We hadn't been back here for over 14 years, so it was time for an update! We came here for my mother's birthday. My parents actually come here fairly regularly because it's one of the few places in Tampa with osso bucco (done traditionally) on the regular menu. We started with a lovely Tuscan red and a couple salads. The waiter was very attentive and humored my son's questions. I love that they do bread service, which I feel is a nearly extinct thing lately. We shared the following family style: a caesar salad, the seafood salad, the sausage pasta, the linguini vongole, the osso bucco, the mustard salmon and the branzino. (We also got the tiramisu, the cheesecake and the chocolate mousse cake.) The food came out at the right pace. Admittedly, the table was not set up well to share the dishes family style, so we had to split up the salmon quickly to hand the plate back to a busboy, because there just was no room on the table for that plate! Everything was cooked as it should be. The pasta was al dente. The osso bucco was tender. The risotto was nicely runny and had the right amount of saffron in it. The fish was all tender and flaky. The food was correctly seasoned. We ordered a lot thinking there'd be leftovers, but everything was so good that we ate everything up (admittedly, serving portions aren't huge). I honestly think the meal I had was better than the one I had at Rocco. And the parking situation at Caffe Paradiso is so much easier! We need to come back here more often. Usually, we're disappointed by Italian restaurants because I can make authentic Italian dishes at home. But here, the experience and the food were so good that it's worth it. read more

We attended as part of a large work party. The service was excellent and on point. The appetizers we had were fried calamari, burrata salad and caprese. All which were excellent! The burrata was my favorite. Me and my hubby ordered the specials, the grouper topped with lobster in a lemon sauce and the pasta purses with truffle cream sauce with mushrooms. Omg, I can not rave about these enough. We both cleaned our plates which doesn't happen often! This place is a fantastic Italian restaurant and I can not wait to return with my family in the future! read more

Caffé Paradiso - Grouper topped with lobster special - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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We stopped at the bar for a drink before our 6:30 reservation. The bar is nice and the bartender was helpful. I opted for a lemon drop martini as it's my "go to" drink. The drink arrived looking great, but it was probably the worst lemon drop I have ever had. The drink tasted like vodka with a small hint of lemon. There was little or no simple syrup, so it was overly tart. The dining area is an open space with mostly tables as the "booths" aren't closed in, just have a bench seat. Although we were only one of 3 tables with guests, we waited 10 minutes for a server. There is a great wine list and the Sauvignon Blanc I ordered was a great pour. I settled on a Caesar salad and the veal saltimbocca. Again, we waited really long for salads to arrive. In the meantime, they did bring fresh bread. The Caesar was very good, full of flavor. Next we waited an extra really long time for our entrees. Yes, a few more tables were full, but it was still ridiculous how long we waited. If I was disappointed with the lemon drop, I was doubly disappointed in the veal dish. I love saltimbocca and this wasn't saltimbocca. No prosciutto, and no cheese, just a sauce on top. My friend also ordered the same dish and felt the same way I did. Super disappointing. read more

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Super unimpressed with this place. The bread was gross, I have never been to a restaurant and not liked the complementary bread. I don't like that the prices for cocktails or drinks aren't on the menu because it feels rude and awkward to ask. They don't have a cocktail menu. They just say that they have an open bar and can make whatever. And as far as the glasses of wines, only a few of them have the price by glass. Personally, I just want to know what I'm being charged before building up a tab. The food was OK. My glass of Moscato was not good, but the espresso martini was really good. The "Pasta E Fagioli" came out cold and lacked flavor. We were not going to ask them to take it back and heat it up. The "Melanzane Rollatine" was very yummy. I ordered the chicken parm. It was a long thin slice of chicken with red sauce and cheese served with veggies that had no flavor. I ordered a side of noodles to pair it with and that made it much better. Would not return. Maybe if we had ordered other things Struggle to find parking, but I understand it was a Friday night. Loud inside & not a lot of seating. We had a reservation, but when you walk in, no one acts like you're there read more

Caffé Paradiso - Espresso martini & old fashioned - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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A small restaurant with delightful ambiance and excellent food. They treat you like family there. The Osso Buco and the Branzino are my favorites. Paulo, the owner, moved here from Italy to work in another restaurant owned by his father then started Paradiso. He treats everyone like family. read more

