Ava Tampa

Good food and service! Nice restaurant inside and out, they were cutely decorated for the holidays when we visited. Tried the red velvet pancake special and it was AMAZING! Steak and eggs also very good.

The happy hour pizza hits the sweet spot! It’s just the right size for a perfect snack or to share. Plus, the weekday happy hour offers an incredible deal that you won’t want to miss. The servers here are exceptional and super friendly, making every visit a delight. The atmosphere is vibrant and welcoming, and with plenty of TVs strategically placed, you can catch all the sporting action from the best views in the house. Whether you're hanging out with friends or enjoying a solo evening, this place has it all!

The Bayshore Breeze signature drink was SO delicious! I don’t even love gin and was pleasantly surprised. The spicy rigatoni wasn’t spicy and we did ask for some salt and pepper which I don’t like doing. That being said, the pasta was cooked well, the sauce had a great consistency, and I would rather salt to taste than it be overly salty. The meatballs were a classic and some of the better meatballs I have had. I expected slightly better service and wished the waitress was more attentive but I would definitely go back!

The food was ok but did not meet my expectations. The service was good and the atmosphere was outstanding. My favorite part of the dinning experience here was the Chef’s selection of meats and cheeses which came out as a very nice charcuterie board. I did not care for the rabbit ganache, I wish I had gone with the oxtail pasta instead. I also ordered one of the personal sized pizzas which was not great especially for $25. Although the overall flavor was decent, the bread was still very doughy and the quality was definitely not worth $25. The chocolate mouse cake with a pairing side of peanut butter screwball whiskey was also a great finish, but a bit pricey. Cocktails here are decent but be prepared for a hefty price tag. I payed $15 for an Espresso Martini & my buddy paid $20 for a Moscow Mule.

Above and beyond my expectation. Good food, so service and atmosphere is amazing. Holiday decorations is very cozy.

Service was decent. We tried to order several vegan options but the kitchen did not have items in stock which is very odd for Saturday night. Server tried to accommodate with other options but would have been nice for something extra to make up for it. The restaurant itself is extremely loud and not the best for conversation. Food overall was good but please don't advertise vegan options and don't have them in stock...

This restaurant advertises a “chef cooking at your table” tableside experience, but the reality is completely different. No one wanted or was able to explain it to us, and there was zero effort to help. Staff seemed unaware and uninterested. Because of this, we had to order from the regular menu. The food was simply bad — bland, poorly seasoned, and lacking flavor. A risotto without salt is not a minor mistake; it’s a serious kitchen failure. We were celebrating my birthday. As a last attempt to save the night, my husband ordered dessert hoping for at least a candle or some acknowledgment. We were told they don’t have candles. No gesture, no singing, no hospitality. What is heavily promoted as an “experience” turned into poor food, poor service, and complete indifference. Very disappointing and unacceptable.

My friends and I made last minute New Years Eve plans and came here. They had a set menu and the food portioning was perfect! We enjoyed all courses! If you’re looking to celebrate big this is not the spot, if you’re looking for a low key dinner before New Years this spot works. I had the Gnocchi, Tuscan Soup, and Wagyu NY Strip and dessert. It was all amazing!!

5/5 Exceptional Dining Experience at Ava Highly recommend this place. The moment I walked in I was greeted by professional, warm, and genuinely friendly staff. The service set the tone for the entire night because our server was incredibly attentive, knowledgeable about the menu, and fast without ever making us feel rushed. We started with the bread service, calamari, and the truffle gnocchi special. The bread service came with three fresh and hot loaves that were perfect from crust to center and easily some of the best table bread I have had in Tampa. The calamari was fantastic, crispy, flavorful, and served in a portion size that actually makes it easy to share. The truffle gnocchi special was prepared tableside by the chef and even though it was their first night offering it, the dish came out amazing with rich flavor and perfectly cooked gnocchi. For my entrée I ordered the lamb and it exceeded expectations. Beautiful presentation and incredible taste. Overall this was an outstanding experience from start to finish. Five out of five. I will absolutely be back. Ava is easily one of the top Italian spots in Tampa right now.

