3 New Clearwater Beach Restaurants Worth Strolling For

From tacos and tequila to old-fashioned ice cream sundaes, Opal Sol’s newest streetside dining spots are serving up three delicious reasons to explore Clearwater Beach’s Beach Walk.

There’s a new reason to work up an appetite on Clearwater Beach’s Beach Walk. Actually, make that three.

At the street level of Opal Sol, three new dining concepts have officially opened their doors, bringing a little something extra to the popular beachfront promenade. We’re talking Mexican-inspired coastal cuisine, a throwback ice cream parlor, and a grab-and-go market designed for fueling days spent in the Florida sunshine.

And here’s the best part: You don’t need to be staying either Opal Sol or Opal Sands to pull up a chair, grab a cone, or order another round of margaritas. All three spots welcome hotel guests and the public alike. Consider this your introduction to the newest additions to Clearwater Beach’s dining scene.

LOLITA’S COASTAL COCINA: WHERE MEXICO MEETS THE GULF

Best For

A leisurely lunch, sunset cocktails, or a dinner worth lingering over.

Tacos, tequila, and a decidedly coastal twist. That’s the recipe behind Lolita’s Coastal Cocina, the newest sister location to the original Lolita’s at Opal Key Resort & Marina in Key West. Here, lush greenery, bold design details, and a vibrant tropical-meets-Mexican aesthetic set the stage for a menu that brings Mexican culinary traditions together with Florida’s fresh-from-the-water flavors.

Sure, you’ll find street tacos, bowls, and shareable plates. But the real showstoppers include Grouper a la Veracruzana, a Mexican coastal classic featuring fish with tomatoes, olives, capers, and peppers, and Lolita’s Carne Platter, a generously portioned meat-focused feast that practically demands a group effort.

And then there’s the bar. With a lineup of handcrafted cocktails and an extensive selection of tequilas and mezcals, it’s the sort of place where one margarita has a way of becoming two. Throw in waterfront views, and you’ve got a restaurant that feels like a destination in its own right.

Hours

Daily, 11 a.m.–midnight.

FLOAT MALT SHOP & CREAMERY: A SCOOP OF NOSTALGIA

Best For

Post-beach sweet treats, family outings, and anyone who believes dessert deserves its own itinerary stop.

Remember when a trip to the ice cream parlor was an outing in itself? Float Malt Shop & Creamery is bringing back that old-fashioned pleasure, one handcrafted shake, malt, and towering sundae at a time.

With its playful retro-inspired design, nostalgic soda-shop charm, and cheerful pops of color, Float feels like a throwback to the days when ice cream parlors were the neighborhood hangout. But there’s a decidedly modern spin on the menu. Scoops, floats, and creamy milkshakes are all part of the lineup, but the specialty sundaes are where things get particularly indulgent. Take the Tropical Explosion or the Beach Brownie Mudslide, two signature creations whose names alone should give you a pretty good idea of the direction things are headed.

It’s the kind of stop that fits naturally into a Clearwater Beach afternoon. Spend a few hours on the sand, trade your beach towel for a seat at Float, and indulge in a little frozen nostalgia before heading back out to the promenade. Because while a Gulf Coast sunset is certainly sweet, there’s no rule against enjoying an ice cream sundae beforehand.

Hours

Daily, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.

BEACH MARKET: GRAB, GO, AND GET BACK TO THE BEACH

Best For

Morning coffee runs, quick breakfasts, and beach-day provisions

Not every memorable meal requires a reservation. Sometimes, the best thing on the menu is something you can take with you. Enter Beach Market Cafe, Opal Sol’s new streetside grab-and-go spot, where a breezy, beach-inspired aesthetic and laid-back café vibe cater to the beach-bound, the early risers, and anyone whose vacation agenda doesn’t involve sitting still for very long.

Start your morning with a specialty coffee and breakfast sandwich before staking out your spot on the sand. Come lunchtime, swing back for a freshly prepared salad or sandwich without sacrificing too much precious beach time.

And when the Florida heat calls for something cold? The market’s lineup of smoothies includes the signature Dragonberry Crunch, a colorful alternative to your usual caffeine fix.

With doors opening at 6:30 a.m., Beach Market is also the earliest riser of the three new concepts. Consider it a convenient first stop before the rest of Clearwater Beach gets moving.

Hours

Daily, 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m.

THREE NEW SPOTS, ONE VERY APPETIZING DESTINATION

Of course, these three newcomers are just part of a much bigger dining story unfolding at Clearwater Beach.

Connected by a glass-enclosed skyway, sister resorts Opal Sol and Opal Sands Resort now offer a combined 10 dining outlets, spanning everything from Mediterranean-inspired cuisine at Sea-Guini and coastal dining at Drift to breezy poolside cocktails and beachfront bites.

That means you could start your day with coffee from Beach Market, break for tacos at Lolita’s, cool off with a sundae at Float, then graduate to fresh coastal cuisine at Drift, Mediterranean-inspired dishes at Sea-Guini, or toes-in-the-sand cocktails at Sandbar. And that’s just scratching the surface of the dining possibilities.

So the next time you find yourself strolling Clearwater Beach’s waterfront promenade, follow your appetite. It might lead you to a margarita, a malt, or a very good reason to stay for another scoop.