St. Pete Coffee Shops
Top 4 coffee shops in St. Pete:
It's no secret that I love coffee. It's even less of a secret that since I moved to St. Pete just over three years ago, a number of great coffee shops have opened in the 727. Coincidence? I think not.
Craft Kafe:
Craft Kafe recently opened a new shop in downtown St. Pete a few blocks from Beach Drive on the corner of Central Ave and 2nd Street North. Basically, it's a dream location for any and all activities downtown, and lately Courtney and I have been visiting more than we'd like to admit.
Between the community table, window seating, and outside patio there are plenty of cozy nooks to sip your cortado with honey (Dan's favorite) or your iced matcha latte (Courtney's favorite). But what we really love about Craft is their selection of excellent gluten free baked goods. They have delicious desserts like carrot cake cupcakes and cheesecake, not to mention their quiche is addicting. I'm drooling right now just thinking about it.
Most importantly, Craft cares about quality ingredients and it shows. Their food and drinks are consistently fantastic and you always know that you are going to be treated well by their knowledgeable staff. We highly recommend checking Craft out!
Black Crow Coffee:
Courtney and I began our second year in St. Pete by moving into a little carriage house in the Old Northeast. We quickly fell in love with the historic neighborhood (that is a post for another time), especially when we saw a sign hanging in a nearby shop's window that read "Black Crow Coffee - Coming Soon".
Black Crow is owned by Deana and Greg and it sits on the corner of 8th Ave N and 2nd Street. Parking can be hard to find so be ready to walk a block or two, but believe me it's worth the hike. The interior of the shop is just like Deana: welcoming, warm, and quirky. Local art often hangs on the exposed brick walls of Black Crow and patrons can be found sipping their brew on an eclectic hodgepodge of furniture that Deana and Greg picked up at the local Brocante Market.
Black Crow's coffee menu is large, but my favorite drink is the iced Jet Fuel Latte. The Jet Fuel is a latte with molasses sugar and according to (Canadian) Greg it originated in Toronto. I get the Jet Fuel iced, well, because Florida...and I often drink it while eating one of Black Crow's homemade Nutella and sea salt cookies. Enjoy your iced Jet Fuel while strolling through nearby Northshore Park.
Bandit Coffee Co.
Bandit Coffee was started almost two years ago by Sarah and Josh and is located on the corner of Central Ave and 27th Street. This shop stands out to me because of it's attention to detail in both its design and coffee craftsmanship. More on that below:
The shops branding, décor, and aesthetics are clean and minimalistic. Black and white are Bandit's colors save for the dark green of the shops great assortment of succulents and rubber plants. Additionally, the Bandit team has deep roots in design and photography so every detail of the shop has been thoughtfully curated in a simple yet striking way.
Bandit's great attention to detail carries over to their drink menu as well; these people take their craft seriously. Right now my favorite drink at Bandit is their (iced) latte with bourbon vanilla syrup. Like Bandit, it's minimialistic yet fantastic. I say this is my favorite drink at Bandit "right now" because they often create new drinks for seasonal menus throughout the year. Courtney and I like to enjoy our iced lattes while exploring some of the nearby antique shops in the Grand Central District.
Intermezzo Coffee and Cocktails:
Intermezzo was opened by Jarrett just over a year ago and it's a great fit on Central Ave. in St. Pete's Edge District. Jarrett is a coffee, cocktail, and wine enthusiast who is always looking for a reason to entertain. Shortly after opening Intermezzo, Jarrett began serving cocktails, wine, and beer after hours along with an amazing selection of fresh oysters in partnership with Empire Oyster (their oyster "experience" is so good could be its own post). Whether it's 8 am or 8 pm this is a great place to hang out with a book or friends on their plush leather couch.
Right now my favorite drink at Intermezzo is their Kyoto cold brew (with Made cold brew as a close second). I know it's a shocker that I chose another iced drink but it is VERY hot here in Florida and their cold brew is just so good. Courtney and I like to drink our cold brews driving west on central towards Treasure Island and Sunset Beach.
You can often find me in one of these coffee shops on any given weekend. So if you see me please say hi and ask me what I'm drinking, I'd love to talk with you about it.
#HowIFlorida