Caffe Paradiso is small, but mighty! I dined in on Friday night and was very grateful to have a reservation pre-booked because the dining area was packed tighter than a can of sardines and the line to be seated was out the door. The one negative remark of this review is that they have too many tables and not enough space, which made it difficult to maneuver around the restaurant and extra difficult to sustain conversations over all of the noise. Aside from that, I had a wonderful time. We started with the calamari to share. It was fried to perfection and came with a cup of marina sauce, which is the appropriate portion size in my opinion! I opted to have a soup and salad for my meal. I selected the pasta e fagioli; it was thick and very flavorful despite having minimal ingredients. For a salad I had the burrata; I believe this was an evening special. The burratta was served with tomato wedges and roasted beets for a fun twist on a staple dish. I had a bite of the chicken fettuccine Alfredo and can confirm it was the best in Tampa. We filled up on delicious food and left no room for dessert, but I look forward to returning and trying the dessert options soon! read more

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This was my first time eating here. Our server was great and attentive. The menus was not a very large one which is fine, allows them to focus on the food quality. I had the pasta and lump crab meat platter. It was great and I finished every last bite. My wife had the lobster ravioli and mozzarella caprese and both were very good. We didn't order any salads but what I saw at other tables looked nice and fresh. Prices are on the higher end so keep that in mind. I gave it 4 stars because it was pretty loud there so table conversation was difficult. The tables were also a little too close where we sat which made it very difficult to navigate around the tables. We were all a little hungry so we didn't snap any photos of the food. What you see here on Yelp is pretty accurate though so no loss. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Busy Saturday. - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Overrated! Ordered the unremarkable Mozzarella Caprese salad to start. The tomatoes looked like they came from Publix - pale in color and lacked actual taste. Again, rather unremarkable. The complimentary bread was good. All entrees are served with basic vegetable medley that could easily be mistaken for a bag of frozen mixed veggies. No substitutions for the side vegetables - NOOOO substitutions. The entree portion sizes are uber small - maybe 3 ounce proteins. The pollo parmagiana had a great red sauce - the 3oz chicken was rubbery though. The minuscule protein with a season-less vegetable medley makes this place not just overrated but over priced. Now - onto the service. I use that term loosely. Starting with the maitre de. He did not greet us - he simply pointed to a table and said - you can sit at either of those tables. What??? No, "hello"? No, "good evening"! No, "welcome"? No, "Right this way"! Oh - it gets better. No less than 4 times did a server bump into my chair. I get it is tight seating quarters with every table occupied - but 4 times??? The dismissive "pardon" seemed very disingenuous. Our server NEVER refilled our water glasses without being asked. Never. It took in excess of 5 minutes after asking for a refill to actually get more water. When we asked for more bread - it took 20 minutes for server to bring another basket. The entire evening he treated us like we were an inconvenience. Honestly - the service is so appalling - I don't get why people go here. To recap - if you are looking for uber small entree portions & crappy service in a really tight setting - this is the place for you. read more

Caffé Paradiso has a nice local & elegant atmosphere. Warm greetings along with a well crafted bar. Seated at our leisure with terrific service by Joe. Appetizers & entries were served hot & delicious. No surprises with a fair & reasonable check. Thank you Dino & Paulo. read more

Always a great local spot. Best service, excellent food, amazing ambiance. The seafood salad was great! The bartenders will make anything you ask and their food is al dente from the first to last bite. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Seafood salad - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

After much talk from friends who are regulars, we ventured a try to looking for Paradiso. It's good but lacked an elevated culinary experience for the value. Service was attentive for a busy Friday night in the hustling, somewhat loud din of patrons feasting. Drinks from the full bar menu allowed for a good start to loosen up the conversations with friends. Food is where I felt it lost some pizzazz. I forget what my best half had, but my Branzino Tirreno had a nice piece of fish that seemed to be lost in the thick tomato capers sauce. Maybe the sauce is sitting too long or that's how they like serving it. But it masked the freshness of the fish and weighted down the otherwise lighter pasta flavor profile. Would I prefer a fresher tomato and caper combo...definitely!! Rounded out with a classic rich desert. Maybe I'm looking for a younger fresher taste that the regular crowd wants, but it was a good try and had a great time with friends. Just not my cup of sauce. Enjoy! read more

