We have been going to Rosemary Beach for about 8 years now and only live two hours away. I love the feel of this quaint little town and it has completely stolen the hearts of my family. We would love to be so lucky to own a place here one day; but in the meantime, we have had a blast renting lots of little houses!

I will say that when we go down to Rosemary for extended weekends or even week long trips, we tend to stay in the area. We don’t venture out too far even though there is tons of amazing places to see and wonderful restaurants to eat at. So you will notice that this guide is pretty specific to Rosemary Beach and just a few miles east and west of it!

I lived in Seaside for a summer during college and love that area so much too. It’s totally worth checking out if you have the time and sometime soon I hope to have another travel guide up specifically for that area. So, stay tuned. But for now, here’s a great overview of our favorite things to do in Rosemary Beach!

WHERE TO STAY in Rosemary Beach, FL

The best option for accommodations in Rosemary is renting a house for your stay. Whether you are visiting for a weekend or staying for the week, the best way to make the most of your time is to rent one of the beautiful colorful cottages. There is something about the charm of the Seaside houses that instantly makes you feel at home, and there is not a “bad” location in all of Seaside. Because the neighborhood is not very big, every house is within walking distance to eating, shopping, and, best of all, the ocean!

WHERE TO EAT in Rosemary Beach, FL

There is absolutely no shortage of delicious food in Seaside, FL. I have not had a “bad” meal there in years. Whether you are looking for seafood, pizza, Mexican, Italian, or just a good burger, you can find it.

These are some great dining options (**indicates favorite):

For Breakfast:

Summer Kitchen**
Havana Bar & Grill at The Pearl
Cowgirl Kitchen
Big Bad Breakfast **-
(this has become our very favorite! Grab your bikes!)
Grits & Grind (Seacrest)
Donut Hole –
(touristy in my opinion and always overcrowded!)
Charlies Cafe in Rosemary but also a truck in Alys Beach
Raw & Juicy in Alys Beach
Seacrest Sundries Cafe -(more of a grab and go)
La Cocina – brunch daily starting at 11.

For Lunch & Dinner:

Edward’s
Seafood served right. The outdoor patio often has live music and is always showing an old movie projected on the buildings. It has a great atmosphere indoors and out!

George’s at Alys Beach**
Love this restaurant for both lunch and dinner. The indoor space is very small, but love the outside patio area. It’s the perfect spot to bike to for lunch too!

Restaurant Paradis**
The very first restaurant in Rosemary Beach that I fell in love with! I love the decor, atmosphere and food! Enjoy drinks at the bar, sit inside or out and be sure to listen to all the specials for the night!

La Crema Tapas & Fondue**
I love this spot for both lunch and dinner. It’s tapas style, so be sure to try a variety. They are known for their Paella and I love their Brussel sprouts! We bribe the kids to behave at dinner by ordering the chocolate fondue for dessert! So good.

Pescado**
The highest rooftop bar in Rosemary Beach. Go for dinner, afternoon drinks, or just a late night dessert! The outdoor seating is first come, first serve; but if you want to sit inside, I recommend snagging a reservation! The food is so good. Get the Seafood Salad and the Asian lobster split with two or three people!

Caliza at Alys Beach
I recommend this restaurant when it’s not too hot out! We were able to enjoy in June, but by July or August, it could be really hot. The scenery is gorgeous as it overlooks the pristine Alys Beach Pool and the food is inspired by Peru. We had a great meal here and the drinks are good too!

Cowgirl Kitchen
Casual and great for kids. It’s small, but they have quite the variety. Amazing pizzas, specialty sandwiches and Mexican cuisine (get the blackened shrimp quesadillas). I love this for lunch and also great for a Mexican style breakfast!

Citizen at Alys Beach

This is a newer restaurant in Alys Beach that offers a coastal, creative local fare. It can be difficult to get a reservation here, so usually best to try and go early and put your name in and have a cocktail while you wait. I believe they only take reservations for groups of 8 or more.

The Pearl Rooftop Lounge
Mostly simple snack type foods with a couple sandwich options. Fun for lunch or drinks and app before dinner. The views are wonderful! They also have live music on certain evenings which is really nice.

Café ThirtyA**
This is in Seaside, so its a little big of a drive; but it’s one of my favorites! It’s a bigger restaurant that offers tons of great seafood dishes as well as beef. It’s worth the drive in my opinion especially after you have hit up all my Rosemary favorites!

The Hub on 30A**
Several different casual spots to choose from and lots of area for the kids to run around. They have a big screen tv that they show movies on and lawn seating. They also have games around and fun for all ages!

La Cocina Mexican Bar and Grill (Seacrest)
Casual and easy Mexican if you are looking for a great spot to take the kiddos.

