An array of dining options — from breakfast to post bar crawl — are to be found in Downtown St. Pete. Here's just a taste.
400 BEACH SEAFOOD AND TAP HOUSE 400 Beach Drive NE, St. Pete, 727-896-2400, 400beachseafood.com. You guessed it, seafood is the specialty of this refined-looking eatery on Beach Drive. The menu covers a huge range of sea-going cookery as well as a sizable raw bar, steamed shellfish and seafood cocktails, a small selection of sushi and rolls and some seafood baskets featuring fish shack favorites.
#9 BANGKOK 571 Central Ave., St. Pete, 727-894-5990. The downtown place synonymous with Thai cuisine. Nothing unique or fancy, just standard Thai dishes and sushi done well.
ACROPOLIS GREEK TAVERNA 515 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-823-1010, acropolistaverna.com. The newest in the locally owned chain, this location serves up authentic Greek fare and live entertainment while you dine. Watch out for flying napkins!
ANGIE'S CAFE 200 First Ave N., St. Pete; 727-823-6437. The gyros and Philly cheesesteaks at this walk-up eatery are to die for, especially when you're three sheets to the wind in Downtown St. Pete.
BANYAN COFFEE AND TEA 689 Dr. MLK Jr St. N, St. Pete, 727-896-6100, banyancoffee.com. An adorably cozy cafe on the outskirts of downtown known for tasty breakfast sandwiches. Go for weekend brunch to try out the expanded menu and chef's specials (and grab some scones to go).
BELLA BRAVA 204 Beach Drive NE, St. Pete, 727-895-5515, bellabrava.com. Serving slick yet unfussy Italian fare in their prime new location on Beach Drive. It's a see-and-be-seen spot, as well as a great dinner destination for a night on the town and a few cocktails.
BURRITO BOARDER 17 Third Street N., St. Pete, 727-209-0202, burritoboarder.com. Fresh-Mex done well, with healthy options, large portions and a well-stocked hot sauce bar. A popular late-night spot, you can even order a cerveza with your pre-hangover meal.
CAFE ALMA 260 First Ave. S, St. Pete, 727-502-5002, cafealma.com. A killer brunch (check out the Bloody Mary bar), late-night dining and other cool add-ons make Cafe Alma a popular destination. Chef Scott Vogel makes use of some great ingredients on the Mediterranean-inspired menu. Also offering one of the best Happy Hours in the area and half-priced wine bottles and tapas on Tuesdays.
CASSIS AMERICAN BRASSERIE 170 Beach Drive, St. Pete, 727-827-2927; cassisab.com. Cassis evokes the feel of a lively urban French brasserie in its expansive and gorgeous dining. Serving French classics with a few touches that justify the "American" in the restaurant's name, including steak tartare, duck confit, tomato tart, steak frites and cheesesteak egg rolls. —Brian Ries
CENTRAL AVENUE OYSTER BAR 249 Central Ave., St. Pete, 727-897-9728, centralaveoysterbar.com. Raw oysters on the half shell are the order of the day at this cozy eatery in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg. Snack on Louisiana shellfish prepared in a variety of ways (baked, deep fried, or simply as nature made them), as well as a variety of crabcakes, pasta dishes, steaks and chicken, so landlubbers can rest easy while oyster-lovers slurp to their hearts' content.
CENTRAL CAFE & ORGANICS 243 Central Ave., St. Pete, 727-824-0881, centralcafeandorganics.com. Offering healthy, organic, veg-friendly dishes made from scratch. Check out their daily specials list. Also serving organic beer and wines.
CEVICHE 10 Beach Drive, St. Pete, 727-209-2302, cevichetapas.com. The small plates of traditional Spanish bar food are excellent, the happy fare that makes for a good date or a better night out with friends, and the sangria's reputation precedes itself. Downstairs is a deep red dance club and bar that may be the hippest place to drink on Central Ave.
CHATEAU FRANCE Fourth Ave. NE, St. Pete; 727-894-7163. chateaufranceonline.com. Exceptionally expensive and completely worth it. Chef/owner Anoine Louro sources incredible — and often decadent — ingredients from all over the globe, then assembles them into classic French dishes that are simple, elegant and composed. Forget about the budget, just go crazy and have a great experience.