Caffé Paradiso - Branzino Tirreno - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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We went on a Friday night and the ambiance was romantic and service was very attentive. We were given complimentary bread which was hard and subpar. I ordered the Capelli D'angelo Al Granchio ($32.95) which was Angel hair pasta sauteed with lump crab, olive oil and garlic. It had a generous amount of crab meat, which was good, but the flavor profile was lackluster. My boyfriend got the Pappardelle Short Rib Special ($35? Cant remember the exact price) which I thought had better flavor but the meat didn't melt in your mouth like I thought it would. Overall, I thought the food was good just nothing to run home about. I would give the food a 3.5/5 and the service a 5/5. The dishes were expensive so I had higher expectations - If the prices were more reasonable for what I received, I would probably give it 4 stars. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Pappardelle Short Rib Special - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Seated promptly. Dining room noisy and hard to converse initially but got better after one large table left. Bread brought right away but was not warm or fresh and had no flavor. Olive oil with it was thin and tasteless with no herbs. Caesar salad was well done but rather small. Lobster ravioli had a decent sauce but hard to tell if had lobster in it. Two veal entrees cooked perfectly, tender and seasoned well. Service was excellent. read more

My Granddaughter was turning twenty so I took her to Caffe' Paradiso for her birthday dinner. We were not disappointed ! From the warm greeting as we entered to the last bite of Tiramisu everything was perfect. The wait staff was attentive but not intrusive. Our meals were well paced so we didn't feel rushed. My lamb chops and her pasta were cooked to order and delicious. The staff sang Happy Birthday and delivered strawberry cheesecake as a birthday dessert. We had a great time and enjoyed the ambience. We will return for her 21st birthday and then she can join me in a glass of wine! read more

We had a wonderful birthday dinner at Caffé Paradiso. The food was outstanding and the service was great. We were also greeted by the owner who made us feel right at home. It was slightly on the noisy side, but it was very busy and full of life and energy. read more

My wife and I had an amazing dinner here last night. The setting is elegant and cozy. Perfect for a date or a larger group. The owner and staff are welcoming and very attentive. There is a full bar as well as a dining area. So you can start with a cocktail if you prefer. The wine list is extensive with a few representative bottles available by the glass. Pricing is reasonable. Parking is free. The location is BayShore Beautiful about a block and a half from the bay. We started with a special - Mozzarella with tomatoes and beets drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Loved it. For main courses, I had another special- grouper covered in a creamy sauce with shrimp on top. It came with asparagus. Again, I loved it. Very light and flavorful with a hint of lemon. My wife had Veal Marsala. She described it as very flavorful but not too rich. It came with a vegetable medley. Also an excellent meal. We finished with a slice of limoncello cake and cappuccinos. The flavors were heavenly and we loved every part of this meal. I can't wait to come back to try some other dishes. It was also nice to have a professional waiter, Antonio, who made the experience even more special. Apologies for not taking photos. I only have one of my grouper. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Grouper with white sauce and shrimp. Delicious. - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Three of the above Food Service And ambiance Always enjoyed your restauran for many many years The best in town read more

I'm traveling for business and this was a suggestion of a coworker to try. What a pleasant surprise. Authentic Italian food. Great atmosphere. Polite and friendly staff. Food is delicious. Presentation on point. The eggplant rolitini one of the best I've had. The fish was flaky and flavorful. Wine menu is not disappointing! I'm coming back ! read more

Went for a family birthday dinner. The server had 0 personality and was average at best. I ordered lobster ravioli and my husband had spaghetti with white clam sauce. No appetizers, salads or desserts and our bill was over $80.00 with tip. My dinner was ok and my husband's clam sauce was bland. The only good thing about the dinner was being with my family. Super overpriced for average food. read more

This place is a must. Service is wonderful. Atmosphere is great. My husband took me here for my birthday and I was more than impressed. The chef accommodated me with one of my favorite dishes that wasn't on the menu. It's was the best I've ever had and I'm from NY. They also had an Italian Merlot wine. read more

Stumbled upon this gem after the beach this summer & completely fell in love with their food and ambiance. They have a great bar, fantastic service, and more importantly..delicious food!! It's our favorite restaurant in Tampa currently. Cannot wait to get back! read more

Best Italian in Tampa. Never misses. Great restaurant ambience and even better food! Would definitely recommend. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Food and service great everytime. Very accommodating, love new bar renovations and great wine list!!! A Tampa staple.

Food was bland and waiters were touching me and making me uncomfortable and nothing came out quick.

