The Sail Pavilion

Sail is a nice outdoor option in downtown Tampa. Located in the heart of Tampa’s Riverwalk, Sail offers a variety of cocktails, beers, wines, and foods. It is a casual spot, but the views and location are really great.
I’ve been to The Sail Pavilion a few times. You do pay downtown «nice view» prices and drinks aren’t the cheapest, but in my opinion it is worth it to have a nice margarita on the water. The food is typical bar food and they offer all the staples that you typically would expect of this type of location.
I recommend Sail Pavilion for someone who is looking for a waterfront bar without having to drive all the way to the beach. It is a perfect spot to stop for a refreshment during a day on the Riverwalk!

Great location and a great way to enjoy the water while having a drink! Usually live music and food trucks are there adding to the enjoyment! Downfall are drink prices, no happy hour, and sometimes it’s just too packed to get a drink!

This enviable setting offers visitors a true view to experience. With the waterfront wrapped around its front entrance and the city skyline as a backdrop this is really an incomparable place to be when the weather lends a helping hand with comfortable temperatures and clear skies.
There is a lot to look at from the folks using the Riverwalk as their running, walking or cycling paths to the people walking their pets and everything from electric boats and paddle boards to water-​treading bicycles and kayaks that make the formerly placid waterfront a stunning, sparkling playground.
The menu is limited but certainly covers the basics, such as sandwiches, salads and seafood, that go well with the selection of beers, wines and mixed drinks served here. The nachos were made with moist pork that was by no means skimpy and by all means tasty.
Love any opportunity to just relax under a shady spot, enjoy a bite and a beverage and watch the moving canvas of people going by and the Sail Pavilion is the perfect spot for just that. Why settle for dark, musty bars when a beautiful setting like this one awaits?

Went to the food truck rally last night at the Sail Pavillion. Got there early enough to be able to get a table under an umbrella. It got pretty crowded and once there was a crowd it took a while to get drinks. Cocktails were $ 10 pretty pricey but good.

The scene here is great. Right off the water in downtown Tampa, it’s a truly beautiful view. Very creative bar in how it’s constructed. Completely open air structure right off the water gives this bar a truly unique feel and ambience. And right on the river walk so you can walk to or from this place and enjoy the sights and scenes of the beautiful downtown riverfront, or you can catch the river taxi for a stroll down the river. The only knock on this place is the lines and waits can get long. But hard to Knock the place for that, due to location and service this place is bound to be packed to the max. We went right after a Lightning playoff game and festival at Curtis Hixon park, so safe to say the masses were flocking to this awesome little bar. One other thing to take into account here however, because of all these features it is premium priced drinks, so don’t show up with light pockets. We will certainly be coming here again next time we are in the area. Only other minus is the bar got pretty messy, but again need to take that with a grain of salt when it’s so busy.

We’ve been here often for drinks and once we got an appetizer. Although tonight we sat and waited for 10 mins, no one ever came to greet us or take our order. We ended up leaving and biking to hablo taco.
I like the location of the place, it’s right next to the water with perfect views. It’s a great place to just chill, hang out with friends, and watch the sunset. But, the food items here have not impressed me. And, the coctails taste just ok here, all the drinks are overpriced. I can understand the price tag on the menu items because the location is so prime but I wish they would make their drinks better and provide better service. I really want to like this place as I got biking down riverwalk every week and it would be so convenient to stop by for a drink or a break.

Food was good can’t comment on drinks, as I don’t drink. Free basic WiFi. Good service. Awesome view being really close to the water. Although the food was good there definitely wasn’t a big selection.

Ran into this place after leaving a Tampa Bay Lightning game. Plus it was next to our hotel so we figured why not. The seating is open so just take what you can get because this place was pretty busy in the evening. We sat by the water and wondered how service was going to be since we didn’t see anyone waiting tables. We did have a server who was very nice and provided us great service. The food wasn’t bad and is pretty simple. However they don’t serve fries as a side which was a bummer. Definitely a place to come for a night out of drinking and watching the boats come by in the bay. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a live band performing!

The Grouper Sandwich is pretty amazing! It was very lightly breaded, very crispy. The texture of the fish was the focus of the sandwich, which is exactly the way it should be. It tasted fresh-​caught. It was perfect.
I’m a fan of this place. Waterside dining, great view. I didn’t have drinks or anything other than the sandwich. I will say that the service was fairly slow. The sandwich came out piping hot, though. So, I expect that it just took a few minutes to cook. This ain’t McDonalds. Fries would have been a good addition. But, the chips sufficed. Maybe even homemade chips would have been good. Anyway, I’m a fan of the sandwich.

