Sitting midway down Florida’s Gulf Coast, St. Pete and Clearwater has always been known for its fantastic seafood. Ask anyone here and they will insist that you sample the local grouper, a fish that is caught here all year round and occupies the menu of almost every one of the city’s seafood shacks, but you’ll also find delicious fresh oysters, succulent shrimp, and sublime sushi at Clearwater’s cosy, hole-in-the-wall beachfront bars.
Away from the regions powdery beaches, you will find that St. Pete and Clearwater has a diverse and burgeoning gastronomic scene that has boomed over the past decade. Regeneration in central St. Pete has allowed a huge number of new independents to set up shop, giving rise to a community of incredibly cool food markets, hip microbreweries and chilled coffee spots. As such, this list is in no way an exhaustive list of the area’s restaurants and bars, but it hopefully points out some of the best.
Where to Eat in St. Pete & Clearwater
Although primarily famed for its seafood, the range of restaurants available in the Clearwater and St. Pete runs the gamut from laid back BBQ joints and pizzerias to fancy, upscale bistros and everything in between. Here are some of the city’s best foodie hangouts.
Bodega on Central
For the best part of a decade, Bodega has been dishing out fantastic Latin street food from a small service hatch on St. Pete’s Central Ave. Cuban-style sandwiches are what they do best and they do it so well, that there was almost always a queue snaking down the street. They have recently expanded to a new venue just a stone’s throw from their original, tiny store although you are still able to walk up to the window to order if they want a quick sandwich on the go. Alongside roast pork and Cuban-style beef sandwiches, Bodega has a good range of vegan and vegetarian options made with tofu or grilled tempeh.
Where: 1180 Central Ave, St. Petersburg
Opening Times: Sun to Weds 11am – 9pm; Thurs to Sat 11am – 11pm
Frenchy's Rockaway Grill
A local institution, Frenchy’s is synonymous with Clearwater. Although the chain is spread over 4 different locations, Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill on Clearwater Beach is their archetypal beachfront bar: a kitsch, rainbow-coloured venue where you can eat and drink while listening to laid-back rock and roll bands knocking out hits from the 70s and 80s.
Most people visit for their Floribbean-style dishes like the She Crab soup or their famous grouper sandwich that comes in a variety of styles, ranging from Cajun and Caribbean to Reuben style, complete with sauerkraut, thousand island dressing and swiss cheese, but they stay for the lovely atmosphere and stellar sunset views over the Gulf of Mexico.
Where: 7 Rockaway St, Clearwater
When: Sun to Thurs 11am – 11pm; Fri & Sat 11am – 12am
Ocean Hai
Hotel restaurants often get a bad rap. Other than those that occupy some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, they are often reserved for nights when you check in late and need a quick bite to eat, or you have had a busy day exploring and you can’t quite drag yourself back outside. However, Ocean Hai in Clearwater’s Wyndham Grand Hotel certainly doesn’t fit into the second category. It is a restaurant that people make the effort to visit – even if they’re not staying at the Grand – and a place you would even be willing to drag your tired legs across town for.
The menu at Ocean Hai is Asian-fusion, a concept that can be fairly broad but generally means that you will find a good selection of Asian dishes such as Char Siu Pork Chop, Korean ribs, Misoyaki Salmon, and ramen alongside an Asian take on American classics such as New York strip and Gulf Grouper. The delicious selection of cocktails also takes on a similar Asian-inspired note.
However, the star of the show is Ocean Hai’s sushi. This is the coast after all, so expect succulent, fresh sashimi and nigiri as well as reasonably priced Hosomaki Rolls.
Where: 100 Coronado Dr, Clearwater Beach
Opening Times: Mon & Tues 7am – 11am; Weds to Sun 7am – 11am & 5pm – 10pm
Casa Tina
Casa Tina has been a fixture in downtown Dunedin for over two decades and – thanks to its focus on fresh ingredients and healthy cooking – is renowned in the St. Pete and Clearwater area for its authentic Mexican cuisine. Owned by Tina Avila & her husband Javier who both earned their stripes working at Javier’s Mexican restaurant in Miami, Casa Tina dishes out classics like mole poblano, enchiladas verde, chiles en nogada, and a good range of vegan and veggie dishes thanks to the fact that Tina is a longtime vegetarian.
The restaurant’s flamboyant décor and lively kitchen make any visit is an atmospheric experience, however, head here on a Saturday night for a Cirque du Soleil-type performance while you eat.
Where: 365 Main St, Dunedin
Opening Times: Sun & Tues to Thurs 11am – 9.30pm; Fri & Sat 7am – 1am; Fri & Sat 11am – 10pm.
Trophy Fish
Florida isn’t short on fish shacks serving up basic dishes of whatever the local fishermen brought in that day, but these are often more at home on the beachfront rather than in the middle of a city block. Trophy Fish has bucked that trend and brought the no-frills fish shack to St. Pete’s hip Central Ave, giving it the twist of providing high-end cocktails alongside your fried grouper.
