Award-winning

Cena

4.2

1485 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 27, 2024

7:00 PM

Charming
Neighborhood gem
Good for special occasions

Cena is a modern, fresh and simple Italian food served in a contemporary and stylish setting. Located in the Grand Central building at the heart of the vibrant Channel District of Tampa, Florida – Cena is dining from the roots – great ingredients, traditional dishes, and attentive service. Join us.

Cena – “dinner” or “supper” in Italian.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian
Hours of operation
Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(813) 374-8840
Website
https://cenatampa.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Michael Buttacavoli
Catering
For catering inquiries please contact Michael Buttacavoli, at 813-374-8840 or michael@cenatampa.com

Location
1208 E Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33602
Award-winning
1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
Neighborhood
Tampa
Cross street
E.Kennedy Blvd and N.Meridian Ave in Grand Central building
Parking details
Park in the Grand Central WEST Garage off E. Kennedy Blvd (entrance corner of Crunch Fitness). Go up ramp, take ticket and circle up and park in any spot near the “A/ Stageworks” marked elevator core. Parking on floors 3, 4 and 5 is free for the first 2 hours then $3/hour. Take elevator to 1st floor, go to courtyard and Cena is on the left.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

The Best Restaurants in Tampa

What 1,485 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2

4.2 based on recent ratings

4.1Food
4.2Service
3.9Ambience
3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cena offers an exceptional dining experience with "wonderful service" and "outstanding food," making it a favorite in Tampa. Guests rave about its "creative flavors" and "delicious Italian fare." Highlights include the Branzino and truffle mushroom pasta. Despite some service hiccups, many find Cena "consistently excellent" and "superb on every level."

1,485 Reviews

D
David
Chicago
1 review
vip
1.0
1 review
Dined on November 14, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Unfortunately this restaurant closed a month ago. We found this out after we arrived for our reservation this evening. A reservation that I had to guarantee with my credit card on Open Table. If that wasn’t enough I received a text from Open Table 2 days ago asking me to reserve my reservation. A bit embarrassing for me but we were able to find another restaurant near by so the disaster was diverted. Epic fail Open Table.
Is this helpful?
S
Scott
Tampa
5 reviews
1.0
5 reviews
Dined on November 2, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
PERMANENTLY CLOSED! For some reason Open Table will still let you reserve it, which is frustrating.
Is this helpful?
C
Craig
Tampa
10 reviews
1.0
10 reviews
Dined on October 26, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Although you are accepting reservations at Cena, the restaurant has been closed for weeks. Please update your records. We’ll really miss this place.
Is this helpful?
S
Sherwin
Tampa
1 review
vip
1.0
1 review
Dined on October 17, 2024
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
After taking a deposit they were not even open.
Is this helpful?
p
paul
Tampa
9 reviews
2.0
9 reviews
Dined on September 28, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 1
Made reservations to sit in Cena but was sent to their pizza bar and upstairs next to the AC vent. It’s disappointing to get ready for a date night but end up in a casual pizza bar. The service was great but everything else about Cena has fallen. Food was average drinks were not good. We were looking forward to getting out of there the whole time.
Is this helpful?
S
Samuel
Tampa
30 reviews
vip
4.0
30 reviews
Dined on September 28, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We go to Cena fairly often. The service is good and the pasta dishes are excellent, as is the bronzino. However, on this occasion, the veal was poorly cooked.
Is this helpful?
T
Terry
Greater Boston
31 reviews
vip
5.0
31 reviews
Dined on September 28, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Cena is one of our Tampa Bay favorite restaurants.
Is this helpful?
b
becky
Tampa
54 reviews
vip
5.0
54 reviews
Dined on September 27, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Even though they were short staffed because of the hurricane, the food was just great and everyone was very welcoming.
Is this helpful?
s
stephen
Baltimore
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 21, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Nice little restaurant. First visit Good service and good vibe Service was good. Not too noisy unlike many nearby restaurants The artichoke appetizer was very good and a hi with all at our table Salads very good For entrees we all had pasta. The pasta itself was spot on but the sauces fell short in flavor Will probably try again
Is this helpful?
G
Glenn
Tampa
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 21, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Overall, the food was great, along with the cocktails and dessert! Service was fantastic (thanks Jorge!). Overall costs were very reasonable. We had a great experience.
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FAQs

Cena offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (813) 374-8840.

Cena is rated 4.2 stars by 1485 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 27, 2024

7:00 PM

Order delivery or takeout

1208 E Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33602

Dining areas

Additional information

Award-winning
1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
Cross street
E.Kennedy Blvd and N.Meridian Ave in Grand Central building
Neighborhood
Tampa
Hours of operation
Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Park in the Grand Central WEST Garage off E. Kennedy Blvd (entrance corner of Crunch Fitness). Go up ramp, take ticket and circle up and park in any spot near the “A/ Stageworks” marked elevator core. Parking on floors 3, 4 and 5 is free for the first 2 hours then $3/hour. Take elevator to 1st floor, go to courtyard and Cena is on the left.
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Michael Buttacavoli
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://cenatampa.com/
Phone number
(813) 374-8840
Catering
For catering inquiries please contact Michael Buttacavoli, at 813-374-8840 or michael@cenatampa.com

Featured in

The Best Restaurants in Tampa

Cena

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

The Best Restaurants in Tampa

Menu

What 1,485 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does Cena offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Cena restaurant rated?

Is Cena currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

The Best Restaurants in Tampa