Went for a friend's birthday brunch at Ava in South Tampa. We split the baked penne and the Caesar salad. We had noticed online that the Caesar came with big pieces of lettuce, so we asked for it to be chopped ahead of time (which they kindly did). The dressing was tasty but very anchovy-forward, so definitely check in on that if you have dietary restrictions. The baked penne is listed on the menu as "pomodoro, meatballs, mozzarella" for $22. Since we split it, the photo I attached is just half the portion. The pasta itself was flavorful, but there was no meat at all--so we were left wondering if something was missing. Tasty, yes, but at that price point, it didn't feel worth it. For drinks, I ordered two Hugo Spritzes. The first was perfectly light and refreshing. The second, however, was off--syrupy, heavy on the elderflower liqueur, and missing the mint. Still drinkable, but not as enjoyable, and I regretted ordering a second round. On the bright side, our waitress was fantastic. She handled our large table with ease, was attentive without hovering, and genuinely added to the experience. Overall, Ava is a trendy South Tampa spot with good food and drinks, though portion sizes and consistency left us a little underwhelmed for the price. We probably wouldn't go back on our own dime, but wouldn't say no if invited with friends again.

We had a birthday to celebrate and we thought we would try Ava. Anthony was our server and he did an excellent job, the service was perfect! We got a pizza, mushroom w pasta, beef short rib with pasta, calamari, cavatelli made without the sausage. We thought everything was delicious and the pasta was obviously freshly made. My only negative was I thought the servings were a bit small for the price. I disagree with the 2 dollar sign rating and I would say it should be at least 3 dollar signs. All in all a great experience!

First time and very impressed with the food. Had the walnut and Gorgonzola salad which was delightful. The truffle pizza was also very nice. The eggplant Parmesan was also good but the amazing was the bread service. Wow!!

Stopped in this morning for their weekend Brunch at 10:30am. The place is very cute and you can tell it is very nice for a chill evening of brick oven pizza and some drinks in the evening. We were promptly seated by the friendly staff. Their brunch menu is very small so don't expect lots of options. We went with the Ava Frittata since we are not fans of the Eggs Benedict and that was their only other egg option and it was just okay with a side of fruit. Nothing to rave about so I wouldn't return for breakfast but may try it out for a pizza and cocktails next time.

Visited during happy hour and sat in the bar/lounge area. Service was spotty at first but improved throughout the time in the establishment. The restaurant's soft lighting, created a peaceful and elegant ambiance. The food was so good. The Salsiccia pizza was my main dish and it did not disappoint. I also tried the mussels and Caesar salad which were both delightful as well. Happy Hour ends at 7 pm. I'd come back!

Above and beyond my expectation. Good food, so service and atmosphere is amazing. Holiday decorations is very cozy.

This was my first time at this restaurant. I had heard good things before and I went to celebrate a friend's birthday. The service was very nice and the food really good. I tried the beef carpaccio with truffle on top and a sauce that matched perfectly. I also had the salsiccia pizza, thin and full of flavor. I think I will come back to try more dishes because I really liked what I ate. The place also has a good location and a nice atmosphere.

House made pasta - check Vegetarian and vegan options - check! Indoor and outdoor seating- check! A couple of friends joined me bc I've had Ava on my list for a while but it takes me time to get around to Italian fare. I was super curious if they could pull off a chicken parmesan without the animal parts. I am still in shock and just so I could write an honest review, I gave my omnivore friend a bite who confirmed it really did taste surprisingly realistic- not cardboard and not rubbery. I also ordered a salad and I loved how the dressing wasn't all oil over flavor. The sauce was excellent - the perfect density & thickness and not runny. The portions are european so you don't leave feeling stuffed. The patio is covered which is nice so you worry less about inclement weather. Interior is average - not posh and not overly casual. Good enough for a second or third date but not a first date lol. Service was attentive and pleasant.

