swordfish) with roasted vegetables. It was delicious, albeit the vegetable portion quite small. I thought the food quality was very good. On my second lunch visit, there was appropriate music playing at a low volume (thank goodness!) so no noise issues! This time, I ordered the pasta fagiole soup, which was delicious and the steak salad. The steak was unbelieveably fatty and greasy and ended up making my entire salad fatty and greasy. There were huge chunks of white fat showing prominently on each piece of meat. I told my server who said she'd let the chef know. If she did, nothing happened as a result. I have to question both the quality of meat (or the appropriate cut for a salad) as well as the standard of quality for the restaurant as a whole. Nobody asked if I wanted another entree, nobody comped or discounted my meal. No reaction. Clearly, this is just another bad meal at Ava and certainly an example of bad service. I will not return. read more

First time dining here. Had a really great experience. Loved the decor. Service was on point. The food was fantastic and perfectly portioned. I had the black bird to drink. It was really good and refreshing. My guy had an old fashioned dirty martini, both were superb. Not sure why Ava doesn't have higher ratings. This place is really great. Will recommend and dine again. read more

The drinks were amazing! They have a great happy hour menu. The food is great! I had the Bucatini- yum!

I waited to continue this review to Ava another chance. I must say Ava's pizza is a complete fail. 2 for 2, both locations. $20 for a half cooked crust pizza that barely feeds two. Save your money. This review is for both the SoHo and Armature Works location. read more

I was so excited to try Ava and really wanted to like it but I left feeling not so impressed. I feel that Ava is too pricey for its offering. I get that the idea behind is to be an upscale italian restaurant. However, I don't think that message is consistent with a pizza oven and wait staff in flannel and jeans. We got he octopus appetizer which was delicious but at $14 I would have hoped for a little bit more. My husband got the sirloin and it was very good but had next to nothing for sides. I got the hogsnapper and enjoyed it but $35 for just fish is kind of silly. If we do end up going again I would go for lunch and get pizza or a salad. read more

My fiancé and I came to this restaurant last Friday. I was a bit apprehensive because of the reviews but once we got there was pleasantly surprised. We started with the meat and cheese platter. The sausage on that that they cure in house was amazing. We then got the Filetto pizza. Also very good and then we each got an entree. I got the Casarecce al Pomodoro with sausage and my fiancé got the Spaghetti e Vongole. I liked that they made the pasta in house and enjoyed everything. Our waitress, Jessica was super attentive and very helpful whenever there was a question. I will definitely be back! read more

Ava - Filetto pizza - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Horrible service. Waitress had attitude. To be charitable, maybe at best she was indifferent. Pasta was undercooked and she proceeded to lecture us about how it was supposed to taste. To further add insult to injury, waitress enlightened us that "no one!" has ever complained about the pasta. Waitress did later return to apprise us that the chef agreed with us and a new dish will be sent out. Belittling the customer is a good way for them not to come back and will more likely earn you a one star reviews on Yelp. Thanks Ava. read more

Great place for a get together with friends or just a romantic dinner for two. I joined for a happy hour with a few friends, the atmosphere was nice and happy hour prices were awesome. Their appetizers and pizza we ordered was delish. We did have to wait a bit longer than expected for the pizza to come out, but other than that service was fine. read more

Called ahead of time for reservations, no answer. I got to the restaurant around 6pm, about half of the tables were empty and the hostess said they were full taking reservations only. Bar space was first come first serve, but no seats were available. I landed up going across the street to eat, and at 7pm when I was done with dinner, I passed the restaurant and quite a few tables were still empty. I wouldn't return to try the pizza. Ridiculous this is reservations only due to the excess amount of good reviews. Regardless, people show up late, get sick, change their plans..plenty of tables were empty and turning down customers is no way to operate a business. read more

Ava happy hour is one of the best in town! I recently went on a Bumble BFF date and we sat at the bar for happy hour, and between the delicious $5 pizza and $7 specialty cocktails, we had a great time! They also have an excellent happy hour cheese board and other options. Happy hour is only in the bar area and definitely gets full, so keep that in mind!! read more

Really not understanding the poor reviews people give this place. Been here three times now and not once have I had an issue with customer service and the food has been stellar every time. If you want big portions go to Cheesecake Factory. This place has what Tampa was lacking: a place that both plays tribute to its cultural origin and drops bombs in your mouth continuously. I've had the la bestia a couple times, the closest thing I can compare it to is Vetri pizza in Philly. Oxtail pasta with hand made noodles is amazing! Even the cocktails are on point. It's just unfortunate that the crowd from those bars a couple feet up north from this spot are being haters. AVA is one of the best restaurants in Tampa. Give credit where credit is deserved. BTW..restaurant made salumi plate is better than cru cellars. This place has it all. read more

Ava - Made to order pizza! Delicious - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Hostess: Quick and pleasant Server: Nick, not attentive. Had to request water, ketchup, and when I ordered I asked for extra hollandaise sauce. When food was delivered there was no extra so I asked food runner for this. He quickly brought me a side. Food Runner: pleasant and helpful. Food: ordered the Salmon Benedict. It was good, hollandaise sauce could have been warmer. Dish felt colder than I thought it should. Overall items I noticed: server talking to other employees, one employee giving another a back rub and one female employee was wearing a tank too with her flannel shirt around her waist. Just seemed a little out of control for this price point and area. A little about me, spent 6 years tending bar and waiting tables. Ava should work on the importance of Focus on Customer and not other employees. read more

