I swore I wouldn't review a place that I didn't go to but here I am. They suck. 1) you need to call for reservations 2) the first dude tells me the available times 3) we call back and the chick says nope only 1 time ....sorry in 4 minutes when people don't answer the phone in the first place it did NOT fill up for 2 people. 4) no waiting list? 5) you can't put the phone on hold instead of speaker?! Wow. I sure hope the chef is better than everyone in front of the house. Merry Christmas to us that won't be were we eat. The menu looked good too. Ambiance? Cmon yelp. The phone is on speaker so that's a clue. read more

Castillo Craft Bar + Kitchen - Diners Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

We were celebrating my daughter's graduation from Flagler College and were greeted with a friendly smile as soon as we entered the restaurant. I love the decor and ambiance. Jason, the manager, checked on us several times and our waitress, Trish, was amazingly attentive. The coconut shrimp appetizer was delicious, the drinks perfect, and our steaks cooked to perfection. I highly recommend Castillo Craft Bar! read more

I was staying in the hotel and had breakfast here each day. I thought the food was delicious and the service was great at breakfast. Try the biscuits and gravy, it was about the best I have ever had. Five stars for the breakfast room and staff! I had a dinner at the bar, the pepperoni flatbread was very good. The service however was poor. The bartender was openly showing her disdain for anyone who sat at the bar and ordered something. At one point a large group moved from the bar to a table and asked her to transfer their bill, as they walked away she yelled at the server "what about my tip!". I find this type of behavior very low class. Guests should not be exposed to an attitude from a bartender or server especially at a place that is on the finer side. I kind of wanted to get up and ask for a table myself but I was trying to have just a quick dinner. I do intend to stay at this hotel when I have business up this way, but if I see that person at the bar again I will opt for a table so as not to put her out of her way by waiting on me. read more

Christmas dinner 2023. Things that stuck out: The initial "greeter" was on a downer, not friendly and no smile. (It's Christmas come on) our waiter looked dirty and did not have professional experience serving. Entree's we're served in a trough creating no place to park your utensils. So after 4-5 times of your fork, sliding down into your food then having to figure out a way to get it out and not get your hands foodie was a hassle. They were like a fast food joint. Food was OK. When you pay 75+ per person you expect to be taken care of professionally. read more

I haven't written a review like this in awhile, but the little things add up enough to warrant a review. The table was dirty and off balance, there was a group setting up for an event with balloons and Amazon boxes littered over the floor near our table, the Escovich special was for two people at $75 and the rice / plantain were plenty but the fish was a portion for one person, the manager came to check on our food before we had eaten and did not come back, and while walking to the bathroom a service exited the kitchen and hit me with the swinging door. She did stop to apologize, but upon exiting the bathroom another service a made a joke about watching the door. It was not funny and I do have a bruise. I would not return and do not recommend. read more

The best service I received in town. The food was great I was in for breakfast and ordered the short rib. It was reasonably priced and only took a few minutes to get to my table. read more

We had a wonderful experience dining with Chef Michael on Saturday! The entire staff made our dinner such a pleasure. Great bar atmosphere and service. We started with some apps - can't go wrong with the brussel sprouts, truffle fries and 10-spice wings. All were and we loved the fried banana peppers in the sprouts. For entrees we went with the swordfish tacos and G.O.A.T. burger. The flavors were spot on and both were cooked perfectly. Finished off with a brownie and bread pudding. Delicious! We love the location between downtown and uptown and the complimentary valet is a nice touch. We walked off our meal downtown and love that us locals have this dining option available now! read more

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The service (Jack) and drinks were great. It's pretty inside the restaurant and the bar is cool. However, the food was not good at all. We ordered the fried green beans and they were swimming in grease. My husband had to send the steak back twice, he ordered medium rare and it came out well done both times. My salmon and my friend's fish were ok..nothing special. read more

Food was great. I had the Pasta Bolognese as an entree and the Brussels sprouts as an appetizer. My husband had the Bone-In Pork Chop which had an awesome peach and berry sauce on it. Very unique. The service was friendly and fast. The ambiance was comfy and cool. I am often afraid of restaurants in hotels, but this one stood out! read more

Castillo Craft Bar + Kitchen - Bone-In Pork Chop* - Diners Near Me - St. Augustine, Florida