Food is excellent! But 2 stars!! Why?? To say that I was disappointed is an understatement but I don't expect for this place to go under because my review - the chefs are excellent and they truly care about their food and presentation is on point. My abysmal and shocking disappointment lies with the server and noticed a similar trend with other servers as well. A few I could tell were cognitive and we're keenly aware of their customers needs. I noticed the customers here are loyal, extremely loyal, so loyal if you are visiting for the first few times you simply don't exist. Yes, this establishment has built the love from the local community that everyone knows each other, this isn't a bad thing, sincere kudos to the owners and management staff - you should be proud of this accomplishment. I noticed the clientele is a clear representation of South Tampa and you will see a familiar face if you pay attention, you've earned the locals respect and business. I understand that I'm not a regular at any particular place because the Tampa Bay area has a lot of great food experiences but I really want Cafe Paridiso to take notice that you have may have plateaued with your business. My night in a nutshell, a Friday night reservation, didn't take long to be seated and was seated by the host/manager warmly. Iced Water was provided promptly, excellent so far. Fun begins, 20 mins wait, server finally introduced themselves and asked for our order. (FYI - I noticed the server half-hugged many customers and made sure to tell the assistant to help them retrieve drinks/etc. whatever was needed. Made their nights it appears.) We the newbies didn't exist. Pressed on and ordered an appetizer "Mozzarella Capresa" and a "Stracciatella" soup and some Iced Teas, I swear Italian places know how to make the best Iced Tea's (well almost everything food related - :-)) they continued the Italian tradition - excellent. Ordered our meals "Capelli D'Angelo Al Granchino & Pollo Alla Siciliana. The tougher patch - The appetizer did take a little longer than expected but it was a Friday night and we let it go again- roughly 20 mins for some buffalo mozzarella and some fresh tomato with an interesting dressing that I wasn't expecting, very good but simple olive oil and balsamic could be perfect as well. It was delicious, I forgot to mention I've been out of Iced Tea awhile but the water assistant kept it flowing. Finally got a refill, then noticed the server telling the adjacent table about tonight's specials - what?? They have specials??? I love ordering off the atypical menu. They have Burrata di Mozzarella??? Seriously! Are you kidding me? This is now irritating... well, I can say it looked good from afar.. whatever. Dinner arrives... wait where is my soup? The stracciatella soup is honestly the reason why I actually came here, no it's not Ice Cream/Gelato, it's a chicken soup with spinach and egg. The night is continuing to down spiral, told the other server because our server didn't bring out the food he was too busy probably giving bro hugs to other customers. The alternate server was very nice and was apologetic. I know this review is getting long winded. Our dinner took about an hour to arrive after ordering, my soup arrived and was absolutely divine. The manager's were apologetic and did their best. The nice Friday date night was a disappointment but was delicious in every bite but Cafe Paridiso is only for locals. Newbies beware... Chef - I'm sorry your servers may be letting you down. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Mozzarella Caprese - should make sauce optional, needed more balsamic. - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Still the place tomgo. Great wine list and exceptional service. Never disappoints.. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Breaded shrimp quick on the grill top. - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Overall the food was fine. Good service. Ambiance ok. We went with a large group and there were some dishes that stood out and some that didn't. There's many other Italian food restaurants that I prefer (Rocca, Olivia, Piccola) to name a few. 3/5 rating because I felt the food and dining experience was simply your avg Italian restaurant. read more

Excellent food, excellent service and the ambiance was nice and cozy. The noise level was a bit too high but through no fault of the restaurant, some of the guests just spoke too loud. I give it 5 stars. Value of money read more

I was with a couple who were long time diners, and knew all the history. After we devoured a burrata, I dove into a veal saltimbocca. If this is perfect so is the restaurant. It was magnificent. Very attentive service and owners. I have it on my list of to go places. Easy location. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Appetizer - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

For sure its authentic Norther Italian, great Italian wine selection and reasonably priced Given the location all the way down MacDill it has many South Tampa regulars Food is excellent, been there 6-times, never disapointed read more

Wonderful Italian restaurant! Have had many great satisfying meals here! Service is excellent!

After finding out my fav Italian restaurant had recently closed I was persuaded to come here for dinner instead. It had it's ups and downs. It was very cute and quaint and crowded. Our waiter acted over whelmed right from the beginning even though he only had a couple tables. They do have some decent italian wines here and the appetizer of sausage and polenta was absolutely deliciious. Really a nice combination of flavors and textures. Service rapidly declined from poor to invisible. Thankfully the manager/owner pitched in and saved us from sitting there without wine or food . Being on a no meat kick I ordered the quattro formaggio gnocchi. It was very good, rich, but good. The blue cheese was a little overwhelming of the other cheeses so they could have used alighter hand on that but all in all it was a good dish. Cant remember exactly what dinner companion had but I think it was a tagliattale in a red sauce and it was very good. I would return here again as the atmosphere was quaint yet lively and you could tell the owner/manager really cared. Hopefully next time I can leave a better review. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Great italian wines - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

