Mill Top Tavern

Mill Top Tavern (also styled Milltop Tavern) is a historic live-music bar, restaurant and listening room located at 19 1/2 St. George Street in the historic district of St. Augustine, Florida. The building was originally constructed as a gristmill in the 1880s and was converted into a bar in the 1950s. After roughly two decades of serving a growing, loyal customer base, its owners expanded the concept, renaming it the Milltop Tavern and Listening Room and rebuilding its distinctive treehouse-style interior to accommodate live music and a broader food and drink menu. The tavern has been providing its live-music experience for more than 50 years, making it one of the city's original live music venues. The Milltop occupies a site that has been granted historic landmark status. In 2016 the building and site required a complete renovation; during preconstruction work the City of St. Augustine unearthed and preserved artifacts including a long-forgotten water well and a two-foot-diameter gopher tortoise shell. During construction, the operators reinstalled 300-year-old Pecky Cypress wood panels from the original Milltop to recreate its warmth and the striking acoustics they provide. The renovation added a full-service kitchen, a full bar and an outdoor balcony overlooking St. George Street. Today the Milltop Tavern & Listening Room serves housemade pub food, craft cocktails and beer, with live music all day, every day, featuring all genres and some of the best local musicians. Its relaxed, treehouse-style atmosphere, balcony views of historic St. George Street and conversational bar service are central to its identity. The tavern is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 11:30am to midnight, and can be reached at (904) 829-2329. It promotes daily specials, seasonal specialty cocktails (such as a Mint Julep for National Bourbon Heritage Month) and a monthly live music calendar. It is a privately held, independent hospitality business rather than a chain or listed company.

The building that houses the Mill Top Tavern was originally built as a gristmill in the 1880s. It was transformed into a bar in the 1950s. After about 20 years of successfully serving a growing, loyal customer base, the owners saw the potential to offer their clients a broader experience. They renamed the business the Milltop Tavern and Listening Room, rebuilt and expanded the unique treehouse interior, and began serving live music and food at the picturesque St. George Street location. The tavern has been providing its live-music experience for more than 50 years and describes itself as one of St. Augustine's original live music venues. In 2016, the tavern's building and site, which had been granted historic landmark status, required a complete renovation. During preconstruction work, the City of St. Augustine unearthed and preserved a wealth of artifacts, including a long-forgotten water well and a two-foot-diameter gopher tortoise shell. During construction, the operators reinstalled 300-year-old Pecky Cypress wood panels found in the original Milltop to recreate its former warmth and the striking acoustics that they uniquely provide. The renovation added a full-service kitchen, a full bar, and an outdoor balcony overlooking St. George Street; the operators describe this as the birth of the new Milltop. Today the Milltop Tavern & Listening Room operates at 19 1/2 St. George Street in St. Augustine's historic district. It serves housemade pub food, craft cocktails and beer, and presents live music all day, every day, featuring all genres and local musicians. Its relaxed, treehouse-style atmosphere, balcony with views of historic St. George Street, and conversational bar service define the guest experience. The tavern is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 11:30am to midnight, and it maintains a monthly live music calendar and rotating specialty cocktails such as a Mint Julep for National Bourbon Heritage Month.

• 2016

  The tavern's historic landmark building and site undergo a complete renovation; artifacts including a forgotten water well and a two-foot gopher tortoise shell are unearthed, and 300-year-old Pecky Cypress panels are reinstalled. A full-service kitchen, full bar and outdoor balcony are added.

• 1970

  After about 20 years of operation, owners rename and expand the business as the Milltop Tavern and Listening Room, rebuilding the treehouse interior and adding live music and food.

• 1950

  The gristmill building is transformed into a bar.

• 1880

  The building is originally constructed as a gristmill.

A historic, independent live-music tavern and listening room in St. Augustine's historic district, known for its treehouse-style atmosphere, balcony views of St. George Street, housemade pub food and daily live music.

• Housemade pub food

  Comfort food and pub fare menu with flavorful classics and local favorites, including daily specials.

• Craft cocktails

  Cocktails that unwind, including a rotating specialty cocktail such as a Mint Julep for National Bourbon Heritage Month.

• Beer

  Beer that refreshes, served at the full bar.

• Live music

  Live music all day, every day, featuring all genres and some of the best local musicians, with a monthly live music calendar.

1. 1Milltop Tavern | Experience Live Music Todaymilltoptavern.com
2. 2About 1 — Milltop Tavernmilltoptavern.com
3. 3Mill Top Tavernwikidata.org