Very expensive for the quality of food. I had the beef rib sandwich. The first bite tasted burned, overdone. It was as if someone forgot the roast in the oven for several hours, went back and scraped the beef from the burned pan and then put it on the sandwich. It was stringy, flavorless and borderline gross. I make much better at home for half the price. The fish and chips was good, good batter, good tartar sauce but not really exemplary or impressive. It was just fish and chips- 25$ for my burned beef sandwich and 28$ for food cart quality fish and chips makes me upset. It was run of the mill on both. The cocktails looked good- but I refrained because of their high price point. The atmosphere was one of wealthy people patting each other on the back for being wealthy, but soulless and sterile. The service was personality- less " can I start you with some drinks?" " everything OK here?" But truly not impressive either. The manager seemed grumpy maybe it's because he has to eat here. I don't know why I'm even giving this place two stars instead of one- one for the cool building I suppose, and 1 because we did not die of food poisoning. One of our spendiest meals in St. Aug and definitely THE worst. It was epically bad! We almost complained but got the feeling no one cared anyway- both my partner and I agree that this was our most regrettable outing in our two week stay. I feel bad for people who think this is good food. It is high end high way robbery ! read more

From the valet to the wait staff to Anthony going out of the menu this place has the best food for the price. I was surprised when I got the check. I was first to dine at 4pm but ate alone for the whole hour time. read more

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Duck legs and pork belly buns were amazing. We sat outside and the heaters were on. Service was good, even for sitting outside. read more

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We came during the busy Christmas season and were excited that we could get a reservation 2 weeks earlier for a table of 10. Crazy that we were told when we checked in (way ahead of time) that they didn't have our reservation and the man told us he had just started working there recently and didn't know the manager we had spoken with for the reservation. We ended up eating in the bar area, all spread out and not together. The food came out quickly but the taste was bland. The bar area is gorgeous and spacious. Too bad the bar service and valet service was so slow. I hate to say and am so disappointed that I do not recommend. read more

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We just went for drinks which were delicious and the drinks were strong! Virtual menu had pictures of each drink which was very helpful

Basically community seating. We paid $95 a piece for a Christmas night reservation. Nothing that we wanted off of the menu was available. All of the food was terrible and rushed. Would not recommend coming here on a busy night. read more

I always love visiting my favorite "quaint drinking town with a beach problem" The staff are pleasant, management is amazing, and the food is delectable!!! For breakfast my favorites were the biscuits and gravy and the brioche french toast. For dinner, my table enjoyed a 2.5lb snapper that was finished table side with a torch...a cool touch! In addition...the duck confit pot pie and the beef carpaccio were beyond mouthwatering...it touch my soul right thru my belly!! For dessert, homemade key lime cheesecake, tres leche, and chocolate crème brûlée. The head Chef has built an amazing seasonal menu with flavors that complement one another so well. It's creative, comforting, and worth every penny. The restaurant isn't huge but it stays busy. There is a bar with great bar tables, creative cocktails, and a couple TVs too. I recommend breakfast, lunch and dinner! I hope your experience is as awesome as mine w read more

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We are staying at the hotel here and after a long day we didn't want to drive around looking for a place to eat. We came here and wow! We are so glad we did. The food was delicious, flavorful and unique in all the best ways. The server was attentive, helpful and never let our drink go dry. The prices were reasonable and it was the perfect ambiance to end a long day. Chef Michael came to our table and we were happy to tell him how wonderful everything was. We'll be back any time we visit St Augustine read more

Very pricey, but it is very good. Drinks are excellent, but be ready to pay for them. Plan to sit at the bar, the wait would've been an hour and a half for us, but we were served quickly and there seemed to be plenty of good service and space in there. read more

Unfortunately, this place started out with rude service. The hostess was rude and went out of her way to laugh when we wanted to move to another seat. I have been to many places on St. Augustine while visiting and did not encounter such rudeness. I am giving it a 3 star because the food was good. But when you you go out and spend good money on a meal you expect a 5 star service. If you have a choice for dinner go elsewhere. read more

Insanely expensive relative to the service you receive and the food you get. This is one of those places that has overthought the food. They tried too hard and made the food more bland than you could imagine. And for ~$17 per person at breakfast, i wouldn't recommend it unless the hotel gave you a voucher. The service here is really slow, we only got 1 refill in the 75 minutes we were in the restaurant, and it took about 35 minutes for them to make us out breakfast foods. The only reason this isn't a 1 star review is because the view is good, and they have indoor and outdoor seating, so on a nice evening or morning that would be really desirable. read more

Didn't take photos as we were with a large group, but everything was soooooo good!!!! We got the short rib, salmon, scallops, spinach dip, Brussel sprouts and more I can't remember; not a thing disappointed!!! It's pricey, but everything tasted amazing and the staff were really kind! read more

