St. Pete Beach, Florida Travel Guide
Where To Stay: Inn On The Beach
My friend Kaley Dignen and I took a mini vacation to St. Pete beach for a little R&R. We stayed at the cutest hotel Inn On The Beach which was overlooking the ocean. As opposed to a chain hotel, each room at the Inn On The Beach is unique in decor and amenities. We stayed in the Sand Piper Suite, located on the top floor of the Inn. We had more than enough room with a full kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom and balcony overlooking the ocean.
We adored the minimalist beachy decor throughout the suite! The kitchen was just plain adorable, with wood shelving, a white subway tile backsplash, and quartz counter tops. Sprinkled through the kitchen were the sweetest succulents, a mini library, and infinite cooking wear! Our daily routine looked something like this: woke up, enjoyed complimentary locally brewed coffee, danced around in our PJs while eating our homemade oatmeal parfaits, put our swimsuits on and walked over to the beach! It literally took us a total of 5 minutes to walk to the beach from our front door. Praise!
The beach was stunning, quiet and calm with white sand, tons of beautiful shells (so different from the east coast!) and lots of vitamin sea.
Where To Eat: Sea Hags
During our time in St. Pete Beach, we had the opportunity to try out a few restaurants on the beach! We tried to stay as close to the water as possible and our first night was spent at Sea Hags Bar and Grill right on the harbour overlooking the ocean!
Sea Hags Bar and Grill has the most gorgeous waterfront dining, which is even more exquisite at sunset. We timed it just right to dine at sunset and the view was breathtaking! I love the laid back and casual atmosphere. While inside dining is available, I would highly recommend sitting outside to take in the sights! You can go for a drink and appetizers with friends or stop in for a full dining experience!
We began with a crab stuffed mushroom appetizer sprinkled with provolone cheese and enjoyed shrimp and filet mignon for dinner. If you stop by – make sure to order the crab stuffed mushrooms! So fresh and savoury! While we didn’t have drinks, they offer a fun selection of colourful cocktails and mixed drinks!
Mad Fish
The second night we dined at Mad Fish, a casual yet upscale dining experience. The decor reminds me of an old school diner and even features a aquarium above the bar! They serve fresh and locally caught seafood and specialize in preparing a twist on classic favorites such as salmon, sea bass and steak.
I enjoyed the most delicious (and colourful) grilled salmon dish complete with purple mashed potatoes and broccoli! The salmon was prepared with a sweet crispy, yet buttery topping at is was one of the better salmon dishes I’ve had in my life! I had never experienced purple mashed potatoes – but I can tell you they are even better than classic mashed potatoes! Kaley ordered a gluten free sea bass and shrimp dish and adored the savoury flavours!
Karma
If you’re looking for a juice bar/ healthy eatery in St. Pete, make sure to stop into Karma! Kaley and I were both craving acai bowls, so when Kaley’s friend highly recommended Karma we knew we had to stop in! The decor within Karma was stunning – with a modern bohemian feel sprinkled with an assortment of plants, paintings and cute trinkets. They are well known for their acai bowls, cold-press juices and homemade (and unbelievable) almond butter made right in store! While Karma has an impressive list of acai bowls, Kaley and I both ordered the “brainiac” complete with banana, blueberries, gluten free granola, pumpkin seeds, raisins, chai, local honey drizzle and fresh made almond butter. We both loved the fresh and unique tasting flavors of the bowls – and both made a pact to come back and try out the other acai bowls! I also ordered a mango tropical smoothie filled with spinach, kale, mango, pineapple, banana, ginger, mint, coco water and lemon – it was the perfect refreshment!
The Salty Rim
Our final night in St. Pete was spent at The Salty Rim overlooking the ocean. The Salty Rim was our most memorable dining experience, from the amazing view to the unique Caribbean and Florida keys infused tastes. The staff was incredibly friendly and the chef even came out to rave over his latest (and ever changing) creations! We challenged him to share his favorite creations will us – and did he ever deliver!
Our jaws dropped to the floor as an array of food filled our table with appetizers- the most amazing marinated mussels, a sushi infused volcano and fried plantains with beef. For our main courses, I had the best shrimp and grits of my life with andouille sausage, applewood bacon, and southern-style cheese grits. This hearty meal was seriously unbelievable! Kaley had steak with Chimichurri Grilled Hangar Steak served with coconut roasted yucca and sizzle sweet beans – and she loved it so much there was nothing left on her plate!
We had the best stay and made some amazing memories in St. Pete Beach. If you’re visiting Florida make sure to consider a trip to St. Pete! You’ll experience some great southern hospitality, a relaxing beach stay and endless spectacular dining options!
Thank you to Inn on The Beach for a complimentary stay and Sea Hags Bar and Grill, Madfish and The Salty Rim for our meals! All opinions are our own, and would would have gladly paid for these services with our own money. Thank you for supporting the companies that make Mash Elle possible!