Casa Santo Stefano

Our first visit and we had a lovely late lunch. Vincent our server was outstanding and very polished with menu options and did not disappoint. The wife enjoyed the Spaghetti and meatballs and was very happy. I had the best ever handcut and freshly fried to perfection with great light salted seasoning. Outstanding describes them the best. My pani Italian was very good and well portioned. We split a small house salad it came out as a pyramid. We each had a light red sangria with lunch. It was not bad but does not compare to their sister restaurant across the street made at the table salads and sangrias. We will be back and highly recommend it.

We went there to celebrate my fiancé’s birthday, and the manager surprised us with the sweetest gesture at the end of our dinner. It was such a unique experience! Despite dining at countless restaurants, from casual spots to fine dining, this was the first time we received something so thoughtful. Our server was great! The food was absolutely delicious too. We truly loved this place and will definitely be coming back.

One of my favorite restaurants in Tampa! Amazing Italian food with a great atmosphere and impeccable service. Casa Stefano has a great rooftop bar which is perfect for a drink before dinner or a night cap. A perfect place for a date night or to celebrate a special occasion. Casa Stefano can accommodate parties from a pair of a date to a party of ten or more. The restaurant is littered with breathtaking artwork to enjoy. Pro tip: be sure to check the specials. Last time I went, I ate a mushroom and truffle ravioli that was out of this world! Regardless of what you order, you'll enjoy it.

10 Stars to our server Vincent - he is a gem! Food, atmosphere, and overall experience was great - we 3 worked with each other for 12+ years in Naples and haven't seen each other in 25 years. We met up in Tampa from Ocala / Naples to have lunch and catch-up and we're glad we chose Casa Santo Stefano for our luncheon reunion. We'll be back again.

Taylor was amazing and instantly recommended the sea bass, which was beyond perfect. The bread was to die for and the tiramisu was delightful. Highly recommend.

Absolutely one of the best dining experiences. I've said many times that I don't mind paying for good food. This is one of those places. A bottle of imported wine, great service, and absolutely amazing food for around 120 is well worth it. You can have your olive garden gruel for half that and pretend like it's gourmet. If you want to experience something great, go to Casa Santo Stefano. If I'm within 100 miles, I'll go out of the way to come back. It is much appreciated!

Fantastic customer service and excellent food! I had the Arincini, chicken parmigiana, and pistachio gelato. This is a great place that you need to try!

We absolutely loved this restaurant—everything exceeded our expectations. The quality of the food and the pricing were both excellent. It’s authentic Sicilian cuisine served in a beautiful ambiance. The arancini appetizer was the best I’ve ever had, and the grilled fish was perfectly prepared. Be sure to try the mussels—the sauce they’re served in is simply outstanding. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a restaurant this much. We were truly amazed by our dinner experience. They also have a fantastic wine list with very reasonable prices. A heartfelt thank you to Panos, the manager, and the entire team for a wonderful evening.

When I tell you food is more than just something to fill your stomach, it's an experience, this is the place to go. If you're looking to wine and dine to impress, this is the place to go! So much fun and the staff was amazing 😍

I had such a great time with the Waitress PIPER. She served us very well, great recommendation to ask for as a waitress, especially for a special event, like your anniversary!! I had the best best time!! Thank you Piper and the Manager Panos also came up to us for our anniversary with gifts!! Thank you Casa Santo Estafano for amazing service !! Thank you again PIPER!

Food was so fire, service was great, however parking is trash. Had to pay to park because they didn’t have enough parking so just a heads up. Our server was so kind, go eat with Francesca! Food tasted so good, I loved! I got the pasta alla norma :) Friends tried the lasagna and the ravioli do ricotta which was also delicious. The cappuccino was strong and creamy, so good. Definitely try this place out if you’re craving Italian!

The food was so flavorful and delicious. Our waiter was knowledgeable and professional The best part of our meal was the tour Chef Enzo gave us . Thank you for making our date day so special

Casa Santo Stefano is an extraordinary dining experience that blends exquisite food with a stunning setting. From start to finish, our visit was exceptional. The restaurant’s rustic ambiance is truly beautiful, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere that feels both elegant and comforting. One of the most striking features is the unique interior design, including a stainless steel wood-burning grill that’s a centerpiece of the open kitchen. The one-of-a-kind copper hood range above it not only adds to the aesthetic charm but also masterfully captures all the kitchen and grill smoke, ensuring a clean and pleasant dining environment. These touches elevate the experience and reflect the care and craftsmanship that define this classic Sicilian restaurant. Our waiter, Andrew, was incredibly knowledgeable and attentive, making sure every detail of our meal was perfect. The management was equally welcoming, and we were honored by a visit from the head chef at our table—a personal and memorable touch. I opted for the chef’s choice on my veal dinner, and it was cooked to medium-rare perfection. Each bite was divine, and the drinks were equally impressive, crafted to perfectly complement the meal. From appetizers to the main course, the quality of the food and service exceeded our expectations. We can’t wait to return, especially to enjoy their rooftop lounge, where you can sip a great drink and savor a cigar to cap off an already unforgettable evening. Casa Santo Stefano is a true gem in Tampa, and we highly recommend it to anyone seeking a unique and remarkable dining experience!