This is the kind of place for special occasion's. Dress is casual to dressy but, could easily be a dress up affair. Food was fresh, prepared with a flair. Such attention to detail. Farm to table, locally sourced. Nyles did an exceptional job making our dinner THE BEST we had during our week in St Augustine. Thanks Nyles-ask for him when you go. read more

Kristen was a great server! She tended to my table of two with kindness and compassion after a long Mother's Day shift. The food was incredible; teriyaki glazed salmon and the dark chocolate share cake are highlights. And the atmosphere is very intimate for a date night. read more

My wife and I celebrated our 10 yr wedding anniversary. We started with the Calamari as an appetizer and it was delicious. My wife ordered the 8oz filet. I ordered the Bone In Ribeye. Both were cooked perfectly. The staff was very attentive. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

We found this place on our late arrival to St. Augustine for my birthday trip. What a great first dinner this was! We decided to try it because first, it was close to where we were staying, and 2nd the outside Christmas decor was outstanding! When we walked in we did have to wait a few minutes before we were greeted but they were quite busy and 2 people did walk by to let us know someone would be with us soon. We sat in the dining room at a 2 top, my husband with a chair and I sat on a couch-type seat with a pillow (very comfy). Our waiter greeted us within 2 minutes of sitting and answered questions we had about some of the cocktails on the menu. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. I ordered the Lavender Collins and I have to add this is one of the best cocktails I think I've ever had. My husband had an Old Fashion which was great! We ordered the Crispy Brussels sprouts for an appetizer. These Brussels sprouts were very tasty. I will say some of them were large and probably could have been cooked a little longer but then the perfect ones would have been overdone. For dinner, I had the BBQ short rib. Now when I say this is the best short rib I've ever had I am not kidding! This dish melted in my mouth. Positively delicious! It comes with charred carrots and I'm not a carrot fan so they substituted it with Broccolini (a nice portion I might add). My husband chose the duck pot pie. It was the perfect size and he enjoyed it. We worry sometimes about a pot pie mostly because of the temperature, but this one was perfect! We wanted to have dessert but after this wonderful meal, we just didn't have any room for it. I wish I could remember our server's name because he was great! Very hospitable and knowledgeable. I watched him assist his co-workers on several occasions. If you're looking for a place with not only great ambiance but superb service and delicious food then this is the place for you! read more

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Stayed at the hotel, breakfast and dinner at this restaurant were both wonderful. Highly recommend french toast for breakfast, it was perfect. read more

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Went there for the first time because they had a very interesting menu including duck confit pot pie. Saw several rave reviews about the dish and it sounds like a fantastic idea. Pictures of the pie online looked great. Unfortunately they don't have that. It was removed from their menu (I guess because people loved it) along with some of their other innovative dishes like the Lamb Carapaccio that the woman at the next table wanted. Now its just a boring menu with the standard stuff. I wound up with a Caesar salad which was mediocre at best. Whatever happened to this place wasn't good. They even took off key lime pie martinis from their menu! What bartender in St Augustine can't make those? Actually upon my insistence they did make one but no Graham cracker rim read more

Upscale dining with pretty good food. When we went here, it seemed like they were just starting up. By the time you go here, they should be a bit better! This restaurant is connected to the Renaissance Hotel. read more

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This was our best dinner in St Auggy as of yet - and I've been coming around for an occasional dinner for about 6 years now! Every bite, every sip, everything was SO delicious. This spot has a cute, casually romantic vibe, w complimentary Valet and extremely friendly waitstaff. We had a large party and everything still came out quickly despite them being quite busy. I would recommend this spot to anyone coming through. read more

Dominated. Got there at 4pm for dinner so service was great, wouldn't expect that to change with the crowd. Food was FANTASTIC! We didn't have drinks but would assume they would match everything else. Worth it! read more

Delicious drinks and food! Service was good! Visited around 6/15/23. Atmosphere was AMAZING. Went during a "slow" time for them only 15 tables max during our visit. Very wonderful, will definitely be back when we revisit the area. read more

Everything was AMAZING! From the decor, to the customer assistance to the restaurant located in the hotel my family and I have never had a hotel experience this great! We must really compliment the restaurant staff (Poi and the gentleman server working with her). We ate breakfast there every morning and they made us feel like FAMILY! Very attentive and friendly, will definitely be coming back thanks to the hotel, cleanliness, proximity to downtown and restaurant staff. You guys were awesome! read more

Maybe even 4+. The service was exceptional and the food was very good. We went because we tend to only eat at, Farm to Table restaurants. From the online description we felt this establishment met that criteria. However after querying the waiter, we were not so sure. But then we noticed the fresh growing herb garden, ( indoors ) and our hopes were raised. Is it, Farm to Table, we are still not sure. We will be back? Most likely, because we had such a good experience, we will give it another try. read more

