Girls Guide to St. Pete Beach, Florida

St. Petersburg, Florida legally changed its name to St. Pete Beach in 1994, to lessen the confusion with the City of St.Petersburg. St. Pete Beach has much more of a fun beach town ring to it if you ask me! After 6 weeks staying in an airbnb in St. Pete Beach I can see why people love it. Although I previously thought of it as a place to retire it shockingly does bring a younger crowd here than I could have ever imagined. What is often referred to as a “sleepy beach town” actually becomes a rager full of birthday weekend getaways for 20 something year olds and bachelor parties galore. This means you meet a ton of people from different places which I will say has been very exciting. It also brings a lot more Europeans than I would have expected. I’ve met people from England, Ireland and it always comes as a surprise to me that they know about this Florida getaway spot. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time living at the beach but after 6 weeks here at the beach, my skin hates me. I developed some crazy rashes and sunburns.. leading me to think I may be moving back to California. The thing about California is that it’s always nice out, but it’s not always scorching hot…. sunny and 75 is definitely my happy place. It’s funny because when I moved to LA everyone would say they moved to California for the weather, and each time I thought more and more, “that is not why I moved here.. it’s just a plus.” And although my Bostonian roots do crave a December snowfall I got to say I may be headed back to California, plot twist.. for the iconic weather.

Living across the beach in a quaint condo reminded me of my life growing up with a beach house. I don’t think St. Pete Beach and Hampton Beach have as many similarities as my brain has made them up to be but being here has brought me back in the best way. The long beach days on my pool float, late night ice cream runs, and simply the sense of ultimate relaxation, I felt like I had a much needed month and a half of bringing joy to my childlike self. After 6 months here I think it’s safe for me to say that I have found the best restaurants, coffee shops, and shopping in St. Pete beach, Florida and I can’t wait to share with you!

St. Pete Beach: Where to Stay

The Don Cesar- No trip to St. Pete is complete without coming to the Pink Palace. It’s actually the reason I was ever drawn to come here! Last year my sister had a work trip in Downtown St. Pete and wanted me to come to give her company. I had seen the Pink Palace, Don Cesar, on instagram before so had to make the trip out! This trip I had the opportunity of a lifetime and partnered with The Don Cesar on a hotel collaboration. Sponsored or not I will always say that the biggest reason to come to St. Pete is to visit this iconic, legendary property. You don’t even have to be a guest to enjoy their luxury restaurants, pools, and beachside luxury cabanas. Think The Beverly Hills Hotel but beach side, this property is a must visit. One of my favorite things to do when I have a hotel collaboration is order room service and lounge in my robe. The Don Cesar had me feeling like a hotel heiress with their impeccable service and the most comfortable beds and robes. Book here!

St. Pete Beach: Dinner + Drinks

Spinners Rooftop - I did it.. I found the chicest restaurant in town! Most of the restaurants in St. Pete beach are beach bar vibes and low key. This restaurant is everything the city girl in me craves. Spinners is located in The Bellwether Hotel and spins atop St. Pete, rotating you in a full circle giving yout a 360 view of the city! The best spot to watch the sunset over the beach with 5 star service, amazing catch of the day, and fine wines.

Order the crab cake for an appetizer, and the grilled catch of the day. I typically prefer my fish blackened but at this fine dining experience the grilled grouper was cooked to ultimate perfection. My only complaint, is there was no Sancerre on the menu. Dress up and order a fine wine and think of me in my element when you come to this chic level 10 spot :)

Grand Hacienda- The best Mexican restaurant in St. Pete beach. Grand Hacienda is where we spent Cinco de Mayo and it was such a great time. I got the shrimp quesadillas and they were so delicious. Also make sure to order the guacamole! They have several different locations, one of them being right here on the beach strip. We actually came to the beach location and the Downtown St. Pete location.

Crabby Bill’s- Beverly Hills Jules is looking at me in so much confusion as I dine with Crabby Bills. Crabby Bills is quite the opposite of my typical recommendation but I cannot lie, I had a blast here. I would highly recommend eating outside on their rooftop and enjoying their famous Spicy Margarita or Bahama Mama. The rooftop views of the beach, make for a perfect spot to catch sunset.

Prima Cantina- This gem was first seen in Santa Monica, California and just opened in St. Pete beach. I only got margs here which I would highly recommend but the food looked good too!

Coconut Charlie’s- I loved this spot located in The Hilton Garden Inn. My favorite menu item was the brussel sprouts. They had so much flavor, and I couldn’t stop eating them! They also have an in house bartender that can make iconic cocktails, I highly suggest the spicy margarita!

Tiki Docks- I love a marina view restaurant! Tiki Docks was a lively dinner spot bringing in a lot of families and tourists. They had a fun Hawaii theme that made me feel like we needed to be wearing a garland or necklace of flowers. Order the grouper tacos and don’t pass up the fries for your side!