Absolutely loved our lunch at Casa Santo Stefano! We actually stumbled on it by chance since Columbia was full and it was right next door. We didn't know they were the same family. The Pappardelle Siciliana was rich and flavorful, and the Caesar salad was super fresh with great texture. We also tried the pizzas, lasagna, and desserts—everything was on point. Great service from Vince and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommend for authentic Sicilian food in Tampa!

Sicilian restaurant located in Tampa, FL, parking lot available, excellent atmosphere, service very nice. Good for groups.

Our first visit was great! Free parking directly across from the restaurant. Had a great first impression from decor to our waitress, Kaleigh L. LOVED the sangria and espresso martini! We also had the Arancini and familia salad to start. Loved the salad! The arancini was the only thing we didn’t love. But it was still good. For dinner we had the nana Maria pasta and the lasagne, both were really good. Our server was very attentive and provided us with a pleasant experience.

Our favorite Tampa restaurant. This lunch Rosario and Vince hosted us at the chef's table by the wood fire grill. Gambino Medeterraneo for appetizer. Veal chop for my wife. Grouper al limone with capers for myself. All expertly prepared. Expresso and torte al limone for dessert. Highly recommed. Great place for special occasions.

Absolutely phenomenal. Their specials this evening were also awesome. We ordered a fried burrata, Caesar & chicken Parm & a creamy sausage gluten free pasta dish. Andrew was amazing too!! Such a great waiter & fantastic personality! Definitely one of my fav places!

Hands down, the best Italian Restaurant that I’ve had to date! We came in with a party of 8 and I tasted about 4 meals not including my own and EVERYTHING was cooked to absolute PERFECTION! I have NEVER had Calamari so TENDER in my ENTIRE 34 years of living. The Grouper was moist, tender and flaky, the Chilean Seabass was melt in my mouth perfection. The Pizza was delicious, my boys could not get enough. The pasta perfectly al dente! I ordered the Hazelnut Gelato smothered in espresso with whipped cream for dessert and it was a creamy balance of sweet and savory. The chefs here are PHENOMENAL and so is the service! Our waiter was Vincent; he was polite, professional and friendly. I loved how he was conversating with my Mother in-law. He made her feel special and he didn’t even know it was her birthday until the very end of our visit. That’s how you know it’s genuine! We had a great time here! 5 stars all around!

Went for lunch today. Our waiter Little Richard was on point!! So nolagable of the menu. Drinks and food were fantastic!! Will definitely be returning. Thank you Richard for a great experience .

So finally we made it to this place! And it didn't disappoint. From service to the food I rate this place 5 out of 5 It starts with the bread, then they got our drinks and all of them were good. They even have a couple mocktails available that are great! Our server STEFANO was super friendly and efficient. The food took a bit but came out hot and delicious. I've attached pictures of the dishes we ordered but I'm raving about the veal so yummy! Bathroom are cleaned and we did call few minutes before just in case they needed a reservation and they did.

Came here from out of state to celebrate my birthday. Italian is my absolute FAVORITE so my friend and I decided to have dinner here! OMG the food was AMAZING! From the bread to my side salad to my main course. To top it off their customer service was A+ from the moment we walked in and until we checked out! If I’m ever in Tampa again, I will definitely make sure to stop by again! Compliments to the Chef!

Casa Santo Stefano has a nice atmosphere. Old brick building with two floors for seating. Staff is friendly. I would recommend reservations. Good selection of wines. The number of main courses is somewhat small, but if you are looking for pasta, pizza, or standard Italian food, you'll find a good selection. One thing I really like is that the server, Andrew, was amazing when checking to see if we needed more water. I never ran out which is important to me. Would definitely come back, but will have to plan in advance if we want to eat before 8:30PM.

Upscale atmosphere, but still casual. Slower paced dining, which was perfect for us. The servers were friendly. The chicken marsala and chicken parm were both delicious. The bar drinks were tasty as well. Definitely would recommend for date nights and dinners with friends.

