We visited Florida for a couple of weeks, and we had a memorable time with the beautiful beaches, warm climate, and clear water. We managed to visit St. Augustine, too, a city in northeastern Florida, and we were astonished by the historical stories this place tells.
When you are walking through the streets of this distinctive city that is a real tourist attraction for any who wants to know about the struggles one city had in the past and what it is famous for.
I have always wondered how people functioned in cuisines before the internet arrived. Cooking was based on cookbooks and recipes from our mothers and grandmothers.
But what about restaurant recommendations? When I am traveling, it is essential for me to know where I can have a nice time consuming food and drinking interesting drinks. But also I want to do research and discover awesome places that will make people happy.
If you are planning a trip to St. Augustine, make sure to add these downtown St Augustine restaurants to your list.
Table of Contents
My Top 3 Picks of the Best Downtown St Augustine Restaurants
| Restaurant | Top Pick | Our Rating |
Ice Plant Bar | Yellow Submarine | 5/5 |
Catch 27 | Grilled Salmon and Lobster Primavera | 4.5/5 |
Uptown Swinery | French Toast | 4/5 |
The 6 Best Downtown St. Augustine Restaurants
Prohibition Kitchen
119 St. George St., St. Augustine, FL 32084, United States +19042095704
Prohibition Kitchen is a fancy place located in the heart of old St Augustine that gives Broadway vibes with the elegance and modern-artistic look. Something that I liked the most is that you can enjoy a live environment surrounded by retro-chic decor while eating tempting food.
We sat upstairs and had a nice view of the downstairs bar and venue. We ordered drinks, and I had to give compliments to the drinks menu. The choices were unique, not allowing space to spend the night with the routine drink. The menu is rich and highly vast. This place also has very polite bartenders, knowledgeable and attentive.
We ordered burgers, and they were really good. I had the fried, crispy flounder sandwich with the datil pepper slaw and a fresh salad. The Swiss burger was quite tasty too, and I recommend it to all burger fanatics.
Additionally, we tried the vegetarian Reuben and house burger. Nice and unique substitution of roasted beets on the reuben.
If you can’t imagine your day without a beer, do not worry. This place has a great selection of craft beer on tap that suits very well with the juicy burgers, crisps, natural cut fries, and braised rib grilled cheese.
We had such a lovely time with the great musicians and nice ambiance. This is a very nice place where you will get quick service and amazing food. Our suggestion is to try the restaurant’s burgers and creamy and cheesy Mac & Cheese.
Enjoy and have an extraordinary meal at Prohibition Kitchen restaurant in downtown St. Augustine.
The Drunken Horse St. Augustine
56 Charlotte St., St. Augustine, FL 32084, United States +19046795858
I was looking forward to wearing my favorite outfit for dining time and going out for dinner in this restaurant gave me the perfect opportunity to feel classy.
This is a wine bar that has the power to completely transport you into the world of quality wine and give you another option of consuming wine in a French way.
We started that pleasant night with a glass of wine and woody cheese. I really liked the feeling I had while sitting in the bar, surrounded by the beautiful decor featuring brick walls and beautiful paintings. In this restaurant, you will always find delicious wine from all across the globe, and you can choose between red, white, and sparkling.
For appetizers, we had Pan Seared Foie Gras together with Salade de Macedoine Aux Crevette. Both were really good and focused our attention on the main dishes.
We ordered Lobster Risotto, which was very flavorful with an appropriate amount of spices. Our server recommended trying Pan Seared Lamb Chops with mashed sweet potatoes, spinach, and red wine sauce. It was spectacular.
For desserts, we had Chocolate Lava Cake and White Chelate Raspberry cheesecake.
We were very blessed to find this place, have a nice conversation, cover different topics, and sit in a charming ambiance.
Visit this gem amongst the downtown St Augustine restaurants while you are taking a rest between all the historic sites and attractions.
Catch 27
40 Charlotte St., St. Augustine, FL 32084, United States +19042173542
Catch 27 is a place where you would like to bring your friends and family for a nice time in the heart of historic St. Augustine.
The place is cozy with an inviting ambiance and great staff, always ready to help and give you the best food experience. This restaurant serves fresh, locally caught seafood made from scratch and seasonally prepared following local procedures.
I especially liked Minorcan Seafood Chowder, the smell of sea combined with croutons had me completely obsessed with this meal.
The Shrimp Cocktail was also very good, served in an appropriate glass, which made the whole experience more delightful. Everything here is well managed, starting from the front door to the restroom. It is a place that cares for you, your food needs, and your needs as a visitor of this beautiful restaurant.
Blackened Pasta was the other dish I really liked, but in the end, this place excels in preparing extraordinary seafood. My love for this restaurant culminated with the awesome grilled salmon and lobster primavera. Very tasty and soft. The creamy dishes are also my way to strengthen the bond between me and my stomach. Therefore, that creamy Spring Risotto was definitely a satisfying twist that foodie night.
We recommend this eatery before any of the other downtown St Augustine restaurants if you want to try professionally prepared, fresh-catch seafood. The other types of food will also fulfill your needs when it comes to your favorite things, the food.
River & Fort Restaurant & Roof Top Lounge
12 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine, FL 32084, United States +19044818396
This is one of my favorite places when it comes to having an amazing view while you are having your dinner. The view is really unique and appealing, and is something that you can’t miss if you are on vacation in St. Augustine.
We were sitting on the outdoor patio, enjoying the view, taking pictures of the view, and also the visually beautiful meals that unfairly increase your appetite.