Excellent experience!! We arrived late for our reservation, they said no problem!... our indoor table by the window was still waiting for us. We asked to be in and out in under an hour and that request was met by our friendly server with time to spare. The espresso martini and smoked old fashion were made to perfection. And the short ribs and salmon were both cooked beautifully. A great addition to the downtown St. Augustine area; will definitely return again! read more

The fried shrimp appetizer is excellent, and I'd get it every time I come here. My companion liked her hamburger. The white truffle fries, which had to be purchased separately, weren't good. I disliked my main: a pork chop coated with coffee in a blueberry sauce. It was too big; I hated the coffee coating; the sauce didn't add anything to it; and it seemed to be cooked beyond well done (a bit dry), though I'd asked for it medium well. Our brownie stack dessert (gooey brownies with ice cream on top) was pretty good, but it's hard to make that taste bad. It was also large: I wish menus would distinguish between shared and personal desserts, and this was larger than I wanted. Our server wasn't too familiar with the menu. I've twice inquired with this restaurant about eating there on holidays, but never received a call back. I got a clue as to why this Easter: there weren't many people there. I wish they took online reservations, or at least returned calls (I'd like to know if they have special menus for holidays, for example). The bathroom was weak: an automatic faucet that wouldn't stay on and an air dryer (no towels). This is the only restaurant that I've seen the menu on a tablet, and it worked pretty well (though the ribeye still said "market price" and our waitress had to inquire what that was). I might return for that shrimp appetizer, or on a holiday, as hotel restaurants are open then. read more

One of many meals we enjoyed on a recent trip to St Augustine. Everything we ordered - which included the duck and pork entrees - was nicely done and the service was impeccable. Pleasant vibe to restaurant - highly recommended. read more

Service staff were great. The presentation and quality of the food were fantastic. Ate there for breakfast and dinner both days of our stay at the renaissance hotel. Have nothing negative to say. On the pricey side but the quality of the dish and presentation were what you would expect at that price point. The decor is nice and great for couples. read more

Two words for this place: bad management I made reservations for Christmas dinner here and chose the 4:30 seating time. The menu looked great and I was excited for the dinner. However the minute we stepped into the restaurant we knew we would be in for a bad time. The line to check in at the host stand wrapped around the bar. Given that it was Christmas and we were unlikely to get in anywhere else we got in line. We waited over 20 minutes in line. As we neared the front, I noticed the host stand was handing out green tickets to each party. I was puzzled as to why a restaurant would be giving out raffle tickets for a Christmas dinner and I really never got an answer after I approached the host stand due to the confusing interaction I had. We gave the host our name once we got to the stand. She told us we needed to pay before we were seated and that gratuity would be included. I was a bit annoyed because this was never mentioned to me while I was booking the reservation. She gave us the green tickets and set our card in a line of 4 other cards waiting to pay for the dinner. We then were told to wait for our card to be charged before we could be seated. By this time, it's 5:00 and we are still nowhere near being seated for our 4:30 reservation. As we're waiting, we overhear something about alcoholic beverages not being served in the dining room. We ask the hostess who says she's not sure but she thought that we would need to leave the dining room and go to the (crowded) bar to order alcoholic drinks with our meal. Again she said she wasn't sure but I could ask someone (not specifying who). At that moment we decided that it wasn't worth paying nearly $200 for this dinner and took our card and left. After reading reviews from the unlucky diners who stayed, I am so glad I left. Luckily, I found a bar that was selling burgers otherwise I don't know what I would've done for dinner as I was on vacation and was not in a position to cook. Management so clearly needs to be replaced or retrained. I felt bad for the hostesses who really had no clue what was going on either. Suggestion for next time: take payment information on the phone at the time of booking or hire more servers to handle the busy day. Might have gone smoother if they treated the dinner like a buffet and had normal reservation times throughout the day. I will certainly not be back. read more

Absolutely in love with Castillo Kitchen Bar. Great service, location, food & they always have seating available. Very accommodating.

We loved Castillo and visited it more than once during our visit to St. Augustine. I highly recommend the smoky blackberry margarita and old fashioned. They have the best cocktails we had during our week long trip. Also, they cook the salmon absolutely perfect and it is delicious on the stone fruit salad. April is a delight and made us at home and helped provide entertainment for the kids. We cannot wait to return. We loved Castillo. Be sure and tour the beautiful hotel while you're also there. read more