My husband and I went here for date night the other night. Overall we thought it was pretty good but not necessarily spectacular. I ordered the scallops with pesto and angel hair pasta. I thought the scallops were cooked perfectly but could use more pesto for the amount of food served. My husband ordered the bolognese which I thought was delicious, but my husband felt was bland. We generally felt the entres were not worth the amount we spent on them. The tiramisu, however, was the game changer. It was delicious, homemade, and perfect. I would come back just for dessert! On another note, their staff was friendly and their drink list was decent. read more

Caffé Paradiso - Amazing tiramisu- get it! - Italian Near Me - Tampa, Florida

They were over thirty minutes late to sit our reservation. For their lateness the owner offer a plate of toast and tomatoes, he called it bruschetta. The server hit my date on the head with the dish while busing the table, he barely offered an apology. Food was subpar and unoriginal. We ordered the dinner special and it came out cold. Servers got everyone's orders backwards and forgot one. There are plenty more higher quality and original Italian places in town to check out. Try all of them before going here. read more

Excellent date night spot- we loved the grouper piccata special, but everything on the menu looked delicious! We also enjoyed the salmon appetizer. Service was attentive and welcoming. We'll be back. read more

Have been here many times over the past 20 years. Good service, and Paolo and Antonio are always wonderful. Food never disappoints. read more

For a delicious Italian meal with an elevated touch, consider reserving a table to dine at Caffe Paradiso. The staff is incredibly kind, and the food is amazing! Whether you opt for a heavier pasta option or a lighter vegetable dish, freshness and tastiness will not be compromised. On a previous visit, I devoured the lobster angel hair special, complete with a decadent butter sauce. This time, I had the sea bass special with roasted vegetables. For appetizers, we enjoyed escargot and calamari. Everything is flavorful, fresh, and satisfying. They are always keeping it exciting with new specials, which never disappoint. read more

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Elegant Italian restaurant. My favorite dish was the tortellini minus peas and build your own, Angel hair Pesto. They allow you to add or subtract any items you want, so great place for groups. The service was impeccable, they are very sweet here. Ordered the tiramisu and creme brulee for dessert. both excellent. read more

Last night we went to Cafe Paradiso for a family birthday dinner with six of us. The restaurant has been here for years and always been highly regarded. We started with drinks and the burrata appetizer and salads and they were all wonderful and well done. My wife had the crab angel hair pasta with the red sauce and I had the lobster pasta special with scallops and crab and a garlic oil fume sauce. They were both "to die for" and the best Italian food I have ever tasted. They also make adjustments to menu entrees such as different pasta types and sauces upon request. For dessert we had the Tiramisu which was home made, classic and as good as I have ever had. The service was very friendly and attentive to all our requests. The ambiance is very personal and like being in someone's home. I would greatly recommend this hidden restaurant gem in a small strip center in South Tampa. Don't miss it. read more

To preface this review I had never actually heard of Caffe Paradiso and I've lived in Tampa for 13 years, so I was a little bit wary. My parents got reservations here on OpenTable and invited us to dinner. It's located right next to Roux on MacDill, so good luck trying to find parking. We ended up valeting with Roux and walking over. Upon walking in, you'll notice the tables are so close together. Seriously, it's like they jammed as many tables together as they possibly could. You can't move around or walk comfortably between them. Once our party was all seated, our waiter came and filled up our waters and took our drink orders. They have a large wine selection and actually just got their liquor license but don't have a cocktail menu yet. You do get complimentary bread, however there's no seasoning. Your only option is straight olive oil. Every Italian restaurant I've ever been to offers some type of house-seasoning or even butter. We also had to ask multiple times for someone to refill our bread. For appetizers we got the Calamari, which was incredibly salty. I've had better Calamari at Olive Garden. For entrees, I got the special for the night which was a Squid-Ink Pasta with Mussels and Shrimp. It sounded good, but was sadly disappointing. The pasta had essentially no flavor, no sauce, and the shrimp were overcooked. My boyfriend got the Angel Hair Pasta with Lump Crab and it was slightly better but nothing to write home about. I definitely won't come back. I'm not sure how this restaurant has survived for so long. Service wasn't great either, our empty waters were never refilled and it took us forever to get the check. read more