Rocco Smith
When I took a trip to Clearwater, Florida, I found plenty of amazing activities to do and excellent dining establishments for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Often called Wick City by locals, Clearwater is an excellent place for tourists to enjoy the local aquarium, a boat ride in the ocean waters, and a stroll around Sand Key Park.
Since this part of Florida is right by the ocean, there are numerous watersports to participate in and even a chance to swim with dolphins or take a pirate ship cruise.
Further, once you’ve spent your day pursuing fun adventures and gotten hungry, you’ll love dining at incredible waterfront restaurants in Clearwater.
The type of restaurants I visited included lots of grills and bars. The cuisine had seafood, Spanish meals, simple sandwiches, and Italian options. The restaurants ranged from fine dining and trendy places to more casual environments.
To find the best waterfront restaurants in Clearwater and the tastiest food at each establishment, check out my list of the top dining locations I visited on my vacation to Florida.
Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill
7 Rockaway St, Clearwater, FL 33767
Phone: 727-446-4844
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I found Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill right by Mandalay Park and Sand Runners Beach, close to the Clearwater fire station.
The neighborhood has a relaxing beach vibe with a resort nearby. Frenchy’s restaurants belong to a chain found around Clearwater Beach, so if you can’t get to this location, you are sure to find another one nearby.
The casual Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill serves soups, salads, and seafood starters like peel & eat shrimp. When I came to this restaurant, I enjoyed the grouper nuggets as a starter and a bowl of seafood gumbo.
The tasty seafood gumbo included savory shrimp, crab, scallops, and grouper. Best of all, this restaurant catches its own fish, which means the meals are as fresh as possible.
Columbia Restaurant Sand Key
1241 Gulf Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33767
Phone: 727-596-8400
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I loved watching the coast right outside when I visited Columbia Restaurant Sand Key. This neighborhood is perfect for foodies, as you can find multiple dining establishments here.
It’s right near the Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key and a few blocks from Sand Key Park. This restaurant is also a chain, as there are numerous other locations found in Sarasota, Tampa, and Orlando.
The Columbia Restaurant provides exceptional Spanish food items. I ordered Spanish bean soup and shrimp with yellow rice for my main meal.
I found the soup exquisite, especially the soft chorizo sausage and potatoes that melted in my mouth. My main course had great flavors due to the tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, white wine, and olive oil.
Palm Pavilion
Multiple locations
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You can find the Palm Pavilion in numerous locations, but what you will see is the gorgeous ocean and sandy beaches right in front of the restaurant regardless of where you choose to dine.
In Clearwater, you can go to the Palm Pavilion Beachside Grill & Bar at 18 Bay Esplanade.
This casual restaurant is perfect for beachgoers. All you need to do is throw a t-shirt and shorts over your bathing suit and grab some lunch at the Palm Pavilion.
When I came here, I really enjoyed trying the coconut shrimp as an appetizer and the Famous Palm Burger with some french fries for my main meal.
Sandbar
430 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
Phone: 727-450-6238
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The Sandbar Grill is the perfect spot for tourists, as it has a white sandy beach right in front, the Opal Sands Resort next door, and views of beautiful blue waves.
This restaurant has a fun tiki bar, and each seating area includes patio umbrellas.
When I visited the Sandbar Grill, I picked the skinny blueberry lemonade as a refreshment, the wings and thighs for my starter, and a grouper sandwich with fries.
The food was pricey but incredibly delicious. The spicy wings were in a perfect buffalo sauce, while the grouper sandwich had a pleasant crunchy and savory taste while my beverage was quite sweet.
Tate Island Grill
500 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater, FL 33767
Phone: 727-441-2425
The Tate Island Grill is near the corner of Mandalay Avenue and Baymont Street.
The neighborhood is excellent for food enthusiasts, as you’ll find tons of dining establishments here, such as steakhouses, cafes, pubs, and bakeries.
I loved the ocean views and the gorgeous white sandy beach nearby. At Tate Island Grill, I ordered the fruit plate as an appetizer and the pulled pork sandwich as my main course.
The casual outdoor atmosphere was great, and the food was absolutely delicious. In particular, my sandwich was savory, creamy, and tasty.
Caretta on the Gulf
1738, 500 Mandalay Ave #100, Clearwater, FL 33767
Phone: 727-674-4171
I found Caretta on the Gulf right near Clearwater Beach, surrounded by other fun eateries.
This restaurant is right on the corner of Mandalay Avenue and Ambler Street. Essentially, this place has a great beach vibe and gorgeous ocean views.