I’ve recently become so disappointed in the service at this bar. It’s like the location is so great that no one cares if their service is bad because the assume they’ll always be busy with passersby regardless.
Stopped by last Sunday night for a drink with my boyfriend. After sitting at a table for 10 minutes, a server quickly came by to pick up the signed check from the previous patron, mumbled «someone will be right with you“and left. So we left. Obviously no one cared to help us that night.
Later stopped by with some girlfriends. Getting help from our server was painstaking every time. When we asked what a certain liquor that was on special was, she said «I have no idea“with no attempt top ever find out what the answer was.
The only reason I’m not giving one star is because of the location.
Bottom line: beautiful place to stop for a drink at the bar but I’m not sure I’ll try to every have food here again.

Sail Pavilion is a cool outdoor establishment. I one thing that is challenging, however, is the parking. I usually walk here from Harbor Island or the Riverwalk, however, and this isn’t a problem.
The SP is a 360 degree outdoor bar/​food venue adjacent to the Tampa Convention Center on the water. There are covered areas surrounding the bar in addition to some tables and there are also tables on the fringe on the descending steps that lead to the water and connecting Riverwalk.
The establishment itself and the bathrooms are clean. Sail Pavilion is dog friendly and a great place to hang out with friends and enjoy the awesome Tampa weather with a nice view. What I really love is the live music entertainment that plays here. Once I saw a percussionist group perform island style music with steel drums. That was pretty fab. The live music enhances the experience of being within view of the water.
It is my understanding that they now serve food at SP beginning at 2pm on weekdays and 11am on Saturdays and Sundays. I have never eaten here so I cannot vouch for the food but the drinks are awesome. I have been to SP when there has been a food truck rally event and that was neat. The second Friday of each month food trucks congregate at Sail Pavilion for business.
I would definitely check this place out if you are looking for a relaxing and unique place to kick back in downtown Tampa and enjoy some fresh air.

This is the quintessential element for downtown Tampa along the Hillsborough River. Located just south of Harbor Island the sail Pavilion has added such an eclectic and spectacular new spot along the Hillsborough River for people to enjoy in downtown Tampa.
It’s an open-​air type Dome and has open seating and bar area, which every time I’ve been there has been absolutely packed. From there it goes down to tiers of tables with umbrellas to the Hillsborough River. How totally electrifying and Stellar that is.
I’ve never been there when the place was not absolutely packed and you had to wait forever to get a drink or table service. As a matter of fact I don’t even know where they cook their food because I didn’t see a kitchen but they’ve got one somewhere.
The perfect, absolutely perfect place to spend afternoon or evening relaxing and enjoying the elements of your own hometown at the very best. The View, the people, the camaraderie, just being in your hometown element with all of these other open air surrounding, is spectacular.
I warn you ahead of time parking is a tough nut to crack down there but don’t try parking at one of the hotels because that’s going to cost you $ 15. Drinks are not cheap here and you’re going to have to wait quite some time to receive them and order your food. The main thing is that while you wait you have a fabulous View and great people surrounding you, so you don’t mind quite as much. The ultimate place to chillax.
As far as the food goes I’ve tried the burger which was not quite top of the line but it certainly was good, moist and very flavorful. I tried the nachos which were loaded with anything you could want and think of and has great flavor. And I believe my favorite was the Bloody Mary shrimp cocktail which is kind of a Cajun type shrimp boil of jumbo shrimp that is absolutely fabulous. The shrimp are cooked perfectly and seasoning is spicy but not too spicy.
This isn’t the kind of place that you come to for the price of their drinks or the quality of their food… It’s more the kind of place you come to to just enjoy your city, downtown Tampa. This is the best place that you’re going to enjoy and be able to find all of the elements that complement your City all-​in-​one Place.
I love the sail Pavilion and what it is done to the southern end of downtown Tampa. It has enhanced that area to the top degree and I think it has added so much to our city overall. Obviously others agree or wouldn’t always be so crowded.
What’s a girl to do? When it’s a beautiful day or you want to catch the sunset what better place to be then Tampa sail Pavilion

Love the location of this bar; right on the riverwalk, overlooking the waters. The drinks and food here are just ok though

This place is awesome we love to come here all through the week and the weekends park the boat at the convention center for two dollars an hour eat drink have fun to people watch. It’s very dog friendly the staff if they’re not busy are pretty quick and you normally don’t have to wait for a seat. Here’s a tip first Friday of every month is food truck Friday they have a variety of food trucks serving all types of stuff around the restaurant. Also during food truck Friday and all the other weekend days they have live music. This is a favorite spot for my family and it is kid friendly and pet friendly

