St. Petersburg keeps its seafood in two lanes: dressed-up rooms built for a group occasion, and docks and counters where you eat off paper with a boat view. This list covers both sides of Central Avenue and out toward the water, with one Pinellas smoked-fish institution thrown in because no St. Pete seafood guide is honest without it.
№ 01
Juno & The Peacock
St. Petersburg
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The beef carpaccio and a pastry plate anchor a brunch menu built for parties, and a private room handles groups of ten without crowding the main floor. Service extends to phone orders from out of state, which says something about how the front of house runs. This is the pick for a birthday or an anniversary, not a quick weeknight plate.
What to orderbeef carpaccio, spicy seafood dish, pastry plate
№ 02
Aji Ceviche Bar St. Petersburg – Peruvian Restaurant
St. Petersburg
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Arroz con mariscos and a shareable ceviche are the order here, in a Peruvian dining room dressed for date night rather than a beach lunch. It fills fast on weeknights, so reservations matter more than the casual seafood spots on this list. The tiradito gives it range beyond the raw bar, and the room reads as a destination for a dressed-up night rather than a stop on the way somewhere else.
What to orderceviche, arroz con mariscos, tiradito
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Smoked mullet over red oak put this South Pasadena counter on the map, and the German potato salad and smoked fish spread built the following that keeps returning decades later. It runs as a casual, order-at-the-counter operation, and recent visits describe inconsistency, a cheese-topped burger instead of the classic build, sides missing from to-go orders. Go for the smoked fish itself and treat the rest as a gamble.
What to ordersmoked fish, cheeseburger, German potato salad
№ 04
Tiki Docks Skyway
St. Petersburg $$
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Lobster rolls and mai tais come with a working view of boats on the water, which is the entire point of eating at a dock bar. Outdoor seating handles groups without much fuss, and service gets specific praise by name in the record, a sign of a floor staff that has its rhythm down. It is built for a slow afternoon, not a fast lunch.
What to orderlobster rolls, mai tai, kalua pork
№ 05
Casual Clam Seafood Bar & Grill
St. Petersburg $$
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The clambo, a house mashup of chowder and gumbo, and a shrimp po boy carry this open-air spot that has held its spot for years. Fried shrimp gets called out as some of the best in town, breaded and cooked properly at a fair price. Service is uneven by account, but the kitchen's output on the fried plates is the reason it keeps a local following.
What to orderFried shrimp, Shrimp po boy, Clambo
№ 06
Trophy Fish
St. Petersburg $$
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Grilled fish and fish tacos share the menu with a dollar-oyster happy hour that turns skeptics into regulars fast. Set in St. Petersburg's Art District, the outdoor patio is built for a casual afternoon rather than a special occasion, and street parking is limited enough that arriving early helps. Word of mouth, not marketing, seems to be how most people find it.
What to orderoysters, grilled fish, fish tacos
Frequently asked
What is the best seafood restaurant near me in St. Petersburg?
It depends on the occasion. Juno & The Peacock and Aji Ceviche Bar suit a dressed-up night out, while Casual Clam, Trophy Fish, and Tiki Docks Skyway are built for a relaxed meal outdoors. Each entry here is ranked using the Insider Score, which weighs the full review record rather than a handful of comments, and no restaurant pays to be listed.
Is Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish in Tampa?
No. Ted Peters is in South Pasadena, a separate city across the bay from Tampa. It is part of the Pinellas smoked-fish tradition, not the Tampa restaurant scene, and it should never be filed under Tampa.
Which spots on this list are good for groups?
Juno & The Peacock has a private room for parties of ten, and Tiki Docks Skyway and Casual Clam both handle groups comfortably with outdoor seating. Aji Ceviche Bar works for a smaller group dinner but fills quickly, so reservations are worth making ahead.
How is the Insider Score different from a star rating?
The Insider Score is built from the full pattern of customer feedback for each restaurant, not a single average. It accounts for consistency over time, not just a snapshot of recent reviews. No restaurant on this list, or on Top of Tampa generally, pays for placement or ranking.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Jenna Kalouris
Staff Writer · Top of Tampa
Staff Writer. Grew up bussing tables near the sponge docks and keeps score across the bridges: a room has to beat what is already on her side of the water to earn the drive. Leads with the practical fact.