I visited the trendy Caretta on the Gulf restaurant for breakfast. I ordered the avocado toast, which had a great mix of a creamy and crunchy sensation.
Since I was starving after a run on the beach, I also ordered the blueberry pancakes. These pancakes were perfectly fluffy and very sweet. Lastly, I loved drinking freshly squeezed grapefruit juice with this tasty meal.
SEA-GUINI
430 S Gulfview Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33767
Phone: 727-450-6236
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You can locate the Sea-Guini restaurant right on S Gulfview Blvd near the Opal Sands Resort, overlooking a beautiful beach. This eatery might as well be in a tropical paradise.
Best of all, this is a fine dining restaurant with vibrant colors, gorgeous lighting and decorations, and incredible Italian food.
When I came to the Sea-Guini restaurant for dinner, I picked the lobster bisque as my starter and the chicken piccata as my main course. I loved the mix of Italian options with seafood influences.
The bisque was terrific, and its rich flavors were great with the bits of lobster. The main meal was very savory with its combination of lemon, a splash of wine, and capers.
Salt Rock Grill
19325 Gulf Blvd, Indian Shores, FL 33785
Phone: 727-593-7625
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The Salt Rock Grill sits right on the beach, next to the Barefoot Beach Resort and in front of the Sand Glo Villas.
This area has a bit of a suburban feel with condominiums and a town clerk’s office nearby. I loved watching the boats floating by on the water while sipping my Pinot Grigio.
This upscale fine dining establishment served amazing seafood. My friends and I ordered the jumbo shrimp cocktail as an appetizer and the roasted plank salmon as the main course.
The cocktail sauce had the right amount of spice, while the salmon was flaky and delicious. I also loved the creamy garlic mashed potatoes.
Island Way Grill
20 Island Way, Clearwater, FL 33767
Phone: 727-461-6617
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After spending an afternoon at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, I discovered the Island Way Grill.
The waterfront restaurant sits in front of a gulf with boats docked right in front. This coastal neighborhood provides a perfect location for this seafood restaurant.
I loved watching the sunset from this restaurant. I split the chilled seafood sampler with my friends and family for dinner.
I really enjoyed the delicious surf and turf of filet mignon and lobster tail with fries for my main meal.
Marina Cantina
25 Causeway Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33767
Phone: 727-443-1750
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The Marina Cantina restaurant sits right in front of a bay with a dock for plenty of boats. The eatery stands by Clearwater Beach and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
This casual and trendy restaurant provides rooftop dining overlooking the city and ocean waters along with excellent Mexican food.
I came here for brunch with some of my friends, and I ordered the bottomless mimosa with the tres leches french toast.
As a group, we also shared the trio of empanadas appetizer. The french toast came with fresh and sweet strawberries, while the empanadas included savory chicken and ribs.
Ocean Hai
100 Coronado Dr, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
Phone: 727-281-9544
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I found the Ocean Hai restaurant near the corner of Devon Drive and Coronado Drive.
The neighborhood has both a tropical and suburban feel with a gorgeous white-sand beach right in front of the eatery.
This upscale fine dining establishment serves a mix of seafood influences with Asian fusion cuisine. When I ordered my meal here,
I chose chicken potstickers as an appetizer and the teriyaki salmon as my main course. The food was exquisitely delicious!
Best Waterfront Restaurants in Clearwater
- Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill
- Columbia Restaurant Sand Key
- Palm Pavilion
- Sandbar
- Tate Island Grill
- Caretta on the Gulf
- SEA-GUINI
- Salt Rock Grill
- Island Way Grill
- Marina Cantina
- Ocean Hai
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve read through my list of the best waterfront restaurants in Clearwater, you’ll know about several great dining establishments to check out on your vacation.
You’ll have your choice from seafood and Italian cuisine to Mexican or Spanish dining and even Asian fusion.
Are you going to a different part of Florida for your vacation? If you’re visiting Clearwater, you might want to read through this article I put together on the best eateries in the city overall.
Did I miss a restaurant that you loved in Clearwater? Then be sure to leave a comment below, and I’ll check it out next time I’m in the area!
Crabbys Dockside has great marina and backbay views, and Ruby Red Shrimp to die for!
Third floor at sunset is spectacular. We were in Clearwater Beach from May 8-13. Read your article after our trip was over. We also ate at Frenchy- Rockaway and the Palm. We stayed at the Hilton next to Pier 60 and walked everywhere.
Might make use of your guide next time there.
Cooters best crab legs on the island
King’s Pizza is fabulous!!
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