Nothing says vacation quite like dining with a view. In St. Augustine, our rooftops, decks, and patios are plentiful as are our views — many even include a water feature which puts the aaah in relaaa(h)xation. The only trouble you might encounter is fitting all of these into your visit. We locals try to pace ourselves as we know we’re spoiled.
Rooftops
Downtown
Casa Reina Taqueria + Tequila
Casa Reina has many choices for dining al fresco, so make sure your take a good look around before deciding where to spend your time. You can be street level, on the rooftop, or in between. There are so many nooks and crannies at Casa Reina that I always walk really slow to and from any point as no matter where you land, the view is always grand. The cocktails are pretty amazing, too.
La Cocina at the Cellar Upstairs
When I first moved to St. Augustine, my realtor took me here as if to sell me on the town. Yes, she did things a little out of order as once you take in the views from the rooftop, you’ll want to send for your things—it’s that great. La Cocina sits above San Sebastian Winery, so you can take a tour before you go to the roof to enjoy their wines, a fabulous meal, and perhaps even some live music.
Meehan’s Irish Pub & Seafood House
One winter holiday, during Nights of Lights, I was lucky enough to snag a table on Meehan’s upstairs patio—it was like winning the lottery! There’s nothing more relaxing than enjoying the lights and the bay views from above street level, with a pint of Guinness and a bowl of Irish clam chowder. This is where the craic is.
River & Fort
Speaking of bay views, have a drink on River & Fort’s roof if you want a great photo of the bay and the Castillo de San Marcos. Like Casa Reina, it has a lot of pit stops along the way so make sure you keep climbing – the pay off at the top is worth it! Your Instagram page will thank you.
Over the Bridge of Lions
Salt Life Food Shack
If you want beach vibes, this is your place! The rooftop even has ocean views, and, you might find someone singing Jimmy Buffet covers on the ground level patio. During the day, you’ll find beach goers here enjoying lunch with their bathing suits on and a fruity cocktail in their hands. At night, diners may not have sand between their toes, but they do have that post-beach glow. It’s the perfect place to show off your tan.
Patios
Downtown
Casa de Vino 57
Although Casa de Vino offers appetizers only, don’t let that scare you away. It offers beautiful charcuterie boards in various sizes with a wine menu that the owners can speak to you about personally. Plus the garden is a hidden gem behind a historic house with a brick patio between the two making it a perfect place to enjoy wine, cheese, and song. It’s one of my favorite spots in the historic district.
Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille
Harry’s patio is like a mini Nights of Lights – all year long. The white lights over the brick patio between the old trees and the historic building make for a magical evening—even more so if there’s live music. The food is fabulous, too. Get there early or go late as you don’t want to wait for a table and then end up inside—the full Harry experience is waiting for you on the enchanting patio.
O.C. White’s Seafood
Another downtown staple, O.C.’s has a triangle shaped patio with lots of palm trees leading up to the historic house. Like Harry’s, the magic lies outside—so does the live music. Sometimes you forget that you’re right across the street from the bay as the patio is a special place to relax with good food, good drinks, and good music—sometimes for a little longer than you expected!
Beyond the Historic District
Asado Life
Not only do you get gorgeous views of the San Sebastian River, you also get to participate in an asado—a social event event where friends and family enjoy South American barbecue together. This full-service experience is a traditional event celebrated in Argentina—a country known for its meats! The other fun thing about this is that everything is made to order, so the chefs only create what you order, in advance, when you make your reservation. So plan ahead for this one.
Decks
In Town
Hurricane Patty’s Bar and Grill
Located at Oyster Creek Marina, Hurricane Patty’s is accessible via car or boat! This laid back joint with a deck on three sides features live music and classics such as low-country boils, crab leg dinners, and world-famous gator cakes, and key lime pie, of course. The cocktails are ones you might find in the Caribbean like the painkiller. One word of warning here … I always have terrible timing with Patty’s as I forget to check their oyster roast schedule before I head out. When the oysters are roasting, there’s not a seat in the house, so check ahead to either attend (or avoid) a roast.
St. Augustine Fish Camp
The Palm Valley Fish Camp got so popular, the folks opened one in Lincolnville, along the San Sebastian River. On a recent visit, the server was telling us how they catch the fish and we actually thought he was one of their fishermen—the fish is that fresh. Plus, you have great water views outside on the deck, or on the sand, and inside the restaurant, too. There’s really not a bad seat in the house. It’s a fun place to take in a sunset, over a cocktail, too.
Vilano Beach
Aunt Kate’s
In my opinion, Aunt Kate’s has one of the best sunset views in town. Located on the banks of the Tolomato River in Vilano Beach, the restaurant has been serving visitors and locals for more than 100 years! And, you can get there by car, boat, golf cart, or foot depending on where you’re staying. I used to live two blocks from Kate’s and I still visit the bench next to the dock that has a big old tree coming through the deck as it’s the best spot to capture the sunset. You’ll be able to post your photos on Instagram with the hashtag: #nofilter.
