Restaurants in Thonotosassa

The Manhattan Dolce Bar & Bistro’s tapas-style dishes range from rosemary-lamb lollipops and meatballs in marinara to tuna tartar and uptown crab cakes. Servers pour out lush red and crisp white wines, or deliver cocktails that include fruit-laden mixes and a Manhattan with Gentleman Jack. Patrons can let their ears absorb live entertainment on most evenings, or let their faces absorb liquor-infused desserts thrown by angry acquaintances. Happy hour takes place from 5–7 p.m. and 11 p.m.–1 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

A complimentary glass of champagne greets each guest as they find their seats and prepare to embark on a three-hour journey. The two dozen adventurous souls converse, but grow quiet as a figure walks through a red curtain. Chef Richard Bottini introduces himself and describes the special menu of gourmet, seasonal dishes he has planned for the evening. True to its name, the restaurant features just six tables, and every meal at Six Tables is an intimate experience with twinkling lights illuminating antique crystal in a setting Gayot named as one of the top 10 romantic restaurants in the area.

Bottini, an award-winning graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, creates a new six-course prix fixe menu everyday using seasonal ingredients and his expansive knowledge of French cooking. In the kitchen, he personally prepares each course, incorporating such delectables as Cornish hen and poached duck breast to create dishes that helped earn the eatery an extraordinary to perfect rating on Zagat. Bottini breaks down each menu item in English or Klingon to diners and offers wine pairings with dishes, which can be tailored according to taste and diet.

In the back corner of Le Souk Florida, a large, tiled bar draws visitors’ eyes into the restaurant. It beckons them inside, where they’ll see tables lining both walls, and a plush white couch in the back where patrons can puff fruity hookah flavors from 11 a.m. until 3 a.m. seven days a week. Exotic, homemade appetizers with Middle Eastern flair lure fingers into platters of hummus and stuffed grape leaves, and cocktails, wines, and beers splash across palates late into the evening. Underscoring Le Souk’s international vibe, belly dancers perform on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, demonstrating moves that guests can imitate when shimmying out of sleeping bags in time with the morning bugle call.

Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant not only imports ingredients and products, but also recipes. With roots in northern Spain and Catalan, these dishes come together on a menu of more than 100 hot and cold tapas selections, along with paella and cazuela. Paella, a widely varied rice dish cooked at length in a wide pot over open flame, can contain Serrano ham, scallops, pork, chorizo, and saffron rice the stunning golden hue of an alchemist's magazine advertisements. Though the restaurant spans multiple locations, each one presents guests with some charming element: a poolside patio at the Tampa location, a rooftop bar in Sarasota, a central tapas bar in Orlando, a historical-home setting in Clearwater, and a flamenco room in St. Petersburg. Meanwhile, no matter the location, events bring about live music and joviality, all supported by an ample list of Spanish and Portuguese wines.

Formerly known as Morae’s Cafe, Persia House of Kebabs treats patrons to grilled kebabs and fresh sandwiches with Middle-Eastern panache. Cooks prepare sandwiches with gyro meat and falafel, and skewer lamb, vegetables, and catch-of-the-day fish. In the dining room, guests eat amid colorful wall murals that depict verdant plant life, sandy hills, and lords and ladies who jealously ogle the food. In the adjoining marketplace, visitors can prepare to make their own Middle-Eastern dishes by taking home pita breads and feta cheese, or peruse imported spices, and artwork.