Café Dufrain

"Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Restaurant"

Creative Loafing/Weekly Planet, 2006 & 2005

Awards/Accolades & Recognition

Over the past six years, Café Dufrain has received glowing media reviews and garnered multiple awards. A loyal clientele continues to support Café Dufrain year after year, making us stronger and more committed to providing excellent food and great value in a comfortable and warm Florida waterfront atmosphere.

" The Tampa Convention Center will play host to media from around the world for Super Bowl XLIII. ESPN, Budweiser and a several celebrities are throwing Super Bowl parties nearby. Could it be that downtown Tampa is finally becoming a hip place to see and be seen? Judge for yourself. Here's a sampling of some of the best bars and restaurants in and around downtown Tampa." FINER FARE:  Cafe Dufrain: Even if you don't live on tiny Harbour Island, it's worth a trip over Garrison Channel for the sleek fare at this sleek New American fusion bistro."St. Petersburg Times

"This is a great place for a casual business dinner".
~USA Today

WINNER: "Best Waterfront Cafe"Tampa Bay Metro Magazine

WINNER: "Café Dufrain's Red Chili-Marinated Filet Mignon - Favorite Culinary Creations for the Year - "This hideaway waterfront bistro specializes in the eclectic, and their filet mignon is no exception." ~ Tampa Bay Illustrated Magazine, Food Critic Julie W. Martin

"There is something to be said for dining al fresco. When you combine a calming water view overlooking our Tampa skyline with fabulous as well as interesting food, it is an unbeatable combination. Priceless".
~ Food Critic, Gail Gundersen, Westchase WOW

"Café Dufrain, Imagine sunset with a glass of wine and a red chile marinated filet mignon. The advantages of being a Floridian are obvious when taking in a breathtaking view of downtown Tampa from the patio dining area of this chic local hot spot." Call (813) 275-9701.
~Tampa Bay Metro Magazine

" Nature tailored late winters in Florida around outdoor dining, when the stars and cool breezes mingle with the heady aromas offood a nd wine. Too bad more local restaurants don't take advantage of our al fresco opulence this time of year, before mosquitoes and humidity take to the streets.  These thoughts came to mind while sitting outside at Café Dufrain"
Tampa Tribune's Food Critic, Kurt Loft

In the 1994 movie classic The Shawshank Redemption, the lead character, Andy Dufrense (pronounced "Dufrain"), is described as strolling "like a man in a park without a care or worry in the world." Take a waterfront table at Café Dufrain and you may feel the same.
~Julie W. Martin, Tampa Bay Illustrated

"The wine list is short but quite savvy,..It makes for a handsome wine bar and a smart young crowd."
~Food Critic, Chris Sherman, St. Petersburg Times

" Café Dufrain, This small bistro, located on the metropolitan outpost of Harbour Island in Tampa, brings vibrancy to lunch and dinner standards in the form of robust New Mexican chilies, Asian spices and an abundance of Indian-influenced vanilla curry glazes. Its bright Mardi Gras motif and view of Tampa’s Seddon Channel make Café Dufrain a natural for scenic dining on the waterfront."~Tampa Bay Illustrated Magazine

WINNER: "Best Outdoor Dining", "Best Chef" & "Best Waitstaff", "Best Kept Secret" & "Best Off-the-Beaten-Path Restaurant" ~Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay

WINNER: "Best Unique Restaurants in Tampa"
~TopTenofTampa.com

"Best View", runner-up
~The Best of South Tampa 2005, Tampa Tribune

"It is always a pleasure to not find the “usual suspects” on a restaurant’s menu and this cafe didn’t disappoint. All of the items on Café Dufrain’s menu presented an interesting twist".
~ Food Critic, Gail Gundersen, Westchase Wow

" Andrew and Ferrell Bonnemort had never owned a restaurant before, but their years of success indicate that they have figured out the formula for Café Dufrain has both indoor and outdoor seating, a quality wine list featuring smaller boutique vineyards and a waterfront gourmet menu."~ Bay News 9, Mike Reeves

"Lassie can tag along if you dine on the patio at dog-friendly Café Dufrain, a riverside eatery popular with an upscale crowd."
~ Fodor's For Choice Travel Experiences

"Contemporary in look and taste... downtown finally has a taste of the most elusive of treats: a room with a water view and contemporary food."
~Food Critic, Chris Sherman, St. Petersburg Times

Café Dufrain was recently described as having all the qualities of a 'hidden gem.' Few people know about it. The prices are surprisingly low. The place is off - but not too far from - the beaten path. And the food is damn good.
~Food Critic, Brian Ries, Creative Loafing/Weekly Planet

