Saint – St Augustine’s Delicious, Newest Upscale Italian Restaurant

After watching the build-out happen on the waterfront between Harry’s Seafood and Tini Martini Bar, the Saint is finally open. From the same restauranteurs that brought River & Fort to downtown, the quality and flare matches it and even takes it up a step. I don’t so a lot of fancy dining myself, but we were excited about an elevated Italian restaurant, so we decided to check it out. We were thoroughly satisfied and I can confidently say that I think the Saint will still around St Augustine for a long time.

The atmosphere here at the Saint restaurant is quite nice, and I might say is a bit fancier with its dark wood and leather booths, but it’s still got the St Augustine feel of being a place tourists will love but that is a highlight for locals. Since we haven’t had a place in town that quite like the Saint, I feel like it’s going to grow in local popularity pretty quickly. If you have any questions about dining at the Saint or need other downtown recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more.

Menu Highlights at Saint St Augustine

Where do I start? We were sure to order very different menu items so we could all try lots of things and each dish we had was delicious. Having eaten Italian food in Italy I can say that the chef has done a good job recreating Italian flavors without Americanizing them to suit downtown St Augustine. While the portion felt nearly American, the spice and salt levels were very much on par with what you get in Italy. The chef at Saint has done a good job creating a memorable menu.

Here are photos of the menus at the Saint:

We started with the Peppercorn Filet Mignon Carpaccio which was perfect. It was wonderfully thin the accents of caper, truffle and balsamic were perfect. Really nice. We also tried the crispy Roman artichokes, which were good, but not dazzling like the carpaccio. The real winners were the main courses.

Our group ordered the 100 lay lasagna, the short rib Bolognese, seafood bucatini and the wood-grilled filet. With the pasta being made in-house with Italian semolina flour and the sauces all being scratch kitchen made as well, each dish was really delicious. The seafood bucatini had just the right amount of heat and plenty of meats. The filet mignon was beautifully served and the lobster ravioli on top was a wonderful addition.

Really though, the winners for those of use that love pasta were the Bolognese and the lasagna. Such perfect flavors and textures, and the portion size was exceptional. I can confidently say that we will be back to check off more items from the menu at Saint

Kids Menu at the Saint

There is indeed a kids menu at Saint St Augustine. And yes, it’s both kid-friendly AND it’s actually food that an adult would be happy to order. No, there aren’t chicken tender or butter noodles, but there are solid Italian food standards that are familiar enough to kids that they’ll be ready to try them.

Chicken alfredo with pasta, meatball sliders, scratch made spaghetti and meatball, a filet w/ fries, or shrimp pasta… Yes, these are all elevated dishes and the prices reflect the dining experience of the restaurant, so the kids menu at the Saint is what I would call appropriate and respectful of kiddos that like a nice dining experience.

Is the Saint a Kid-friendly restaurant?

When I think about what makes a restaurant kid-friendly, I usually consider whether there is a kids menu, what the atmosphere is like, and how other families’ kids behave in restaurants. My kids are older now and also never had issues with behavior or menu pickiness, so they’ve always joined us for nice meals with no problem. Having said that, if you’re dining in the indoor dining room at the Saint St Augustine, it doesn’t strike me as a place that I would bring small kids or kids that don’t stay peaceful in restaurants. The Saint is quite nice and even though it may be a bit loud due to acoustics, it’s not a yelling-loud sort of place.

If the weather is right though and you want to bring kids along for dining at the Saint, there is wonderful outdoor seating that may prove perfect for dining here with kids. I share all of this because I too am a parent and know the looks we’ve gotten over the years when we show up to different places with our kids, no matter how well behaved they are. I want everyone to enjoy their meal: parents, kids and other patrons alike.

The Saint’s Cocktail Menu – New Favorites in St Augustine

For years my favorite cocktail spot in St Augustine has been the Forgotten Tonic on Aviles Street. While I still love it and will happily always say yes to grabbing a drink there, the cocktails here at Saint were spot on and different. Our group tried five of the signature cocktails and they were each interesting and different.

The Vitruvian was my favorite as I LOVE chartreuse and it’s a dominant flavor in this one. The Bourbon & Berries was my second favorite, being a very think but not weird juicy cocktail. It was fantastic. The Sazerac was spot on, even if in my mind it should’ve come in a different glass (but whatever) and the Made Man was also delicious. The Gabagool was really unique. This cocktail is made with vodka, Prosecco and lemon sorbet, so it felt more like a dessert on its own, but still tasty.

Need to Know for Dining at Saint St Augustine

While Saint is still very new to St Augustine, I would highly recommend reservations as soon as you know you want to dine here. Once upon a time we had a slower season in St Augustine so it was easy to dine anywhere, any time. That’s not the case anymore. Since Saint does offer reservations, you should absolutely take advantage of that and plan your dining experience. They have lots of seating when the weather is nice, but if it’s cold or raining, the outdoor seating may not be available so you can count on a longer wait time without a rezzy.

Seating Options at Saint

As I mentioned there is a lot of very nice outdoor seating in the Saint’s courtyard and upstairs on their rooftop dining area. Inside there is a combination of booth and chair seating, with the dining room being split into multiple sections. There is also a bar area with bar seating and standing room.

There is plus-sized seating in the dining rooms, but in general it’s a cozy restaurant without a lot of room to navigate between tables. The staff seems with it though and I’ve never met an Italian restaurant staff that couldn’t accommodate any seating arrangement. Saint restaurant is going to become a staple for many of us, I can tell.

Parking for Dining at Saint on the Waterfront

I think we can all agree that parking downtown St Augustine is never fun, but sometimes you get lucky. We usually have success parking along the seawall on Avenida Menendez or over in the neighborhood behind Aviles Street. Street Parking is paid except on Sundays and holidays, so be sure you’ve got the Park St Aug app on your phone (you’ll look for a sign with your zone number). If you’re struggling to find parking near Saint, drop off your party and then head over to the parking garage behind the visitor center, off W Castillo Drive. The parking garage is expensive, but there’s no time limit and it’s monitored.

Saint Restaurant St Augustine Operating Info

So you can make your dinner plans to enjoy Saint when you’re downtown, here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit. If you’re not up for a whole meal, the cocktails and appetizers are great and you’ll enjoy that just as much.

Nearby Things to Do and See

Here are a few ideas for things to do and see near the Saint restaurant on the waterfront in St Augustine. In the event dinner doesn’t work out for when you want to dine there, I’ve included some additional restaurant recommendations that aren’t too far away. But first, some fun things to do:

• See what’s happening in the Plaza de la Constitucion
• Walk the sea wall
• visit the Castillo de San Marcos, walk around it at night
• stroll St George Street or do a ghost tour
• enjoy the Lightner Museum
• get dessert on Aviles or St George Streets
• do an evening scenic cruise around St Augustine Bay

For backup restaurants or if you’d like to find dessert or a drink after your meal at Saint:

• Harry’s Seafood – next door, best bread and butter in town
• Case Reina – two doors down, delicious and surprisingly good prices
• River and Fort – end of the block, sister restaurant of Saint
• Prohibition Kitchen – good brunch and dinner
• Forgotten Tonic – both a wonderful cocktail bar and great meals

I hope you enjoy your dinner at Saint. It’s such a great addition to dining in downtown St Augustine. If you have any questions about dining here or spending time in our historic city, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more.