CROWLEY'S DOWNTOWN 269 Central Ave., St. Pete, 727-821-1111, crowleysdowntown.com. British/Irish pub and eatery with classic pub fare and plenty of choice craft and import beers. Winner of CL's 2010 Best of the Bay 'Best Veggie Burger in the Most Unlikely Place' award (it's seriously amazing).
THE CUPCAKE SPOT 3225 S MacDill Ave. #103, Tampa, 813-839-7077; 405 Central Avenue, St. Pete, 727-825-0572. thecupcakespotinc.com. Cute mini desserts that come in a range of fun flavors like the banana "Chocolate Elvis" with peanut butter frosting and a dollop of chocolate.
DOME GRILL 561 Central Ave, St. Pete, 727-823-5090. A local favorite for a quick breakfast or lunch.
FORTUNATO'S 259 Central Ave., St. Pete, 727-898-4888. Pizza and simple Italian dishes served cafeteria-style. Inexpensive and great for pre- or post-bar crawl fare.
FRESCO'S WATERFRONT BISTRO 300 Second Ave. NE, St. Pete, 727-894-4429, frescosbistro.com. Seafood and steaks with the best waterfront view downtown (because it's literally right next to it). Go for brunch, lunch, dinner or the late night bar scene.
GRATZZI ITALIAN GRILLE 211 Second St. S, St. Pete, 727-623-9037, gratzzigrille.com. The newly reopened Gratzzi Grile offers a lush menu of Northern Italian natives with a New American accent — authentic Italian fare like creamy polenta and risotto as well as homemade pastas.
THE HANGAR RESTAURANT & FLIGHT LOUNGE 540 First Street SE, St. Pete, 727-823-7767, thehangarstpete.com. The Hangar's list of dishes is innocuous enough to fit into a mundane hotel restaurant, with a few key exceptions that make all the difference. Best of the bunch, however, is an almost perfectly realized version of chicken and waffles. The deep-fried chicken — a split breast — is coated in crunchy, golden brown batter and doused in rich milk gravy dotted with minuscule specks of sausage, plopped down onto a massive Belgian waffle. —BR
INDIA GRILL 409 Central Ave., St. Pete, 727-894-1100, indiagrillinc.com. Located in the most happening section of downtown St. Petersburg, India Grill has little to recommend it in the way of decor, but plenty in the way of dining, with especially good vegetarian options. Try anything in the delicious, creamy-tomato makhani sauce, naan, biryani rice and of course, tandoori chicken.
JOEY BROOKLYN'S FAMOUS PIZZA 210 First Ave. N, 727-822-6757. No frills here. Walk up to the small counter and order by the slice or the whole pie. Another favorite post-bar stop for locals and concertgoers.
THE KING & I THAI 445 Central Ave., St. Pete, 727-898-8056, thekingandithairestaurant.com. It bills itself as a Thai eatery (which it does quite well), but it's secretly one of the best sushi spots in St. Pete.
MANDARIN HIDE 231 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-231-4007, mandarinhide.com. Mandarin Hide is an experience that's just the thing for mixology that references the past but flirts with innovation. Like Tito's Pig, one of the small list of signature cocktails, which transforms a sweet and simple vodka drink into a serious cocktail thanks to the addition of a bright burst of jalapeno heat tempered by cool cucumber. —BR
MARCHAND'S BAR & GRILLE AT THE RENAISSANCE VINOY 501 Fifth Ave NE, St Pete, 727-824-8072; marchandsbarandgrill.com. Marchand's Bar and Grill is decorated in slick marble and wood, offering four-star hotel service and creative cuisine. One of the best happy hours around at Marchand's Bar, serving budget sushi rolls from 5 to 7 p.m. This luxury resort hotel also serves an incredible all-you-care-to-eat Sunday brunch in one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the South. Give yourself plenty of time to graze through the breakfast selections, carve d meats, fresh seafoods, gourmet entrees, an eye-popping selection of luxury fruits and a dessert display by a deliciously talented pastry chef. —BR
MIDTOWN SUNDRIES 200 First Ave S., St. Pete, 727-502-0222, midtownsundries-florida.com. Midtown Sundries offers a wide variety of standard bar food such as chicken wings, stuffed potatoes, hamburgers & deli sandwiches in addition to dinner choices. The restaurant also has antique billiard tables, numerous video games to keep the kids and adults entertained and 32 television sets.
