10 Must-Try Double Date Activities in Downtown Tampa

I live on Florida’s Space Coast, but I travel around the state, from Orlando to Tampa, in my job as a travel journalist. Recently, my husband and I grabbed a rental house in Tampa’s Ybor City for the weekend with our best couple friends and spent a few days in Downtown Tampa, exploring the best activities for couples to do on a double date in Tampa. From concerts to cuisine, we were blown away by what the Cigar City had to offer. 

Over our two days as a party of four in Tampa, we brunched, hit a few bars, and took lots of walks for coffee and exercise. We’ve ventured to cities like Key West and Savannah with this same couple and, turns out, Tampa gave other cities a run for their money with the amount of double date-worthy activities there. 

Here are 10 activities we loved doing as a double date in Downtown Tampa.

How We Spent a Fun-Filled Weekend on a Double Date in Tampa

1. Take a Walking Tour of Tampa

Whenever I visit a new city, I try to sign up for some type of walking tour, whether it’s a pub crawl or a ghost tour. Guided tours are a great way to get a lay of the land in a new destination, and we loved our guide from Tampa Bay Tours, a company owned by a life-long Ybor City resident who really knew his stuff. We picked the Ybor City Walking Tour, but the company offers plenty of other tours of Tampa, from ghost tours to Downtown Tampa walking tours.

Not only did we learn a lot about Ybor, where we were staying, but our tour guide gave us great recommendations for everything from cigar shops to places to grab a great coffee.

Related post: Ybor City Date Ideas

2. Hit the Pavement in Search of Coffee

When I’m at home, I often get lazy and swing through the Starbucks drive-through for my caffeine fix. Coffee walks are a great way to explore a new city, though, and we spent our mornings in Tampa walking to new-to-us coffee shops to get our morning brews.

One of our favorite spots? Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters, a speakeasy-inspired coffee shop whose first location happened to be near our rental home in Ybor City. Not only did Blind Tiger offer some really fun and unique drinks, but walking there gave us the chance to scope out other things in the area we may want to do later in the trip. 

3. Enjoy Weekend Brunch Together

There’s something fun about splurging on a decadent mid-morning meal at a weekend brunch, and it’s a great way to make memories with another couple and sit and chat over mimosas and omelets. While in town, we had brunch at Willa’s, a beautiful, quirky eatery with menu items like huevos rancheros, potato onion latkes, and sourdough French toast. If the key to a good weekend brunch is finding a gorgeous restaurant with cozy seating and incredible food, Willa’s really came through for us.

Another Tampa brunch spot that came highly recommended to us was Oxford Exchange, but we weren’t able to secure a reservation. 

4. Grab Drinks at Sparkman Wharf

Sparkman Wharf is a mildly touristy spot along Tampa’s downtown waterfront, filled with restaurants, shopping, outdoor spaces, and food kiosks. Touristy or not, we enjoyed stopping by the Wharf for drinks one evening, especially since the waterfront views can’t be beat.

A highlight of this space is Jotoro, a Mexican spot helmed by Michelin-starred chef Joe Isidori. There’s also Splitsville Southern + Social, a bowling alley serving up amazing Southern food from celebrity chef Art Smith. And, we love stopping by LightHaus Beer Garden, a vibrant outdoor spot where you can grab a drink and enjoy cozy outdoor seating.

5. Catch the Sunset from a Rooftop Restaurant

Tampa boasts some pretty beautiful sunsets, so we knew we wanted to plan dinner around sunset views on at least one of our nights in town. We chose a rooftop restaurant, M. Bird, located at Tampa’s historic Armature Works structure.

To secure seating as the sun goes down, be sure to check average sunset times on the date you plan to visit and make a reservation for about a half hour before sunset. The food and drinks at M. Bird were incredibly tasty, but the real star of the experience was watching the sun go down while we talked and dined.

Related post: Best Rooftop Spots in Tampa Bay

6. See the City During a Stroll Along Tampa’s Riverwalk

There’s lots going on along Tampa’s 2.6-mile long Riverwalk, from dining and entertainment spots like Armature Works and Sparkman Wharf to museums, bars and restaurants, entertainment venues, and outdoor spaces. A great double date night would be starting at one end of the walking path for dinner, then exploring the entire trail before ending the evening with drinks.

After our dinner at M. Bird, in fact, we walked the entire 2.6 miles to Sparkman Wharf, allowing us time to take in the beautiful city views, digest our dinners, and get ready to stop for drinks and dessert at Sparkman Wharf.

7. Sing the Night Away at a Piano Bar

When a friend suggested Showbar Dueling Piano Bar to us for our trip, he described it as, “a piano bar on steroids.” As it turns out, that’s the perfect description of this Ybor City nightlife venue, in the best way possible. At this dueling piano bar, servers pass out party favors like noise makers and party hats throughout the night, and patrons dance the night away on a stage that’s close to both pianos.

We had the time of our lives singing and dancing at Showbar, and it was a part of our trip that will remain in our memories forever. What’s more, you can reserve things like seating or bottle service at Showbar in advance, so if you’re someone who likes to thoroughly plan your double dates, you can guarantee yourself a prime spot for the action.

8. Catch a Show at Amalie Arena

Yes, Amalie Arena is home to Tampa’s hockey team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, but there’s more to do at this downtown Tampa venue than cheer for the Bolts. On our trip, we attended a Kelsea Ballerini concert at Amalie, grabbing pizza nearby beforehand at 3 Corners Pizza.

With a packed events calendar at Amalie, there’s bound to be something happening at the arena that would appeal to everyone in your double date party, and since the arena is centrally located right downtown, you can make a whole night out of it, grabbing dinner before and drinks after.

9. Enjoy One of Tampa’s Museums

Along Tampa’s Riverwalk alone, you’ll find museums like the Tampa Bay History Center and the Tampa Museum of Art. And within a trolley ride of the action downtown, are spots like The Florida Aquarium and Henry B. Plant Museum. Just like a walking tour, visiting museums as a group is a great way to learn about the city and its history while having some fun and seeing exhibits you’ve never experienced before. 

10. Shop-and-Stroll Through Hyde Park Village

Hyde Park Village is one of the most high-end and lovely spots for shopping and dining in all of Tampa. A wonderful way to spend an afternoon double date is to shop your way through Hyde Park Village and grab some lunch while you’re there.

On our trip, we made custom bracelets at the Kendra Scott store, tasted and purchased lots of flavorful olive oil, and sipped coffees and smoothies as we browsed some of the cutest shops in Tampa. It’s a great way to fill an afternoon, get those steps in, and choose spots each person in your group is interested in. 

Thanks for following our weekend getaway. For more Tampa Bay fun, check out these FREE Things to Do Around Tampa Bay!