One of the ways we measure a city worth visiting is by looking at the strength and diversity of its bar and restaurant scene. Of course, we prefer to see local owners succeed! Based on that, we think St. Pete, Florida is a great spot for a vacation or just a weekend. There are so many great spots that it’s hard for us to keep up! But here are some more #tipsypicks from our latest visit.
First, we love a good speakeasy … and there are a few in St. Pete we’ve explored before ... (Dirty Laundry, Bar Chica) But how often do you find one in the back of a liquor store? That’s the genius of 1st Avenue Liquors. From the outside, it looks just like a normal liquor store on (you guessed it) 1st Avenue in the Edge District. Even when you walk inside, you see shelves of bottles. But if you peek behind one of the walls, you see the hidden cocktail bar ... the Clubhouse Bourbon Bar! We almost hate to share too much, because this is a not-so-well-kept secret spot. The drinks are fabulous, and we very much appreciate their prices, even on allocated bourbon. They say the secret is making money on the retail side so they can pass on the savings in the back. We approve! Definitely a #tipsypick.
Speaking of speakeasies, we say farewell to one of our favorites, The Saint. The Grand Central District spot has changed concepts from a themed cocktail speakeasy to more of a dance club with live performers, including burlesque. The cocktails are still well done at the new spot, named The Ball. When we visited, we did in fact have a ball! Just be prepared for “the show.”
Just down the street from the Ball is a step back into the 70’s with a spot called Lost & Found. This is a fun space with retro furniture, wood paneling, and plenty of great cocktails! We enjoyed a fantastic Manhattan, among other things. The living room area looks like it belongs on the set of “That 70’s Show." It’s a fun way to hang out for a drink!
Hanging out on a porch, patio, or rooftop is easy when you have scenery like downtown St. Pete. We’ve been to a number of rooftop bars in the area … now we’ll add The Sparrow to the list! The Sparrow is on the rooftop of the new Moxy hotel on Central, an ideal location to visit all our favorite spots. The bar and restaurant itself are full of Instagram moments, as is the patio area. We sat at a table outside and had some creative and refreshing cocktails with some lite bites. Definitely worth a visit.
The Moxy itself has a wonderful bar space on the ground floor, aptly named Bar Moxy. This hotel chain is one of our preferred spots when we travel, and this one is now on our preferred list! Bar Moxy is a great hangout space with live music in the evenings, and you can choose to sit inside or outside. We had one of the best cocktails of the trip here – a smoked pineapple Old Fashioned! It seems this hotel bar is also popular with the locals, for good reason.
Just down the street from the Moxy, Bar Mezzo is a lively cocktail spot with rollup garage doors to enjoy the fresh air. They were very busy the evening we were there, so we suggest going early before the crowds arrive if you want a seat or room to spread out. Try the Old Fashioned!
Did we mention fresh air? If you like a good cocktail on the porch, we highly recommend Perry’s Porch! This relatively new spot at the foot of the Pier in downtown St. Pete has some excellent outdoor spaces including bar seating and chairs along the canal. Their house Old Fashioned hit the spot and they have a nice wine selection as well.
And finally, we can’t resist a good historic hotel. The Scott is the lobby bar inside the Cordova Inn, which has been welcoming guests since 1921. The Scott is an intimate space with a small bar offering fantastic cocktails including a Boulevardier and Sazerac. And yes, you can enjoy them on the porch in a rocking chair.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re taking our cocktails outside. Let us know if you have any St. Pete favorites we should know about!
