Best New Tampa Restaurants of 2022

Tampa's culinary industry didn't exactly start off with a bang in 2022. In fact, things were a bit slow due to supply chain issues, Covid, inflation, and other issues. While Spring and summer lagged, things began to turn around in the fall.

There was a deluge of smaller, conceptualized restaurants that saw a lot of promise. These ambitious new restaurants offer a lot of great new menus with a lot of diversity. So sit back and dive in. Let your taste buds do the talking. But keep in mind that these new dives are not cheap. But they still may be well worth the price of entry.

The following restaurants made the cut for Tampa's best of the best:

The Best new restaurant award goes to Meliora. This Asian-inspired restaurant has a lot of creative flair and plenty of showmanship. Here, you can make your own duck bao buns. Meliora's technique is very impressive.

Dang Dude is a new casual Asian restaurant that opened this past summer. The menu is chocked with many tasty food items like Dan Dan noodles and fried shallots. Dang Dude will have two locations so don't miss out.

Lucky Tigre is a new Asian-infused joint with a Filipino flair. This place has delicious dumplings to die for. The owner Julie Sainte Michelle Feliciano has a huge following in the area. This restaurant will be here for a long while.

Roam was voted the best new steakhouse. Started by former brothers and food truck runners Christian and Joshua Jackson, this restaurant is a grade up from casual. The lobster mac and cheese and the 10 oz ribeye will set your taste buds on fire. A bit pricey but well worth it.

The best new Chinese restaurant honor goes to Flaming Mountain Chinese Grill & Skewer Bar. Situated near the University of South Florida campus, this place offers some of the best stir-fried dishes like Sichuan peppercorns. If you love Asian food with a heavy helping of cumin, fennel seed, and chile, this is the place for you.

Other great restaurants include a great bake shop called Cafe Clementine, Original Flavor 1889, Lilac At The Edition Hotel, Miggs Craft Kitchen, and Kellie's Bistro. So if you're in the greater Tampa area, drop in to see why people are raving about these new restaurants. With this diverse and tasty line of fare, you're sure to find something you will love.