Tampa Gift Guide: 7 Shops Where You Can Find The Perfect Gift

We get it, shopping around the holidays can be tough. Especially when you have that picky or unhelpful person in your life who won't give you a clue on what they want. Well, you're in luck. We rounded up the 7 best Tampa Bay shops that will have the perfect gift for anyone in your family. Whether you're looking for gift cards, Tampa sports apparel, homemade art, or anything in between, this list should be a helpful guide.

After the past few months, it's more important than ever to shop small and support local businesses. The best part is that most of these places are available to shop online. So no dreading terrible holiday traffic and crowded stores. Here's our Tampa Bay holiday gift guide:

Let's be real, it's one of the easiest gifts to give during the holiday season... Who doesn't love a free night out to their favorite restaurant? Whether it's mom and dad's favorite pizza restaurant, or your brother's favorite brewery, Tampa restaurant gift cards are always a solid option.

Or, if you want to grab a more personable gift, like a bottle of wine from Mazarro's Italian Market, or an entire gift basket! They have different ones to choose from like a chocolate and coffee basket or beer and snacks, or even a large Italian basket with wine, pasta sauce, imported goodies and more.

If concert tickets are outside of your budget this year, there are plenty of amazing record stores and book stores across Tampa Bay that will have the perfect gift! My go-to record store is Daddy Kool's in St. Pete, but there are other great options like Banana's Records in St. Pete and Mojo Books & Records in Tampa. There will even be exclusive vinyl released for Black Friday

Couldn't we all use a little rest and relaxation this holiday season? We have a few suggestions for where to get some Tampa-made scents and goodies.

The Candle Pour located in Hyde Park is a create your own candle experience, which would make a great mother & daughter gift. Or you can get them a gift set from Seventh Avenue Candles in Ybor. They have a Gasparilla themed set, Florida themed, Christmas, you name it!

You can also find some Tampa themed accessories at this cute little boutique in Tampa. Hazel & Dot is the cutest store located at the corner of Henderson Blvd. and Dale Mabry Highway in the Fresh Market shopping plaza. Whether you're looking for a card, Tampa Bay Lightning or Bucs gear, or home goods, Hazel & Dot is a great local store to consider!

And of course, as a bonus, there's always the local vendors and goodies at Armature Works. Plus they'll be hosting a Holiday Market on December 8th from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.

While you're dining out in Tampa Bay, be on the lookout for these Christmas-themed cocktails! Many bars and restaurants are getting in the holiday spirit and creating delicious festive cocktail menus. It seems like everywhere we go out there's at least 1 holiday specialty on the menu, don't skip it! For most places, these flavors are for a limited time only and shouldn't be taken advantage of.

What's a better way to celebrate the best time of the year than sipping on a specialty holiday cocktail with loved ones? If you're looking for a way to spice up date night during December, try going on a Christmas-themed bar-hopping adventure. There are plenty of spots in Tampa Bay serving Christmas-themed cocktails, but here are our top 5! Any that we missed? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook.

Looking for other holiday activities in Tampa? Check out our must-see holiday event guide here. Want something to do that won't break the bank? (Cause let's be real, we'll be spending all of our money on presents and Christmas cocktails). Find out which Tampa Bay neighborhoods have the best Christmas lights display and drive around with your friends and family!

Some places didn't make our list but still deserve an honorable mention. Joy Bar is one of Tampa's best dive bars, and keeps their Christmas theme 365 days a year! They offer Christmas-themed shots and some of the cheapest drink prices in town including beer ($2.50), well drink ($3), Blantons ($8) High Noon ($3) plus many more deals.

Sonder Social Club in Dunedin is now Santa's Social Club for December! Be sure to try Santa's Spiked Cider Sip cocktail made with longbranch bourbon, apple juice, lemon juice, apple syrup, apple blossom bitters, caramel foam.

Barterhouse Ybor has officially transformed into Blitz Inn for the holidays! The entire restaurant turns into a winter wonderland complete with a themed food and drink menu. Our favorite is definitely the Yule Tide Old Fashioned: Cocoa Puffs, cinnamon, Santa’s syrup

Back and better than ever is Miracle at Mezzo at Intermezzo Coffee and Cocktails in St. Pete AND at Strandhill Public in Tampa. They brought back some of the more popular drinks from last year and added some new additions to the menu. The Christmas Cricket might be our favorite. Made with Blanco tequila, coco-pandan, heavy cream, vanilla liqueur, and fernet branca menta, and mole bitters.

One of the hidden gems along Water Street has turned into a Christmas pop up experience! Their festive cocktail lineup is: Sugar Cookie Martini, the Mistletoe Martini, the SG Eggnog, and the Boozy Iced Hot Chocolate

The pop-up Christmas bar, Sippin' Santa at The Ocean Hai patio at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach is a must-see for anyone this holiday season. Transport to a tropical, festive paradise at this Polynesian restaurant in Downtown Clearwater. We recommend trying the Yule Mule, made with tequila, applejack, lime, maple-cranberry syrup.