Itinerary: A Day to Sip & Savor Downtown Pensacola

Your guide to a day of amazing food and drinks in downtown

Downtown Pensacola serves up plenty of great eats and exceptional drinks to keep your taste buds dancing all day long. This itinerary guides you through a day full of delicious food, delightful cocktails, and exciting activities to satisfy all your cravings.

Morning

First stop, Breakfast (8:30 AM – 9:45 AM): Kick off your palates’ journey with a flavorful morning meal at The Dog House, Bagelheads, or Café Single Fin. The Dog House features breakfast burritos, bowls, delectable Southern dishes, and bottomless mimosas to accompany your feast! For over 25 years, Bagelheads has dished up the best in-house bagels, schmears, and melts to house-roasted coffees, teas, and smoothies you can't go wrong. Revel Café Single Fin’s eclectic menu incorporating Latin breakfasts like quesadillas and tacos along with sandwiches, acai bowls, and plenty of vegan options — they’ve got it all.

Post Breakfast Shopping (10 AM – 11:30 AM): Walk off your morning meal with some pre-noon shopping. There are a variety of boutiques, vintage shops, and retail stores downtown. Hit up First City Bee Company for unique honey-based products, Bodacious Bookstore & Cafe for tons of new reading options, and The Bottle Shop for international wine & beer imports and wine tasting. Find some cutesy trinkets, gifts, and home décor to take home at Rusted Arrow Mercantile or Artesana. Check out Innerlight Surf Shop for all things surf, skate, and Pensacola merch, or stop in Scout Inc. for contemporary and sophisticated women’s wear.

Find yourself downtown on a Saturday? Be sure to check out Palafox Market from 9 am to 2 pm.

Caffeinate and Refuel (11:30 AM – 12 PM): Grab your almost afternoon pick me up at Buzzed Brew Coffee, The Rex Café, or Maker’s Café and Espresso Bar. Indulge in an abundance of rare caffeine options like White Coffee, Lotus Energy Drinks, and the FOTM (Flight of the Month) at Buzzed Brew in The Garden. Sip on classic brews and teas at The Rex Café, emulating a European-style café centered on old-school Hollywood movies tucked inside The Rex Theater. Take up a signature cappuccino, latte, or macchiato at Maker’s and pair it with one of their many freshly made pastries. Must-stops caffeine lovers can’t miss!

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Afternoon

Lunch o’clock (12:15 PM – 1:30 PM): Pack your buds and experience your one-way ticket to Flavor City! Lunch options include The Garden, Five Sisters’ Blues Café, O’Rileys Irish Pub, and Carmen’s Lunch Bar and Tapas. Never-ending selections lie at The Garden, this outdoor food hall features 4 diverse food trucks offering delicious Asian, Peruvian, and Casual Southern cuisine, a Vietnamese restaurant known as Eurasian Bistro, and the Perennial — a full bar at the end of the hall. Five Sisters’ brings a taste of the South with outstanding Southern dishes like shrimp & grits, country fried steak, and fried chicken straight from grandma’s kitchen. If Fish & Chips and Shepherd’s Pie sounds appetizing, O’Riley’s is the place for you where traditional Irish meals and specialty cocktails reside at this classic Irish pub. Carmen’s is a small spot that satisfies big cravings specializing in a blend of southern and international cuisines with boutique wines and signature iced teas all in the heart of downtown.

Visit Bruce Beach & Maritime Park (1:30 PM – 3 PM): Catch some fresh air and waterfront views after your meal. At Bruce Beach, stroll alongside Pensacola Bay and learn about the park’s profound African American history along five double-sided markers located throughout the park. Next door, observe boats and beautiful skies at Maritime Park, home to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Be on the lookout for any festivals, concerts, or even a Blue Wahoos game!

Enjoy a Sweet Treat (3:15 PM – 4:00 PM): Just across the street, Renfroe Pecan Co. offers a variety of sweet nuts, creamy fudge, toffee, and New Orleans-style pralines. Perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth and even taking home some goodies for later. Cool off with a rich ice cream cone from Bubba’s Sweet Spot, where you’ll also find an assortment of unique candies and homemade chocolates to fulfill any sweet craving.

Evening

Happy Hour (4:30 PM - 5:45): What better way to enjoy Downtown Pensacola's amazing cocktail scene than Happy Hour?

Sip on today's deals here!

Dinner (6:00 PM – 7:30 PM): It’s time to top off those taste buds! Your exquisite dinner awaits, try Jaco’s Bayfront Bar & Grille, The Fish House, Angelena’s Ristorante Italiano, or Jackson’s Steakhouse. Catch the evening air at Jaco’s while enjoying several seafood choices or signature flatbreads and seasonal cocktails seated beside Pensacola Bay. If you’re looking to hone on the hook, The Fish House is an upscale dockside dining restaurant serving numerous high-end seafood dishes, fantastic house cocktails, and is known for its world-famous Grits à Ya Ya. At Angelena’s, you’ll discover authentic Italian with a coastal twist such as Gulf Shrimp and Agnolotti, or take up their three-course pasta tasting paired with gourmet Italian wine. Thriving in a beautifully revitalized 1860s-era building, Jackson’s Steakhouse sources only Midwestern grain-fed beef to serve premium steak cuts, perfectly prepared and best matched with either their chic wine or elegant cognac flights.

After-dinner Entertainment (7:30 PM – 9 PM): Being the only city on the panhandle with the “big five”, a professional theatre, symphony, ballet and opera, and accredited art museum, there are endless entertainment opportunities. Experience soothing melodies by the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra or grand carols at the Pensacola Opera at the Seanger Theatre, a 1925-built Spanish Baroque Rococo style theatre. Since 1936, the Pensacola Little Theatre has been the spirited center of artistic expression, hosting community musicals, comedies, dramas, and children’s shows for over 90 years.

Explore Bars & Cocktails (9:15 PM – Till): By night, Downtown Pensacola transforms into a world full of nightlife fun, including a variety of vibrant bars and phenomenal cocktails. Start your cocktail voyage at Garden & Grain’s outdoor cocktail garden, where each mix is meticulously handcrafted, or enjoy an indoor up-scale Old Florida aesthetic bar at The Well. Sip and snack at 86 Forks Bar + Table for delicious Asian-inspired dishes and cocktails or at The Kennedy for unique bites and modern twists on traditional cocktails. Enjoy live music at The Handlebar, Seville Quarter, and B-Side Vinyl, accompanied by nightly drink specials and good vibes. Swing by 200 South Tap House for their signature Huckleberry Lemonade, and check out Blend Lounge and Taco Agave around the back. With such a diverse selection of restaurants, bars, and pubs, there’s always a new menu item or inventive cocktail ready to impress your palate.


The Well

That sums up your day full of fun activities, great eats, and of course amazing drinks! Don't forget to check below for more things to do downtown.

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