Forbici Modern Italian St. Pete: Full Restaurant Guide

What Is Forbici Modern Italian in St. Pete?

Forbici Modern Italian is a contemporary Italian restaurant located inside the Sundial St. Pete complex at 153 2nd Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. It opened to significant local buzz and has quickly established itself as one of the more polished dinner destinations in the downtown core — a modern Italian concept with handmade pasta, wood-fired dishes, and a serious wine program in a space that feels right for both date nights and celebratory meals.

The name forbici is Italian for "scissors" — a nod to the craft of cutting fresh pasta. That culinary philosophy shows up on the plate.

The Menu: What to Order at Forbici St. Pete

Forbici's menu is built around seasonal, Italian-driven ingredients presented in a contemporary style — not the kind of place where you order lasagna bolognese out of a laminated folder. Dishes are organized into antipasti, primi (pasta), secondi (proteins), and contorni (sides), and the kitchen clearly wants you to eat across multiple courses.

Standout categories based on early diner reports:

• Handmade pasta — The fresh pasta program is the anchor of the menu. Dishes rotate, but expect shapes like rigatoni, pappardelle, and stuffed options with sauces built from quality Italian imports and Florida-grown produce.
• Wood-fired secondi — Proteins get a kiss of wood smoke. Branzino, short rib, and seasonal preparations have appeared on the menu, with preparation that's restrained enough to let ingredients lead.
• Antipasti and boards — Cured meats, burrata, seasonal vegetables. A solid starting point before the pasta arrives.
• Wine list — Regionally organized by Italian growing zone, with a strong Campania and Piedmont presence. The by-the-glass selection is broader than most St. Pete restaurants at this price point.

Expect to spend $90–$130 per couple for two courses with wine. It's not cheap by St. Pete standards, but it lands comfortably in the "special occasion" category without the $200+ tabs of Miami-tier restaurants.

Forbici at Sundial: Location and What's Around It

Sundial St. Pete — the outdoor shopping and dining complex at the corner of 2nd Ave N and 2nd St N — has had some occupancy turnover over the years, but Forbici represents exactly the kind of anchor tenant the development was built around. The location puts it:

• Three blocks from the St. Pete Pier — easy pre- or post-dinner walk to the water
• One block off Central Avenue — walkable to the bar scene on Central, the Morean Arts Center, and the cluster of galleries in the Edge District
• Adjacent to the Sundial rooftop bar and other Sundial tenants

Parking at Sundial's attached garage at 100 2nd Ave N is validated for restaurant guests, which removes the biggest friction point of dining downtown. Street parking on 1st Ave N or 2nd Ave N exists but evaporates by 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

If you live in or are considering a condo in the downtown St. Pete core, this is the kind of walkable dining that drives neighborhood premiums. I've pulled comps on units along 1st and 2nd Ave N corridors where "walkable to Sundial / Central / the Pier" is a legitimate line item in buyer appeal — and it shows in price per square foot relative to comparable product further north on 4th Street N.

Forbici St. Pete Opening: When Did It Launch?

Forbici opened in late 2024 and built its local reputation through early 2025, with the search volume around "forbici st pete opening date" peaking as diners tracked the pre-opening buzz. By mid-2026, it has moved firmly into the established-local-favorite category rather than the curiosity phase.

That opening trajectory mirrors what I've seen with other downtown St. Pete restaurant launches: a soft opening period with limited hours, followed by a ramp to full dinner service, then gradual lunch or brunch addition depending on demand. Forbici has followed that playbook cleanly.

Current service schedule (confirm directly before visiting):

• Dinner: Tuesday – Sunday, approximately 5 p.m. to close
• Reservations: OpenTable and Resy; walk-ins are possible early in the week but risky on weekends

For the most current hours, check Forbici's Google Business profile or call ahead — Sundial tenants occasionally adjust for private events or holidays.

How Forbici Fits the St. Pete Food Scene in 2026

Downtown St. Pete's restaurant scene has matured significantly over the past five years. The stretch from the Pier down Central Avenue through the Grand Central neighborhood now rivals any mid-sized city in the South for dining density and quality. Forbici slots into that landscape as the contemporary Italian option — a category that was genuinely underserved until it opened.

Comparable dining experiences nearby:

• Mei Restaurant — Japanese-Peruvian nikkei concept, a few blocks over, different night out entirely but similar price range
• Cassis American Brasserie — also at Sundial, more French-continental, longer established
• Locale Market — if you want Italian ingredients in a market setting, Sundial's Locale is steps away

For restaurant and neighborhood context if you're considering living in the downtown core, the downtown St. Pete neighborhood guide for buyers breaks down which streets walk best to which dining clusters.

If you're already in the Old Northeast or anywhere in the 33701 ZIP code, Forbici is a 5–15 minute walk or a $7 rideshare — the kind of local dining anchor that legitimately affects how neighborhoods are perceived and priced.

What Locals Are Saying About Forbici St. Pete

Search data shows "forbici modern italian st. pete st. petersburg reviews" pulling strong impressions at position 4.7 — meaning Google already considers this site relevant to the query. Here's the honest synthesis of what St. Pete locals and food writers have noted:

Consistent praise:

• Handmade pasta quality stands out — the kind of texture you'd expect from a kitchen that takes the craft seriously
• Service described as warm without being performative — fits St. Pete's vibe better than white-glove Tampa stiffness
• Wine program earns consistent mention; the sommelier-level list is unusual for a Sundial tenant
• Ambiance is polished but not intimidating — couples feel comfortable, but so do friend groups doing a proper pasta dinner

Fair criticisms:

• Wait times can stretch at peak hours even with a reservation — kitchen is working through volume
• Parking garage fill-up on Saturday nights causes some pre-dinner stress; arriving 15 minutes early fixes it
• Price point is a step up from the casual Central Ave spots, which creates some sticker shock for first-timers

The overall consensus: Forbici earns its place among the top 10 restaurants in St. Pete in 2026, with the pasta program as its clearest differentiator.

Why Downtown St. Pete Restaurants Like Forbici Matter for Real Estate

This is a real estate site, so I'll be direct about why I cover restaurants: walkable dining is a measurable price driver in Pinellas County real estate, and Forbici is a data point in that story.

Per Stellar MLS data, condos and townhomes within a 10-minute walk of Sundial and the Central Avenue corridor in the 33701 ZIP code have carried a meaningful premium over comparable square footage in the 33703 or 33704 ZIP codes — partly driven by lifestyle infrastructure. Restaurants at Forbici's level are part of what buyers are paying for when they underwrite a downtown St. Pete purchase.

If you own a condo or home in the downtown core and are thinking about what your place is worth in mid-2026, walkability to venues like Forbici, Mei, and the Pier is a legitimate comp factor — one that a Zestimate algorithm misses entirely because it doesn't account for which specific block you're on or which direction the walkability cuts.

I'll pull 3 real MLS comps for your specific address and text them to you within 24 hours — free, no pressure, no algorithm. Reach out here and I'll get you actual numbers.