Here are the first renderings of Forbici Modern Italian coming to Sundial in downtown St. Pete
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In February, Tampa Bay restauranteur Jeff Gigante announced his popular modern Italian restaurant Forbici would take over the 12,000-square-foot Sea Salt space at Sundial in downtown St. Pete. And now we have a closer look of what the restaurant will be like.
The restaurant originally planned to move into the ground-floor space previously occupied by Locale Market but shifted its plans to the second floor space at 183 2nd Avenue North following Sea Salt’s closure on December 31st.
Forbici is part of Next Level Brands, a Tampa-based restaurant group founded by restaurateur Jeff Gigante, real estate investor Andrew Wright, and attorney Joseph Guggino.
Expected to open by year’s end, renderings reveal that the 350-seat St. Pete location will mirror the flagship Forbici in South Tampa’s Hyde Park, which opened in 2019, but with a more refined and upscale twist.
Forbici Modern Italian will replace sea salt at Sundial in downtown St. Pete | st. pete rising
Guests will be welcomed by a small market at the entrance, stocked with specialty wines, Italian seasonings, pasta, sauces, and other Italian pantry staples.
While the Tampa restaurant features exposed brick walls with family portraits, warm wood tones, touches of pop art, and dark blue bar seating, the St. Pete space will offer a dimly lit ambiance with a color palette of red, green, orange, and gray.
In the dining lounge, shelves of fine wines wrap around the walls above expansive glass windows, setting a sophisticated tone that carries into the main dining room, which features a mix of table and booth seating for a cozy yet upscale experience.
The centerpiece bar, finished in warm copper tones, will serve classic and specialty cocktails, with TVs mounted above for guests to catch local sports games.
The entrance of forbici’s will feature a market stocked with specialty wines, Italian seasonings, pasta, sauces, and other Italian pantry staples | next level brands
Outside, guests can enjoy a separate bar on the patio, while those seeking a more exclusive experience can book the private dining room for special events and celebrations.
Live music will be performed daily on both indoor and outdoor stages.
The menu, featuring lunch, brunch, and dinner service, is expected to mostly mirror the Tampa location with a few small changes.
Forbici is widely known for its modern take on Roman pizzas, working with dough that is fermented for 72 hours and baked at high temperatures to achieve a light, airy crust.
a private outdoor Bar for hosting special events and parties | next level brands
Guests can choose between square (teglia) and round (tonda) pizzas.
Toppings for the various pies range widely, with ingredients like house-made mozzarella, wild mushrooms, prosciutto, premium cured pepperoni, buffalo chicken, and ricotta.
Popular appetizers and small plates include antipasti such as calamari, traditional beef and pork meatballs with house pomodoro, and mussels served in a tomato and white wine sauce.
Entrees include classic pasta dishes like bolognese, rigatoni, and tortellini, along with grain-based bowls, burgers, and meatball and chicken parmesan sandwiches.
a private dining room that can host special events and parties | next level brands
Diners can end their meal with sweet treats like tiramisu, lemon olive oil cake, and gelato.
The original South Tampa location is open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Happy Hour is available daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Forbici’s specialty cocktails offer creative twists on traditional drinks, such as the Italian Stallion, made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, limoncello, lemon, and soda, or The Dark Side, a play on an espresso martini with Diplomatico Reserva Rum, Grand Marnier, hazelnut, espresso, and chocolate bitters.
Forbici’s roman-style pizzas | Forbici Modern Italian
Forbici is expected to open by the end of the year.
When it debuts, Forbici will join a handful of new tenants at Sundial, including Incanto Moda Italiana, an Italian women’s boutique; medical diagnostic imaging company Prenuvo; and anti-aging medspa company Serotonin Centers.
Follow Forbici on Facebook and Instagram for more information about the future opening.
