Ocean Prime In Tampa Named Among 50 Best Restaurants For Dates

TAMPA, FL — OpenTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations, has released its first list of the 50 Best Restaurants for a Date in America for 2019. And one Tampa restaurant made the cut.

Ocean Prime at International Plaza, 2205 N. Westshore Blvd., was named among the best restaurants for date night in a list that features restaurants in 21 states and Washington, D.C.

Two other Florida restaurants also made the list: Kyle G’s Prime Seafood in Orlando and Latitudes on Sunset Key in Key West.

“Given the added stress daters face when looking for the right restaurant, we wanted to create a go-to list that offers a restaurant for any date - whether it’s your first or one-thousandth,” said Anna Besse, director of marketing at OpenTable. “And for a more personalized experience, diners can turn to our Date Night Matchmaker feature for a no-fret way to find the perfect restaurant based on their specific dining preferences.”

Date Night Matchmaker is a product of OpenTable's partnership with Hinge, the relationship app. OpenTable commissioned a survey that revealed 86 percent of respondents find it stressful to select the perfect date spot. The Date Night Matchmaker app is intended to relieve that stress.

OpenTable’s list of the 50 Best Restaurants for a Date in America was generated from diner reviews collected between Sept. 1, 2018. and Aug. 31, 2019.

Ocean Prime is a modern American restaurant and lounge from renowned restaurateur Cameron Mitchell. It was voted Best Piano Bar and Best Outdoor Scene by Tampa Bay Metro as well as one of the Best Seafood Restaurants in the Bay Area by Creative Loafing. Additionally, Executive Chef Adam Polisei was named one of 40 Restaurant Stars on the Rise by FSR Magazine.

The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood and prime cuts of steak, signature cocktails and a Wine Spectator-honored wine list. The menu features lighter items like sushi and poke to indulgent seafood presentations, juicy steaks and decadent desserts.

Start the date night with a cucumber gimlet or whiskey clover cocktail and an appetizer of white truffle caviar deviled eggs, oysters on the half shell or Sonoma goat cheese ravioli.

Some romantic dinner suggestions include sea scallops with Parmesan risotto, English peas and citrus vinaigrette; Chilean sea bass with whipped potatoes and champagne truffle sauce; and twin lobster tails with asparagus and drawn butter.

Top off the date with creme brulee, chocolate peanut butter pie or 10-layer carrot cake.