Today I am going to share with you some of my favorite places in Saint Augustine to dine, eat and drink and also enjoy treats! Some of these establishments in Saint Augustine, may be a little off the beaten path, but are always great places (in my opinion) to get some good food and well worth the little effort it takes to walk there. For several of these places, I have already written a full review. So please check those out! Hopefully in the future I will be able to do actual reviews of each place, but in the meantime, here is the list. If you are looking for a best of category that you have not seen here, please feel free to ask and I will give you my opinion.

Best Breakfast: Athena’s
Need to get your day started with a nice honest breakfast? Then you want to check out Athena’s right off the square downtown. They have very large portions, great omelets, and nice big fluffy pancakes, all for a reasonable price. Great service too.
14 Cathedral Pl, Saint Augustine, FL 32084-4417
(904) 823-9076

Best Unique Breakfast: Casa Maya
If you want a nice, organic breakfast, you have got to checkout Cafe Maya. I had the Poblano Eggs and they were delicious – sunny side up eggs cooked to perfection and covered in Mole Poblano. My husband had a Cuban sandwich (which he loves) and says this was one of the best. They have great organic, free trade coffee and delicious smoothies! Inexpensive and great great quality!
See my dinner review
17 Hypolita St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 823-1739

Best Lunch: Gaufres and Good
This place is run by a wonderful Polish couple who used to live in Greece as well. We went here for lunch one day and the food was incredible – freshly made, and out of this world good. We got home made pirogies (they have 3 different fillings) that you can get cooked in several different ways. We also got a huge and perfect Greek salad. I also got a Greek frappe (a type of Greek Iced Coffee drink) that is one of the best I have ever had! So going back for their awesome looking European waffles!
9 Aviles Street, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 829-5770

Best Diner: Georgies Diner
Looks just like an old time diner, but run by the same people as Athena’s – and so they have delicious Greek food there – gyros, souvlaki, Greek Salads and really good French fries! The people that work here are super nice and the food comes out hot and delicious! They also serve beer and wine.
100 Malaga St St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 819-9006

Best Gelato: Cafe de Hidalgo
They make all their gelato in house and have all the authentic Italian flavors as well as some more cosmopolitan and American flavors, but the quality is always great! Their flavors rotate, but some of our favorites have been coconut, banana, pistachio, fig, hazelnut and marscapone. Make sure to stand in line to pay first (they give you a ticket for the gelato counter)
See my full review
35 Hypolita Street
St. Augustine, FL
904-823-1196/1198

Best Sandwiches: JP Henley’s
Our friends told us about this one! Go to the back room! It is less noisy there! This place is known for its beer (over 80 international and domestic beers ON TAP – as well as many many more bottled). But you know what? Their sandwiches are awesome and cheap. So be sure to bring your appetite too! Plus you can get 3 different sizes of most of their beers, so you can taste a lot or you can get a big one if you already know your favorite.
10 Marine St, St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 829-3337

Best English Pub: Prince of Wales
This is a true English Pub – run by an Englishman and his wife! They have the best fish and chips there! It is cute and quaint and they even have some limited outdoor seating if you don’t want to sit inside. They also have lots of great traditional British and Scottish desserts. Yum!
See my full review
54 Cuna St
St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 810-5725

Best Pizza: Kosmic Bluz
We know a thing or two about pizza in this household and are picky about it – one of us being from Rome and the other generally not liking pizza. But this place is awesome! The crust is thin and the toppings fresh, and you can chose white or whole wheat crust! They also have some interesting microbrews on tap and a cute outdoor dining area.
48 Spanish St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 825-4805

Best Place for Upscale Drinks: Tini Martini
This place has the best view of the water! You can sit on their nice porch (all light up with tiki torches at night) or inside the bar. It is attached to The Casablanca Inn, a B&B, so if you go during happy hour, they have cheese and crackers and olives. Be sure to get some, as the drinks are pricey (but really good and unique!) and having the snacks kind of makes up for it! They also have live music on the weekends.
24 Avenida Menendez Saint Augustine, FL 32084
1-800-826-2626