Cuvee 30A

We just went here on one of our most recent trips and we had a fabulous meal. We actually had all 3 kids with us and we ended up sitting in the bar area and had a fabulous time. It was a Thursday night and they had a live one man guitar playing and it was so fun. We both had fish and they were incredible!

Shaka Sushi

This is a brand new sushi and Noodle bar restaurant in Inlet Beach and I have already heard rave reviews. We haven’t been yet, but I can’t wait to try when we are there in June!

Gallions Restaurant

This one is brand new as of May 2022 and I can’t wait to try. The bar looks awesome and so does the menu. This is an 18 years and older only restaurant.

For Coffee:

Amavida
Fonville Press (for coffee and pastries)

For Sweet Treats:

Charlie’s Donut Truck **(breakfast only)
Sugar Shak (ice cream and lots of candy!)
La Crema (fondue)
Kilwins Ice Cream and Fudge

For Drinks:

Caliza
Cuvée 30A
Havana Bar Rooftop Lounge
Havana Bar at The Pearl**
NEAT at Alys Beach**
Pescado Rooftop Bar**

WHAT TO DO in Rosemary Beach, FL

1. BEACH:

That’s what you are coming here for hopefully! Rent your chairs (and do it EARLY!). Rosemary Beach Chair Rentals will set your chairs out early in the morning and pick them up for you at 5pm or a little after. It’s so nice to be able to walk out to the beautiful beach and plop yourself down to a chair and umbrella that’s already set up for you!

2. SHOPPING:

Willow
Gigi’s Fab Kids
Bombora Sun & Surf
Ophelia Swimwear
Outpost – Sip, Shop & Sea

3. BIKE

Rent some bikes from Bamboo Bicycle Company and bike your way through Rosemary Beach, Seacrest, Alys Beach and even towards Seaside if you are ambitious! We rent the the kids trailers to pull behind our bikes too!

4. CONCERTS & MOVIE NIGHTS

Rosemary Beach always has fun events planned, so grab a blanket and find a spot in the amp to enjoy one of their summer concerts!

5. EVENINGS AT THE BEACH

Grab some beach chairs and enjoy the evening time at the beach. One of our favorite times at the beach is from 5pm to 8pm when we can watch the kids run, enjoy a bottle of wine and view the gorgeous sunsets. Another really fun thing to do that they offer in Rosemary Beach is the group Bonfires. You have to call and set them up ahead of time and they can be a bit pricey; but if you have a nice size group, they can be a lot of fun!

6. PAMPER

Spa Pearl
Vivo Spa Salon

7. FARMER’S MARKET

On Sunday mornings, they set up a nice size Farmer’s Market in Barrett Square that is fun to walk through. They often have some pre-made meals that look pretty good if you wanted to grab a few t0 enjoy for meals at home during the week.

8. KID STUFF

There are 5 or more different pools all around the Rosemary Beach area. Find the one closest to you. Be sure to take them to the splash pad in Alys Beach and there is also a playground around there. We had a couple of rainy days on vacation and took a short car ride (15 or 20 min) to Panama City where they have a Dave & Busters Arcade and a big Movie Theater. There is also an awesome waterpark called Shipwreck Island that the kids love!

:: SERVICES ::

Rosemary Beach Chair Rentals
Bamboo Bicycle Company (they also rent equipment for babies & toddlers)

Babysitters:

Hello Clementines – Meg is awesome who runs this!
Baby Sitters at the Beach

Have your Groceries Delivered:

Be My Shopper
The Beach Butlers
Instacart (can be slim on delivery times)

Delivery Options:

Bruno’s Pizza
Emerald Coast Boil Company –
Would you like a shrimp boil delivered directly to your house to enjoy?? This is a great option!
30A Signature Caterers –
They will come cook at your house for you and I believe they will also drop off food as well.

Read Up on Events in the Area:

Calendar of Events
The Hub Events
Alys Beach Events

:: Our Previous Trips to Rosemary ::

Rosemary Wine Festival – October 2013
One Week Family Trip – June 2016
Anniversary Weekend with Kids – April 2017
Adult Weekend – September 2017
Birthday Weekend with Kids – February 2018
Anniversary Weekend with Kids – April 2018
One Week Family Vacation – June 2018
Thanksgiving Week – November 2018
Our Anniversary Weekend – April 2019
One Week Family Vacation – June 2019
Family Labor Day Weekend – September 2019
Rosemary Wine Festival – November 2019
Matt’s Birthday Weekend – February 2020
Our Spring Break Week – March 2020
One Week Family Vacation – June 2020
Long Weekend Hurricane Evacuation – September 2020
Wine Festival Weekend – November 2020
Long Spring Weekend – April 2021
One Week Family Vacation – August 2021
Easter Weekend – April 2022

Travel Guide | Rosemary Beach, FL

WHERE TO STAY in Rosemary Beach, FL

Best Rental Companies:

Hotels:

Houses We Have Rented: