Tropical Cocktails Pair with a Seasonal-Inspired Menu at Wild Child

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Tropical Cocktails Pair with a Seasonal-Inspired Menu at Wild Child

Wild Child is an exciting neighborhood bistro in the Grand Central District serving exotic cocktails and a tasty menu with fresh, seasonal ingredients. This vibrant restaurant is a great addition to St. Pete with its unique vibe and strong attention to detail with tantalizing flavors in both their drinks and food.

Two prominent locals put their brilliant minds together to create this thriving spot on Central, and we are so glad they did! The owner of The Bends, Matt Kaye, and former executive chef at Noble Crust, Rob Reinsmith, produced Wild Child with an edgy vibe and incredible offerings.

The menu is made up of starters, salads, sandwiches, entrées, desserts and cocktails. This bistro is here to accommodate whatever vibe you’re going for whether its drinks with friends or a dinner date night with your lover.

Wild Child Cocktails Spritz No. One and Lost Weekend with Vodka
Spritz No. One and Lost Weekend with Vodka

The cocktails here deserve a major round of applause! From house specialties, classics, tiki drinks, spritzes, beer and wine you’ll always have something new to try! Pictured above on the left, the Spritz No. One contains Aperol, prosecco, Topo Chico and orange. On the right, the Lost Weekend is a blend of fresh watermelon, mint and lime. You choose the alcohol so I went with Banyan vodka. Clearly, these drinks scream fresh and delicious. I would highly recommend the Lost Weekend for a perfect summer, fruity and refreshing sip.

Wild Child Cocktails Jungle Cat and Frozen Paloma
Jungle Cat and Frozen Paloma Cocktails

A few other delicious drinks to check out are the Jungle Cat and the Frozen Paloma. These are both pretty strong and will give you that buzz you’re probably looking for on a night out. The Jungle Cat has Espolon tequila, Aperol, fresh lime and organic chipotle salt. The Frozen Paloma is a tequila-based sip with refreshing grapefruit and lemon. These make for perfect patio-sipping drinks on a hot Florida evening.

Wild Child Whipped Ricotta
Whipped Ricotta

The Whipped Ricotta is a must try if you’re looking for an appetizer to pair with your drinks or to munch on before your entrée arrives. The ricotta is so perfectly fresh and fluffy that you’ll want to eat it straight with a spoon, which I would not judge you for, but I encourage you to try dipping it with the fruit too. The warm, grilled sourdough is also a great pairing with the cool ricotta.

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Wild Child Fritto Misto
Fritto Misto

Fritto Misto is a mix of fried “things” usually consisting of meats and veggies. This appetizer specifically offered Key West pink shrimp, avocado, broccolini, summer squash, fennel, onion, Old Bay, and aji amarillo aioli. It might sound awfully filling, but it surprisingly wasn’t. I think it had to do with the light and airy coating instead of the usual thick and crunchy layer you think of when something is fried. The Key West pink shrimp, broccolini, and summer squash were my favorites and I loved how they incorporated seasonal veggies.

Wild Child Gem Lettuce Salad
Gem Lettuce Salad

If you’re desiring something on the lighter side, the salad and vegetable section of their menu offers great options with seasonal fruits and veggies. The Gem Lettuce Salad is a toss of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, hearts of palm, radish, candied pepitas with green goddess dressing. The candied pepitas added a nice crunch. You can’t go wrong here!

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Wild Child Veggie Burger
Veggie Burger

Wild Child has three crave-worthy sandwiches to choose from; a Cheeseburger, a Veggie Burger or a Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich. I’ve seen a handful of people post about the Korean sandwich on Instagram, but I wasn’t particularly in the mood for fried chicken on the day I visited. I will definitely need to hop on the train and try it eventually, though!

The Veggie Burger has vegan American cheese, chickpea “mayo”, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, house dill pickles, a sourdough bun and it comes with frites. I’m very much not a vegetarian, but I wanted to give it a go and I’m sure glad I did. The veggie burger itself is a very appetizing alternative if you don’t eat meat. It was slightly messy but worth it. The frites, or french fries, were excellent. The crunch and salt were just right.

Wild Child Tuna Tostada
Special Appetizer Tuna Tostada

Over the weekend, they had a few food specials. I typically try to order dishes that are on their menu so I can brag about them enough to make you go order them, but I couldn’t pass on their Tuna Tostada special. This appetizer is made up of ahi tuna, cilantro-lime aioli, avocado, pickled onion served with salsa Macha. Each tostada was packed with a collection of fresh ahi tuna. The flavors from the other ingredients made my tastebuds dance. These little bites are mighty good and I hope they bring this onto their actual menu because I’d order them every time!

Wild Child is a grand extension to the food scene on Central Avenue. It surprised me to visit another new restaurant that doesn’t compare to any others nearby. Wild Child produces great boozy cocktails and thoughtfully created food items in a really awesome atmosphere. The vibe is young and hip but everyone is welcome, of course! Cheers!

Wild Child
  • Readers Rating
  • Rated 4.8 stars
    4.8 / 5 (35 )
$-$$
  • Your Rating


  • Wild Child
  • (727) 954-7425
  • Specialty Cocktails, Fresh ingredients, Sandwiches and Salads
    • Wed - Thu 5:00pm - 9:00pm
    • Fri - Sat 5:00pm - 10:00pm
  • 2710 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33712, US

A vibrant neighborhood bistro and cocktail bar built on seasonal ingredients and warm hospitality.

DISCLAIMER: Kevin, Lori, Abby, Haley, Lindsey & Mahika do not dine anonymously (this would be impossible) and we sometimes get free food (though never expected). However, we dine with the locals and we support our own. You will always get honesty in a respectful manner. We do not include any large national or regional chains in our ratings and reviews. We focus on independent locally owned eateries exclusively.

PLEASE NOTE: Reviews reflect a certain moment in time. Some restaurants stay extremely consistent over many years, and some change for the better or worse. Some things that may change are: chefs, recipes, food suppliers, ingredients, philosophies, ownership, etc. We always hope that you have the same good, or great experience we had.
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