THE MOON UNDER WATER 332 Beach Drive NE, St. Pete, 727-896-6160, themoonunderwater.com. Think British colonialism via Disney World and you'll know the vibe of Moon Under Water. The food is a modern take on pub fare, with occasional touches of the Middle East (good tabouleh and hummus) and India (serviceable curry, great pappadom). The classics — fish and chips or Guinness steak — are worth a visit and match well with the amber beauties dispensed from a dozen taps.
NOLA CAFE 300 Beach Drive NE, #128, St. Pete, 727-498-8978, nolacafe.com. Get the feel of being in the French Quarter (minus the pigeon poop). Savor the warm beignets covered in powdered sugar with a piping hot cafe au lait for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, try the jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish etouffee, Po'Boys, or any one of the many Cajun and Creole classics served here. And where else in Tampa Bay are you going to find turtle soup or an alligator burger?
PACIUGO GELATO 300 Beach Drive NE, St. Pete. 727-209-0298, paciugo.com. No matter what time of the year, this place is a dessert hot spot on Beach Drive, offering an array of gelatos and sorbets that are made in-house. I recommend the olive oil and black pepper flavor for a sweet and savory treat.
PINCHO Y PINCHO 10 Beach Drive, St. Pete, 727-209-2302, cevichetapas.com. Owned by Ceviche's Gordon Davis and crew, Pincho manages to look just like a traditional Spanish tapas joint without the polish and bustle of its big brother next door. You'll find the same food, with a few additions based on the "pincho" bread based tapas of the Basque region.
PRIMI URBAN CAFE 27 Fourth St. N, St. Pete, 727-895-4909, primiurbancafe.com. New Italian-born owner Saverio Macaluso removed the South African menu items and added a few classic Italian dishes. The beautiful bolognese is still there, the signature pesto rosso of sun-dried tomatoes still accents golden fried mozzarella wedges, and the curry-laced recco sauces still add a surprising touch of fiery curry and cream to chicken dishes.
RATCHADA THAI RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR 270 First Ave. N, St. Pete, 727-821-7733, ratchada-fl.com. Standard Thai restaurant gets a pretty downtown image and a jolt of Asian fusion with a decent sushi bar and a half-hearted Japanese menu alongside the much more extensive (and better) Thai offerings. Ratchada's strength is in seafood, whether it's sushi or any of the Thai specialties like the chili-garlic deep fried whole snapper. Don't forget to leave room for the banana delight dessert.
RED MESA CANTINA 128 Third St. S, St. Pete, 727-896-8226, redmesacantina.com. A mix of elevated Mexican street fare small plates and south-of-the-border-style entrees (some of them familiar dishes from big sister Red Mesa Restaurant), and a wide variety of Latin-inspired cocktails, from fruity caipirinhas to infused margaritas. Another popular happy hour and late night spot in The 'Burg.
RUBY'S ELIXIR 15 Third St. N., St. Petersburg,727-898-7829, rubyselixir.com. Cocktails here are largely geared toward classic standards backed up by a very good selection of premium liquors. There's also a large selection of craft brews on tap, perhaps because the cocktails are more musical accompaniment than the reason for the whole endeavor and therefore don't care about internal competition. —BR
ST. PETE BRASSERIE 539 Central Ave, St. Pete, 727-823-3700, stpetebrasserie.com. Owner Andrew Wilkins ("Wilko") identified a goal — affordable French brasserie — and hit it dead on, giving St. Pete one of the most accomplished and inexpensive places to eat that downtown has seen in years. —BR
TOKYO SUSHI CAFE 195 2nd Ave. N, St. Pete, 727-823-1912. One of the last stragglers in the almost vacant BayWalk, this sushi spot endures because it does one thing and does it very well. Standard and signature rolls at moderate prices to be found here.
VUE SUSHI AND MARTINI BAR 200 Central Ave., St. Pete, 727-821-4600, vue19.com. Vue's menu is largely limited to sushi, along with the subsidiary Japanese sundries that go along with it, like wakame seaweed salad, miso soup and dumplings. Go to Vue if you want a fine drink, you like to sit outside and watch the people go by. —BR
Z GRILLE 104 Second St. S, St. Pete, 727-822-9600, zgrille.net. The restaurant turns out intensely flavorful, occasionally elegant, and always interesting food — referencing backyard picnics, midway fry carts and high-end restaurants — that has almost as much character as its chef. From the first step in to the last bite, Z Grille is fine dining with an edge. —BR
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 1, 2011.