Popular St. Pete Speakeasy Is Taking Its ‘Last Confessions’ & Opening New Concept

There's good news and bad news. If you fancy this St. Pete speakeasy, you might want to give it a visit soon as it's going to go through a major change in a few weeks. Owners of popular St. Pete bar The Saint have announced on social media that a huge change is coming to the immersive and they will be temporarily closing in November 2024.

Lurking behind a discrete, unassuming entryway on a side street in the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg, awaits an unrivaled cocktail experience. The Saint was opened in 2020 and is known to be one of the best themed bars/speakeasy's in the area. After you confess your sin to get in, you walk into a red-lit room with all kinds of cathedral art and themes, plus a whole wall to "confess your sins". They have a whole drink menu named after each deadly sin. We've been there a couple times and had a great experience each time. Plus, they were one of our go-to spots for a great espresso martini.

Fans shouldn't be too upset as this is not completely a "goodbye" but a "see you later" scenario. According to the announcement on The Saint's social media page "guests can expect to experience a completely fresh concept in the same space within weeks of The Saint's closure and prior to the holidays."

The owner David Fischer went on to explain the decision to change concepts: "Themed bars have become the norm in St. Petersburg and we wanted to make sure The Saint went out on top. The Saint is a completely unique place and the first speakeasy of its kind in St. Pete; we have so many amazing memories and moving on is bittersweet. With weekends still seeing a packed sold out speakeasy, most owners wouldn't make this bold move, we believe that Pour Behavior is known for pushing the envelope and innovating new experiences."

This doesn't mean they'll be clearing house. Thankfully, the awesome staff is there to stay, with some room for growth within the team and they expect to hire a significant amount of new employees for their new concept.

So what comes next? Well Pour Behavior has completed the development and design process. The space will be "incredibly immersive", but will also be able to evolve with the growing city of St. Pete.

If you haven't checked out The Saint yet, we highly recommend doing so before early November, when they are expected to temporarily close. You can make reservations here.

Why go out to a brewery just to sip and stare at your phone? Arcade bars are the newest business trend that’s invading Tampa Bay. It is exactly what it sounds like, they combine the love for alcohol and classic arcade games that makes you so nostalgic. These bars aren’t filled with just your classic dive bar games like pool or darts, they bring in classic arcade games like Pacman, Donkey Kong, and Mangala. Save your quarters and get ready to jump back in time and feel like a kid again, but with beer!

Spice it up by visiting any of these arcade bars on our list to maximize your night out! These spots are located all around the Tampa Bay area! So it doesn’t matter what side of the bridge you’re on, there’s classic fun to be had everywhere. Grab your quarters and get playing. Many places on our list have themed nights and discounted playing hours, so check their social media or website to see if they’re rockin’ any awesome deals. What are some of your favorite classic arcade games? We personally rock Pacman and some bubble hockey!

Located in Seminole Heights by ZooTampa is one of Tampa’s best hidden gems. Lowry Parcade seems to be the first of it’s kind in the bay area and lit the success for other similar business to appear. Monday’s is the day to go, they have unlimited credits on arcade and pinball with just a $5 cover.

This hidden gem in St. Pete is a fun hub with all types of games and craft beers. Follow them on Instagram to see whenever they’re doing a Free Play Friday!

Ok, Gen X isn't technically labeled an "arcade bar," but we think it counts! They have some classic arcade games like skee-ball and Pacman, they also have a Lightning edition of bubble hockey and plenty of 80's and 90's board games to play all night

You might have seen Right Around The Corner if you frequent Central Ave a lot. This arcade and brewery has been in St. Pete since 2016, they pride themselves on picking the best brews from around the world. BONUS: If you leave a review on Yelp, they give you 10% off your check

Parks and Rec is definitely for the Millennial crowd, but it’s still a fun spot regardless. Not only do they have the walls lined up with arcade games, but they have giant bucket beer pong outside. Not our typical beer pong, this version is played with trash cans and soccer balls instead of ping pong balls. The Tampa location recently closed its doors, so all we have left is the St. Pete location.

Reboot in Dunedin has it all. Racing games, pinball galore and even bubble hockey! Reboot is Dunedin’s very first virtual reality arcade bar and Tampa Bay’s only bar exclusively devoted to modern console gaming. They have a U-shaped bar lined with TV’s and multiple gaming consoles to choose from.

This spot is great for the whole family. With a full kitchen and so many games to choose from there’s endless options for fun! They have over 60’s TV’s which makes it a great spot for football Sunday’s.