Go inside Chef Fabio Viviani's new coastal Italian restaurant in downtown St. Pete
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jan 20, 2022

Taverna Costale, a coastal Italian-themed restaurant led by “Top Chef” contestant and celebrity chef Fabio Viviani, has officially opened its doors in St. Petersburg.

The restaurant opened Sunday inside the 200 Central office building in downtown St. Petersburg. The menu features a variety of Italian fare, including homemade pasta, pizzas, prime cut steaks, seafood dishes and signature cocktails. The seafood is “line-caught and flown in fresh,” according to the restaurant’s website. There is also a dog friendly menu for those who wish to dine on the patio with their pups.

The approximately 6,000-square-foot restaurant seats around 235 people and has prime seating along Central Avenue.

Viviani had plans to bring a restaurant called La Pergola to downtown St. Pete in 2019. He was involved in various local projects, including Mole y Abuela and Osteria Bar + Kitchen. However, in 2020 a scandal surrounding the management company that oversaw three of his restaurants, Nocturnal Hospitality Group, threw a wrench in the plans.

Nocturnal’s co-owner Lanfranco Pescante commented on social media about protesters in Tampa following the death of George Floyd, and screenshots went viral of text messages allegedly from Pescante containing racist and homophobic slurs. The restaurants closed, La Pergola never came to fruition, and Viviani exited all ventures with Nocturnal.

He is now partnered with Brian Henry and Anthony Sandstrom for Taverna Costale. Together the trio has opened a variety of other restaurants, including Chuck Lager’s American Tavern in Wesley Chapel and upcoming locations in Oldsmar and the Westshore Marina District.