THINGS TO DO VisitSPC.com/Bars bars Chill out when the sun is out. Or howl and swoon when the moon is up. Day or night, just about every type of drink, mood and setting awaits at St. Pete/Clearwater bars and restaurants. Looking for a rooftop to enjoy a drink? Flip to the next page for our top rooftop spots to quench your thirst. ST. PETE St. Pete bars have found novel ways to stand out. In this spirit, or shall we say, “spirits,” Saigon Blonde resembles a 1960s South Asian hideaway, where regulars love the expertly crafted cocktails. Dirty Laundry may seem like an unglamorous place to knock back a drink, but the laundromat-themed venue serves refined lunch fare, craft brews and coffee, and it transforms into the Havana Speak-easy , where you pick up a payphone in the cafe and listen for a code to enter. DIRTY LAUNDRY NO VACANCY Slip away to another ’50s Havana-style rendezvous spot at Bar Chica . Cellar Masters , like Valenty’s, in the South Pasadena district, tucks behind a liquor store, and fulfills grape expectations with its natural wines, pours by the glass and outdoor patio. For a classic mainstay, hightail it to Mandarin Hide , meanwhile, which has aged like a fine Scotch. Vested bartenders shake and stir elegant cocktails in the speakeasy-style, brick-laden hideaway. Mule lovers find bliss in a copper mug at the Hide. The Bends , a favorite of young Burgians, packs a punch in a tiny shotgun bar with craft cocktails, art shows and cutting-edge live music. The seven-decades-strong Emerald Bar also supports the local art and music scene. A favorite cure for boogie fever, the blues and whatever else ails you , Cocktail St. Pete is an upbeat LGBTQ+-friendly bar/nightclub that locals flock to when they want to go out dancing, and The Saint is a dark intimate spot that’s perfect for midnight confessions. If you’ve got upscale tastes but still like to get down with your friends for a howling night of karaoke, then LALA is your spot. The new Grand Central hotspot sports chic decor with a variety of settings and seating options. Super-stylish and fun, Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe serves craft beer, wine and locally sourced deli yums. For a fun and funky vibe, lounge with a mai tai and plastic pink flamingos at No Vacancy , a bright and LALA colorful motel-themed bar and eatery with affection for all things vintage Florida. For a tres chic weekend afternoon, lounge in the patio of COPA , owned and operated by a former international soccer player and his brother. The spot opens at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and enchants visitors with a stylish mix of global sensibilities. If you’re headed south, stop at a tropical retreat that’s en route to Fort de Soto Park, the Skyway Bridge, or just go on purpose. Tiki Docks , at the Maximo Marina, serves up “rum, fun and fresh seafood” with waterfront views in a spacious, shaded patio. ST. PETE BEACH While there are too many beach hotel bars to mention, Undertow has swept up a local following for decades with its reggae and roomy deck. Head north to the retro-surftastic Postcard Inn, where the 100 AMERICA’S BEST BEACHES
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