Downtown St. Pete is bursting with flavor! There are so many places to eat and drink, especially on Central Ave!
Breakfast/ Brunch
The Mill
200 Central Ave UNIT 100
Make reservations if you can because this place books up fast and for good reason. The food and drinks for brunch are amazing! You can get a pitcher of mimosas for $34 and every pitcher after is half off, if you are with a group this is a great deal! If you enjoy coffee for the El Duderino, it’s cold brew vodka with frosted flakes on top! The Sausage and Waffle Benny was out of this world! First, the waffle is made out of corn bread. Then they place two sausages on either corner then a fried green tomato under the egg with delicious hollandaise sauce on top!
The Library
600 5th St S
Inspired by the George Peabody Library
This place is perfect for brunch. Another spot you should make a reservation early and request to sit inside. As the name indicates, the theme is a library so the walls are filled with books and the check providers come in old books! To start with drinks, they have the typical variations of mimosa, bellina, etc but if you want a signature cocktail I say go for the beautiful pink Hawthorne Margarita it had corazon blanco tequila with fresh lime juice, and hibiscus syrup very tasty but not overly sweet! The library's signature cocktail, The Librarian was also a good choice, Hendrick’s Gin with St Germain, orange bitters and filthy cherry and the Title with vodka, rosemary, lavender and lemon. Most of us had the shrimp cesar salad. It was a big portion with romain, tomato, chopped eggs, olives, pancetta and a garlic crostini on top. The Breakfast Flatbread Pizza was also a great option, caramelized onions, three cheeses, sausage and eggs on top! For the sides no matter what you get, go for the truffle fries! We got two for our table because they were so good! And for dessert, go for the cinnamon bun with the cream cheese glaze and fresh strawberries!
Tap Room at the Hollander
421 4th Ave N
This was the restaurant at our hotel and we came here due to timing and wanting to go to the pool for a little bit. The inside of this hotel, restaurant and bar is so cool! It’s worth checking out and walking around. They had a small menu but all the standard breakfast items. We both went with eggs, their breakfast potatoes were so crispy and delicious! I also enjoyed their biscuits, you can get them in pairs of two. And if you want to be extra you can get a little bowl of smashed avocado!
Squeeze Juice Works
18 22nd St S
I don't drink coffee but I love finding little shops and enjoying a matcha latte. I came across Squeeze when looking for the Hoxxoh mural (which is right next door). This is a light quick breakfast option if you don’t want anything heavy. You can grab and go or enjoy on their outdoor patio. They offer non dairy milk and dessert options. I had a pastry and the highlight was their matcha lemonade! I love matcha and this was a cold drink with a fun color combination filled with flavor!
Others on my list: Cassi’s, Datz, Maple Street Biscuit Company
Lunch
Doc Ford on the Pier
610 2nd Ave NE
This place has a very casual vibe and amazing views! They have a full bar and both indoor and outdoor seating. For lunch I had the grouper sandwich grilled. It is served on a fresh roll and the fish was so fresh and full of flavor! The burger was also an easy classic option. Both served with fries.
Engine No. 9
56 Dr M.L.K. Jr St N
If you enjoy a good burger, you HAVE to eat here! The names of each burger are amazing and so creative! I had the Windy City, prosciutto, basil pesto, mozzarella and tomato - SO GOOD! The prosciutto with the burger gave such a unique flavor. My friend got the Thin Lizzy a vegetarian option, so lots of veggies on a grilled multigrain toast. Another favorite at our table was the shrimp burger, jumbo shrimp patty, crispy slaw, cajun sauce and guacamole. You can do thin crispy fries or sweet potato fries.
Others on my list: Dr BBQ, Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria, The Lure
Dinner
Social Roost
150 1st Ave N
The vibe here is so cool. Indoor and outdoor seating. The drinks here are so unique and beautiful! I had to have the Social Butterfly, gin, passion fruit, lemon and an orange blossom. It was strong and a pretty pink color! My friend went with the goddess cucumber jalapeno tequila drink and said it was the perfect amount of heat and refreshing flavor. For food, you have to start with the ricotta toast! I wish it was larger because I could have eaten that as a main dish. It was so delicious! Honey made ricotta, honeycomb, elderflower and strawberries on a thick toast. The chicken and waffles was phenomenal and not just for brunch! The fluffy waffle was topped with a crispy boneless chicken topped with a smoked maple syrup and served with bacon butter on the side with a watermelon salad. The smoked maple syrup gives that smoked cooked flavor on top of the fried chicken. The watermelon seals the deal as a perfect southern comfort meal!
Red Mesa Cantina
128 3rd St S
Details on drinks below, they do not take reservations here but they have a nice outdoor bar that is the perfect place to wait and have a drink beforehand. For the table we started with chips and guacamole, crispy plantains and yuca. Everything was delicious! For the mains, if you do not like spice tell your server because everything seemed to have a kick! For my main dish I had the palomilla steak, it’s my favorite Cuban dish but I figured I would give it a go! I am so glad I did, it was the most delicious meal I had the entire trip! They cooked it perfectly, grilled onions on top then had the classic french fries on top with a tamarind aioli drizzle that was a little spicy. I was also served with plantains. A lot of the girls went with bowls like the chicken bowl or the barbacoa bowl. Meat, cheese, veggies and rice were a perfect dinner option packed with mexican flavors. If you do not want shredded meat (all the bowls have shredded meat) go with the Chicken Fernandez, mojo grilled chicken served with rice and veggies. If you are gluten free almost all of the items can be GF and the chips are corn chips!
Others on my list: The Avenue, Trophy Fish
Drinks
The Canopy
340 Beach Dr NE
They do not take reservations but try to come early for Happy Hour and score a table with an amazing view of the pier! For a starter we did the crudite and hummus which was such a large and wonderful presentation! Roasted red pepper hummus with raw veggies, tzatziki and grilled pitas. We also could not say no to the truffle fries! Happy Hour is from 4p - 7p and they have $5 wines and $3 beer with half off some of their cocktails.
No Vacancy
937 Central Ave
This is a fun spot that gives me the tropical Miami vibes. The inside is a little small but I thought the outside was a better and more fun option anyway (they also have big umbrellas to keep you cool)! They have fun tropical flora pillows on bench booth style seating and every few feet are tables with stand alone chairs around the table. They also have the egg porch style chairs and fun lawn games in the middle. If you have a group they have a bunch of fun fish bowls that have a few drinks in them! We all got the peach don’t kill my vibe and it was the perfect choice! Tito’s vodka, lavender, peach and lemon and it had a nice visual layer to it! Unfortunately that day we went they did not have food available but you could eat there too!
Red Mesa Cantina
128 3rd St S
The outside area of the bar is covered and has a bunch of fans so it stays very cool and a perfect place to wait for your table. They have both red and white sangria and if you are with a group, you could get a pitcher for a better price than by the glass. The ladies that did not have sangrai all went with the Lifted Lemonade and kept ordering them since they were so good! Made with vodka, muddled sage, touch of sugar, passion fruit nectar and lemon juice. If you don’t like sweet you can ask for them to go lighter on the passion fruit for the perfect drink!
Others on my list: Parks & Rec, Swingers, grand Central Brewhouse Rooftop, Wild Child, Whiskey Exchange. If you like beer there are so many Breweries: Three Daughters, Pinellas Ale Works Brewery, Cage Brewing, Green Bench Brewing, Cycle Brewing.