Always on the lookout for good vegetarian options? The Floridian features a menu with built-in ones, but omnivores shouldn't worry because The Floridian serves them too. The kitchen fuses a melange of Southern comfort food alongside what could be called healthy Californian. With dishes as eclectic as Ancho-Citrus Brined Turkey or the Five Spice Smoked Tempeh (soy product), the restaurant is always a nice change of pace in this historic beach town. If you're looking for a something a little more breakfast like, try their sister cafe La Floridita right next door.
Housed in a charming 18th-century building, The Tasting Room is the place to go and tapear (eat tapas) while in St Augustine. The menus change according to season and they all feature items from home such as aged Serrano and Iberian ham, Chorizo and the popular Valdéon or Manchego cheeses. Some of the traditional tapas themselves include pulpo (octopus), Croquetas (croquettes) and Caracoles (snails). In addition to spectacular seasonal menus, The Tasting Room also has excellent prix-fixe ones. The wine list is equally impressive, the restaurant not only has varietals from around Spain like Tempranillo, Albariño and Garnacha, but it also has wines from regions around the world.
Carmelo's Pizzeria may be mainstay for Flagler College students, but this establishment has been here in St. Augustine for more than a century. Most of the menu focuses on the pizzas, yet the kitchen still provides sandwiches, calzones, panini, wings, salads, subs and wraps. After dinner, check out the San Sebastian Winery across the street for a tasting or head to Whetstone Chocolate Factory to satisfy the sweet tooth.
Oasis is a well-known watering hole offering casual dining, a full bar and direct access to the beach. It's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and each service has everything from traditional eggs and waffles to burgers, dogs, soups and salads. The bar is usually filled with local patrons who come to watch one of the games on more than 40 different TVs and enjoy a bucket of oysters. Others come for the live music that varies depending on the night, sometimes its rock, sometimes its country or something in-between.
Collage is managed by two food lovers from the state of Texas. Fortunately for the denizens of St. Augustine, these two decided to head eastward. With a menu that comprises a fusion of world cuisines, the restaurant manages to tap the pulse of its urban patrons. You can sample something new and innovative each time, for example, begin with an escargot and warmed goat cheese salad paired with a sparkling white wine; follow this with the homemade lobster ravioli and veal Orleans. Since the kitchen tries to use sustainable produce and foodstuffs, the menu changes accordingly.
Just across the Matanzas River along Anastasia Boulevard is where you'll find this restaurant that specializes in innovative home-style Floridian cuisine. This spot features a daily menu in constant rotation. Some of the favorites on it include the Jalapeno Popper Burger, the Burger Benedict stacked with tomatoes, bacon and homemade Béarnaise or the jumbo shrimp plate. The dessert menu changes just as often and if you happen to see the caramel sea salt brownie on there, order it, you won't be disappointed.