Kid-Friendly Tampa Bay Restaurants for Date Night

Kids keep couples on their toes. Spontaneous date nights become virtually impossible. Long, romantic dinners become increasingly expensive when childcare is tacked onto the bill. Let’s face it, for parents, dating our partner is a tall order. Luckily, there are plenty of kid-friendly Tampa Bay restaurants suitable for a day date with the kids in tow.

Romance looks different when we parent and, with a side of modified expectations, the places we’ve listed below can help keep romance alive.

Kid-Friendly Tampa Bay Restaurants

• DK Farms & Gardens
• GenX Tavern
• Midtown Tampa
• Bella’s
• Game Time
• Counter Culture
• The Getaway
• Keel Farms

DK Farms & Gardens

1750 Lake Ave SE, Largo 

DK Farms in Largo lets you escape to a country bar in the middle of a city. Starting June 3rd, you can enjoy their Goats, Golf, and Good Times experience. $14 per person includes animal experiences, 18-hole putt putt, photo ops, and outdoor games. Adults can also take part in wine tastings or grab a full glass of their favorites.

They also have special events throughout the year for Easter, Halloween, Fall, Christmas, and more. On select weekend days, you can peruse their farmers market or take a goat yoga class.

GenX Tavern

103 E. Jackson St., Tampa | (813) 694-7001

Take your kids to a restaurant that will make YOU feel like a kid again. Tight-roll your jeans, don your favorite neon colors and head to GenX Tavern in downtown Tampa for a totally radical time. This retro themed restaurant and bar also doubles as a museum of 80s and 90s pop culture. While your kids might not get as excited as you will when you spot Alf or the collection of Garbage Pail Kids, they’ll definitely love the old school Nintendo games, Skee-ball, Pac-Man arcade game and pinball machines.

While they’re occupied playing games, you can kick back with an Adult Capri Sun, a Bangin’ Tang-A-Rita, or a Strawberry Starburst cocktail. Their nostalgia-themed menu doesn’t disappoint, with items such as the Truffle Shuffle Burger, Forrest’s Shrimp Po’ Boy, and a selection of salads and bowls on the Richard Simmons section of the menu. Make sure to grab an order of the house made Dunkaroos for you and your kids to share while you’re there. And maybe order a G.I. Joe shot to numb the pain after your kids make you feel old by asking what those strange chandeliers are made out of (they’re made of floppy disks. Brightly colored floppy disks).

Midtown Tampa

3659 Midtown Drive, Tampa, FL 33607

Not exactly a restaurant, but we’d me remiss not to include Midtown Tampa in this list. The development itself is full of kid-friendly Tampa Bay restaurants. Sit down with full table service at restaurants like True Food Kitchen, Bella Brava and Colony Grill, or keep it casual with takeout and fast-casual restaurants like Oronzo, Shake Shack and Kale Me Crazy.

My favorite thing to do at Midtown Tampa is let everyone in the family choose where they want takeout from and dine together in the main square. There’s plenty of room for kids to get their wiggles out, tons of great food options, and you can even grab a to-go drink from Walk-Ons. Keep an eye on their events calendar for events like trivia and live music.

Bella’s

1413 S Howard Ave, Tampa | (813) 254-3355

Authentic Italian food and delicious vegan options make Bella’s a staple in South Tampa’s SoHo district. Having opened its doors in 1986, Bella’s is one of the longest standing eateries in the area. Outdoor seating is generally a good idea with kids, and Bella’s cooling misters help keep everyone refreshed (read, prevent temper tantrums from overheated kids).

Kids menus are offered, and they help keep sibling rivalry at bay since kids can color and play games. The spaghetti with butter and the pizza are surefire hits for young palettes, while parents can move their way through a full course meal—from antipasti to dolci. The vesuvio dessert is decadent enough for the table to share and a special reward for kids who behave throughout dinner. While kids will need to stay seated, there is opportunity for an after-dinner walk. Bern’s Park is located just across the street, and kids enjoy throwing coins into the statuesque fountain and making wishes.

GameTime

1600 E 8th Ave, Tampa | (813) 241-9675

Before kids, it’s unlikely many found loud arcades to be date night hotspots—unless they lived in an eighties romantic comedy. After kids, expectations change. Located in Tampa’s historic Ybor City, GameTime offers a full restaurant and bar in addition to the arcade games.

With smaller kids, eating before playing all the games might be wise; think leverage here. If kids are old enough to navigate GameTime independently, parents just might get to enjoy their meal alone. Play skeeball or place a fun family bet about who can actually win at the claw machine. Hot tip: Happy hour is 4-8pm Monday through Friday with half off drinks specials.