I came to Ava with a large group for a birthday party seated in the party/bonus room - which provided an intimate and fun dining experience. However I was not thoroughly impressed with my meal. My cocktail came out room temperature and the pasta was overcooked and mushy. The chicken parm was good, and my friend loved her calamari and salmon. Most noteworthy- our service was outstanding for such a large party, our food and drinks arrived incredibly quickly and the waitresses did an excellent job. Overall a good experience, the food was subpar in my opinion but I'm not sure how much of it was affected by my party size.

Overall, a pretty terrible experience. Decided to dine out on Thanksgiving. Were seated around 6:30. The staff was obviously anxious to leave. So they brought our entrées with the salads. Then acted surprised when said that we wanted to finish our salads first. After finishing our salads, they served us the same entrées, barely warm. Pretty lousy treatment.

Our girls evening night out was spectacular on the patio with great open air and wonderful decor. We each ordered glasses of wine, but they also have discounts on bottles of wine on Wednesday's! I got the funghi pizza which was phenomenal with the right amount of sweet from the balsamic with the mushrooms. Our service was ok - our server got our order wrong a few times as she wasn't writing anything down, but ultimately we got what we ordered and were happy with our service!

Ava was a great experience. Went with a party of 4. They offered a table side truffle gnocci pasta, made right in front of you. It was expensive but worth it! The bread service was good. My short rib pasta was delicious , I'd rate this place a 4.5/5!!!

What a cute place!! It was our first time here and we started with the ravioli and pork belly. Soooo good. Anna took great care of us and offered the sea bass special to us which I decided to order. Unfortunately in my first bite there was a bone, and it lacked salt. Other than that, service, wine, and price were on point.

Second trip to Ava and it has substantially improved from my visit in 2023. Excellent location on South Howard just down from Bern's. Definitely a place to dress up and be seen. Inside is very Italian bistro and as loud as a bustling city street in downtown Rome on a Friday night. This night however was a Thursday and the purpose for this gathering was to utilize their private meeting room to continue an educational series. Briefly for those planning a meeting, the space easily holds 20 plus with two length wise tables and a flat screen TV with HDMI capabilities. The room is separated by a very large and heavy barndoor. Biggest con is despite this door the noise certainly makes its way into the room like a determined carrier pigeon. Further, each time the door is even slightly agape the presenter can barely hear him/herself speak. Our servers were very much on top of our drinks and food needs but a piece of advice would be to try and cluster some of the entries into the room to minimize the noise. Anyway, the food is where I really want to focus my attention. On a prior visit I found the pasta to be bland and the meats to be salty. On this visit I found the pastas to be bland, but the meats to be perfectly cooked and with great portions. I was particularly in love with our appetizer choices. Meatballs were moist and mounded high. Sauced and succulent. Our meat and cheese board was well assembled and came with a good selection of mustards and sauces, but definitely needed more crackers or breads to deliver the goods. We also had the shrimp. Served on a bed of what appeared to be sourdough. These shrimp were very well fed and as a result so was I. My main entre was the lamb duo. A two to tango kind of dance between chops and sausage. Very tender and well seasoned. Between the two the sausage actually took over from the lollipops on flavor. All in all I feel that this establishment is in tune with their feedback to step up the food and the service. I would definitely recommend Ava for a step up from just a casual night out.

Ava is always a good time. Happy hour goes til like seven and the food is amazing. This was my first time trying the La Bestia pizza and it was excellent. I usually get the Funghi which is also delicious. The pork belly was crispy and cooked to perfection. The outside seating is covered and comfortable and the vibes are good. The bartenders and servers are attentive and I always have a good time.

The food and service was amazing. The bread service is a must try! The bread is so fresh and delicious. Love mussels and was skeptical about them being in a pesto sauce but it was hands down 10/10.