Beaches at Vilano
Beaches is the place to go if you want to feel like you’re on vacation and get some really good photos to make your friends really jealous. Their gigantic deck sits next to the Vilano Fishing Pier and overlooks the Vilano Bridge and the Intracoastal Waterway. The Caribbean vibe and live music will have you sipping your favorite fruity cocktail with a dish of clams and maybe even a little dancing, too. Happy hour is from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. and there’s parking for cars, boats, and jet skis! We locals love to take photos here as it reminds everyone why we moved to Florida!
Cap’s on the Water
If you’ve ever seen a photo of people dining under twinkly white lights next to the water in St. Augustine, there’s a very good chance the pic was snapped at Cap’s. This Old Florida restaurant with southern charm sits on the Intracoastal in Vilano Beach and has a great dock for parking your boat, or, for parking yourself for sunset photos. The old trees that literally come through the deck are adorned with big ‘ol lanterns giving the deck a romantic vibe. Take advantage of this southern gem under the twinkly lights on a clear night – your camera roll will thank you. (Fun fact: It’s here that I officially toasted to moving to St. Augustine!)
Reef Restaurant
Now if you want unobstructed ocean views while you dine al fresco, there is no other place to go other than the Reef in Vilano Beach. This is the place to go for ocean breezes while you dine. Some restaurants offer a beach view, but no other restaurant sits right on the beach. My brother had his day-before-the-wedding dinner here and I encouraged him to have a day-after-the wedding dinner here too as once you visit the Reef, you want to keep visiting. Now, when my brother visits from “up north,” we always try to include lunch at the Reef in his itinerary. Although the views, and the food, are fabulous, it really is a casual place to enjoy lunch so he doesn’t have to change out of his latest concert t-shirt from The Amp!
Over the Bridge of Lions
Conch House Restaurant
The Conch House features Caribbean delights at the Conch House Marina Resort on Anastasia Island. Some favorites include local gator tail, Minorcan conch chowder, and banana pepper calamari. The real favorite though is the waterfront. Yes, you can arrive by boat. Yes, you can enjoy their outdoor bar. And yes, you can dine in that sweet little tiki hut above the water that’s shown in this photo. Come for the seafood and stay for the sunset—just remember to tip the staff accordingly as you might stay way longer than you anticipated!
Beachcomber Restaurant
Oh the Beachcomber. Located in the hub of St. Augustine Beach, “where A Street meets the ocean,” the Beachcomber also welcomes dogs, and kids, and encourages all of us to stick our toes in the sand. Because it’s located literally right on the beach, you can put your feet in the sand while you wait for a table in the “beach lounge/play area.” The Beachcomber is famous for their selection of draft and bottled beers, local craft brews, and creative craft cocktails, so be sure to pick up one of those before slipping your shoes off. And yes, the food is good too (especially while enjoying it with the salt air)!
Saltwater Cowboys
Surrounded by marshland, Saltwater Cowboys offers a true southern dining experience, from Florida Cracker meals such as alligator tail, fried catfish, and frog legs; plus fresh seafood dishes and an open pit barbecue. In season, you can find Maine lobster, local oysters, and rock shrimp. Located on the Intracoastal on Anastasia Island, the folks at Saltwater have been doing this for more than 55 years. The place gives you a real feel for a turn-of-the-century Florida fish camp, with rusted tin ceilings, handmade willow twig furniture, and snakeskin on the walls. And with all this, it’s always the sunset over the marsh that takes the spotlight so be sure your camera is ready. One thing to note…you can’t dine outside, but you can sit right next to the windows that face the marsh which means the views are hot and the temperatures are cool!
The Commander’s Shellfish Camp
The Commander’s Shellfish Camp has a great deck, the “Outpost” with food and drink service. It also sells fresh, raw seafood in their market. Located in Crescent Beach, a stone’s throw from the beach, Commander’s is the perfect place if you have a hankering for a raw bar and a local brew. The menu also includes Atlantic salmon, shrimp, oysters, crab legs, and the fresh catch of the day, so you might end up torn between the raw bar and everything else. No matter what, the sea breezes over the deck and sure to make whatever you choose taste even better.
Ponte Vedra
Barbara Jean’s On the Water – Take a trip back in time to Old Florida where you can enjoy southern cuisine and seafood next to the Intracoastal Waterway.
Palm Valley Fish Camp – Review the upscale seafood menu, while relaxing in a friendly neighborhood vibe along the Intracoastal Waterway.
Palm Valley Outdoors Bar and Grill – Park your boat at this restaurant’s dock and soak in the family-friendly atmosphere on the deck filled with picnic tables and yellow umbrellas.
Valley Smoke BBQ Restaurant – Feast on a traditional southern meal—that includes an impressive selection of featured bourbon, scotch, and craft beers—while watching the boats ride the Intracoastal.
