Café Alcazar — Restaurant in Saint Augustine

The food is a bit pricey, but the menu items we had was very good. 1 carafe of Sangria is $30.00. The Sangria was very good, again a little on the pricey side. The least expensive item on the menu is a cup of soup for $7.75. Sandwiches start at around $17.50 per item. The service was also very good, and the atmosphere was very unusual as it was in the pool area at the Lightner Museum. The only thing that turned me off from coming back here is the 2.95% surcharge that the restaurant applies to the customer use a credit card to pay. I disagree with restaurants trying to pass off the fees to the customer. Honestly the food prices are already expensive to begin with, so why don't they just add a 2.95% increase to the food and beverage items. Stop trying to nickle and dime your customers. We are no longer in a pandemic. Most people pay with a card, the surcharge is the cost of doing business and accepting a credit card as payment. Stop trying to pass off your merchant fees to your customers. This is the only restaurant that I have been to in St. Augustine that charges that fee to customers. Because of this practice we won't be coming back here again. What you are doing is forcing customers to take the 3% off the servers' tips, because you are being unnecessarily frugal. It is not fair to the servers working there, however it is also not fair to paying customers to eat your merchant fees. This is just an example of this business trying to cut corners at the customer's expense. Because of this sneaky business practice I do not recommend this restaurant, and won't be patronizing...

Café Alcazar is a missed opportunity in a stunning setting. Nestled inside the historic Lightner Museum, Café Alcazar occupies a breathtaking space that was once a lavish swimming pool. The grandeur of the setting, with its high ceilings and classical ambiance, promises an exceptional dining experience—but unfortunately, the reality falls far short of that promise. Despite the vast space, the restaurant has but a few oddly small tables that can barely accommodate a meal, creating an awkward and impractical dining setup. Everyone's plate sits half off the edge of the table, it's quite ridiculous. The service, while polite, feels mismatched, with more waiters than tables. The menu itself reads well but suffers in execution. The mushroom soup had an earthy flavor, but not in a good way—it was reminiscent of ground snails rather than the rich, umami warmth one would expect. The cuban sandwich arrived on non-Cuban bread, stripping it of its authenticity. And the Thanksgiving sandwich? A challenge to eat, with thick slices of granny apples making it nearly impossible to take a proper bite. Café Alcazar is an establishment with incredible potential, given its historic charm and unique setting. However, the pretentious plating, impractical menu choices, and inconsistent execution turn what could be a memorable meal into a frustrating experience. With some adjustments, this venue could live up to the grandeur of its surroundings. Until then, it remains an underwhelming stop in an otherwise remarkable area of...

Not one person in St Augustine had told us about this gem!

It is an absolute must on your visit.

If you could imagine the largest indoor swimming pool in the world turned into a cafe.... it's almost out of a Fellini film!

The Ambiance of this environment is totally off the charts!

GREAT SOCIAL DISTANCING

We went there on a Monday around 12:30 in the afternoon... without a reservation.

I wondered to myself why this place wasn't more packed but once we were done and leaving there was a line of people waiting to be seated.

If you could imagine an environment, perhaps in Manhattan at one of the luxury hotels where you would have high tea, this was the experience that we had yesterday.

We only stayed in St Augustine overnight and the bustling crowds and trolleys were just enough for us.

We had entered the building through the rear with a very unassuming awning... I open the door I heard some beautiful piano music...it seductively but immediately drew me in and once I saw the main hall of this facility I knew I had to give up my plans for the rest of the day.

We were immersed in history.

It was as ike having lunch at the Hearst Mansion

We split the shrimp with linguini because we'd just had breakfast in bed at The Collector...best hotel in St. Augustine.

Our waiter, Al, was extremely attentive!

You absolutely must have to try the flourless chocolate cake and the Dolce leche....Sarah makes them and they are worthy of the best of the best...light as air!

I would be a regular if this was in...