tampa bay

Tampa, FL

Tampa has some fantastic breweries & Cool spots to explore, plus the weather is basically always great—what more do you need?

Tampa Tips: 

  • I would recommend checking flights into the St. Pete-Clearwater airport if you are flying in addition to directly to Tampa—I found some great deals into PIE and it is a much smaller and easier to navigate airport. Check out my thoughts on flying Allegiant Air here.

  • Tampa has some areas of town that are not super safe, so just be aware of your surroundings and be smart.

  • Head across the bridge to the cute artsy, beachy city of St. Pete! Check out my beer and travel guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Tampa Recommendations: 

  • Angry Chair Brewing: A fantastic Stout-focused brewery with absolutely incredible beers. Their current taproom is small but they are moving into a new space soon.

  • BarrieHaus Beer Co.: A killer Lager-focused brewery. They offer side pull and slow pours of a variety of beers that are delicious. They have a nice little patio along with pretzels and Cuban sandwiches.

    • I would caution that they are a stop for the brew bus tours so when the bus pulls up it is incredibly packed with drunk people, so try to visit on a weekday or an off time.

  • Woven Water Brewing: A top-notch brewery with great vibes and delicious beers. I was impressed with their Fruited Sours, IPAs, and Stouts. The team here is also incredibly nice!

  • Hidden Springs Ale Works: A Sour and Stout focused brewery in an artsy taproom. Highly recommend getting a flight so you can try a variety of their beers. They are just up the road from the food hall Armature Works if you are hungry!

  • Garagiste Meadery: A fantastic meadery right between Hidden Springs and Magnanimous. Their small tasting room has chill vibes and you can see a lot of the production which is always cool. If you are unfamiliar with mead it is very boozy and very pricey as a forewarning, so take it slow and enjoy!

  • Magnanimous Brewing: An IPA-focused brewery with great beers and a relaxed atmosphere. They also have a coffee program and a taproom in Bradenton.

  • King State: A brewery, restaurant, and coffee shop all in one. Their space is a cute 70’s style set-up and their beer menu is focused on Lagers. They are known for their breakfast and they do Pizzas on Friday nights that are great.

Barriehaus

Tampa Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • Oxford Exchange: A restaurant, coffee shop, tea bar, book shop, champagne bar, and store all in one! This place is absolutely adorable and I highly recommend visiting for brunch, coffee, tea, cocktails, shopping or afternoon tea.

  • Armature Works: An awesome food hall in a beautiful restored building. There are a ton of different food vendors, a couple of bars, and seating indoors and out. It is right on the river and a walking trail runs through the area as well.

  • Explore Ybor City: this neighborhood reminded me a lot of New Orleans with bars, restaurants, cigar lounges, and balconies everywhere. It’s a popular area especially at night.

  • Hit the beach! Drive over to the coast or down the bay for some of the best beaches in the US.

Oxford Exchange

Other Tampa Bay Things To Do:

  • 7venth Sun Brewery: An average brewery with fun flight “trees” to sample a variety of their beers.

  • Cigar City Brewing: A commercialized brewery with a large taproom and full food menu.

  • Coppertail Brewing Co.: An average brewery with a full food menu and a small patio space.

  • Bastet Brewing: A unique brewery that is just up the road from Coppertail focused on Sours with an interesting tap list.

  • Zydeco Brew Werks: A mediocre brewery in Ybor City that is New Orleans themed and more restaurant than beer focused.

Dunedin, FL

Dunedin is a cute city in the Tampa Bay area of Florida with several breweries and overall beachy vibes.

Dunedin Tips:

  • I highly recommend flying in/out of the St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport (PIE) if the timing/routes make sense for you. This is a small airport that is easy to navigate and the routes were cheaper than Tampa in my experience.

  • While in the area be sure to check out the cute, artsy city of St. Pete as well! Check out my recommendations and tips here. Check out my Tampa recommendations here.

  • Dunedin itself doesn’t have a beach, but it is still a great destination in the Tampa Bay area to visit and stay. You can easily make day trips to the surrounding beaches.

    • Clearwater Beach is a popular destination that is about 20 minutes south of Dunedin. The water here is extremely clear and beautiful but it does get quite crowded, especially near the public beach at Pier 60.

      • Badfins is a fun, beachy restaurant in Clearwater Beach with delicious food and a solid beer selection. I would caution to ask about the price of a pint of beer before you order because they have some outrageously expensive selections.

7venth Sun Brewing

7venth Sun Brewing

Dunedin Breweries:

  • 7venth Sun Brewing Company: A good brewery located on the main road of downtown with a wide variety of beers. Their Sours are what I would recommend the most. They have a side patio space and offer fun flight trees.

  • Cueni Brewing Co.: A solid brewery with a nice patio space and chill vibes. They offer massive flights in the shape of Florida if you’re sharing with someone!

  • HOB Brewing Co.: House of Beer has two locations right across the street from each other. Both offer massive tap lists with average beer. HOB has a large outdoor space and House of Beer is the original, grungier beer bar.

  • Dunedin Brewing: An average brewery with a nice patio space and a small food menu. 

  • Soggy Bottom Brewery: Arguably a dive bar and not a brewery. They had zero of their own beers on tap when I visited and divey vibes.

Brunch at Hew Parlor & Chophouse

Brunch at Hew Parlor & Chophouse

top dunedin recommendations

  • Stay at Fenway Hotel: This gorgeous hotel screams luxury at every corner. It is right across the street from the bay and just a few minutes walk from downtown. The building used to be an old radio station and so the hotel has leaned into that theme with smooth jazz playing everywhere and frequent live music. There are beautiful ocean views from the hotel rooms and rooftop bar and a relaxing pool area.

    • Hi-Fi Rooftop Bar: A fantastic spot to watch the sunset over the ocean! This rooftop bar offers killer views, delicious cocktails, and a small food menu. It is a popular spot so if you plan to visit for sunset be sure to arrive early. Located on top of Fenway Hotel.

    • Hew Parlor and Chophouse: The restaurant inside Fenway Hotel with delicious food! You can choose to sit inside or out on the front patio with lovely views. This is much better than your typical hotel restaurant and I highly recommend the brunch in particular! 

    • Edgewater Trail is runs in front of the hotel and spans 3.3 miles along the bay 

  • Pineallas Trail: A biking/jogging/walking trail that runs through town. The trail spans 50 miles, from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs.

  • Wander downtown Dunedin: It is a cute area full of shops, restaurants and bars

  • Edgewater Park: A small park located on the marina with a playground and picnic tables

  • Cork and Beans: Coffee shop and wine bar in the heart of downtown with a nice patio space