Pass-a-grille Restaurants

Grace Restaurant- Italian dining in the heart of Pass-a-grille. The food here was to die for. They are famous for their Flatbread of the day here so we had to try it and it was one of the best things I have eaten in awhile. They also had fun cocktails named after locals dogs, how cute, my favorite being the Zuzu! I got the waiters recommendation of the Mushroom tagatelli and could stop eating the house bread with it.

The Dewey- Another chic St. Pete spot! I loved this spot for a chic glass of wine on their twinkly lit patio. They have a main dining room, a patio and a rooftop here that is more casual with beautiful views of Pass-a-grille.

Seaworthy- “Go on a date with a local” was on my bucket list for this Spring so I hopped on Hinge and found the most eligible bachelor to spend a Friday night with. He took me to this waterfront restaurant with a cute patio and amazing food. I don’t eat meat and he was allergic to shell fish so I was pretty lost on what to get until he suggested the charred ceasar salad and added the chefs catch of the day which was to die for. We sat next to an older couple that was originally from Brooklyn, New York and lived nearby now and it was so much fun talking to them. I really had a locals experience that I was craving and would definitely recommend this spot!

Where to get coffee:

Grove Coffee Roasters- I really never thought I could find this chic of a cafe in St. Pete beach. This cafe had me instantly transported back to LA and I was obsessed. I came here quite often for work from cafe days and fun photos for the gram.

Cafe Soleil- France in St. Pete! This quaint cafe has croissants, French pastries, Provence books, and St. Tropez art. It was a treat for my French loving self and had me missing my Parisian lifestyle so much.

St. Pete Beach: Where to go out

Going out on the beach is quite different than a NYC evening. Saint Pete Beach is definitely the spot to go if you’re looking for $7 drinks, live music, and meeting a ton of tourists. I had some wild nights here, but I wouldn't say I need to relive any of them.

If you’re looking for this vibe head to Jimmy Bs for live music every single day on the massive patio. For an even more rowdier vibe go to Post Card Inn. If you decide to go during the day, which I hate to admit I have, don’t say I sent you. 

Downtown St. Pete: Where to go out

St. Petersburg has a fun downtown scene that’s a 15 minute drive from the beach. If you’re really looking for a full force city you can go 45 minutes away to Tampa. Downtown Saint Pete is the place to go out in my opinion. Downtown is a 15-minute Uber from Saint Pete Beach and it’s always crazy on the weekends. It’s essentially a two-block strip that’s just bar after bar where people that live here say, “everyone just bar hops.” And OH DID I BAR HOP. I did a ton of dating in St. Pete beach, and although I put myself out there on Hinge almost every guy I hung out with had been from an in person meeting. My favorite place, where I met probably the best guy of all of them was Mandrian Hyde. This is a much more sophisticated spot with great espresso martinis and a fun crowd.

More things to do in Downtown St. Pete:

Saturday Morning Farmers Market: Every Saturday morning there is a farmers market in downtown Saint Petersburg. I absolutely love coming here to buy fresh produce, flowers, and locally-made coffee. They also have very unique food stands that’ll have you feeling cultured. My personal favorite was the crepe stand with an actual French chef baking up crepes. He was so sweet and told me that next time I’m in France I need to explore more outside of Paris, and I absolutely agree!

Go to a baseball game- Tropicana Stadium is only a fifteen-minute Uber away from St. Pete beach and located a 10 minute walk to the going out spots of Downtown St. Pete. Another bucket list item, we had to catch a game while we were here! I was surprised to come to the stadium to find that it was indoors. As a Bostonian who grew up going to games at Fenway Park this felt very off. Apparently they are currently building a brand new stadium that will be outdoors thankfully! Pro tip: You can almost always score nosebleeds for $15!

Where to shop:

Corey Ave. Corey Ave is a cute shopping strip of Saint Pete Beach! It has older stores full of beach decor and souvenirs.

Wings- One of my favorite things to do when I am visiting a place is to go buy a $30 tee shirt or sweatshirt lol. Wings is a classic spot to buy your vacation souvenir and I swear you’ll wear the pieces you buy from here far more than you’d ever think you would! My “All Roads Lead to Beach Paradise” mens XL shirt is worn almost every night!

Where to go for Ice Cream:

Ice & Cream- The best ice cream spot in town. We went so often that the manager knows what we want, mint Oreo only! They also have a mermaid theme here that is so adorable and on brand for my current mermaid era, they even have a mermaid flavored ice cream, which is Mckenz favorite.
Saint Pete Beach Tip!

Saint Pete Beach is only a few miles long and very walkable. I walked a ton from my grocery store runs, to the nail salon to even nights out on the beach it was my favorite method of transportation. At the end of the night though Free Beach Ride is clutch! Free Beach Ride is a service that provides free local rides from Madeira Beach, Pass A Grille, Treasure Island, and Saint Pete Beach. Your ride is free but drivers work for tips so always be sure to have a few dollars on hand. Just call this number 727-776-7553, give them a pickup and drop off location (within this ten-mile radius), and they’ll come get you within 15 minutes.

I hope you guys loved this blog posting and I can’t wait for you to check out all my recommendations on your next St. Pete Beach trip!

xoxo,

Jules