Second time here, this time with some new friends. Had a reservation for 4 on a Monday evening at 6. Arrived early and stood by bar with cocktails from Sophia. Time came to sit and Taylor A. took over as our server. She gave us some history of the restaurant, was friendly, attentive and unbelievable when dinner was over and she said we were her "first table". We dined on mussels, meatball and burrata appetizers. Moved onto entrees of pork chops, linguine and clam sauce, chicken marsala and bolognese. Desserts were limone torte, cannoli and tiramasu with espressos. The entire experience of food and service was outstanding. Enjoy!

Really good Italian food (this from someone with an Italian mother who is a gourmet home chef). My husband and I shared the Frutti de Mar linguine. Others got mussels in wine sauce and pasta with Eggplant and a side of meatball. We had a glass of wine. Everyone enjoyed their meal, and we'd all recommend it to others. We had wanted to try Colombia, but there was an hour wait & they suggested their sister restaurant, Casa Stefano.

This place was awesome! We were just out enjoying the weather walking about with another couple and looking for a place to grab a drink or 2 and maybe an appetizer and came upon this gem! Looked kind of fancy for my shorts and t shirt but the staff welcomed our group of 4 in and sat us immediately. We chose to sit at the bar and all the servers, mike was our main one but every employee we met were super friendly and helpful, even the other customers seated were more than friendly to us all! The bar was stocked beautifully and had some top shelf bourbons i like. We ended up getting more than we originally came for and it was all delicious! They had a drink called the Mancini we all tried as it's my mother's maiden name so we all got a kick out of it and called her! But so many choices was hard to decide on things so we'll definitely be going back to try more of what we missed! And the prices were super reasonable for the quality and presentation of the food, was expecting it to be more than it was honestly! Would recommend to anyone in the area looking for some great Italian food and a great atmosphere!

Had the most incredible birthday lunch — truly unforgettable. The linguine con vongole and lasagna were absolute perfection, bursting with flavor and cooked to heavenly excellence. But what made the experience extraordinary was the service. Brittni, our server, was nothing short of phenomenal. Warm, attentive, gracious, and genuinely delightful, she elevated the entire meal with her kindness and impeccable care. She made us feel celebrated from the moment we sat down. And just when I thought the afternoon couldn’t get any better, the staff surprised me with the most delicious lemon cookies to mark my birthday. Such a thoughtful, joyful touch. An exceptional experience from start to finish.

This is the second time we have been to this restaurant. Last time I ordered the chicken Marsala. This time the ravioli. Both times, I was genuinely impressed with the food and service. Ingredients were fresh, food came out hot, waitress was patient and helpful. It can get a little loud because every table is full, but that is always a good sign. Definitely make a reservation. Also. Parking lot right across the street is free for those eating at the restaurant. Much better than the other ybor parking lots that charge too much. This will be my go to Italian restaurant while we are in the Tampa area.

Dined here on our 23rd anniversary and everything was spectacular! Our waiter Vince was the best. Very very helpful with helping us choose a few appetizers. Main courses were on point! Had Vince choose our wine to go with dessert! Did not disappoint! After all was done and the bill was signed, management visited our table and sent us on our way with nice conversation and some delicious lemon cookies which are now my favorite! Best food, best service, best restaurant around!

Absolutely Spectacular…First off our server Francesca was absolutely lovely. Her attentiveness, friendliness, and menu knowledge was simply outstanding. The appetizer Arancini was truly a masterpiece of deliciousness. The Pasta Allá Norma,Gnocchi Verdure, and Casarecce Rinaldi were all simply amazing. The deserts were unbelievable the Cannoli and Tiramisu like none other in all Tampa Bay…the absolute best. Cocktails were made perfectly. Espresso’s and Macchiatos delightful. What an awesome experience. We will be back…Thank you

The entrees wasn’t really something to talk about (burrata salad and arancini) But the main courses were great! (Veal marsala and lasagna). Very good wine selection. The cannoli was very good! Kevin our server was amazing. Overall recommended. Value for money is good but not very good

We stopped by for lunch and had a truly delicious meal. The staff was friendly and wonderful with kids. Ciara, our server, went above and beyond in every possible way. She was warm, attentive, and had an exceptional personality. To top it all off, I realized at the TPA airport rental car drop-off that I had left my purse at the restaurant. Without hesitation—and in the middle of rush hour—Ciara offered to drive it to me immediately with no expectation of a reward. Her genuine generosity is unmatched. (Thank you!!!) Can’t say enough good things!

