Clearwater, FL Guide to Top Restaurants and Attractions

Clearwater Beach Attractions and Restaurants

• Cooters Raw Bar and Restaurant: Similar to a Key West hangout that it hurts. Fresh seafood, locals and tourist gather to have fun times and good eats in this no frill spot.
• Hooters: Known for wings and a great place to watch the sunsets at the Lookout Patio Bar on the rooftop, with outdoor couch seating or indoor bar.
• Shephard's Waterfront Restaurant: Best known for its large buffet served daily and Sunday brunch.

• Backwater's: Casual, yet upscale evening atmosphere with expertly prepared steaks, seafood and pasta. Waterfront dining and nightly entertainment.
• Crabby Bill's: Live music and great happy hours daily. Seafood, salads, pasta, sandwiches and a kids' menu are offered here.
• Crabby Bill's (Beachwalk): Sit rooftop to watch the sunsets. Enjoy happy hour daily till 7pm. Seafood, salads, pasta, sandwiches and a kids menu are offered here.
• Frenchy's Cafe: Four casual Frenchy's locations crowding the Clearwater Beach landscape, each a little different but all fueled by their own seafood specialties.
• Frenchy's Rockaway: She-crab soup, stone crab and grouper sandwiches, enjoy the good food and amazing sunsets from the deck.
• Frenchy's Saltwater Cafe: A hole-in-the-wall favorite on Clearwater Beach serves up seafood fresh from the boat at bargain prices. Served with cold beer and good humor.
• Frenchy's South Beach Cafe: Sit inside and jam to the music or on the patio and people watch. But whatever you do, you must have a grouper sandwich!
• Jimmy's Fish House and Iguana Bar: A beach shack mentality melds with Key West's Mallory Square in this spot located in a Holiday Inn Express.
• Palm Pavilion Grill and Bar: Sits right on Clearwater Beach. An open air bar and restaurant featuring daily music acts and free sunsets.

• Brown Boxer Pub and Grille: Great open air sports bar! Cheap drinks for happy hour and American bar food. Live music after 10pm, and it stays open late till 3AM.

• Angelo's Pizza: The best pizza on Clearwater Beach!
• Captain's Pizza: Great place to stop for a late night slice.
• Cesare's On the Beach: Real Italian food like mama makes! Family and friends, gathering around to enjoy each other's company.
• Post Corner Pizza: Casual family dining on Clearwater Beach, both inside and out. Great spot for pizza, Greek and Italian food or just burgers and fries.
• Gondolier Italian Restaurant-Pizza: A casual family restaurant serving Italian and Greek fare. Voted Best overall Clearwater Beach's Restaurant Week 2011. Dine-in, Pick-up and Delivery 8am – midnight.

• Bobby's Bistro and Wine Bar: Hip spin-off of the landmark Heilman's Beachcomber serves contemporary food and a world-class wine list in cozy style.
• Caretta on the Gulf: Sandpearl Resort -- Unbelievable views and seasonally inspired cuisine is at the heart of Sandpearl Resort's signature dining experience.
• Clearwater Wine Bar and Bistro: Unique wine bar, bistro and retail wine shop serving more than 40 wines by the glass, 15 bottled beers and an eclectic menu of gourmet cheeses, pasta, tapas, sandwiches, salads, espresso drinks and homemade desserts.
• Columbia Restaurant Sand Key: Whether you choose a table looking out onto the radiant blue waters of the Intracoastal Waterway from the outdoor deck on the water, you can enjoy cuisine that has consistently been voted Tampa Bay's Favorite.
• Heilman's Beachcomber: Only the freshest seafood and meats are prepared and offered to guests. Piano bar.
• Island Way Grill: Named one of the top 20 by Florida Trend Magazine. This place has it all for seafood lovers, with its fresh seafood, raw bar and sushi bar. Wood-fired grilled steaks and what a Sunday brunch!
• The Lobster Pot Bistro: The flavor is upscale jazz restaurant with awesome live entertainment Thursday through Sunday, bringing in local jazz and blues with a mix of pop. Huge circular bar and the dance floor aims to please even the most discriminating of tastes. Fresh lobster, seafood and steaks.

• Chang Bistro: Thai Infusion Cuisine. Serving Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Kiku Japanese Restaurant: There is no better place to say "Omakase" than to the blade master here, Daniel Chong.

Indian Rocks Beach and Indian Shores Beach

• Bay 1 Ice Cream Parlor

• Cafe de Paris Bakery: Mouth-watering pastries, cookies, croissants, savory crepes and much more, all for a reasonable price.
• Lighthouse Donuts: The best donuts ever! Very good sandwiches, bagels, muffins and great coffee. Get here early; they are sure to sell out quickly.

• Coasters Bar and Grill - 1311 Gulf Blvd. Stop in for a beer, order some homemade potato chips with blue cheese and balsamic.
• Red Lion Pub: It's an awesomely funky British pub on Gulf Boulevard in Indian Rocks Beach. A red English telephone booth marks the spot.

• Crabby Bill's: The Loder family started Captain Bill's back in 1975 and let me tell you this is the most hopping place on IRB!
• Keegans Seafood Grille: You know a great seafood house by its patrons (in line) and its suppliers (docked not far away). Fresh local fish, charcoaled octopus, gumbo and ceviche.
• JD's Restaurant and Bar: Family owned and operated since 1985. Friendly, family atmosphere as well as live entertainment.
• Jimmy Guana: When you see the wahoo and iguana signs, you know you're in the right place. Enjoy a sunset and fresh seafood.
• Pub Waterfront Restaurant: The kitchen stays open until midnight. It's one of the few places on the beach to get a good late-night bite and a popular local's hangout.

