Best Restaurants in St. Augustine’s Downtown Area: What to Eat and Drink
Add this list of best restaurants in St. Augustine’s downtown to your vacation itinerary!
While St. Augustine, Florida, is well-known for its vast array of historical offerings and beautiful beaches, most people don't know that the city has some incredible culinary options.
Come hungry to try everything from local seafood to handmade sweets to incredible Italian pasta bowls.
We’re sharing our family’s favorite places to eat, snack, and drink in St. Augustine, all of which are within easy walking distance of any part of the historic district.
Whether you’d like a sit down meal or a quick ice cream, we’ve got options that are sure to please any palate and budget.
While you're in town, explore these local favorites and discover the tasty side of St. Augustine!
Chicken and pasta dish from Johnny’s Oyster Bar on Avenida Menendez
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Best Restaurants, Snacks, and Drinks in Downtown St. Augustine
Sweetwater Coffee Bar and Gallery
The author’s daughter at Sweetwater Coffee Bar
Any good day in St. Augustine will start with breakfast at Sweetwater Coffee Bar and Gallery, located to the right of the Lightner Museum.
This cute coffee shop is the perfect place to linger over a drink while you plan your day in St. Augustine.
There are your standard coffee drinks here, but there are also some fun, inventive options, too, like the Aloha Mocha Latte or the Butter Beer Latte.
There is a small but delicious selection of food here if you’d like something on the lighter side. They do serve their entire menu all day, which is perfect for breakfast-loving people like my kids!
We tried several of their sandwiches and enjoyed all of them. I had the Great White Bagel, which is basically a caprese sandwich on one of Sweetwater’s fresh bagels. Check the chalkboard behind the order counter to see what bagel options are available!
My daughter tried a Stranger Things themed sandwich, which was loosely based around El’s love of Eggo waffles. She LOVED this option and asked to return several times throughout our trip.
My younger child has a standard kid palate and went for the PB&J. It was huge with generous servings of grape jelly and smooth peanut butter on thickly sliced fresh white bread.
There’s local art all over the walls and in the small back room of the cafe.
When you’re done eating hop over to the Lightner Museum next door for even more art, which made my list of the best museums in the world.
Pizzalley’s Chianti Room
Prepare to eat some delicious Italian food in a relaxed environment perfect for families.
My kids and I ate here on our most recent trip to St. Augustine after my younger child decided he really wanted spaghetti for dinner.
We happened upon the Pizzalley’s Chianti Room while strolling St. George Street and decided to try it out.
I am so glad that we did as it was one of the best Italian meals that I’ve had in a while. Everything we tried was comfort food at its finest at a reasonable price.
The savory, creamy cheese tortellini bowl from Pizzalley’s Chianti Room
I loved the Create Your Own Pasta, which allows you to mix and match different pastas, sauces, and toppings for the perfect pasta bowl. We also tried the cheese tortellini bowl which can be customized with your choice of sauce.
For kids, there’s a great menu just for them, which offers up a smaller portion (and fewer options) of the make-your-own pasta. There are also chicken tenders, fried mozzerella moons, and a personal pizza.
We had the mozzerella moons alongside garlic bread, both of which came out steaming and delicious.
The portions are huge, and we all went back to our hotel with to-go boxes, which we enjoyed the following night while watching a movie in our room. The food was just as good reheated!
Explore more of St. Augustine!
Cafe Alcazar
My veggie panini at the Cafe Alcazar
The dining area at the Cafe Alcazar
This restaurant has one of the most unique locations in all of St. Augustine.
The Cafe Alcazar is located inside the Lightner Museum, which is already interesting enough—but, to make it even more special, the cafe is actually located on the bottom of the former hotel’s swimming pool!
Before the Lightner Museum was a museum, it was the Hotel Alcazar, which was known for its luxury and unusual amenities, one of which was a huge swimming pool.
Today, the cafe is located in the deep end of that pool, which is (thankfully) drained of water.
The food here is light and delicious, and it makes for a great break from exploring the museum, nearby Flagler College, or the rest of downtown.
The cafe only serves lunch, and I’d recommend reservations because the tables do fill up quickly.
The menu rotates to make use of fresh, local ingredients, but you can expect a variety of inventive salads, paninis, sandwiches, and other lighter fare.
The Raintree
If you're visiting St. Augustine with your special someone, make sure to include an evening at The Raintree while you're in town.
Lorna MacDonald's family, originally from England, traversed the Atlantic on their 45-foot yacht, and ended up in St. Augustine where they promptly bought the Raintree.
Now, in their 44th year, the restaurant has passed from Lorna's parents to her and her brother, who still serve up classic American cuisine interspersed with Asian and Mediterranean flavors.
The Beef Wellington is done to flaky, moist perfection, and your meal there should end with a crunchy, creamy creme brulee!
