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Restaurants & Bars

Bella Brava Is Bellissimo

The new Midtown location brings a St. Pete favorite to Tampa.

Kimberly McAvoy, Community ContributorVerified User Badge
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(Tampa Bay Food Tours)

TAMPA, FL — One of Tampa Bay Food Tours' favorite Beach Drive St. Pete restaurant partners is Bella Brava. We are very excited to have a new location of a family favorite in Tampa.

Bella Brava has opened in the rising Midtown Tampa development. More info on the background of this local restaurateur can be found in a previous Patch article, Tuscan-Inspired Restaurant Adds To Midtown's Foodie Appeal.

Over several visits we enjoyed a plethora of great Italian dishes served in a warm, inviting atmosphere.

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As I often do. I will let the photos tell the talking.

Trattoria Caesar with romaine, house-made croutons and shaved Parmesan.

Warm crusty bread with an herb butter is complimentary. The menu features lots of great starters that are perfect for sharing.

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Rhode Island calamari with pomodoro sauce, cherry peppers, arugula and lemon caper aioli.
Bella Bruschetta with goat cheese, fresh tomato, basil, red onion and extra virgin olive oil.
Beef Carpaccio with arugula, lemon oil, shaved Parmesan and crispy capers.

Like their counterpart St. Pete location, the Tampa location features an extra long happy hour lasting until 7 p.m.

Trattoria meatballs with asiago polenta, pomodoro, ricotta salata and basil.
Roasted mushroom with roasted garlic, shallots, taleggio, mozzarella, thyme and extra virgin olive oil.
Lasagna Bolognese with asiago cream, ricotta and parmesan.
Trattoria Chicken Parmesan with prosciutto di parma, cavatappi, asiago cream, fontina and ricotta salata.
Grilled salmon with mascarpone mashed potatoes (not shown), honey rosemary butter, broccolini and crispy capers.
Cannoli with chef's choice for the filling.

Although the website did not show a children's menu, we are happy to report that they do have a kid's menu.

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So bring the kids with you to Midtown and let them run off dinner and play on the central courtyard. Exciting new options for additional food, drinks and treats are being added often with a planned grand opening in February.

We continue to enjoy our exploration of Midtown and plan to highlight more of the great new restaurants taking shape. Stay tuned for a feature article on the Sal Y Mar rooftop restaurant located in the new joint-branded Loft and Element Hotels.

Midtown has plans to use the courtyard for fun events like tailgating.

Stop by Bella Brava soon and tell them Tampa Bay Food Tours sent you!

Tampa Bay Food Tours hosts guided walking food tours in Tampa Bay neighborhoods. Visit local independent restaurant for amazing food and adult beverages. Tours are available in downtown Tampa, St. Pete and Dunedin.

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