We were sitting on a cozy little spot on the outdoor patio, examining the menu, and wondering about the number of dishes we would like to choose. We were very satisfied with our servers; they helped us with our choice through their good knowledge of the menu and the dishes.
A dish that impressed me a lot was a hand-cut filet, a surprisingly good combination of ingredients such as tomato-bacon jam combined with herbed red potatoes, asparagus, and bordelaise sauce. Fried pickle hush puppies are the right choice for appetizers among the many other appetizers from the rich menu, including deviled eggs, where the caramelized bacon dominates and totally seduces you.
Because of the name, my next choice was the Stuffed New York Strip, which made me take hundreds of pictures with the water behind me. It was tasty and stood out for me.
My friend especially liked Ocean Platter, the chef’s fresh catch. It was really something that marked this restaurant and the night we had. I managed to try it and it has all my compliments.
Don’t miss this place if you are looking for one of the best downtown St Augustine restaurants.
River & Fort was impressive all the way around and some of the best fine dining in downtown St. Augustine.
Uptown Swinery
45 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084, United States +19048246202
Uptown Swinery was our choice for having brunch with my travel companions. We really enjoyed the coziness this place gives with the simplicity and relaxing ambiance,
We had Pimento Cheese which really proved how this restaurant has scratch kitchens and everything is made in the house. The cheese was house-made and it was extraordinary. This made us order a Skillet Mac with five cheese mornay.
Other recommendations are Cannoli Pancakes and French Toast, sweet meals that will make your life sweeter. I really liked the French toast with all the seasonal toppings I chose.
This place is a boar farm. The boar is caught locally, organically fed, and brought to the customer’s table. We suggest you have the Uptown Burger, with grilled sirloin, pimento cheese, smoked pulled pork, house BBQ sauce, house made pickles, bibb lettuce, tomatoes, and garlic aioli.
Sometimes it is very important to know what you are eating and in Uptown Swinery you will have food with locally sourced and fresh ingredients according to all healthy standards.
Avocado Toast is also something that I am glad I had together with Boozy Capri Sun as my pick from the outstanding brunch cocktails menu. This restaurant also has a rich collection of wine and craft beer.
There are places that will always stay in your memory and this place will definitely be my choice for a brunch spot any time I visit St.Augustine.
I just absolutely fell in love with this place.
Ice Plant Bar
110 Riberia St., St. Augustine, FL 32084, United States +19048296553
Ice Plant Bar is a restaurant that tells the story of a time in the past when people enjoyed food in difficult circumstances, but they were happily eating enjoyable and healthy food.
This restaurant uses local ingredients for creating healthy dishes together with stunning cocktails made with fresh, house-made juices, different bitters, and specially developed syrups.
My dinner started with Yellow Submarine, which made me order some other cocktails, surprised by the originality and talent of creating delicious cocktails. After Yellow Submarine, I had Into the Fire. The name was appropriately chosen due to the spiced rum and spiced pear.
This place is perfect for all occasions you have, whether brunch, lunch, or dinner. We came for dinner and had Crispy Pork Belly Sliders and one large portion of Beet & Strawberry Salad, where goat cheese stole the show.
Everything here is specially done, regardless of the food, cocktails, or food and drinks presentation. This place gives you a comfortable and easy-going approach so that time flies while you are there, surrounded by the brick walls and nice ambiance.
As much as I like adventures, especially when it comes to food, Caesar Salad is my favorite comfort zone, and in the Ice Plant Bar, you will have healthy Caesar Salad.
This is a unique place with a lot of history behind it that makes you feel like you are entering some other world.
Enjoy a historic location with great service, food, and drinks in this gem amongst the downtown St Augustine restaurants.
FAQ
Where can you find the best downtown St Augustine restaurants?
You can expect to find modern downtown restaurants in St. Augustine that will make you feel satisfied with the ambiance and healthy food. St. Augustine offers different restaurants where you can have pasta, meat, and nice seasonally sourced salad. Most of these restaurants have good locations, reachable by foot. In our chosen restaurants, you will find extraordinary food made by talented chefs, following unique ingredient combinations.
Are these restaurants expensive?
It depends on the restaurant and the dish you order. Even in the most expensive restaurant, you can find tasty meals at an average price.
Do these restaurants offer takeout or delivery options?
No, it is very rare for one of these restaurants to offer takeout or delivery options. Maybe that is available occasionally, but that is not a service typically offered by the restaurants.
Conclusion of the Downtown St Augustine Restaurants
Our list of the best downtown St Augustine restaurants has been prepared carefully after detailed research. St. Augustine is definitely the place for you, offering different types of restaurants. Here you will find homemade dishes from scratch with an emphasis on healthy ingredients. Many of these restaurants organize different events for your special occasions such as baby showers, birthdays, and engagement parties, featuring live music.
All these seven restaurants are worth visiting if you want to experience something extraordinary. Not only when it comes to food, but also to the decor and the place itself with many historical moments as a part of the restaurant environment.
So, what are you waiting for? Come and explore the food miracles in St. Augustine.
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Igor Jovanovski is an aspiring digital nomad, travel blogger and graphic designer who really loves food. He also has a creative side, and he works as a freelance graphic designer in his spare time. He has traveled across Europe quite a few times since he was young and recently started his mission to visit every country in the world! Igor’s favorite thing about traveling is the way he gets to know new people, food, places and cultures.
This exciting experience helps him create his own stories and make memories that will last forever