South St. Pete, Patio to Beach

St. Petersburg · 2–3 hours · morning

Two outdoor cafes at opposite ends of South St. Pete, joined by a short drive of about 5km. Start at a quirky patio cafe on 6th Street South that opens at 6am, then head to a beach cafe under a banyan tree at the foot of the Skyway. Both are better outside, and both shut early afternoon. Open every day.

The route

1. Southside Coffee Brew Bar
Southside
Start here, before it shuts at 1pm (2pm on Sunday). A small quirky cafe with a couple of stools inside and a patio that does the real work. Order the latte, which has brown sugar notes, and the scone. Prices are reasonable, and it is not a place to work. The next stop is about 5km away, so plan a short drive.
2. Paradeco Coffee Roasters SkyBeach
Skyway Marina District
Most of the seats are outside, facing the beach, under a banyan tree. Order the chocolate muffin, which is incredibly moist, and take it to a seat outside. The Peru latte was under-extracted and watered down on our visit, so the coffee is not the reason to come. Open 7am to 3pm.