Came here for a girls' night and had such a great time! Loved that we got a booth it made things feel super cozy and fun. The place is gorgeous, with a really cool vibe that works for a date night, girls night, or even something work-related. The food was really good! The menu is pretty big, so I’d suggest taking a peek at it before you go if you don’t want to feel overwhelmed. Shoutout to our server Rebecca — she was awesome and had us laughing by the end of the night! & if celebrating a birthday they bring over a box of cookies with a card signed by the staff which I loved the attention to detail!

I had heard good things about this place and was finally able to stop in for dinner. We opted to sit outside, and there was plenty of seating. Mateo, our server was high energy, friendly, and offered very helpful drink suggestions. The Paradiso was refreshing, it’s a little on the sweeter side, but was nice. We enjoyed some warm bread while we waited. The food came out pretty quickly, our appetizer was toasted gnocchi. It was pretty good, but a little under seasoned. The grilled sea bass was ok, a little over charred and bitter, but the broccolini was cooked perfectly, however it was also under salted. The Sicilian hot honey pizza was pretty disappointing. The dough was a nice light texture with a good chew, but the pizza toppings can only be described as a little soft and wet. I am a fan of hot honey, but this pie was drowning in regular honey that was not spicy. There was no heat in the flavor profile, and again, the seasoning was missing. Overall, Mateo was great, and our meal for two of an app, a pizza, an entre and 5 drinks was $200 mostly well spent. Sidebar, I took the leftover pizza home and added chili crisp and Parmesan and baked it and that was quite tasty!

we had a great birthday dinner here , the server was so friendly and helpful! I recommend getting the hot honey pizza ! The drink shown is the tiramisu espresso martini

I really enjoyed the cozy, inviting decor and the open-kitchen layout—it added a nice energy to the restaurant. I also thought the pricing was very reasonable. Our server came off a bit brusque at first, but she became friendlier as the meal went on. The calamari was a standout—generous in portion and packed with large pieces of squid. For my main course, I had the Zappone’s Linguine. It was just okay; the clams were a bit mushy and didn’t quite surpass my expectations. I would come back again, though!

I tried the Arancini from Casa Santo Stefano for the first time during an Italian Festival in Tampa and made it a mission to go to the official Ybor City restaurant whenever possible (I live in Tarpon Springs). We visited today for lunch, and the experience was good. The ambiance and decor is beautiful and welcoming. The staff is great and very attentive. When it comes to food these are my small critiques and observations: The focaccia bread they serve at the start is delicious, but should come with some olive oil and Parmesan for dipping. The cocktails were okay. The Apperol Spritz was definitely a letdown and will not be ordering again if we go back to visit. The Tiramisu Espresso Martini was delicious but tasted like a Puerto Rican “Coquito” with no taste of either tiramisu or espresso. The arancini was as fabulous as it was during the festival and I highly recommend this appetizer. They are perfectly crispy on the outside and ooey gooey on the inside with the perfect filing of bolognese, melted cheese and peas. For entrees we had the bolognese pasta, which was a generous portion and the red sauce was very tasty, not too sweet or acidic and cooked Al dente. Fiancé gave it a 8 out of 10. We also had the Rinaldi Casarecce pasta dish and that was a bit of a disappointment. What sounded to be a creamy white sauce pasta dish turned out to be a very garlicky pasta dish with Al dente noodles but in a sauce that was extremely watery and oily and not creamy at all and did not coat most of the noodles in the sauce. The taste was okay, lots of sausage and peas, but it needed more flavor and thickness in the cream, maybe some red pepper, and for the light cream sauce to be much creamier and thick/different consistency and to coat all noodles into the “cream sauce” instead of leaving them in this basic watery oily garlicky sauce. We were sort of full from the appetizer and entrees, so we did not get to order any dessert, but if we do drive an hour back to Tampa we will definitely try the tiramisu or cannoli. Overall a solid Italian restaurant. And having an Italian mother I am very picky with my Italian restaurants, so I’ll definitely come back and try other dishes.

I had such high expectations for this place knowing it’s a sister restaurant of Tge Columbia which we love but it was a disappointment. The restaurant was mainly empty when we arrived and were seated promptly. We ordered tiramisu martini and fried gnocchi. They were both good. The cocktail took forever to arrive and knowing there were only 4 other people in entire restaurant seemed weird. The main took longer to arrive. We ordered gnocchi and lasagna, it was mediocre. We ordered the dessert and it took 20 mins to arrive, it was special of the day pistachio cheesecake. It was average. The service is extremely poor for very empty restaurant and food is average. Do not recommend!

The atmosphere was very nice. The staff was very friendly and attentive. The cocktails are very good. We ordered Spaghetti and Meatballs and the Lasagna. The food was extremely bland. Zero flavor.