We were a large group celebrating a friends birthday The food exceeded my expectations. Had the double filet mignon . Service was superb. Staff were super friendly. I don't usually like meat balls but the ones I had at this restaurant were surprisingly very delicious

Amazing restaurant, this is my second time. Came back to celebrate Father's Day. Everything in the menu is delicious, we ordered a mushroom personal pizza, chicken Parmesan. They also have Gluten free dishes if you desire the noodles gluten free. the appetizers we had the clams, the fried octopus with olive oil, it was delicious. The service was great and the waitress was very helpful as to what is the specials of the day. The ambiance was delightful, they have a full bar as well if you want a cocktail before you sit for dinner. They have plenty of Parking in the garage next to the restaurant which is very convenient. We will be back definitely, Thank you for your service!!

Ava is a great place for drinks with your girls or a date night! The ambiance is amazing, the vibe and the aesthetics are superb. I heard about this restaurant before but I never had the opportunity to come by, so I knew about restaurant week and I saw the perfect chance to try it, so I gathered my friends for a ladies night here last night. I ordered a mule, and it was outstanding so I had to get another one. As I said, we came for restaurant week so we decided to go for that menu, it was an appetizer, an entree and dessert for $40 which was more than worthy. I started with the house salad, it was well balanced, you could taste everything that was in there. Then we moved forward to our entrees, I got the Australian Wagyu with mash potatoes and asparagus, the meat was great, very well cooked and seasoned and the mashed potatoes was out of this world, so good. As dessert, I got the homemade cannolis and the cream was soo good! Overall this experience was great, and I'm coming back for sure, shoutout to César, our waiter, he was great! Very friendly, service outstanding and recommendations on point. See you very soon, Ava.

Went to this restaurant about 5 years ago and stopped going bc their raised their prices. Decided to give it another try bc their menu was improved while their pricing was on par with other local spots such as Olivia and osteria nataliana. The service was very slow without there being a reason. The restaurant was NOT full and it seemed like they had enough people working to accommodate the parties. The food was awful, the filet reminded us of something that you would get at a hotel wedding or banquet. For the same price as the two other Italian restaurants previously mentioned, save yourself the time and aggravation! Make the reservation at Olivia or go and wait in line for osteria bc you will get fantastic service and a great meal at the same exact price point!

The services was top notch! We stumbled here strolling through S. Tampa on Howard. We loved the ambiance from the street and stepped in. Inside and outside are thoughtfully decorated. The patio seating area is so inviting and the place to be.. the Food was fantastic! Mind you, we never heard of this place. Such well crafted plates and quality ingredients levels this place up. Kudos to the chef everything we ate was fantastic.

This place is not bad, but it's not special. The food is good but not amazing, and not worth the price in my opinion. I have been here twice and both times left underwhelmed. There's certainly better Italian food out there.

Came for dinner while In town for business. Decent menu. They honored our reservation. Service was prompt. Decent ambience. Ordered the bread service which was very good. Mixed salad was very good and served 3 people. Chicken parmigiana was good. Pasta bolognese was also very good. Margarita pizza was ok and could have been hotter. Prices reasonable.

Wife had heard about this place so when in Tampa we thought we give it a try. Started off with Fried bread. She is was amazing. One person got octopus appetizer which they described as good. Two of the party had spaghetti and meatballs other two got chicken parm. They were both just ok. My particular parm was slightly overdone, sauce and spaghetti accompanied it. Sauce did not have much flavor. Same was said for the two who loved the meatballs but sauce and spaghetti were again ok. First time ever to Italian restaurant where to fresh Parmesan cheese or pepper offered. Found this strange. Pizzas looked great. Wish I would have ordered that instead. If we go back I would try the pizzas.

This place is super cute ! Definitely a great spot for a date to rekindle your love. The booths are super comfy and large (definitely try to request one) We went on a rainy Saturday and it was not busy at all. We did make online reservations but we definitely didn't need one. Host was super friendly and helpful. Our server was super bubbly and kind! She made awesome suggestions on items to eat. We ended up getting two apps and 1 meal and a side dish and it came to $85. The calamari came with two different dipping sauces and we had a great big helping! Very light and just enough crisp. PLEASE order the bruschetta. The tomatoes were very delicious and super fresh. I'm not sure what they did to it exactly but had a nice chard taste to it. Definitely a great spin. The lobster fettuccine had a great light flavor with a ton of lobster! We split our meal, the chefs were even kind enough to do it in the back for us. I think it would have been nice to have completely bread, and I wish they had a wider/better wine selection. But over all would definitely recommend!