Best Coffee: Crucial Coffee
I love this place! It is an adorable little coffee shack on the corner of Cuna and Charlotte. You can go inside to order, or order from the window. Unique coffee drinks that are addictive and delicious. Nice garden area to sit in as well, or you can take it on the go.
See my full review
26 Charlotte St
St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 810-2080

Best Unique Date Idea: Claude’s Chocolate
My husband and I were just walking around downtown one day and came across Claude’s. We saw that they did a chocolate tasting – you get a choice of 4 different chocolates and either wine or champagne to drink. I can’t remember the price, but it was very inexpensive to have a nice glass of wine and enjoy handmade chocolates made with Belgian chocolate. Be sure to try the coconut and the Spicy Mayan! Also delicious is the chocolate covered caramel with French sea salt.
15 Hypolita St , Saint Augustine, FL
904-829-5790

I have been to Cafe del Hidalgo many times for Gelato. Boy is it good. I am so happy that they don’t always have Nocciola (Hazelnut) or else I would never have gotten the chance to explore the other many wonderful flavors. One day, I was out on an errand and I decided to try their espresso. Whenever I go to a new coffee place to try their espresso drinks, I always get a latte, so it is the standard by which all coffee places are judged.

My latte at Cafe del Hidalgo was alright but it was not as good as some of the other places I have been, like Mystic Bean, which I will be doing a write up on later. I was also disappointed that it was served in a paper cup, even though I was having it there. This is not just a complaint about Hidalgo, but most coffee places now. I remember the days when you went to a coffee bar and if you were having a drink there they served it to you in a regular coffee/ espresso/ cappuccino cup. I miss that and I hope the coffee bars will go back to that someday. There is something nice about that.

I still may go back to Cafe del Hidalgo and try one of their fancy specialty coffees, but most likely I will just stick to the Gelato!

These guys have got my number. I do believe that coffee is a crucial part of life. Not just any coffee but GOOD coffee. I admit I may be a coffee snob, but I feel myself very fortunate to know a bit about coffee and that I have a desire to learn more and more. If you look through this blog or my other blog TheLeftoverQueen you will see much about my love of the bean. So when we relocated to St. Augustine, I made it my personal mission to seek out the best of what St. Augustine has to offer by way of coffee. I will also be enjoying many of the eating establishments here as well, so stay tuned for more. But now, for the coffee.

I love the look of Crucial Coffee. This adorable little coffee shack on the corner of Cuna Street, right near the Castillo de San Marcos is so inviting. It does remind me of those coffee shacks in New England I so love. It is unassuming yet brings attention to itself with brightly colored doors and twinkling little lights. You just can’t help not to go in.

Coffee seems o be an art in St. Augustine too. Perhaps because it is a college town, but the coffee shops here do have quite a bit of competition. So they have to offer unique drinks. Crucial Coffee caught my attention several months ago because I saw that they were advertising Bubble Tea – usually a fruity tea served iced that has tapioca bubbles on the bottom that you suck through a big straw. It may sounds strange, but it is delicious. So I went in one night to get bubble tea. But I was disappointed. They only have it seasonally. So I decided to go back a different day to try one of their coffees. Such a day came last week. I was taking a break from cookbook writing and decided to go venture out for a few hours. When you walk into Crucial Coffee you are bombarded with a lot of choice all handwritten on chalkboards that seem to line all the walls of this tiny place. They even offer coffee drinks with a shot of liqueur, for an extra kick! I love Thai Coffee, so when saw it on their menu I was intrigued. So I ordered one. The barista asked me if I wanted whipped cream, although not typical for a Thai iced coffee, I could not decline.

She poured the coffee from a premade pitcher. I can accept that for an iced coffee concoction. It was dark in color, like chocolate and reminded me more of a mocha than a light and creamy Thai Coffee. Sipping it was a delicious experience indeed. It was sweet with a bit of a cinnamon kick and perhaps some lingering cardamom. But a traditional Thai Coffee it was not. Still I did enjoy it. I also really enjoyed sitting in their cute little courtyard. Many other patrons also chose to sit in this area and enjoy their coffee treats.

I will be back to Crucial Coffee for Bubble Tea and I am sure they will entice me back for more coffee drinks as well. I give it Thumb up. Perfect for an afternoon pick me up on your way back from the Castillo or St. George Street shops.