• Guppy's on the Beach: Fresh seafood, a laid-back vibe, moderate prices (especially at lunchtime) and the industry cred of owner Eugene Fuhrmann (founder of The Lobster Pot and Mystic Fish) means Guppy's is the most popular -- and packed -- place on the beach.
• Salt Rock Grill: Collaboration between Frank Chivas and Tom Pritchard is renowned for its straight-ahead grill cookery, fresh seafood, raw bar and has an extensive wine list.
• Tappas Garden and Wine Bar: Start off by ordering a pan of the paella, because that’s the star of the menu, then just taste and drink and taste and drink.
• Villa Gallace: Great service, the best Italian food in the area. Authentic gourmet Italian food.

• TJ'S Italian: Great outdoor seating on the deck.
• Slyce Pizza Bar: "Hip" is the word that comes first to mind at Slyce, part sports bar, part night club.

Clearwater Beach Vacation Guide and Travel Information

• Jolly Trolley: Come ride the Jolley Trolley on Clearwater Beach, and try their Coastal Routes on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays!
• Free Rides: Offers free rides in Clearwater Beach, Island Estates and Sand Key, work for tips.
• Fun Ride Rentals: Rent Scooters, Rent Bicycles, Surrey Bike, Segway Rental
• Super Shuttle: Let SuperShuttle pick you up from your home, office, or hotel and take you to and from Tampa Airport (TPA), St.Petersburg/Clearwater Airport (PIE),Sarasota Bradenton (SRQ), Port of Tampa Service (PTP).
• NY Cab and Limo Company
• Clearwater Yellow Cab
• Mandalay Limousine and Cab

• Tampa Bay Rental Cars
• Avis Rent A Car
• Alamo
• Budget Rent A Car
• National Car Rental
• Hertz
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car

• Ambassador Limousine Service
• Luxor Limo
• Deluxe Taxi and Limousine

• Tampa International Airport (TIA): About 30-45 minutes from most beachfront accommodations.
• St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIA): A 10-25 minutes from most beachfront accommodations.
• Clearwater Airpark: Home to many private aircraft and offers flight lessons for the adventurous.
• Airport Transportation: They will pick you up from your home, office, or hotel and take you to and from Tampa Airport (TPA), St.Petersburg/Clearwater Airport (PIE), Sarasota Bradenton (SRQ), Port of Tampa Service (PTP).

• Clearwater Community Sailing Center: The average cost is $45.00 per week.
• Indian Rocks Beach Marina: Located on the Intercoastal. Rates start at $30 a day depending on the size of the boat.

• Pay and Display Pay Stations accept nickels, dimes, quarters, dollar coins, Visa, MasterCard and American Express. *Overnight parking is permitted at the Marina Lot.

• Carnival Cruise Lines
• Celebrity Cruises
• Holland America Line
• Royal Caribbean International

• Island Dog Outfitters: Everything for your pets, including natural food, treats and grooming.
• Belleair Beach Causeway: There is a unfenced dog beach section of the Belleair Beach Causeway where dogs can play if leashed. Belleair Beach is located between Clearwater Beach and Indian Rocks Beach.
• Pet beach at Honeymoon Island State Park: Honeymoon Island State Park is located at #1 Causeway Boulevard in Dunedin. Dogs are allowed in designated areas of the park, such as the picnic area, the pet beach on the southern tip of the island and on the nature trail. Pets must be on a 6-foot hand-held leash at all times.
• Fort DeSoto Paw Playground and Beach: Located at Pinellas Bayway off Anderson Road, past the Tropicana dome, at the far end of the pier's parking lot in Ft. DeSoto Park. The dog portion of Fort DeSoto beach is a beautiful, unfenced 200-yard stretch. The Paw Playground park itself is nice and basic. Showers and drinking water are provided. Enter the front gate by the parking lot, take your dog off-leash, walk through the L-shaped park to the back gate. Go out the back gate, down a short sandy path and onto the perfect beach for dogs and people. No lease required!

• Indian Rocks Beach Nature Preserve Dog Park: Located between 8th and 9th avenues, this is a small fenced area of Indian Rocks Beach Nature Preserve. Open dawn to dusk.
• Sand Key Park and Paw Playground: Located at 1060 Gulf Blvd. Offers picnic shelters with grills, a playground, water fountains and a restroom. Parking for the Paw Park is about 1 mile through the parking lot of this 95-acre Pinellas County park. There's a parking charge of $5.00 per day. Note: dogs are not permitted on the beach portion of this park.

Clearwater Beach Wedding Information

Formal or informal, our beautiful white sand and the Gulf of Mexico will enchant you. Here’s some information that may help in your planning efforts:

The City of Clearwater encourages our community and visitors to take advantage of our beautiful beach and enjoy your time with us.

Depending on the size and scope of your event, you may not need a Special Event Permit.

If it is a small ceremony of less than 75 people, with no amplified sound or structures (gazebos, tents, etc.), then you are more than welcomed to use our beach for your ceremony. Chairs are allowed on the beach. We do request that any setup be done immediately before the ceremony, and chairs and decorations to be taken off the beach immediately after the ceremony. Please be aware that alcohol, glass and open flames are prohibited on the public beach.

*Please Note : Beach activities north of Avalon Street are not permitted.*

For more information, contact the city of Clearwater.

Browse available Clearwater Beach vacation rentals.