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St. Augustine has plenty of restaurants built to catch you as you walk by. I’d skip most of those. What I want is good food in a room or on a deck I’d actually want to sit in, without fighting the St. George Street crowd to get there.
These are the places I’d send a friend. Nobody paid to be on this list, and I’ve been to every one of them.
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| Place | Go for | The feel |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Hen Cafe Lincolnville | Breakfast, lunch | Scratch biscuits, small-neighborhood feel |
| Coffee House Realty Cafe San Marco Ave. | Coffee, a quick bite | 1910 Victorian with a porch swing |
| Kookaburra Downtown and the beach | Coffee, Aussie pies | Laid-back Australian-style cafe |
| City Perks Coffee St. George St., by the Castillo | Coffee, pastries, a Florida wine | Locally owned, with a patio courtyard |
| Columbia Restaurant St. George St. | Lunch, dinner | Tile, a fountain, a real occasion |
| Aunt Kate’s Vilano | Lunch, dinner | Family-run, on the river |
| Mango Mango’s St. Augustine Beach | Lunch, dinner, takeout | Caribbean, steps from the sand |
| O’Steen’s Anastasia Island | Lunch, dinner | A local classic for fried shrimp, cash only |
| Salt Water Cowboys Dondanville Rd., south of town | Dinner, weekend lunch | Old Florida fish camp on the marsh |
| Salt Life Food Shack St. Augustine Beach | Lunch, dinner, drinks | Casual and beachy, with an upper deck over the ocean |
| Cap’s on the Water Myrtle St., north of downtown | Lunch, sunset dinner | Rustic, nautical, big sunsets |
| St. Augustine Fish Camp Riberia St., Lincolnville | Lunch, dinner | Casual, waterfront, good with kids |
| Conch House Anastasia Island | Lunch, dinner, drinks | Private cabanas over the water, reggae in summer |
| Catch 27 Charlotte St., downtown | Dinner | Florida seafood, cozy room |
| Collage Hypolita St., downtown | Dinner | Small and romantic |
| Ice Plant Bar Riberia St. | Cocktails, dinner | Craft drinks in a 1920s ice plant |
Breakfast and coffee
Blue Hen Cafe
223 West King St., Lincolnville. Come for the scratch biscuits with peach butter. Full breakfast runs from 8am to 11am, and lunch comes on after that. It’s been listed as closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and lines can form before it opens, so go early and check first.
Coffee House Realty Cafe
47 San Marco Ave. This is a 1910 Victorian with a wraparound porch and a swing, and there are books and games inside. You’ll get coffee and quick bites like quiche, croissants and muffins. It’s the place to slow your morning down. It’s been listed as closed Mondays.
Kookaburra
18 Cathedral Pl., downtown, and 647 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach. This local chain roasts its own coffee and serves Australian-style meat pies, which turn out to be a great breakfast. The hot chocolate is a good one on a chilly Nights of Lights walk. It opens at 6:30am, so it’s also your best bet if you’re up early. There are several other locations around the area.
City Perks Coffee
15 St. George St., across from the Castillo. It’s locally owned and right by the north end of St. George Street, so it’s an easy stop before your 9am Castillo visit. You’ll find espresso drinks, nitro cold brew, pastries and quiche, plus local beer and Florida wine later in the day. The patio courtyard is dog friendly.
Lunch
Columbia Restaurant
98 St. George St., at Hypolita. Yes, it’s on St. George, but once you’re inside you won’t care. The rooms are full of hand-painted tile, and the menu is Spanish and Cuban, with paella and arroz con pollo among the classics. Open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. I’d reserve ahead.
Aunt Kate’s
612 Euclid Ave., Vilano. The Usina family has run this place on the Tolomato River for more than 100 years. Get a table on the deck and order seafood, like the fried oysters or fish tacos. It’s a nice break from downtown and only a short drive.
Mango Mango’s
700 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach. This is my beach-day lunch. Order takeout, have a cocktail at the bar while you wait, and walk your food down to the sand. The shrimp tacos are amazing.
Salt Life Food Shack
321 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach, across from the pier. Go up to the upper deck, where you can look out over the beach and the ocean with a drink in your hand. The menu runs from poke bowls and sushi rolls to tacos and burgers, so it’s an easy pick for a group that can’t agree. It’s a good one to walk to after a day at the beach.
The St. Augustine staples
If you ask around town where to eat, these two names are going to come up. They’re St. Augustine staples, and I’d put either one on your list.
O’Steen’s
205 Anastasia Blvd., Anastasia Island. It’s been around since 1965, and the fried shrimp is what people come for. You’ll also find Minorcan clam chowder and hush puppies, and the local datil pepper shows up in a lot of the recipes.
Two things to know: bring cash, and go early. It’s been listed as cash only, with no reservations and long lines in season. It’s also been listed as closed Sundays and Mondays. If you don’t want to wait, you can call (904) 829-6974 and order to go.
Salt Water Cowboys
299 Dondanville Rd. This one’s at the end of Dondanville Road, and it feels like an old Florida fish camp, with rusted tin ceilings, handmade furniture and a deck looking out over the marsh. The menu has seafood, steaks and open-pit barbecue, plus Cracker dishes like alligator tail, catfish and frog legs. It’s been around for more than 55 years. It’s mainly a dinner spot, and it’s listed as closed Mondays, but call first because the listed hours don’t all agree.
Dinner
Cap’s on the Water
4325 Myrtle St. Cap’s is away from downtown, with a rustic nautical room and western sunset views. Go for the steamed shrimp and grilled fish, and book ahead in peak season. Lunch is good here too, if you want the water without the dinner crowd.
St. Augustine Fish Camp
142 Riberia St., Lincolnville. It’s the easy one with kids: casual seafood, outdoor seating and views of the San Sebastian River. Reservations are suggested, not required, and I’d get there early on weekends.
Conch House
57 Comares Ave., Anastasia Island. I love this place because you can sit in a private cabana right over the water. It’s at the Conch House Marina Resort, with a Caribbean-leaning menu that includes Minorcan conch chowder and fried shrimp. Seating has been listed as first-come, first-served.
Catch 27
40 Charlotte St., downtown. This is a cozy spot for Florida seafood such as grouper, snapper and mullet, and it’s one of the easiest good dinners to walk to. It’s been listed as dinner only on most days. Book ahead on weekends.
Collage
60 Hypolita St., downtown. Save this for date night. It’s a small, romantic room serving international dishes with a focus on local seafood and steaks. It’s been listed as closed Mondays and open from 5pm the rest of the week.
A drink with character
Ice Plant Bar
110 Riberia St. Craft cocktails in a restored 1920s ice plant. It’s laid-back in the afternoon and livelier at night, and there’s a full dinner menu too. There’s on-site parking, which is rarer than it should be around here.
How to eat well here
- Reserve anywhere you really care about, especially on weekends and during Nights of Lights.
- Eat early. If you sit down by 6pm, the whole night gets easier.
- Get off St. George Street, even a block or two. Hypolita, Aviles, Charlotte and Riberia are all close by.
- Call before you go. Hours change, especially off-season.
If parking’s the worry, my downtown parking guide has the $5 evening garage rate and when it doesn’t apply. And if you’re putting a whole trip together, here’s how I’d spend a weekend.
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Hours were checked on Nov. 2, 2026, and they change often. No restaurant paid to be on this list. Call ahead before you make the drive.