Best Restaurants in St. Augustine

Where locals eat, from waterfront dining to the best breakfast in town.

Best Restaurants in St. Augustine, Florida

From 18th-century dining rooms to waterfront fish shacks, the oldest city eats surprisingly well.

Historic District Dining

The Floridian

Locally sourced Southern food in a relaxed historic district setting. Brunch is the most popular meal, the biscuits and Florida-grown produce have built a loyal following. Vegetarian and vegan options are genuinely well-executed. Expect a wait on weekend mornings.

Best for: Brunch, local sourcing

Location: St. George Street area

Columbia Restaurant

The St. Augustine location of the legendary Tampa original, operating in Florida since 1905. Spanish-Cuban cuisine in a grand historic dining room, the 1905 Salad made tableside and the Cuban sandwich are the must-orders. The flamenco show on certain nights makes it a complete evening.

Best for: Special occasions, Spanish cuisine

Preserved Restaurant

Farm-to-table in the truest sense, many ingredients come from the restaurant's own farm. Creative American cuisine in a beautifully restored historic building. The bar program is as serious as the food. One of the more ambitious restaurants in the city.

Salt Life Food Shack

Waterfront casual dining at the St. Augustine Beach Pier. Fresh local seafood, fish tacos, and Florida-style plates with ocean views. One of the most relaxed settings for a meal near the water.

Caps on the Water

Arguably the best waterfront dining in the St. Augustine area, on the Tolomato River north of the historic district. The setting is exceptional, the seafood is fresh, and the fish sandwiches are among the best in northeast Florida.

Best for: Fresh seafood, waterfront views

Casual and Local Favorites

A small, chef-driven seafood restaurant that punches above its size. The menu changes based on what's available locally. Regulars swear by whatever the catch of the day happens to be. Small room, big flavors.

O.C. White's Seafood and Spirits

One of St. Augustine's oldest and most reliable seafood restaurants, operating since 1983 in a historic building on the Matanzas River. The peel-and-eat shrimp and the she-crab soup are perennial favorites.

Local Tip: The restaurants on St. George Street cater primarily to tourists and reflect it in both price and ambition. For better food at better value, walk one or two blocks off the main pedestrian strip. The best meals in St. Augustine are rarely on the most photographed street.

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