I get that this is a prime location, but by far the worst service I’ve ever experienced in the Tampa area. We arrived around 12pm on a Saturday, and to our surprise, there was one bartender working, and no servers outside the surrounding area.
We waited about 10 minutes to be greeted, and when no one came, we went up to the bar. We ordered a drink. We sat back down, and again waited so that someone could come take our food order.
We waited about 15 – 20 minutes, and nothing. We began seeing servers, but their tunnel vision prevented them from seeing anything more than what they wanted to see. We finally got one young lady’s attention, and asked if we could order. She snapped back, «I’ll be right with you.»
Needless to say, another 15 minutes went by, and she rushed by saying, «Just one second».
Another 10 minutes passed, and being that we were on a bit of a schedule (at the convention center nearby), we approached another person for a menu. She too had an attitude.
After waiting (seriously… No exaggeration whatsoever) 40+ minutes, we ended up just going back to our event without eating. The waitress said that they were short staffed because they weren’t expecting to be busy… That each of them had 30 tables. I don’t even think there’s close to 120 tables at that place.
If I’m ever back in the area, I’ll Unilocal another location, even if that’s means we have to travel further. This place has no idea what customer service is. They were all just rude rude rude.

This little round bar is right next to the convention center and it is a wonderful place to stop and have a drink. It is primarily an outdoor bar with a lot of seating on the patio around the bar and down to the water. They also have docks so boaters can dock and stop as well. They last time I was here there was not a rental boat business at the docks, but now there is so that is another thing to keep in mind.
This is really just a bar, I don’t think they have food but I even if they did, I would not expect a lot as there is no kitchen. However, food trucks are often parked in the small lot between the convention center and the bar so that is a bonus.
If you come by car, parking is iffy. If you get a spot in the small lot you are lucky, if not, park in one of the nearby garages, or the Jackson’s garage across the small bridge. Parking at Jackson’s is pricey though ($ 1 a half hour)
There are also clean restrooms (very important) and they have happy hour deals and also allow dogs. With the new riverwalk, I am sure they are a lot busier than they used to be. Also, this bar is within walking distance of the arena so it is a good place to stop for a drink before or after a hockey game or concert.

This is our usual destination, our treat if you will, when we go for a walk along the waterfront/​Bayshore/​riverwalk. The treat being the cold beer waiting for us.
The location along the water, the Riverwalk, downtown, Convention Center can’t be beat. On a cooler day we love just to sit back, with a beer in hand, and people watch & enjoy the view.
It is all outdoors so dogs are welcome. They only serve beverages but certain times you can order limited food that they walk over from the convention center or they sometimes have a food truck.
I do wish the beer selection was better. They used to carry Imperial and we wish they’d bring it back. For lack of that we usually stick to Yuengling. This last stop, we saw they had Red Stripe and a seasonal Sam Adams. Yay.

The best place to enjoy a drink on the water in Tampa. Beautiful sunsets. Often they have live music which is nice. The second Friday of the month they have food truck Friday!!! Best time to go. Other than that the bar food is so so. Children and pet friendly. Bring the whole family.

Did you know that The Sail used to be a water fountain? A little tidbit I learned at a recent Institute of Transportation Engineers meeting at the Marriott Waterside (I crashed my bff’s work event). It’s the only 360 bar in Tampa. It’s a full bar with a food menu, although food isn’t served until 5pm. There are lots of TVs around the bar and lots of seats in the bar area and by the river.
I’m assuming the drinks are reasonably priced because my bff treated me and her coworkers to drinks and I think it averaged out to be $ 5 – 7 per drink. We had Fireball shots, Crown and 7s, Manhattans, Cosmos, beer, etc. I was a little disappointed that The Sail doesn’t have Rumchata. :o (
It’s a good place to hang out when the weather gets nicer. The only negative I can think of is parking. I parked in the Silver lot from 6pm — midnight and it cost me $ 20. Major fail!

Its rare for me to frequent a place that I would only give 3 stars, but this is one of the few exceptions. It’s located within walking or trolley distance of a lot of popular downtown and Channelside spots. The views are beautiful and they have plenty of outside sitting. It really is a great place to feel the breeze, relax, enjoy the weather, and watch the sunset.
My family loves going when they visit. They always say it reminds them of Istanbul. I don’t know about all that as I’ve never been but it really is one of the nicest water views from a bar that you’ll find in the area.
Where it lacks… so many things. I’ve tried the food a couple of times… did not like it. It was very bland and unmemorable. The drinks are ok, they have a couple of mixed drinks I enjoy. Are they worth the price? Meh… depends on your mood I guess. The margarita on the rocks is acceptable. Once, after riding in from the Riverwalk I tried the Riverwalk Runner just because it fit the occasion and really liked it — It’s the only thing I order now. ²⁄₃ times it’s usually what I remember it being lol. Service is hit or miss. I used to think they didn’t have servers and that you had to order from the bar every time. Little did I know that there were servers there all along, they were just so busy that some people were left forgotten. On days when it’s not that busy I’ve had very attentive servers, although, that is not an experience I can count on.
Do I go back? All the time. Do I think to myself — why Fio? Sometimes… at least until I relax, forget I’m hungry and just enjoy the view.