Just recently moved to the Tampa Bay area and, while there are plentiful dining options in the area, Ava has been the best dining experience yet. We came here on a Friday during happy hour (great HH menu - Mondays through Fridays) and loved it so much we opted to cancel a reservation the next day and come back. The food is absolutely delicious. Every entree, from the pizza to the pasta, arrives quickly and each have been some of the top dishes we have had. The prices are reasonable and the service (particularly Stephanie and Katie at the bar) have always been stellar. If you're in the area, definitely stop by. You will not be disappointed with your experience!

Dined at Ava for a date night on 10/20. I've visited in the past for their brunch which I enjoy, but never for dinner. We had a 7:15 reservation and the restaurant was a little empty but it started filling up as the night went on. It had a very family oriented, relaxed atmosphere. Good spot for large groups. Overall, it was a mediocre dinner. I think for the price point you could experience a better Italian meal elsewhere. The service was slow to start. It seemed that there was miscommunication amongst the waiters as to who would be serving our table. However, once we got our waiter (whose name I forget!), it was great service. He was very attentive and helpful with any questions regarding the menu. Food- For an appetizer we ordered the Ravioli Al Tartufo E Formaggio. The crispy leeks really added to the texture of the dish. The truffle wasn't too overpowering either. For our mains we ordered the Chicken Parmesan with Spaghetti and the Cavatelli Al Ragu. We wish the chicken parmesan had more mozzarella on top. The cavatelli was cooked nicely, however, the fennel sausage ragu was not my favorite. I discovered a ground up piece of bone or cartilage in the sausage meat. It resembled a little pebble. Not a big deal for me but I can see how other customers would freak out more about something like that. Drinks- We enjoyed some cocktails throughout our meal! To start we ordered the Farmers Daughter (I believe this was the drink.. can't find an online drink menu) and Holy Shit Batman. The Holy Shit Batman was a favorite! Next we ordered a Gin Dirty Martini and an Old Fashioned. No complaints with the drinks.

Ava has a beautiful set up . It looks good. Nice lighting. The menu is extensive. Lots of unique Italian dishes. Drinks are fine. Service was adequate. The chairs are not really comfortable. They are woven like an old outdoor patio chair except we we inside. We ordered a charcuterie board but it did not have the grill bread it was suppose to have. It was substituted with no explanation. The main dishes were pretty good. Not exactly my taste but nicely prepared. We were there fairly early and my first two choices on the menu were no longer available. That was strange for a Saturday night. I hope to try this place again when everything is available.

We loved everything about this place. We had a nice time sitting outside . Outstanding customer service , excellent fresh pasta and pizza . Lovely for appetizers and drinks , celebrating our wedding anniversary and bdays this was definitely romantic . They are pet friendly and upscale. Very spacious place with different areas , beautiful kitchen! You can watch them cook !

Was seated right away by friendly host upon checking in for a large party of ~12 on a weeknight at 7:00 PM. Great outdoor seating with overhang to protect us from the light drizzle that started later in the night. Cool atmosphere inside the restaurant as well. Very lively environment. I only got a picture of the pasta I ordered, with a beautifully prepared poached/soft boiled egg (believe using sous-vide). The dish was cohesive and very delicious. The party ordered many appetizers and entrees, and quite a few desserts also. Drinks ordered included neat whiskey, cocktails, bottles of wine. Serves kept the water glasses and drinks topped off all around. 5/5 had a wonderful experience for a large group and will definitely return in the future.

Good was amazing. We went for brunch and the drinks were great. And atmosphere was beautiful and my little girls name is Ava and it was kinda special to her.