The delicious Beef Wellington at the Raintree
O.C. White’s
O.C. White's, at 118 Avenida Menendez, is a St. Augustine tradition in more ways than one.
For starters, the building that the restaurant occupies has been in the city since the late 1700s, and has served (among other things) as a hotel, a wax museum, and a private residence.
About 50 years ago, the building was moved, stone by stone, to where it now stands, more than a block away from its original location.
As for the food, it's all good!
I had some of the best chicken parmesan that I'd ever tried, while other members of my party swore by the parmesan and herb encrusted group, Chatty's homemade blue crab cakes, and the surf and turf.
Come for the delicious food and long drinks list, and hang around for the live music and lively atmosphere.
It’s also within easy walking distance of one of my favorite places to stay in the historic area: St. Francis Inn.
>> Read my complete review on the St. Francis Inn here. <<
La Taberna del Caballo
For inventive tapas, head into the Colonial Quarter's La Taberna del Caballo.
Try out the sangria (red and white are equally delicious) as a refreshing addition to your meal.
The tiny Cuban sandwiches are perfect for nibbling with friends, while the goat cheese terrine pairs perfectly with the salty meats on the Spanish tapas platter.
If you're a fan of barbecue, the Taberna has a unique twist on this Southern favorite: the datil pepper BBQ pork flat has a great balance of sweet and hotness.
The Spanish tapas platter at the Taberna
Johnny’s Oyster Bar
The newest of John Meehan's culinary offerings, Johnny's Oyster Bar is located above Meehan's Irish Pub.
With an emphasis on fresh seafood and Chef Paul's unique flavorings, Johnny's has a casual atmosphere with food that's anything but.
Since I'm allergic to shellfish, I wasn't able to sample the famous Oysters Johnny, but I have it on good authority (from the rest of my dining party) that they're worth making the trip to St. Augustine.
For those who are allergic, or just don't like oysters, the chef is equally adept at pastas and curries, so you're in good hands.
I tried the chef's daily curry--which was a chicken tikka masala that day--and was happily surprised to get such spicy, flavorful dish in a seafood restaurant.
So often the landlubbers amongst us get short-changed where seafood is the star of the menu, but not here!
Hyppo Pops
After you eat, you've got to finish up with a dessert (or two).
Head over to one of the two historic St. Augustine locations of Hyppo gourmet popsicles and try one of their dozens of flavors, which rotate daily.
There’s one on Charlotte Street, but the store at 70 Saint George Street is likely more convenient as you explore downtown.
I am partial to the Pistachio Coconut, which was my first ever Hyppo pop flavor, but I also love the decadent chocolate sea salt and refreshing strawberry lemonade.
If you’re visiting St. Augustine with kids, this is a MUST stop to keep the entire family happy while sightseeing.
Claude’s Chocolate
Claude's Chocolate, located next to the Lightner Museum, has a wide array of handmade chocolates that you can mix and match to make the perfect sampler box.
The salted caramel chocolate is their top seller, but there’s something here for every taste bud, including solid chocolate bars, hot chocolate packets, Oreo covered chocolates and chocolate covered ginger pieces.
It’s located next door to Sweetwater Cafe (see above) for the perfectly sweet finish to your all-day breakfast.
Le Macaron
Revisit St. Augustine’s European roots with a trip to Le Macaron.
This was a more recent discovery on our latest trip to the city when my kids were famished.
This cute eatery is on the corner of Charlotte Street and Cathedral Place in front of the Bridge of Lions, which makes it a convenient stop during your city exploration.
On display are over 2 dozen macaron flavors, with seasonal flavors that rotate in and out. We had a variety of flavors to sample them, and loved the salted caramel, birthday cake, Belgian chocolate, and Sicilian pistachio the best.
There are also other pastries and gelato for sale if you don’t like macarons.
You can take the treats to go or sit in the air conditioned store, which has several cafe tables for customers.
St. Augustine Distillery
The casks of bourbon at St. Augustine Distillery
And while you're at it, you'll need to sample the city's drink options, too.
You should include a stop at the St. Augustine Distillery for a few (free!) samples of their locally brewed liquor.
They've currently got gin, vodka, bourbon and rum available for sampling and purchase.
There are also tours if you’d like to see how the spirits are made. There’s a St. Augustine distillery guided tour with tasting, which is excellent, and goes in depth with the process of taking locally sourced ingredients and turning them into the final products for purchase. This is only for visitors 21 and up.
There’s also a self guided tour, which anyone is allowed on. There are tasting options here, too, but only for the 21 and up crowd, of course.
All of their products use locally sourced products, including sugar cane grown in Florida.
San Sebastian Winery
Just around the corner is the San Sebastian Winery, which offers free tours and tastings.
You can hop on the Old Town trolley to get between the two beverage companies (there are scheduled stops at both), or you can walk the two or so blocks.