"If you think Tampa's just about the Buccaneers and the better-known Bern's Steakhouse, think again-Café Dufrain, on ritzy Harbour Island, will give you a whole other view of this South Florida city-and it's a great value to boot. Although the wine bar and dining room are exceedingly appealing, Café Dufrain is really a patio dining paradise, where you can kick back lazily, have a beer or cocktail, and while away an evening enjoying stellar food at one of the city's best-kept dining secrets."
~epicurious

"Easily one of the best hangouts in Tampa for food or drink. It's not overpriced by any means and offers a near priceless patio for your pleasure."
~Tampabay Times

"Café Dufrain's location along a channel of the tampa bay, and their unique flare for combining contemporary, american and fusion cuisine is the reason why this restaurant is notable throughout the south tampa community"
~Food Critic, Vanessa Daniel, Tampa Gold

"The menu is a heterogeneous mix of foods that you might recognize, but they have a nouveau twist a la Dufrain."
~Food Critic, Maggie Somerville, World of Westchase

"The casual atmosphere, the efficient service and fantastic food make café dufrain worthy of your bucks."
~Creative Loafing/Weekly Planet, Best of the Bay 2005, Critic's Choice

"The owners serve up a handful of delights"
~Food Critic, Kurt Loft, Tampa Tribune, 'cozy cafe has great views, big ambitions'

"Café bow-wow, "dogs rule the roost (or at least the pet-friendly patio) as much as humans at downtown Tampa's Café Dufrain."
~USA Today, Where to Eat

"If you're ready for a night out on the town, but don't want to leave the family pet behind, you're in luck."
~Jack Harris, Bay News 9, Extra on the Town Dining

South Tampa Magazine "called upon some of south tampa's most respected and influential chefs to present gourmet meals that are suitable for upscale tailgating. The idea was simple: create themed meals from the cities whose teams will play the buccaneers."
~Check-out chef Chris' favorite GameDay Recipe for the Washington Redskins.

The view- especially from the small, covered outdoor patio- is incredible. It's a straight look across the wide channel to the glass and metal back (the pretty side) of the st. pete times forum and an expanse of downtown tampa. At sunset, the lights glint off the buildings and the gently rolling water. It feels like florida."
~Food Critic, Brian Ries, Creative Loafing/Weekly Planet

Café Dufrain Steps it up a Notch

Now with a full bar, complete renovation and retail packaged wine & spirits sales

You’rebound to notice something different the next time you step inside Café Dufrain. the new interior is sleek and contemporary, yet warm and inviting, and the aroma from its mesquite wood-burning grill brings all the senses to life. the eco-friendly design and custom made cabinets behind the new cork and granite bar only enhance the restaurant’s renewed appeal. Longtime Tampa area residents, Andrew and Ferrell Bonnemort, owners of Harbour Island’s award-winning waterfront bistro, like to keep their roots in Tampa, which is why they enlisted the help of local artists and woodworkers during their restaurant’s renovations. But the biggest change you’ll notice is what’s behind the bar: cabinets and shelves filled with a selection of liquor to complement Dufrain’s collection of eclectic wines. And while you may find it hard to tear yourself away from that Pomegranate Martini and Peppercorn Seared Ahi Tuna, you can now purchase a bottle of whatever’s your pleasure and enjoy it at home. “With a new liquor license and our new look, we’re taking the level of sophistication up a notch so that our décor matches our cuisine,” says Ferrell. “We like to distinguish and enhance ourselves by keeping things fresh and exciting.

” Café Dufrain puts you at ease with its relaxed ambiance and global-inspired cuisine prepared by Peruvian born, Tampa raised chef, Britt Golson. Despite the refined upgrade in décor, the waterfront view remains the highlight, and flip-flops and t-shirts are always welcome—this is Florida after all. And nothing says Florida like outdoor dining and access by boat. So enjoy Tampa like it was intended: on the water in a relaxed setting, with drinks and a unique fusion of contemporary and worldly cuisines.

Along with a new look comes a renewed dedication to serving the community, and we don’t just mean food. Café Dufrain hosts monthly wine dinners benefiting local charities, regular wine tastings and a weekly Sunday Caribbean Island Buffet.   With Channelside and the St. Pete Times Forum just a short walk away, Dufrain’s is right on the pulse of Tampa’s continuing cultivation.

~ South Tampa Magazine | DEC08

Contemporary Fusion