We track 10 active bars in Tampa, and the 5 below are where we would start. Every listing below is verified by BarMagazine, with addresses, opening hours and the signature drinks worth ordering.
EDGE sits on the roof of the Epicurean Hotel on South Howard Avenue, and calls itself a place on top of it all. The lounge describes crafted cocktails using the freshest fruits, herbs and spices, a concise wine list, beer from craft microbreweries across four rotating tap handles, and popular small plates given an Epicurean flourish, all under what it calls a vibrant mood mingling with the night sky. Doors open at five and the room runs to midnight midweek and one in the morning on Friday and Saturday, closing Sunday and Monday. Valet parking is complimentary before seven o'clock and ten dollars afterwards.
M.Bird is perched above historic Armature Works on the Tampa Riverwalk, on the southwest corner of the second floor, and describes itself as a rooftop restaurant and venue where craft cocktails, Caribbean inspired small plates and high energy nightlife come together under an open sky. The deco inspired room looks out over the downtown skyline and the Hillsborough River, which the team sets up for sunset cocktails, weekend brunch and late nights with live DJs. Its own words call it one of Tampa's top cocktail spots, pouring handcrafted house cocktails, large format shareable sips and a full mocktail menu, from tropical Caribbean flavors to classic riffs and espresso martinis.
Alter Ego describes itself as a music focused cocktail lounge with energetic vibes and soulful hospitality, run by Proper House Group in downtown Tampa. The room publishes a lineup and an events calendar alongside its drinks list, so the booking sits at the front of the offer rather than behind it, and a kitchen runs its own shorter hours inside the longer bar service. Doors open at seven most nights and an hour earlier on Friday and Saturday, with last call at two in the morning every night it trades. Tables can be booked in advance, and the lounge takes private parties in the same space.
Bar Terroir bills itself as a francophiles' celebration of French cooking and service, a petite wine forward room on Henderson Boulevard in South Tampa. Its own menu runs a short cocktail list beside wines by the glass grouped as sparkling, rose, blancs and rouge, then fromage and charcuterie, hors d'oeuvres, entrees and desserts. The cocktails read as refined classics given a local turn: a Basque Negroni of gin, blueberry aperitif, vermouth, herbs and orange foam, an old fashioned with banana, sherry and butter, a bleu martini built on blue cheese vodka, and a Pomme d'Amour of tequila blanco, strawberry, tomato, lime and tea. Service is evenings, closed Tuesday.
CW's Gin Joint calls itself a throwback to a time when fine spirits were savored in a casual atmosphere that exuded style and gentility, without pretentiousness. The bar occupies a restored space on North Franklin Street in downtown Tampa and pairs a carefully curated liquor selection with food built to match what is in the glass. Service runs evenings only, from five o'clock, with later closing on Friday and Saturday nights. The room asks guests for business casual dress, or as the bar puts it, dress to impress. Reservations and questions go through the Franklin Street phone line or the address published on its contact page.
These 5 are the starting point. The full BarMagazine directory covers every listed bar in Tampa, with a map, filters by bar type, and new openings as we verify them.
All bars in Tampa