From Dive To Divine
Hidden Gems, Quirky Cocktails, Hotel Havens, and HIGHer profile roosts.
Tampa Bay Drinkery
2756 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33712
A newcomer, so still a bit of a hidden gem, is uptown on Central, just past the busier fray.
Owned by Wellington Moto, who has artistically decorated the space with eclectic touches, from the upside-down hanging lamps to the elaborate decorative garlands. You could be in a Gentleman’s Bar at the Turn of the Century as you listen to soft piano music while lounging on a Victorian settee. The elegant baby grand piano, raised up on a small stage area, is guarded by two large, jet black, ceramic dogs. A backdrop of dramatic red drapery and a vivid, gold Japanese screen frame, as if Lorenzo Medici commissioned its placement for each to have a gold-leaf glow. The place reeks of artsy and interesting, as do the clientele.
The short bar, in one corner of the space, has a row of windows behind it, allowing a cool breeze to waft in, or for you to opt for a stool on the sidewalk. I was at the Drinkery the evening Kaitlyn Lampasso was the bartender. She had me as a loyal regular when I ordered white wine and it arrived in a chilled glass, though she and the other bartenders pride themselves on their kraft cocktails. In fact, I was already won over as soon as I stepped into its calm, quiet ambience since it’s of the rare bars these days, sans the animation, color, and blare of televisions.
Open only a brief time, it’s already become a classy hangout for the gay crowd who frequent the neighboring Grumpy Gringo Liquors and attached bar, also owned by Mr. Moto, while also drawing straight couples who want a little romance in a comfortable setting, friends of whatever persuasion who have info to share, and for loners into the music.
HOSTESS, Wine Bar
2635 Central Ave
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
Also on Central Ave, St Pete, the Wine Bar at Hostess falls under quirky. They close at nine, for a starter, and, what appears as once to be a family dwelling, it has a front room shop with various items from wine to glasses for purchase. Go up the few Hollywoodish inner steps and a cozy parlor awaits you for intimate, even romantic, early drinks. You can also opt for seating in a small garden area, perfect for a party of two or four having a private visit. Back inside, behind the parlor, is a room used for various quirky offerings. Hostess commonly holds bridal showers in this space. The agenda changes monthly, ranging from book signings to Cake decorating classes. Hostess is a unique approach to the usual concept of a bar. The night I was there, it appeared to be a “specialty” night for a private party, attracting a younger set. Gorgeous young women seem to be a theme for those enjoying Hostess.
HY at the Hyatt
25 2nd St N
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
I confess, I love Hotel bars! I’m not thrilled, however, that so many are taking over gem cities like Tampa and St. Pete, removing revered historical buildings, changing the special styles, and period architecture of our beloved environs. That said, there is something about the air in a hotel bar, as if it’s fragile, holding its breath so as not to disturb you. There’s a calm in the best ones, in order, I assume, to counter the frenzy and too-brightly lit lobbies. HY is pure Zen and I’ll gladly bask in its dim light, which, frankly, make me look better. It’s large, one-color wall art piece, spanning the length of the bar, implies steady seas. It’s wide, round-backed, padded bar stools provide a place for a weary traveler, even if just traveling from a few blocks away. Outside, First Avenue North might be teeming with passers-by, but inside, set back a bit, HY’s large, tinted windows keep you separate, removed, creating a sense of an evening’s private luxury. You can relax and perhaps chat with another solace seeker. If she is serving that night, Paula, one of the two alternating bartenders, is charming, and can mix you up a craft cocktail to soothe any jet lag. For me, it’s only flaw is it’s not one, but two large-screened TVs above the bar; jarring color amidst this otherwise relaxing, space of simple elegance. IF you don’t crane your neck, you can focus on Paula, or your companion, or swivel around and watch the passersby who can only vaguely see you behind the smoky windows.
The Scott at the Cordova Inn
253 2nd Ave N
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
The Scott is a hidden gem, being off the beaten path of the mainstays of Central or Beach Drive in St Pete. This tiny space is rich in feeling, its most recent rehab capturing the spirt of the 1920s, when the Inn was first built. Sitting at the few seats of the bar, or on the sofas in what is an entrance area to the hotel, it’s impossible not to strike up a conversation, or for someone to start talking to you as if you are part of their party. Folks staying at the hotel make for interesting bar mates, carrying tales of why they’re in town, where they’re from, or discussing their membership in the hotel’s loyalty plan in the New Hotel Collection, which gives them entry to other Collection hotels in other locales. If you want a personal moment with your companion, aside from the few separate seating areas inside, you can hope a couple of the rockers on the beautifully arched front porch are free. Swaying out there is like being at your family’s country estate had it been carried, a distance from Oz, as Dorothy’s Aunty Em’s farmhouse had, but straight to a city’s downtown. The Cordova, initially called Hotel Scott —hence the bar’s name — is one of the earliest hotels in St. Pete, dating to1921. Its bar captures, at least in my experience, what we might perceive of earlier eras, before slickness and shiny surfaces were trendy, and when we might have believed the world was made up only of friendly, no-frills folks. Kudos Cordova for retaining the original architecture of this sweet haven, incorporating it into the new additions, rather than altering, or tearing it down.
Berkely Beach Club
109 8th Ave
St Pete Beach, FL 33706
As for a HIGHER profile spot, the Berkely Beach Club, atop the Berkely Beach Club Hotel in Pass-a-Grille, feels close to being on a Greek island. Its white decor, the breeze wafting from either the ocean on one side, or the inter-coastal waterway on the other, give that vacation vibe. The night sky completes the mood and makes you feel time is irrelevant. I happened to first go there just as the pandemic was starting, and two of us, basically, had the place to ourselves. One drink there felt like a complete-weekend escape. Of course, that sense of ownership changed once more people emerged post-pandemic, and folks recognized this rooftop oasis as the perfect place for catching brilliant sunsets, while sipping some colorful drink to match the sky. Set on one of the small streets of charming Pass-a-Grille, it’s a restful escape from the throngs, of late, roaming St. Pete’s nightlife districts,
Cane and Barrel Rooftop Bar
110 2nd St N
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
At the AC Hotel in downtown St Pete, this bar makes one feel a bit like they’re in a Monet painting; that is, when Monet started losing his eyesight, and the water lilies were stretched out on huge canvasses. Or you might liken it to a modern take on the French era when all surfaces were wallpapered with busy prints. In this case, splashes of paint, not paper, cover the ceilings and walls of this eighth-floor hideaway. With its Cuban influence, the white globe sconces are typical of at least one old restaurant I visited in Havana. The white-counter bar has a base of bright blue, with carved leaf decorations. Those simple, ornamental garlands reminded me of Havana’s early touches, still lingering in the old town section; touches of great beauty, clinging on amidst great decay. There is nothing decaying on this rooftop, however. It’s crisp with an abstract vibe, and if you step outside to its expansive balcony, you suddenly feel as if you have a secret view of the city of St Pete, which only those already seated in well-spaced tables and chairs, know about.
I am gob-smacked by how varied, impressive, sophisticated and, frankly, by just the numbers of night-life settings that seem to have sprung up overnight in Tampa Bay and St Pete specifically. In my journey through just a few of the area bars, I have been impressed with the thought and effort that has gone into the design elements of these establishments. Each one makes a statement and creates an ambience and mood wholly different from what might be right next door. Each makes you feel welcome in their own way. Hats off to the artists and entrepreneurs that are making each time we journey out to a “watering hole,” an adventure in discovery and exploration. It’s like being on safari, wondering what new creature might reveal itself to you. I say, slip into those doorways, take those lifts, you might find your own next Cheers, where everyone just might learn your name.
