Restaurants Coffee Bakeries Sweets
Local coffee shops, historic Spanish bakeries, ice cream parlors, and the best places to stop for a treat between attractions.
Coffee, Bakeries & Sweets in St. Augustine
Local coffee shops, historic Spanish bakeries, ice cream parlors, and the best places to stop for a treat between attractions.
Coffee, pastries, and sweets are the connective tissue of a St. Augustine vacation. Morning espresso at a local roaster before the historic district fills with tourists. A Cuban pastry from the Spanish Bakery midway through a downtown walk. Mayday Ice Cream after a long beach day. Whetstone Chocolates as a souvenir for someone back home. The category is small but unusually strong, with several spots that visitors specifically come back for on every trip.
The local coffee scene is anchored by a few standouts: The Kookaburra Coffee on Treasury Street has been a downtown institution for years, with serious espresso and a hidden tropical-bird-themed atmosphere. Several restaurants and breakfast spots roast their own beans or partner with local roasters. The bakery scene leans heavily on the Spanish heritage: Cuban bread, guava-and-cheese pastries, and the kind of buttery breakfast pastries you remember from European trips.
The sweet side covers ice cream (Mayday Ice Cream is the local champion), small-batch chocolates (Whetstone has been making St. Augustine’s signature chocolate-covered fruit for decades), specialty cupcakes, and a few stops with house-made gelato or Italian ice. These are the places to hit between attractions, after dinner, or as your “souvenir to take home” stop on the last day. Below: the picks worth seeking out.
Editor’s Picks: Best Stops for a Treat
Coffee in the morning, ice cream at sunset, chocolate to take home.
All Coffee, Bakeries & Sweets
Every coffee shop, bakery, ice cream spot, and dessert place in our directory.
What to Know About Coffee & Sweets Here
Local vs. Chain
The local coffee shops are noticeably better than the chains here. Skip Starbucks and try The Kookaburra, the bakeries, or the breakfast restaurants that serve better coffee than most coffee shops.
Spanish Pastries
The Spanish Bakery & Cafe is one of the few places where you can still get traditional Cuban bread, guava-and-cheese pastelillos, and Spanish-style breakfast pastries. Worth the stop especially if you skipped a sit-down breakfast.
Ice Cream Lines
Mayday gets long lines on summer evenings. Either go early (before 7 PM) or late (after 9 PM). The wait moves fast but plan for it.
Souvenir Sweets
Whetstone Chocolates are the classic edible souvenir from St. Augustine, sold in tourist-friendly gift boxes. Buy them on your last day so they don’t melt in a hot car all week.
Local Specialties
Datil pepper jelly, Florida-grown citrus marmalades, and Cuban coffee are all worth trying at the bakeries. Datil pepper chocolate exists if you’re feeling adventurous.
Walking-Friendly
Most coffee, bakery, and sweet spots are concentrated downtown, perfect for stops during a walking day. Plan a morning coffee stop, mid-afternoon ice cream, and a final chocolate purchase as natural breaks in your route.