Looking for a festive place to enjoy happy hour this Florida fall and winter? Look no further than our two favorite themed establishments in the heart of our beautiful city – Dracula’s Legacy Wine Bar & Bistro and directly next door – The Ale & The Witch Tap House in downtown St Pete. It is the best of both worlds during spooky season!
Let’s first start with the ambiance. Dracula’s Legacy is a kitschy little wine bar in the center of the hustle and bustle of downtown. Surrounded by skyrise buildings it has an adorable courtyard and a wonderful wine list with unbelievably delicious small plates. It’s dark, it’s cozy, it’s got a really good (spooky) vibe and we have frequented the wine bar several times in the last couple of years. It’s locally owned and the staff is always so informative and helpful each time we have been there. We have been seated inside and outside (during winter) and especially enjoy when there is live music in the courtyard which happens on many nights of the week thanks to events with the neighbors – but we will get to that!
Next, the food and wine! Even though the property is protected by Vampires, it has an amazing selection of food and wine and we have almost tried it all (Vampires don’t eat food or drink wine, duh). They have a monthly wine club, unbelievable happy hours, discounts for veterans and food service industry workers, and a VIP program which I am pretty sure I need to be part of…. Anyway… our favorite small plates have been the bruschetta, and the flatbreads and from the photos you will see we have ordered them a couple times on different occasions and the quality is the same – epic! We also tried the garlic knots because you know – gotta stay safe from those vampires! But the entire menu is great. They allow you to sample many of the wines before making a selection and give you quality pours once you have made your choice. They have wines from all over the world, but a personal favorite of ours are always the wines they feature from Romania, who knew? They do serve wine flights, coffee, beers, and seltzers too but when we visit with friends that aren’t wine drinkers – we direct them next door to our other favorite downtown spot – The Ale and the Witch.
The Ale and the Witch is located directly next door in the same courtyard and shares the same laid back spooky vibe. We don’t spend much time inside here though as we prefer the courtyard under the stars more, but you cannot beat the tap selection here! They feature over 30 taps and at least one new cask a week and live music 3-7 days a week!
This is the perfect place to hang with groups of friends because there is something for everyone – wine drinkers, beer drinkers, ciders, and sours galore – all in one place! Find Dracula’s Legacy on Facebook and Instagram and The Ale and the Witch on Facebook and Instagram and give them a follow – then go check them out next time you are in the area! I am sure they are dying to serve you! (ahhh hahah hahaha thriller laugh).