I've eaten here a few times and enjoyed it each time. 5 stars may be a bit much. Four-and-a-half is probably more accurate, but I don't think there's enough to ding them on to bring them down to 4. Tampa has been aching for a modern Italian restaurant for a while and I think we've found it with Ava. I've tried a little bit of everything here and it's all been pretty impressive. But let's go through things line by line. Atmosphere: The decor here is great. No matter when you enter this restaurant it feels festive and modern. The styling is absolutely gorgeous and melds with the cuisine and the atmosphere so well. And unlike many new restaurants, it never feels crowded no matter how full it is. And being able to watch as someone is making the pizzas and putting them into the old world style pizza oven is endlessly entertaining. Service: I have yet to be disappointed by the service here. The staff all seems knowledgeable and friendly. We've always been waited upon promptly and attentively. The bar tenders are friendly and are happy to explain the modern twists on some classic drinks, and suggest something if you're unsure. The waitstaff is kind, and the food comes out reasonably fast. Food: The food is all delicious. I've tried a bit of everything, from the cheese plates, to the pizzas, to the main entrees and the desserts. There's not a specific thing I can suggest you order; I would encourage going and deciding for yourself. The cocktails that I've had have all been delicious, and there's always a twist or a surprise when you look at the descriptions. The only items I have universally enjoyed have been the desserts. They tend to either been small or just 'meh,' which is unfortunately a common trend at many very nice restaurants nowadays. Price: This is why I would give it more of 4.5 stars instead of 5. Everything is a bit pricey here. And by a bit I mean fairly pricey. It's a great date destination, but make sure you really like the other person. It's not that the food isn't great, but I just think it's all a little overpriced. I really do think this is just the kind of place Tampa has been needing for a while. Definitely give it a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed, just don't go in with tight purse strings. read more

Excellent food and I love a restaurant where the owner is present and greets their guests! read more

Ava - Half sausage half mozzarella & tomato pie - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Greta tasting pizza Tasty tomatoes High flavor not bitter arugula Crust soggy Topping distribution careless Still disorganized Our check person with tattoos was good. attentive and add alert the other not so much. read more

I order the bone in ribeye fit market value. The steak was undercooked and waitress could car less. I will not be returning. Kinda sad because the place had a good vibe! Appreciate that the management team reached out to me. Every restaurant should strive to perfection however, I told the waitress that the steak was undercooked when she asked how everything was. Also, when she took my plate away, I left half the steak, so she could see how raw it was. She asked if I wanted it bagged up and I said "no, thanks! It's too raw!". Gave her another opportunity to make it right. Instead she just took my plate and gave me the check! read more

Think Ava has potential to be a five star. The food is off the hook good. I would avoid the meet balls a little on the dry side for me. But the lamb shank and all the pasta dishes were really good. No for the not so good. They still do not have their basics down. We ordered the meat plate for the table it came with x2 pcs if bread for a huge plate. We asked for more bread and were told that there was not enough bread to last the might and the kitchen was rationing it. Also for a party of six our main dishes really dragged. Two people got food then five minutes later two more then five minutes later one more the 15 minutes the last one came. The waiter was clearing the first round of entrees before the entire table was even served. Take made the meal very uncomfortable. This one person was watching us all eat then her food finally came and we were all watching her eat it was weird. I will be back in a few weeks and hopefully the kitchen can get their $hit together. My suggestion is you may want to wait a little while. read more

I was so excited to try Ava! I ordered the margarita pizza, which was pretty good the pizza sauce is delicious. My husband ordered the "large" portion of a pasta (red sauce and sausage I can't remember the name) which was DELICIOUS, however, it was twenty two dollars for the large portion and there's no way anyone would classify the amount of food he got as "large". That was pretty disappointing. read more

We walked out of Copperfsh caused they had wanted to seat us at this rotten table they have, so we found ourselves in SOHO on a Saturday evening at 7:00 without dinner reservations. Fired up the Open Table app and scored a table right away even though the area was jammed with people. We got seated immediately. Ordered the Chef's Selection of House Cured Meats and a Margherita Pizza. Very shortly the Cured Meats and cheese showed. Very tasty. We were enjoying that and much to our surprise the pizza arrived. Place was jammed and the service was incredible! In short, service was great, prices reasonable, and the food was good. read more

Last Saturday we attended brunch and we had grace as a server. She was sooooooooooo sweet. We loved her. Food was amazing too. The Florentine Benedict I highly recommend read more

Can get better food at many everyday chains. Two of our meals were received cold. Muscles were so small you couldn't get them out of the shell. Up charge for adding kniochi as a side and were only 8 on the plate the size of a peanut. Service mediocre and noise level high. Nothing special about the evening. For the prices on the menu would have expected a much better experience. Was embarrassed we invited friends to join. read more