Despite being situated in the city centre, the restaurant is entirely outdoors and exudes a beachfront, laid-back bait shop vibe. It is fairly heavy on the nautical theme – buoys, mounted fish and lengths of rope abound – but this only adds to the sense of fun. The menu is fairly simple; alongside starters and light bites of fried fish nuggets and a classic Tampa Bay fish spread, you can have the catch of the day (literally whatever fresh fish the fisherman have brought in that day and will change daily, whether red snapper, grouper or yellowtail) either grilled, blackened or citrus-marinated on tacos, in a salad, or on a plate with coleslaw, red beans and rice.
Where: 2060 Central Ave, St. Petersburg
Opening Times: Weds & Thurs 5pm – 9pm; Fri 5pm – 10pm; Sat 12pm – 10pm; Sun 12pm – 9pm.
Baum Ave Market
Any city with a foodie scene worth its salt has a vibrant food market, and St. Pete is no different. Occupying a beautiful space in St. Pete’s Edge District, the Baum Ave. Market provides a venue for small, up-and-coming restaurants and food stalls that may otherwise not be able to get on their own. The companies based in Baum Ave. Market rotate frequently but expect to find anything from banh mi and curry to oysters and crepes.
Where: 1113 Baum Ave N, St. Petersburg
Opening Times: Sun to Weds 8am – 8pm; Thurs to Sat 8am – 11pm
Where to Drink in St. Pete & Clearwater
St. Pete and Clearwater aren’t short of good drinking spots. Over the past decade, St. Pete has fast become Florida’s premier destination for craft breweries with the hosting no fewer than 17 brewers, ranging from the small-scale, homegrown likes of If I Brewed the World and Dissent, local pioneers like Greenbench and 3 Daughters, to larger-scale, national brewers like Sea Dog Brew Co. The region as a whole is home to 41 craft breweries in total, stretching on a path from Tarpon Springs in the north, all the way down to St. Pete in the south meaning that beer-lovers will never be short of new places to try.
Beyond breweries, St. Pete’s nightlife is vibrant with a buzzing bar scene. The St. Pete and Clearwater area has an eclectic mix of venues, from down-and-out dive bars to elegant cocktail spots as well as its fair share of local pubs.
No Vacancy
Drenched in neon and pastel shades of pink and blue, No Vacancy brings its own version of Florida kitsch to the Edge District of Downtown St. Pete, taking cues from seedy motels and dimly lit dive bars.
The inviting outdoor patio is lined with artificial turf, pool furniture and an enormous mural of a bright pink flamingo, where people play giant lawn games and sip from ceramic pineapple cocktail bowls while the screens behind the brightly lit bar play scenes of Scarface on repeat. By contrast, the interior is dark and moody, soaked in green and blue neon light. What sounds like it should be tacky, is in fact what makes No Vacancy an extremely fun and cool place to spend your evening.
Where: 937 Central Ave, St. Petersburg
Opening Times: Weds & Thurs 5pm – 12pm; Fri 5pm – 3am; Sat 1pm – 3am; Sun 1pm – 12am.
Sonder Social Club
One of the oldest towns on Florida’s west coast, Dunedin is just a short taxi ride from Clearwater Beach and is home to an idyllic and walkable downtown packed with great independent restaurants and drinking spots. While the craft beer scene dominates downtown Dunedin (there are 7 microbreweries located within stumbling distance of each other), those looking for something a little fancier can pop[ into Sonder Social Club, the neighbourhood’s first craft cocktail bar.
Here you’ll find unique and tasty cocktails meticulously crafted by the skilled bar staff in a setting that is a mix of modern and retro glamour. The low lighting gives Sonder a speakeasy vibe while the snaking, curved bar and quirky design flourishes, such as the bathroom hidden behind a bookcase lined with antiques, add a modern twist.
Where: 966 Douglas Ave Unit 101, Dunedin
Opening Times: Sun to Thurs 4pm – 12am; Fri & Sat 4pm – 3am
Green Bench Brewing Company
In the 1900s, St. Petersburg was known as ‘The City of Green Benches’ when nearly 2,500 benches lined the city’s downtown streets, encouraging residents to sit, chat and socialise. It is this rich history that inspired Green Bench Brewing Co.’s name, but the reference is also an indication of Green Bench owners Steven Duffy, Nathan Stonecipher, and Khris Johnson’s love of St. Pete.
What started as a hobby for these 3 St. Pete natives turned into a business as they opened St. Petersburg’s first microbrewery. Being pioneers in the area didn’t come easily though, as they had to persuade local authorities to change laws to allow them to brew in the city centre, and persuade local drinkers that craft beer was worth their time. When they first opened, less than 2% of beer sold in Florida was craft, so they faced an uphill struggle.
