Clearwater Beach is sprouting new places to stay at a regular pace, but what about dining and services for vacationers? Well we have some good news for you. There are plenty of new shops opening that you can check out when you come to here.
If you are looking for places to dine or find some fun times, check out these new spots on the island of Clearwater Beach.
Starbucks has moved in downstairs from the Hilton. The famed coffee bar faces Mandalay Avenue and has been a hit since it arrived. I spent an afternoon there with some reading material and enjoyed it quite a lot. The atmosphere is calm and it even has outdoor seating where people-watching is a valid spectator sport.
The Spotted Donkey moved into town nearly at the same time as Starbucks, which makes sense, since it is next door to Starbucks in the new downstairs shops at the Hilton. The Spotted Donkey offers an upscale dining room and Mexican fare. Its atmosphere is pleasant and aesthetic and it also boasts outdoor dining off the sidewalk on Mandalay Avenue, which is the main road north on Clearwater Beach.
Jimmy Hula’s is a brand-new restaurant-bar that is just up the street from those mentioned above. It looks great, with a wide, open front end some cool and colorful décor inside. A hostess greets you at the sidewalk and helps you to take a seat in this trendy and very beachy pub.
Regulars to Clearwater Beach are currently missing Crabby Bills. It is under construction currently, but from the looks of it, this Clearwater Beach favorite will be back soon. We locals have been watching the rebuild with anticipation. You can find some of their updates on Instagram @crabbysdockside. The restaurant is located right on the roundabout which is at the center of the beach.
Hobbits on Clearwater Beach? Not anymore. The old bar we locals called the Hobbit Hole is gone. It has been replaced by a new establishment that is so new it’s not quite open yet. Jamminz’ Beach Bar will be coming soon to Mandalay Avenue. We’re excited to see what they have in store for us when they open their doors!
Salty’s Island Bar and Grill is on the south end of the beach. It’s not quite as new as these others, but it’s still not a year old yet, so we’re going to throw them into our list. We’ve been there and we liked it. They often have live music and this open-air dinner bar has a downstairs that opens to the sidewalk and an upstairs that gives a view of the beach.
Another new arrival at the beach is the Clearwater Beach Paddle Board and Rental Co. They have expanded to this new location and it looks great inside. We stopped in the other day and, although we were just looking, we wound up buying one of their cool on-the-water products. They rent and sell paddle boards as well as offering beach wear and on-the-water gear. You can find them at the corner of Poinsettia Avenue and Papaya Street at the north end of the beach.
The new parking garage on the north end of the beach has offered some relief to our parking here. But they didn’t stop there. The bottom floor of the garage will be host to some cool new shops. They face the back of the garage, offering some much-needed stopovers for those parking, passing by, or who are wise enough to check around the corner from the main drag. This building is lit up at night on the harbor side, offering the island a cool new look when you are coming over the bridge. You can find those shops-to-be near the corner of Baymont Street and Poinsettia Avenue on the north end of Clearwater Beach.
Last but not least is the Clearwater Beach Visitor’s Center. It is located on Poinsettia Avenue right next door to the paddle board rentals named above. While the Clearwater Beach Visitor’s Center is not new, their location is. If you tried to find them in their old location on the south end of the island, you can now find them on the north end at 429 Poinsettia Avenue instead.
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