Good food, bottomless mimosas, easier parking than I ever dreamed of in this neighborhood... and, we felt trendy-hanging with the decidedly younger brunch bunch in the room. Yep-that makes for a pretty awesome Saturday! We had a reservation at 11:45 a.m. and had to wait about 10 minutes-not bad at all. It was my first time here and I liked how bright and light it was. There's tons of seating, both inside and out, and those tables filled up quickly. We were six-seated at a table for four-but we made it work. (Everyone was close to the mimosas) The staff was super friendly-though it felt like they were maybe stretched thin-just a bit. I'm sorry I didn't take pics of the menu. (I blame the mimosas) It was bigger than I expected and we all tried something different to eat. Everyone liked theirs. I had the Florentine omelette-which was huge and so fresh and tasty. You can get home fries, grits or fruit with it. I was too full to even touch the melon medley (yeah, mimosas). So, the mimosas (did I mention them?): $20 for all you can drink in two hours. They come standard with oj but for $2 more you can get cranberry, grapefruit or pineapple. I settled into the grapefruit groove and never strayed-but I've gotta try the pineapple next time. And yes, there will definitely be a next time (s). There's a free parking garage just south of the restaurant-covered and super close. The posted signs suggest a three hour limit. That gives you an hour to rebuild after the two hour mimosa limit-or time to walk around to other nearby SoHo spots. I'm eager to come back and try the pizzas they're known for-and also, for many more brunches. See you there! I'll have a carafe of pineapple mimosas waiting for ya.

I came for brunch on a Sunday morning and it was pretty busy. The brunch menu doesn't have that many "breakfast" options so I ordered the Margarita pizza. It was yummy but for the size it was overpriced. The server was sweet but it took a while to get to our table and even give us water. It is a cute vibe but not sure I will be back - maybe I would come to try their dinner.

I really enjoyed Ava primarily because our server was such a joy. He really helped us understand the history of the restaurant and had some funny jokes about the restaurant like how the brick oven is named Isabella and she could be quite fiery sometimes. Who is also extremely knowledgeable about the menu and had great recommendations on drinks. The food was delectable. I had their handmade pasta which reminded me of being back in Italy, and their drinks were handcrafted and delicious. I highly recommend for date night, it's such a romantic ambience for sure.

Stopped in for happy hour and had a great meal. Such a cute spot with great service. Definitely recommend the Funghi pizza.

My family and I recently went there for Saturday brunch at 10 am to surprise my sister in law for her birthday! The food from the brunch menu was AMAZING & the portions were huge, even for the kids meals. My sister and I tend to look up menus ahead of time and although we were excited for the brunch menu, she was very sad. We wouldn't get to try their bruschetta, which looked incredible. The staff was so attentive and even had her bruschetta made even though it wasn't on the brunch menu! I'm so glad they did because it tasted fantastic! They had such a cute atmosphere and vibe there. We will definitely be returning.

This place was packed on a Wednesday night which is usually a good sign. Plenty of parking available, make reservations.. you won't regret it. I ordered Pork Shank, it was good but on the saltier side. I think that's a norm here, had the same issue on my previous visit. To those who care, not a single staff/server wore a mask. I don't know how i feel about it. Service was slow, they were busy. My server was quite busy, felt bad for her really. Also, they raised their prices $$ Overall, it was a decent meal. Could be a lot better considering my entree was $35.

Came here with a group of 4 Friday night, had to make a reservation few days in advance. Location is great and there is a garage you can park for free if you are dining at AVA. I didn't have high expectations due to low reviews on Yelp. We were definitely positively surprised. We ordered apple walnut salad and fungi pizza to start with. Both dishes were great and enough to start for 4 people. Pizza was delicious, with right crust/topping ratio. I ordered eggplant pasta and was delicious, absolutely loved it! They also have many other vegan and vegetarian options, very extensive menu for non meat eaters. I had mocktail mojito with strawberry and was great. I asked not sweet and was exactly how I asked. They do have extensive wine menu as well. Service was great, guy who served us was absolutely amazing and friendly. Was amazing experience. Dessert was pretty good as well, gelato and chocolate torta, love it. Again we shared amongst 4 and was more than enough. They have unique dishes like rabbit gnocchi and lamb bolognese. Menu is definitely great. Will be back!

