Bar Bites: Moon Under Water

(Credit: Bert Moreno)

related items

Moon Under Water

Pub food, pub atmosphere

Moon Under Water

British Colonial food with a pint of Guinness. It does not...

It’s a unique British Tavern with an even more unique name. Decorated from ceiling to floor with UK memorabilia, this place hosts a cozy pub with dank lighting and candle lit restaurant on the inside and your choice of al fresco dining on the outside. An anomaly, this place is equal bar and restaurant and equal in great quality for both. The drink menu is extensive, offering lots of different imported and domestic beers that are complemented with your choice of some delicious “anything but typical bar food” right off the well-crafted lunch and dinner menu that you can enjoy perched at the bar or at a table with friends. The bar is tiny, snug, not the place you would go with a huge group of friends looking for a crazy party, but the kind of place you would go with your close pals looking for good drinks, good food and a good time. 

A pint or two: Pouring up more than 15 beers on tap, at least 10 imports and several domestics, the brew selection is no joke. Extensive and diverse, you can either toast a pint of “Old Speckled Hen Ale” (English of course) or a “Tenner’s Jack Ale” or stick with tried and true favorites, like a Guinness or Corona. And then there are the “real men” drinks. Take a shot of whiskey or scotch. There are more than 30 Scotch, Whiskey and Bourbons and blends to choose from. If sipping is more your style, Moon Under Water even has an impressive wine selection. In other words, you won’t be served some cheap rum and generic brand cola that will get you buzzed quick. It’s a quality bar serving quality drinks to be enjoyed, not chugged as quick as you can.

The Scene: Like most of the restaurants, eateries and bars along Beach Drive in downtown St. Pete, this place welcomes a diverse crowd. Sit at the bar with a bunch of locals enjoying the game,  but don’t be surprised to see a family with three kids or vacationers enjoying the fine British fare behind you in the restaurant. It’s definitely not a dive bar, but it’s not super-fancy either. It has a casual, relaxed vibe where you’ll want to wear a nice pair of khakis and a polo, but won’t feel awkward if you stop by for a drink with a pal after a jog along Beach Drive.

Top it all off: Top off your alcoholic beverage of choice with some customary, traditional British cuisine. Offering lots and lots of specialties like crispy, deep fried ‘Fish and Chips’ served with peas and tartar sauce, the fish is perfectly seasoned, flaky and moist and the customary side of fries and peas immediately places you in a real pub in England watching some futbol. Other classics include ‘Shepherd’s Pie’ ($11.95) made with homemade, creamy mashed potatoes and stick to your ribs fillings and ‘English Pastry‘, a turnover filled with ground beef and tender veggies in a flaky dough. Feeling like dining on this side of the Atlantic, this place offers lots of hearty, he-man burgers, cooked to order. The ‘Guiness Burger’ ($9.50) is perfectly topped with ooey, gooey swiss cheese and sweet carmelized onions and the ‘Moon Burger’ comes topped with the works- lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, green peppers, cheese and bacon. It’s a good thing these ingredients harmonize so well together, there’s no substitutes.  But wait, there’s more. The menu is as diverse as offering globetrotting favorites such as Feta Taboule Salad, Cuban sandwiches, Thai Chicken salad, Tuna Sashimi and more, guaranteed to please everyone. You can order all of these dishes at the bar or order from the drink menu, offering a smaller selection of dishes that are discounted during happy hour.  

The damage: The drink prices are typical. A beer will run you around 6 bucks, but the dishes are a little more expensive. You pay for the ambiance of the place and the location of downtown St. Pete, but it is worth it. The servings are enough to leave leftovers and each dish is exquisite, carefully crafted by Chef Michael Crippin who was classically trained in London and served English royalty. The bartenders will gladly tell you, under the direction of Crippin, which drink complements which dish.

The Bottom Line: This place is the “bee’s knees” when it comes to a casual bar with great drinks and ever better food. If it was good enough for Prince William, it’s good enough for St. Pete.