1. A Taste for Wine

   Editor's pick

   Downtown St. Petersburg : 241 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 33701

   Bern's may have the better wine list, but many of us would rather hang out at A Taste for Wine. The wrought-iron balcony offers a great view of Central Avenue in St. Pete. Inside, there's art on the walls from JJ Watts gallery, and live music on weekends: jazz, folk, flamenco, pop, etc. They als …

2. Azalea Lounge

   Editor's pick

   Tampa : 1502 N Florida Ave., Tampa, 33602

   GaYbor might be the best known local district for LGBT drinking destinations, but if you're looking for something a little quieter and laid back, duck into the gay bar (but definitely straight friendly) Azalea Lounge. It's a beautiful old building with a comfy, closed-in back patio. Just pace yo …

3. Blur

   Dunedin : 325 Main St., Dunedin, 34697

   Blur's crew gives us style with assuredness. They know how to lay it on and how to hold back. It's spacious, clean, accommodating. Nothing is over the top. Sheer draperies and glass dividers accent the rear interior bar and DJ booth - and they set off an adorable privacy area by the parquet danc …

4. Christopher Street Bar

   Largo : 13344 66th St. N, Largo, 33773

   This club catering to gay men features male strippers, drag queen shows, internet parties and "Queeraoke."

5. City Side

   South Tampa : 3703 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, 33609

   Catering to a cross-section of professional gay men, City Side has a fairly sleek, yet still welcoming interior. The lighting is low enough to set a nice atmosphere, but not so low that you can't see your hand in front of your face. But the mood is pretty laid back, and this is a popular spot fo …

6. Club Skye

   Editor's pick

   Ybor City : 1509 E Eighth Ave., Tampa, 33605

   Always popular, still running strong. Ybor's best-connected hip-hop club gets a lot of top-notch visitors (Ludacris, Lil Jon, Tracy Morgan, Rick Ross, Jadakiss, Fat Joe) thanks to its ties to Wild 98.7 (Orlando and DJ Christion are regulars), but the omnipresent line out the door on Fridays is p …

7. Detour

   Grand Central District : 2612 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 33712

   The night and day of gay bars. Detour is set up like a traditional neighborhood bar on one side: well lit, some cool music, a small stage, two pool tables, lots of seating. Expect mostly men, and some older ones at that. The other side is a leather bar that's dark and gothic even at high noon du …

8. G. Bar

   Editor's pick

   Ybor City : 1401 E Seventh Ave. , Tampa, 33605

   For the past couple of years, G. Bar has been an enormously welcome, and enormously entertaining, presence in Ybor City. The fun-loving club has been a major player in building up the GaYbor scene, which now boasts a slew of gay and gay-friendly nightclubs. Out of all of them, though, G.Bar is t …

9. Gemini Lounge

   Grand Central District : 2315 Central Ave. , St. Petersburg, 33713

   Gay women have their own space now in the Grand Central rainbow district. This low-key spot is a little loud because of its high ceilings and concrete floor. But with a wide selection of beer (18 at last count), live music, poetry readings, karaoke, televised sporting events, a pool table and fr …

10. Georgie's Alibi

    Editor's pick

    St. Petersburg : 3100 Third Ave. N, St. Petersburg, 33713

    Relaxed and sporty (but always up for a party on weekends), it's the grand dude/dame of Pinellas gay bars, even if it's not that old (it opened in 2000, the cousin of another Alibi in Broward County). Thursday's Long Island Iced Tea party is not to be missed -- it's crowded, but $3 mason jars fi …

11. Hamburger Mary's Bar & Grille

    Ybor City : 1600 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City, 33605

    The original Hamburger Mary's, in San Francisco's South of Market area, was gay-friendly, divey and free-spirited, with ruby slippers as planters, baby bottles serving as coffee creamers, and lots of people with suspiciously big feet dressed as women. It was a warm and inclusive late-night desti …

12. Haymarket Pub

    St. Petersburg : 8308 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg, 33702

    If you're into show tunes and Sinatra, this dive bar's a safe place to perch a while. You just have to know that you'll likely be surrounded by older gay men and the guys who love 'em. Seriously, though, take some friends, be respectful and crank up those Ethel Merman tunes and belt 'em out at t …

13. Hideaway

    St. Petersburg : 8302 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg, 33702

    It touts itself as the oldest lesbian bar in the United States, celebrating its 40th year in June 2009. The secret to its longevity? Its dive atmosphere makes it a great place for to just hang out and shoot pool. And karaoke and acoustic jam nights attract a pretty good crowd. Just one piece of  …

14. Manilow's Nightclub

    West Pasco : 6153 Massachusetts Ave., New Port Richey, 34653

    Read a review here.

15. Mr. Sun's Lucky Star Lounge

    Grand Central District : 2760 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 33712

    A low-key lounge with plenty of conversation and generous-as-a-rule drinks.Hours: 2 p.m.-3 a.m. daily.Read more here.

16. Pro Shop Pub

    Downtown Clearwater : 840 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 33755

    Clearwater's gay answer to Cheers. It's also one of the longest running gay bars in Pinellas, having been established in 1976. That should tell you something about the loyalty of its patrons.

17. Queens Head

    Editor's pick

    Grand Central District : 2501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 33713

    The work of Darren Conner and Paul Smith, Queens Head is an adorable, cheeky and emphatically stylish addition to St. Petersburg's Grand Central district. The small bar-restaurant is a delightful addition, a British pub with a little South Beach glamor and New York club smarts (it's hard not to  …

18. The Bricks

    Editor's pick

    Ybor City : 1327 E Seventh Ave., Tampa, 33605

    This bar, restaurant, café, and art-and-music venue — with adjoining skateshop – is brought to us by the same people who opened Skatepark of Tampa.As the name suggests, the Bricks inhabits an old brick building — formerly the home of Tahiti Joe's and Denali Cafe, among o …

19. The Castle

    Editor's pick

    Ybor City : 2004 N 16th St., Tampa, 33605

    It's a Tampa landmark for a reason. Dark, twisted and pierced, it opened in 1992, and it kept going even as shiny new Centro Ybor opened across the street. Today, with all its spiderwebs and candles and curtains, the Castle is Tampa Bay's most popular goth club, by a wide, wide margin. But it's  …

20. The Honey Pot

    Editor's pick

    Ybor City : 1507 E Seventh Ave. , Tampa, 33605

    The Honey Pot has featured burlesque dancers, an Ashlee Simpson concert and the 2009 Madden Bowl, sure. But owners Stephen Moss and Steve Donahue (who also own G. Bar) have made sure the club embraces the GaYbor spirit, holding weekly Steam (for men) and Tease (for women) parties on Friday and S …

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