Some of the best Italian restaurants worldwide focus on the taste of the Mezzogiorno — Southern Italy. Featuring a distinctive flavor profile, the “taste” of Southern Italy is spicy, lively, savory, and rustic. Now, the taste of the Mezzogiorno is arriving in Tampa through Che Vita, a new Hilton restaurant featuring innovative Italian fusion dishes from the creative mind of Chef James King.
The Hilton family of restaurants is known for high-quality and exceptional guest experiences. Che Vita hopes to offer not only incredible food, but also the warmth and joy that are the hallmarks of the Mezzogiorno.
A thoughtful tour of Italy
Chef King and his team are embracing the feel of “La Dolce Vita” with Che Vita. “We are creating an experience unlike any other,” says Chef King. “It’s going to be fresh and completely unexpected.”
Chef King’s background is multi-faceted, having trained at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in London. He also holds a master certification in Italian pasta sauces from the Academia Chef in Florence and is a certified Master Pizzaiolo from Scuola Italiana in Napoli.
Before coming to the Hilton, Chef King led culinary operations at several boutique hotels throughout New England. Now, he brings over 30 years of experience to Che Vita, a transformation of the Hilton’s 211 Restaurant.
The Che Vita menu will be a thoughtful tour of Southern Italy, infused with Chef King’s various culinary specialties. The new restaurant’s menu includes Neapolitan-style pizza, exquisite seafood dishes, tasty housemade pastas, and artisanal cocktails to complement each dish. The staff is also planning an extensive breakfast menu that evokes the slow, mindful mornings of Southern Italy, featuring Italian pastries, vegetable frittatas, and crostinis.
Although the Tampa restaurant industry is highly competitive, Chef King is confident that Che Vita’s unique approach to Italian cuisine will help them stand out from the competition, including other new restaurants emerging in Tampa in 2025.
A deep respect for ingredients
One unique aspect that Chef King brings to the kitchen is a deep respect for ingredients and a progressive approach to building a menu and an overall restaurant vibe. By infusing his dishes with locally sourced ingredients from land and sea, he can create one-of-a-kind dishes that are distinctive and delicious.
The team at Che Vita is focusing on heartfelt hospitality and service. They aim to create a comfortable atmosphere that blends modern and traditional. For those focused on Southern Italian cuisine, hospitality is a point of pride, and that pride is evident in every dish created by Chef King. What the team has created with Che Vita is a culturally rich destination for visitors to the downtown Tampa area.
“We are focusing on a feeling of ‘dolce far niente’, which translates to ‘the sweetness of doing nothing’ or ‘sweet idleness’,” explains Chef King. This Italian lifestyle centers on relaxing, slow living, and savoring comfort foods and good drinks.
The Che Vita team wants people who step into the space to feel relaxed and able to set aside the day’s worries in favor of a laid-back vibe. By drawing inspiration from art, architecture, the history of Southern Italian cuisine, and gastronomy, Che Vita is bringing something completely singular to the Tampa area.
The rhythm of Mezzogiorno
“Southern Italy has a rhythm all its own,” explains Chef King. “It’s shaped by bold flavor, a relaxed feel, and a vibrant combination of spice, citrus, heat, and umami.”
Che Vita is designed to evoke the essence of Southern Italy, where meals are a time to unwind, connect, and savor life’s simple pleasures. Chef King and his team want guests to feel at ease — immersed in the restaurant’s welcoming atmosphere and thoughtful details, from the music and tablescapes to the warm service and expertly crafted cocktails. It’s a celebration of la dolce vita and dolce far niente, brought to life with true Mezzogiorno energy.
Everything that goes into Che Vita is meant to tell the Southern Italian story through cuisine and feel. Evoking a sense of warm hospitality and authentic connection with others through food, drink, and great conversation, Che Vita is something the Tampa area has never experienced before.
Floridians can look forward to Che Vita opening at the Tampa Hilton located at 211 N. Tampa Street on July 11, 2025. They invite media, influencers, and local tastemakers to be the first to experience “the sweet life” at Che Vita before their official debut. Those interested can inquire on the website.
Chef King and the Che Vita team are excited about what’s to come this summer in Downtown Tampa. Whether one is a Hilton guest or a regular visitor to downtown, Che Vita is sure to make every meal special and every guest feel like a treasured friend.
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