From great people watching to myriad opportunities for dessert, the fun and games don’t have to end at GameTime. The Drip, located nearby on Ybor’s famed 7th Avenue, offers kid friendly pottery painting, and parents may want to try their hands at creating pottery on the wheel. GameTime is a win-win for a family friendly date night because, beyond boundless options within its environment, there are unique offerings surrounding it. What a great location for an extended date!

Counter Culture

209 W Bay to Bay Blvd, Tampa | (813) 570-8660

Sunday morning dates are some of my favorites. With weekend breakfast/brunch hours, Counter Culture is a great option for feeling adultish on a slow weekend morning and one of our favorite kid-friendly Tampa Bay restaurants. Noted for a regularly updated menu, it’s a great spot for foodies who love trying new things. Breakfast staples, which tend to please kids, are always available. Kids and adults will love digging into the breakfast on Bayshore dish—organic eggs and bacon…absolutely!

Counter Culture’s location is also conducive to letting kids get their wiggles out after the meal. One block from Bayshore Blvd, Counter Culture is perfectly situated for a post-meal walk. Picture it: you and your partner, hand in hand, gazing at the water, maybe sighting a dolphin, and actually catching a few moments of uninterrupted conversation while the kids hop, skip, and jump ahead of you. Until you have to break up a sibling disagreement or remind a child of sidewalk courtesy, a romantic walk may actually span a few minutes.

The Getaway

13090 Gandy Blvd N. | St. Petersburg (727) 317-5751

Located just off the Gandy Bridge in St. Pete, The Getaway is ideal for an early summer dinner. Take the kids in their swimsuits and take the bag of beach toys. At the Getaway, kids can play in the sand and get in the water. Plenty of tables are waterside, making it possible (and safe) to watch the kids while the adults sip and taste. Everyone will be entertained by paddleboarders, boaters, Jenga, and plenty of people watching. Pups make appearances, too.

A live DJ mixes tunes several times a week, so there’s an opportunity to burn off some of that fried seafood basket before heading home. The casual outdoor setting is perfect year-round. Open air makes kids’ natural tendency for loudness much more tolerable. The cocktail menu, especially the jalapeño tequila, help as well. Expect minimal interaction with servers, as the location has shifted to the TabUp app. Orders and bill payment occur through the app, which can be downloaded before visiting.

Keel Farms

5202 Thonotosassa Rd, Plant City | (813) 752-9100

When trying to make an experience with kids as romantic as possible, giving kids time to burn some energy off beforehand is smart. With year-round opportunities for u-pick and farm tours, Keel Farms is golden.

Let the kids get face to face with farm animals including chickens, sheep and a pig. Since there is an adjacent playground, as well as lawn games, parents can keep an eye on kids while waiting for food to arrive on the expansive outdoor dining area. Feast on fancy pub food paired with the farm’s very own wines and ciders. From food to beverage, discussing locally grown and sourced items makes a great dinner conversation starter for the kids.

Be sure to check out Keel Farms’ website when planning your date, as you’ll note that there are plenty of live music options and special events. If the kids did an exceptionally good job during this tasty, active date, you might consider a celebratory visit to nearby Dinosaur World. Rawr!

Starkey Farms and Market

3460 Starkey Blvd | New Port Richey (727) 375-7606

There’s no reason why hay bales and wheelbarrows can’t be romantic! Enter Starkey Farms and Market. Food, drink, dirt, and plenty of gorgeous sky. For kids, or even parents, who want to test their agility, Starkey also has a cool log setup.

With several live music offerings each week, Starkey’s is a welcome change of pace from chain restaurants. Most parents will enjoy sipping on a cold one while sitting on one of Starkey’s front porch rockers, with kids actually enjoying the outdoors to boot.

While Starkey does not offer a full menu, the market does have light fare and snacks that are enjoyable on the beautiful grounds. Imagine a good ol’ fashioned picnic. There’s also ice cream, so kids can get their own while parents share some scoops…two spoons, please! Simple, traditional environments are oh-so-sweet—especially when white lights and a windmill help set the scene.

The website offers a detailed events section and, during certain times of year, various u-picks are available. Starkey checks all the boxes for a kid and adult-friendly date destination.

More kid-friendly Tampa Bay restaurants and locales:

• St. Pete Pier – The kids will love the splash pad and playground
• Sparkman Wharf – A large green space and complete outdoor setup make this a prime location for date night with kids of all ages
• For even more ideas, refer to this guide to kid-friendly restaurants from our sister publication, Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine

Adult only time is an important ingredient of a healthy relationship. Dating your partner while raising children is no easy endeavor. Considering ways to make kids a part of some dates is an effort well spent.  To lean about things to do in Tampa Bay with kids, see Tampa Bay Parenting’s regularly updated weekend activity list!

Feature image credit: Dani Meyering