St. Pete Beach on the gulf coast of Florida was rated the #1 beach in the US by Trip Advisor in 2021. In this article we share a whole day of activities to fully enjoy the BEST of what St. Pete Beach has to offer. **A link to video footage of our recommendations is included at the end of the article.
For the last 8 years we have lived in the greater Tampa Bay area and have experienced many of its award winning beaches. It is not a surprise that St. Pete Beach was named Trip Advisor’s #1 Beach in the US in 2021. It’s miles of white sand beaches and endless options for food, drinks and entertainment make it both a fun and relaxing destination.
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COFFEE & BREAKFAST
We recommend starting off the day with coffee and breakfast at the #1 rated coffee shop on Saint Pete Beach, Café Soleil. This French café serves excellent lattes and the BEST quiche we have ever tried. We were told the recipe originated from the owner’s family in France. If you are not a fan of quiche, Café Soleil could still be an option for you, they also offer a variety of breakfast sandwiches and pastries.
The location of the café is right across the street from the main public beach access on St. Pete Beach, so once you’ve finished breakfast you can walk across the street to enjoy the beach before all of the crowds arrive. The beach is quite peaceful in the mornings and perfect for a beach walk, as it offers several miles of soft white sand.
TIP: Parking for the beach is metered so prepare to pay for parking if you are not staying at a rental or hotel on the beach. If you do need to find a place to park, make sure to not park your car in a lot that does not allow beach parking. Most lots do post signage warning that cars will be towed. We have spoken to a tow company who shared that having your car towed on the island could cost around $160! Most metered lots are now compatible with the Park Mobile App.
COCKTAILS & BRUNCH
Once you’ve walked off breakfast we would recommend checking out the Drunken Clam Bar for a Bloody Mary. Prior to COVID the Drunken Clam offered a build your own Bloody Mary bar, however the last time we visited they were not offering this option, but they did offer a few different Bloody Mary options on the menu. We hope that eventually the Bloody Mary bar will return.
TIP: If you are not into coffee, or not an early riser, the Drunken Clam is also an excellent choice for brunch. The Drunken Clam serves breakfast from 8 to 11 am and their regular menu is served starting at 11 am. We would recommend trying the wings!
BEACH BAR EXPERIENCE
After Drunken Clam, if you are thirsty for another drink but want to have your feet in the sand then Bongos Beach Bar & Grill might need to be your next stop. Bongos is located at the Bellwether Beach Resort and is open to the public. Bongos offers a casual open air atmosphere and a variety of drinks and food. If you wait until a little later in the day to stop by you might be able to catch a band and their happy hour which runs from 2-4 pm daily. You can check out their happy hour deals and live music schedule here.
Planning a Florida Beach Vacation? Make sure you have all of your beach essentials before your trip. READ: Enjoy Your Florida Beach Vacation | Top 10 Beach Essentials
LUNCH
When you are hungry for lunch we would recommend walking over to Buona. It is located next door to Café Soleil and it is rated the #2 Restaurant on St. Pete Beach according to Trip Advisor. Their lunch menu is served from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm. After 5 they serve their dinner menu. For lunch they offer salads, paninis, pizza, soup and pasta. If you are interested in a creamy, flavorful pasta dish we would recommend the Risotto Al Gamberi with jumbo shrimp, mushrooms and sundried tomatoes.
BEACH RELAXATION
After lunch you might find yourself to be a little sluggish after a good meal. We would recommend doing some shopping on the island if you want to get up and move around a bit, or if you don’t, you can always relax on the beach. Buona is also located across the street from the main public beach access. There are often beach cabana rentals available in that area, perfect for a beach nap.
TIP: If you want to get out and about on the island and don’t have a car (or don’t want to drive) there is a FREE beach ride service on the island that works on tips. Free Beach Ride is available from 8 am to 3 am. This is a great way to get around on the island, just give them a call when you need a ride. More information about using this service, including suggested gratuity can be found here.
DINNER WITH A VIEW
Eventually you will be ready for another drink, or even dinner, and there are plenty of options on St. Pete Beach. A few of our favorites that still offer a beach view are Flipper’s Beach Bar at the Dolphin Resort and Salty’s Tiki Bar and Beach Lounge at the Tradewinds Resort. Both of these beach bar options are located next to the pool at their resort and are open to the public. Flipper’s is a small and casual establishment offering hand crafted cocktails and a variety of bar food including wraps, burgers, fried fish baskets and a quesadilla. Salty’s offers a larger space with a full bar and an all day dining menu for appetizers, soups, salads and sandwiches. We would recommend the quesadilla with peppers and onions at Flipper’s and the prime rib sandwich with smoked gouda and horseradish sauce at Salty’s. If you time your visit right you could enjoy sunset on the beach from either tiki bar.
EVENING ENTERTAINMENT
After sunset, if the day hasn’t worn you out yet, there are plenty of options to keep enjoying your vacation into the evening. If you are interested in craft beer, we would recommend calling the Free Beach Ride service to head over to Mastry’s. Mastry’s Brewing Co. was founded in 2014 by Florida natives and is the first brewery on the island.
If you aren’t into craft beer, or are more in the mood for live music and dancing, then Jimmy B’s or the Toasted Monkey would be good options to consider. Jimmy B’s Beach Bar is located a the Beachcomber Resort. It serves up drinks at multiple bars and books local live music 365 days a year! The live music calendar can be found here. The Toasted Monkey used to be located at the Howard Johnson at St. Pete Beach, however their new location is on 75th Street. The Toasted Monkey is a 2 level establishment with a large covered deck with frequent live music. The live music calendar can be found here.
MORE RESOURCES TO PLAN YOUR FLORIDA VACATION
If you are interested in some of the establishments mentioned in this article we would recommend checking out our St. Pete Beach Travel Guide video on our YouTube Channel. It includes footage of most of the establishments in this article along with more ideas to plan your visit. If you have questions about visiting the area leave them in the comments on our Channel and we will do our best to answer them.
If you are interested in more content to plan your Florida vacation in the greater Tampa Bay area we would recommend subscribing to our YouTube Channel Explorcation here. Our channel includes beach and city travel guides and other activities like paddleboarding, hiking and visiting natural springs. Be sure to turn the notifications on so you will be notified every time we post a new video. Our Florida Beach playlist can be watched here and our Vacation in Florida playlist can be watched here.