Cane & Barrel Rooftop Bar
A Cuban-inspired rooftop bar on top of the AC Hotel downtown, built around rum cocktails. There is an indoor lounge and an open-air terrace, and a boozy brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30am to 3pm.
St. Pete Nightlife: Downtown
The blocks between the bay and the stadium, with Central Avenue running through the middle. This is where the city keeps its concert courtyard, its food hall, three of its five MICHELIN Recommended restaurants and most of its late bars. You can park once and walk to all of it.
Dublin Drop
The newest Irish bar downtown. I Love the Burg's 2026 World Cup guide calls it probably the largest room in the city given over to soccer, rowdy on match days, with beer and shot specials and Irish food.
Jannus Live
An open-air, standing-room concert courtyard downtown ... the venue says it has been running for over 40 years. Touring rock, reggae, hip-hop and electronic acts play under the sky, with balcony views and air-conditioned lounges sold as VIP upgrades.
Mary Margaret's Olde Irish Tavern
Founded by Pete, Kat, Aaron and Ian and named for Pete's grandmother, whose beauty salon once filled this same storefront. Fish and chips and shepherd's pie come with vegan versions, and bands play Irish rebel music. I Love the Burg calls it downtown's number one spot for Premier League and big soccer matches ... it showed all 104 World Cup games with the sound on in 2026 and opens early for Celtic F.C.
Ruby's Elixir
A cocktail and cigar lounge with live music seven nights a week, sets usually starting at 6:30pm, and a Thursday night jazz session hosted by Le Jazz. It is paired with Central Cigars and keeps a temperature-controlled humidor ... smoking is allowed inside. The bar says it has more than 25 years behind it.
Saigon Blonde
A 1960s-styled tiki bar that opened in 2018 in the old LUX space. The front bar is all flickering tiki totems and big murals, and the cocktail list leans on Pacific Rim flavors. Tiki Tuesday means a $7 Mai Tai.
Shiso Crispy
A food truck that grew into restaurants. The site says its hand-folded gyoza, dirty rice bowls and bao have been made from scratch 'since the food truck days', and I Love the Burg counted the downtown room, with a full kitchen and cocktail bar, among the best openings of 2025. It also has a Central Avenue shop at 1431 Central and one in Tampa. The downtown room stays open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Copper Shaker
A locally owned cocktail bar and kitchen downtown with more than 700 spirit labels on the back bar, about 200 of them whiskies, and 14 beer taps. The kitchen sends out shareable plates late.
The Crafty Squirrel
A loud downtown bar with industrial garage doors that roll up onto Central Avenue, 16 TVs, communal tables and a dance floor. DJs play all week and the kitchen does Korean BBQ fried chicken sandwiches, street corn dip and tacos. Happy hour is buy one, get one on house cocktails, wines, wells and drafts.
The Mandarin Hide
A downtown cocktail bar on the 200 block of Central that stays open until 3am six nights a week.