We have always wanted to try this place and finally were able to snag a reservation and get over there. The place is super nice and has a great vibe to it, and the staff is amazing. Our waiter was super attentive and we had a good experience. The food itself is pretty meh. You can tell it's high quality ingredients, but everything lacked in flavor and any wow. To be fair, that may just be a personal preference, that I like everything overly flavored. It is a little pricey for the overall experience. I'm glad we went, but we most likely won't return.

We had a great experience here Friday night. We were able to get last minute reservations for 5. We arrived on time and had a wonderful waiter named Jacob serve us. We ordered some wine and appetizers: we ordered the bread service with whipped ricotta, ravioli fungi to share, the apple gorgonzola salad and meatballs. Everything was magnificent. The bread is actually fried and that whipped ricotta was to die for- with honey and garlic! So good. The fungi ravioli was so beautifully made with the bachamel sauce and crisp onion shaves with plenty of mushrooms. The meatballs were delicious and the tomato sauce delightful. For the entrees - we had a meat pizza, the fungi pasta (that came with a soft boiled egg-amazing!), the special fish of the day which was a snapper with cream sauce, gnocchi and asparagus and the salmon, that was amazing (can't remember what was on it). It was all delicious!!! And Jacob was attentive and made sure everything was good. We did also order the Nutella peanut butter amazing dessert. Great shareable. All, so very good! Would surely come back! Sad I did not take food images.

The food quality has dramatically dropped. My mussels smelled bad. The pizza was awful. The service was also lackluster and clearly not interested in being there. We used to love this place but will not be returning.

I'm sure every review will say to order the bread service. Yes! Order the bread service! Don't miss it. The rest of the meals were delicious as well. The branzini was a stand out. It is a lovely and beautiful restaurant. We dined on the patio. Thank you to our excellent waiter, I'm so sorry I can't recall his name. Top notch professional, knowledgeable and patient.

The appetizers were good. We had the fried bread, bruschetta, and meatballs. The house Bolognese was very good. I was in a party of 10. The shrimp scampi was creamy based FYI. The service was slow but the waitress was nice. We sat outside on the patio with the heaters which was warmer than eating inside so I love that.

Ava is a cute venue. The ambiance is nice and it wasn't loud (soft music was playing). At first, service was a tad bit slow but it did pick up as the night went on. I ordered an old fashioned but got it smoked (I think it was like $1 more). The drink was pretty stiff but that's how an old fashioned should be. I wouldn't recommend more than 2 unless you want to be carried out of the place. The star of the evening was the bruschetta appetizer. 10/10 I would highly recommend. I got the Pappardelle alle Bolognese for dinner and it was good but I think it could've used more sauce. All in all, I would recommend to try this place out while in Tampa. #thebrunchinbabe

Waiter was super nice and attentive. We got sat right away. Some of the food came out undercooked and had to be sent back but we ended up getting free dessert out of it which was nice. Complimentary bread. Overall good experience

Happy hour is fantastic. Great menu and prices are excellent. Will be back. The flatbread selections were all delicious and we sampled them all. Ambiance is very nice. Not too loud that you can't have a conversation with friends.

In short: the food was really tasty, not the cheapest prices, and the service was TERRIBLE. We had reservations on a Saturday night. When we were seated, it took 15 min before anyone came over. As soon as our server greeted us with water, we put in all of our food/drink order because we weren't sure when she would be back. It took 20 min for the drinks to come out. After our app came out, she needed to double check what my husband and I ordered. Okay, so that means she still hadn't put our dinner order in. When our food came out, a couple people had salads, and there was barely any dressing. We waited so long for her to check on us, that we had to go inside and grab someone. Throughout the dinner our server was hard to find. All in all, we got there at 8:30 and didn't leave until 10. And that was with putting our order in ASAP. On another note, I have heard the happy hour prices/options are great.

Really great atmosphere but extremely slow service and pricey food. We ordered the pesto pizza and gnocchi side. The pizza was just alright but the gnocchi was delicious, would definitely recommend it as a side.