WHEN I SIP, YOU SIP, WE SIP,
In our neck of the woods, we say,
“One if by land, and make it a double if
by sea.”
Downtown, enjoy an afternoon glow
with balcony sips at The District (with
the faint sound of their baby grand
piano in the background) or snag a
stool at the Union Public House bar,
an intimate restaurant known for its
inventive Southern plates and unique
craft cocktails. If you prefer the class
of Jackie O, then sip via teacup at The
Kennedy, which serves 1960s-inspired
vibes, cocktails and a hearty menu to
soak up those First Lady teas you’re
bound to be sipping. But if a brew is
more you, sip at Pensacola’s newest
boutique breweries Perfect Plain or
Odd Colony Brewing Co.
Keep those sips alive at McGuire’s Irish Pub, which makes
its home in Pensacola’s original 1927 firehouse. McGuire’s
boasts one of the largest wine cellars in the world and
produces original ales, porters and stouts, all brewed onsite
in a traditional oak and copper brewery. If you like an
eclectic, artsy vibe, Dharma Blue sits right across from Seville
Square. You’ll find fresh, never frozen, in-season seafood
from the Gulf of Mexico on your table at Dharma. The sushi
menu rivals even the most authentic of Dharma Blue’s local
Asian neighbors. Or perhaps your cure is similar to Jackson’s
Steakhouse — Bill-E’s Small Batch Bacon. The seasoned chef
at Jackson’s perfectly complements his fried oysters with
thick-cut, local bacon from Fairhope. But fresh seafood isn’t
Chef Irv Miller’s only ode to “real” Florida; you’ll find tupelo
honey from local beekeepers, microgreens and hydroponics
from urban farmers and grass-fed beef from local ranchers to
complement his Destin red snapper and North Florida shrimp.
Without needing much introduction, the world-famous Joe
Patti’s Seafood market is a family-run mecca for the freshest
selections of the sea. The First Family of Seafood has been
serving the Pensacola Bay Area and beyond for nearly 90
years and has grown to include their own café and sushi bar,
in addition to their market featuring everything from shrimp,
lobster, caviar, salmon, whole fish and fillets to crab meat,
clams, mussels, oysters and scallops.
You’ll need the fuel before hitting Pensacola’s Downtown
shopping scene, strolling into staples on Palafox Street
like Gray Boutique for the ladies, Don Alans for the gents,
Elebash Jewelry Co. for the bling, Sparkle Boutique for the
kids, Bodacious Bookstore for your beach reads needs, Duh
for Home and Garden for the house, or Innerlight Surf Shop
for the localized apparel to represent when you get home.
In just a few blocks, you’re well-fed,
well-read, and feeling there’s no place
like Downtown Pensacola to combine
culinary, culture and cocktails as the perfect
culmination to your visit to Pensacola.
Lucy’s in the Square
Bodacious Brew
The Kennedy
28 #experiencepcola