Inside the historic Cordova Inn at 253 2nd Ave N, The Scott cafe and cocktail lounge is one of downtown St. Pete’s hidden gems. While the locally-roasted coffee is fresh every morning, it’s the weekday happy hour that takes center stage in the afternoons, one of the few places downtown to find craft cocktails for single-digit dollars.

Every Monday-Thursday from 5-7 pm, the cozy lounge offers $10 cocktails, $6 wines, and $4 beers. And let’s be clear: these aren’t just well liquors mixed with soda. The expansive cocktail menu includes classics like the French 75, Mai Tai, and Negroni, as well signature creations like The Scott (made with Redemption rye, cognac, bitters, and an absinthe rinse) or the Cordova Martini, their take on an espresso martini with local Banyan Reserve vodka, coffee liqueur, and fresh espresso.

Even the beer on tap and in cans showcases the creations of some of the best local breweries around. And all of this, of course, is housed in a beautiful hotel lobby complete with its own library and a patio overlooking downtown.

However, that doesn’t mean one should sleep on the cafe side of The Scott (though it will certainly help out if you’re trying not to sleep.) During the day, The Scott is a spot for hotel guests and visitors to try coffee from Hogg Batch Coffee, a St. Petersburg roaster founded by David and Duane Hogg. The Scott excellently prepares a wide variety of lattes and espresso-based hot and cold beverages, as well as fresh drip coffee and hot teas.

Morning coffee drinkers can also sample from the selection of breakfast bites, including a ham and cheese foldover, a spinach and white cheddar quiche, muffins, and yogurt parfaits.

The Scott is open from 7 am to 2 pm every day, and from 4-10 pm Wednesdays through Sundays

Refreshing St. Pete’s historic Cordova Inn

Built in 1921, the Cordova Inn offers the unique charm of a historic boutique bed and breakfast. The hotel was built in the Neoclassical Revival architecture style, a unique building type in St Petersburg, and is located just a few blocks from the St Pete Pier and many other downtown museums, restaurants, and attractions.

Want to see inside the hotel? Watch our video walkthrough of The Cordova Inn.

The bar, which features classic cocktails at night and craft coffee from local roaster Hogg Batch by day, is part of a striking refresh of the lobby, which also included adding a room for a  business center and hanging more than 30 photos that showcase St. Petersburg’s colorful past. 

New Hotel Collection, which also has ownership stakes in hotels in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida;  Indian Shores, Florida; and Sevierville, Tennessee, purchased the Cordova Inn in December of 2021. The hotel, built in 1921, was called the Hotel Scott for several years before being renamed the Hotel Cordova. More recently, it was known as the Pier Hotel, before becoming the Cordova Inn in 2015.