Views to Dine For: St. Petersburg, FL Edition

Want a side of pretty parks or blue waters with your grouper sandwich? Take a seat at any of these St. Pete tables.

A view of the marina and the downtown St. Petersburg skyline from the patio at Paul's Landing at the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort.

Enjoy marina and downtown skyline views from the patio at Paul’s Landing in St. Petersburg.

Photo by City Editor David

We showed you our favorite restaurants and bars with a view in Tampa. Now we move across the bay for some tasty sites (and sights) in St. Petersburg.

400 Beach Seafood & Tap House, 400 Beach Dr. NE | All of Beach Drive’s restaurants do sidewalk seating, but the best perch is a table at 400 Beach directly across from the beautifully lit trees of Straub Park with the Bay beyond.

Birchwood Canopy, 340 Beach Dr. NE | Ride the elevator to this chic spot atop Birchwood Inn and you’re in for a panoramic vista of park, water, and skyline.

Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, 610 2nd Ave. NE | Gaze out at the Bay from tables on the deck or the sand at novelist Randy Wayne White’s seafood joint, located halfway down the Pier.

The deck and beach seating at Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille on the St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg.

Enjoy a deck seat or a table on the sand outside Doc Ford’s.

Photo by TBAY Editor David Warner

Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro, 300 2nd Ave NE | A prime dockside location by the St. Pete Yacht Basin for 20 years — and, pro tip, the best seat in the house for watching the Pride parade in June.

The Getaway, 13090 Gandy Blvd. N. | Just beyond the buzz of Gandy traffic, this tiki-hut compound offers a tropical waterfront escape reachable “By Land or By Sea.”

Paul’s Landing, 501 5th Ave. NE | Renovations may have temporarily blocked sightlines at the Vinoy’s legendary veranda, but at the hotel’s adjacent restaurant the seafood is top-notch and the city and marina vistas are sublime.

Teak & Pier Teaki, 800 2nd Ave. NE on the St. Pete Pier | The restaurants at the St. Pete Pierhead offer irresistible photo ops of the city and bay, especially from the rooftop tiki bar, with Teak a more serene date-night alternative just below.

Vantage Rooftop Bar at The Karol Hotel, 2675 Ulmerton Rd., Clearwater | In a new hotel strategically situated at the northern boundary that separates St. Pete and Clearwater, this sleek rooftop space is a sweet escape with panoramic views to the west and well-made cocktails.

Looking out from the Vantage Rooftop Bar atop the Karol Hotel in Clearwater.

Looking out at the night sky from the Vantage Rooftop Bar at the Karol Hotel.

Photo courtesy of The Karol Hotel

Did we miss any of your favorite spots? Let us know at hello@thetbaytoday.com. And watch for the third installment of Views to Dine For when he hit The Beaches.

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