Situated in a space that was originally built in the early 1900s as a Chrysler dealership’s body shop (the brewery has won an award from the St Pete Preservation Society for their renovation), Green Bench have a beautiful 1,500 square foot, 12-tap tasting room featuring a view into their brewhouse.
Although known mostly for their hop-forward IPAs, particularly their core Sunshine City IPA – a juicy and drinkable tropical IPA that is double dry-hopped with Citra, Mosaic and Azacca – the brewery also experiments with wood fermentation, yeasts, and bacteria, meaning that there are plenty of interesting brews on their menu.
Where: 1133 Baum Ave N, St. Petersburg
Opening Times: Tues to Sun 12pm – 10pm
Bar Chica
Bodega has long been a St. Pete favourite thanks to its belly-busting sandwiches and Cuban flavours, but now visitors can extend their stay into the evening with the newly-opened ‘hidden’ cocktail bar tucked away at the back of the restaurant. The owners do run Bar Chica as a separate entity to the popular sandwich spot, meaning there is an entirely different food and drink menu. The bar is obviously rum heavy but this is by no means your typical rum bar, its speakeasy vibe and elegant cocktail list make Bar Chica one of St. Pete’s most exciting new bars.
Where: 1180 Central Avenue
Opening Times: Thurs 5pm – 11pm, Fri & Sat 5pm – 1am
3 Daughters Brewing
The idea of 3 Daughters Brewery began when Mike Harting and head brewer Ty Weaver worked in a local restaurant in St Pete. They wanted to work on a recipe for a craft beer-battered fish and decided to create their own beer to use. The beer that they produced was so good that Mike and Ty invested in a brewhouse to increase their brewing capacity.
As the brewery was being built, Mike and Ty kept asking themselves “how many beers do we have to sell to put three daughters through college?” With that, the brewery gained its name.
Nowadays, their taproom and 10,000 square foot production facility on Street South, St. Pete can produce up to 60,000 barrels per year. It’s a vast, family-friendly place containing games, live music performances and up to 60 beers on tap.
Where: 222 22nd St S, St. Petersburg
Opening Times: Mon to Thurs 11.30am – 10pm; Fri & Sat 11.30am – 12pm; Sun 11.30am – 8pm
Where to Get Coffee in St. Pete and Clearwater
If you fancy a cup of locally roasted coffee while visiting St. Pete and Clearwater, the area has dozens of great indie coffee and teahouses where you can get a caffeine fix.
Black Crow Coffee Shop
With two locations in central St. Pete, Black Crow Coffee shop is something of a local cult favourite. Their smaller outpost is tucked away in the Old Northeast neighbourhood of St. Pete while their newer branch is in the buzzing Grand Central District but both can equally be described as cosy, eclectic, and certainly a little quirky thanks to an interior packed with antiques, plants and mismatched furniture. They offer a good range of coffee options, from cold brew and pour over to an entire menu of speciality, flavoured lattes.
In addition, Black Crow is completely zero waste, so you can feel extra good about heading here to pick up your morning pastry and coffee combo.
Where: 2157 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg
Opening Times: 7am – 5pm
BANDIT
Some might say that Bandit Coffee Co. is the polar opposite of Black Crow Coffee – rather than an eclectic interior packed with trinkets, Bandit is an open and airy, minimal coffee house.
The contemporary space, tastefully decorated in simple black and whites, has become a favourite of the Grand Central District’s creatives and it is easy to see why: The community-focussed Bandit Coffee shares their space with St. Pete Indie Market and the café regularly hosts workshops, events and meetings.
This is a place for serious coffee lovers. Choose a coffee brewed from their own single-origin roasts, pull up a seat beside the beautiful floor to ceiling windows, enjoy the continuous stream of great tunes and see why Bandit Coffee is one of St. Pete’s favourite hangout spots.
Where: 2662 Central Ave, St. Petersburg
Opening Times: Daily 8am – 6pm
Where to Stay in St. Pete and Clearwater
Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach
There are myriad luxurious hotels lining Clearwater beach, but the domineering dual glass towers of the Wyndham Grand stand out. Offering 343 guestrooms, many of which offer views out into the Gulf of Mexico, the Wyndham has spa and pool facilities and is just a few metres from the sparkling sands of America’s best beach. It is also home to a restaurant featured on this list: Ocean Hai. Serving Asian fusion cuisine and spectacular sushi, Ocean Hai is one of the best seafood restaurants in Clearwater
The Don Cesar
Built in 1928 during the Gatsby era, people were drawn to St Petersburg as a city of leisure – pristine white beaches, palm trees, the cultured Mediterranean architecture – and the Don Cesar gained renown as the playground for America’s pampered rich. Its grand ballroom has even hosted extravagant parties by the likes of Scott F Fitzgerald and Al Capone. Sitting beside the pristine sands of St. Pete beach like a pink, art deco behemoth, the Don Cesar remains one of St. Pete’s most exclusive resorts.
I visited St. Pete & Clearwater as a guest of Visit St. Pete and Clearwater. However, all views expressed are my own.
