St. Petersburg eats outside better than almost any city its size. The weather plays along most of the year, the districts are walkable, and the patios are not afterthoughts. The best outdoor restaurants in St. Petersburg run from downtown courtyards with koi ponds to dock decks where the boats tie up beside your table. This guide sorts the city’s open-air dining by what you are hungry for, whether that is wood-fired pasta on Beach Drive, tacos under string lights, or fried grouper on a marina deck. Where we have a deeper guide for a cuisine, we point you straight to it. Everything below was verified open with a real outdoor setup as of May 2026.
| Restaurant | Cuisine | Neighborhood | The outdoor setup | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Mesa Cantina | Mexican | Downtown | Courtyard, fountains, koi pond | $$$ |
| The Big Catch at Salt Creek | Seafood | Salt Creek | Open-air dock deck, boat-up | $$ |
| BellaBrava | Italian | Beach Drive | Umbrella patio facing the MFA | $$ |
| Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille | Seafood | St. Pete Pier | Open-air tables, bay views | $$ |
| Gratzzi Italian Grille | Italian | Downtown | Umbrella sidewalk patio | $$$ |
| Nueva Cantina | Mexican | 4th St S | Tulum-style patio, two bars | $$ |
| Trophy Fish | Seafood | Grand Central | Fully outdoor patio, heaters | $$ |
Outdoor Italian restaurants in St. Petersburg
St. Pete’s Italian kitchens love a sidewalk. Beach Drive and Central Ave are thick with patios where you can sit out front over wood-fired pizza and handmade pasta. These two are the marquee picks; the full guide has six.
BellaBrava
Beach Drive is the city’s best people-watching strip, and BellaBrava’s umbrella-shaded patio sits right across from the Museum of Fine Arts. The New World trattoria menu leans on stone-fired pizza and a pork milanese that runs off the edge of the plate. It is the easy choice when you want to eat outside and watch the Beach Drive crowd drift by.
Gratzzi Italian Grille
Gratzzi turns dinner into a bit of theater, with an expansive umbrella-covered sidewalk patio and a Bada Bing pasta finished tableside in a hollowed Parmesan wheel. This is the dressed-up, occasion end of outdoor Italian downtown. Book it for a date night when you want the patio and the meal to both feel like a treat.
See our full guide to outdoor Italian restaurants in St. Petersburg for four more, including Bavaro’s wood-fired pies in the EDGE District and the family-run CD Roma out on 66th Street.
Outdoor Mexican restaurants in St. Petersburg
Mexican is where St. Pete’s outdoor dining gets the most fun. Think courtyards, mezcal, and margaritas under the sky, from a downtown showpiece to counter-service taco patios in Grand Central.
Red Mesa Cantina
Red Mesa Cantina has the prettiest outdoor setting of any Mexican spot in town: a downtown courtyard with fountains, a koi-pond footbridge, an outdoor bar, and live music on weekends. The kitchen does modern Mexican with a serious tequila and mezcal list. Order the tableside guac, then settle in under the string lights.
Nueva Cantina
Nueva Cantina goes full Tulum-jungle, with a shaded patio and two outdoor bars pouring fresh-squeezed margaritas. The menu runs from birria tacos to fajitas, and the patio is built for settling in over a pitcher. It is a festive, easy pick on the 4th Street corridor.
See our full guide to outdoor Mexican restaurants in St. Petersburg for the rest, including the dog-friendly Mercado patio in the Edge District and Grumpy Gringo’s covered patio for rainy afternoons.
Outdoor seafood restaurants in St. Petersburg
Wrapped by water on three sides, St. Pete might have more open-air seafood than anywhere on the Gulf coast. The decks sit over the Pier, the marinas, and the creekside fish camps, and the catch usually came in that morning.
The Big Catch at Salt Creek
The Big Catch sits right on the Harborage Marina at Salt Creek, with an open-air dock deck and boat-up access. This is the barefoot-local end of St. Pete seafood: fried grouper, peel-and-eat shrimp, and a cold beer with the water at your feet. Skip the nice shoes and come by boat if you have one.
Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille
At the base of the St. Pete Pier, Doc Ford’s runs open-air tables with clear bay views and a rum-bar feel. The Yucatan shrimp in citrus-garlic butter is the order, and the spot is hard to beat for a sunset drink with your feet pointed at the water. Busy, and worth the wait.
See our full guide to outdoor seafood restaurants in St. Petersburg for four more, from the all-outdoor patio at Trophy Fish on Central Ave to the tiki backyard at Mullet’s Fish Camp in South St. Pete.
Where St. Petersburg’s outdoor restaurants cluster
The patios bunch up in a few districts, which makes it easy to wander and pick. Beach Drive and downtown hold the dressed-up sidewalk crowd, with BellaBrava across from the MFA, Gratzzi’s umbrella patio, and Red Mesa Cantina’s courtyard a few blocks over. Central Ave and Grand Central run more casual, all the way west, with taco patios and Trophy Fish’s open-air room. The water-facing decks sit east and south: the St. Pete Pier for Doc Ford’s, the Vinoy basin for Paul’s Landing, and the Harborage Marina at Salt Creek for The Big Catch. Pick a district, then pick a patio.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best outdoor restaurants in St. Petersburg?
It depends on the meal. For atmosphere, Red Mesa Cantina’s downtown courtyard is the showpiece. For dining over the water, The Big Catch at Salt Creek and Doc Ford’s at the Pier are the picks. For a dressed-up sidewalk dinner, Gratzzi and BellaBrava lead the Italian side. Each one has a real, verified outdoor setup, not a token table or two.
Which St. Petersburg restaurants have the best waterfront patios?
The dock and marina decks win for water. The Big Catch sits right on the Harborage Marina at Salt Creek, Doc Ford’s has open-air tables at the base of the St. Pete Pier, and Paul’s Landing looks over the Vinoy yacht basin. Trophy Fish is fully outdoor too, though it is on Central Ave rather than the water.
Are there covered or shaded patios for hot or rainy days?
Yes. Grumpy Gringo’s covered patio shrugs off a Florida downpour, and CD Roma on 66th Street has a covered patio that works rain or shine. Trophy Fish uses shade sails and heaters, and most of the Beach Drive and Central Ave spots rely on big umbrellas that handle a passing shower.
Which outdoor restaurants in St. Petersburg are dog-friendly?
Plenty. Red Mesa Mercado’s gated front patio in the Edge District welcomes dogs, and Bonu’ Taverna Italiana allows leashed dogs on its Central Ave patio. For the full rundown by cuisine, see our guide to dog-friendly restaurants in St. Petersburg.
Where do St. Petersburg’s outdoor restaurants cluster?
Three main stretches. Beach Drive and downtown hold the dressed-up sidewalk patios and Red Mesa’s courtyard. Central Ave and Grand Central run more casual, with taco patios and Trophy Fish. The water-facing decks sit east and south, at the St. Pete Pier, the Vinoy basin, and the Salt Creek marina.
Across the bay, Tampa runs its own deep outdoor scene, from the Riverwalk downtown to the bay at Rocky Point. Heading over the bridge? See our guide to the best outdoor restaurants in Tampa.
Eating around St. Pete another way? See our guides to waterfront restaurants in St. Petersburg and dog-friendly restaurants in St. Petersburg, and private dining restaurants in St. Petersburg, and the best rooftop restaurants in St. Petersburg.
Hungry for more? Browse the rest of our guides on the Restaurants1 home page.
Last updated: May 2026