48 Hours in Tallahassee: Complete Weekend Itinerary: Food, Fun, and Culture

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With 10 years of marriage under our belt, my husband and I make it a point to prioritize our time together, all while juggling the demands of life with three kiddos. Naturally, we are big fans of a good date night, but when we’re lucky, we get to enjoy a quick 48-hour getaway! It can be tough to plan a meaningful trip when you only have a weekend to enjoy it. That said, with its rich culture, beautiful landscape, and amazing foodie scene, Tallahassee completely exceeded our expectations and absolutely deserves consideration for your next quick getaway!

From Miami to Orlando to Pensacola, Panama City Beach, and Tampa, it wasn’t until I had the pleasure of being invited to the A Taste of Tallahassee event here in Birmingham, AL, that I realized I had yet to visit the actual capital of Florida: Tallahassee.

After that event, my friends over at Visit Tally extended an invitation for my husband and I to visit Tallahassee, complete with a detailed itinerary to guide us and help us make the most of our visit! So today I’ll be sharing all about where to stay, what to do, and all of the yummy, must-visit restaurants to eat at.

Where To Stay

We were hosted at the AC Hotel Tallahassee Universities Capitol, and I cannot recommend it enough! It’s nestled right inside of Cascades Park; minutes from all that Tallahassee has to offer!

Our room was sleek and modern, and there was also a lounge located inside of the hotel where we enjoyed drinks and yummy bites to eat each night of our stay. I also loved that we were only a short walk away from Charlie Park, which had the most spectacular views of the city from their Rooftop bar!

I’m sure that other hotels in Tallahassee would also make for a great stay, but there was just something about being right in the heart of downtown that we really enjoyed.

What To Eat

The food was absolutely the star of the show in Tallahassee. Don’t get me wrong, the city is absolutely gorgeous with its beautiful Spanish Moss Trees and historic buildings, but the food was excellent!

Bar 1903

I like to think we went on a mini food tour, starting with Bar 1903. It’s located in what used to be an old library and has the ultimate speakeasy vibe. Known as the library of cocktails, we immediately noticed that so much intention and detail had been put into the space, from the decor to the menu.

Thankfully, our friends Renee and Bryan from Visit Tally were there to save our seats because if not, we would have been totally out of luck with how packed it was. After trying a couple of their festive holiday cocktails and a decadent cheese board, I can definitely understand the hype.

Ology Brewing Co

Next up on our tour was Ology Brewing Co. and Black Radish. There was a bit of a wait for Black Radish, but luckily, Ology Brewing Co was only a few steps away, so we decided to try a few of their cocktails while we waited. It’s safe to say that I’m obsessed with Ology’s lavender gin, but overall, their cocktails were incredible!

Black Radish

Black Radish was phenomenal in every way! I met Chef Matthew at Taste of Tallahasse and the pasta that he prepared for us was delicious, so when I saw Black Radish on the itinerary, I prepared to be blown away! Black Radish is a hyper-seasonal vegetable-focused restaurant that offers both small and shareable plates. That said, we decided to get a bunch of shareable options so that we could try a little bit of everything on their menu, and they did not disappoint! I even got to say hello and take a quick picture with Chef Matthew after dinner. He was so incredibly humble, and it was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to dine at his restaurant.

Powerplant Café

We resumed our tour the next morning at the Powerplant Café, which was luckily within walking distance of our hotel! We enjoyed a yummy breakfast that featured a green tea, a rich mocha, croissant breakfast sandwich, and a hearty breakfast burrito. With full bellies, we were ready to explore all that the city had to offer!!

Proof Brewing

Since the Winter Festival Parade was cancelled and our dinner reservations weren’t until later that evening, we made a pit stop at Tallahassee’s largest brewery, Proof Brewing, to enjoy a quick bite for lunch. We enjoyed a couple of their draft beers and shared some nachos before heading to check out the campuses of both Florida State (FSU) and Florida A&M University.

We may or may not have gotten emotional about the thought of our littles going away to college one day, but thankfully, it was time to head to our dinner reservation.

The Edison

Dinner was at a restaurant called The Edison, located in a historic electric building and just a short walk from our hotel. I indulged in the Park Bouquet Cocktail (because it featured Ology’s Royal Lavender Gin, of course), and my husband enjoyed a chocolate Martini! The food was absolutely incredible, and since it was all made from scratch, we were pleasantly surprised with how quickly it came out!

Charlie Park

We ended our night with a nightcap at Charlie Park and enjoyed a few of their festive holiday cocktails on the rooftop! I had the Gingerbread Fizz (complete with an actual Gingerbread cookie), and my hubby enjoyed Santa’s Nightcap, which was poured over ice from an ornament.

Jeri’s Love on a Plate

To wrap up our mini weekend food tour, we headed to Jeri’s Love on a Plate for brunch, which was such a yummy start to the day. We started strong with hot tea for the hubby, a lavender mimosa for me, French toast, grits with Gouda cheese, bacon, and an omelet.

After brunch, we realized we were only a few minutes away from our final stops in Tallahassee: Hearth & Soul and the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park.

What To Do

Since we visited Tallahassee at the beginning of December, the city was all decked out for the holidays. Subsequently, there were a ton of festive events happening while we were there.

Dorothy B. Oven Park

The beautiful Dorothy B. Oven Park was hosting a fun drive-through holiday light show for the season, and we were slated to check out the Tallahassee Winter Festival holiday parade, but due to rain, they had to reschedule the event.

If you know anything about my husband and I, then you know a little rain has never gotten in our way of having a good time, and in this case, exploring all that Tallahassee had to offer.

LaMoyne Arts Holiday Show

We were still able to enjoy some of the holiday festivities at the LeMoyne Arts’ 62nd Annual Holiday Show. Located in the historic Meginnis-Munroe House, the show featured a gallery full of Art Nouveau-themed pieces from some of Tallahassee’s most talented artists!

Midtown Reader and Piebrary

Next, we got to check out the Midtown Reader and Piebrary, and I will admit, we did have to FaceTime the kids to show them just how cool this bookstore was! It was whimsical, yet cozy enough to snuggle up in a chair with a good book! The cherry on top of this adorable bookstore is definitely the Piebrary located upstairs. They offered fresh slices of pie, coffee, and tea, and we noticed many students in the city utilized the cafe area to study!

Hearth & Soul

Hearth & Soul was a one-of-a-kind, immersive shopping experience! Designed to mirror the layout of a home, the store featured a unique blend of both popular brand items and beautiful artisan pieces throughout. You could easily spend HOURS shopping and discovering all that Hearth & Soul has to offer. I had the pleasure of meeting the Owner and Visionary, Susie Busch-Transou, at the Taste of Tallahassee event, so it was wonderful to have the opportunity to experience Hearth & Soul for myself. I also got to check out their luxurious holiday window display that they curate each year!

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park

During the Taste of Tallahassee event, the talented Laura Patrick did a live painting of the reflection pond at the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park and guess who won the raffle and got to bring it home? ME!!

That said, visiting the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park was such a full-circle moment for me and the perfect way to round off our visit! The reflection pool was stunning and one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. We also got to visit the historic Maclay House (which is usually only open from January to April) and learn all about the history of the gardens.

48 Hours in Tallahassee, FL…Is It Worth It?

While 48 hours isn’t necessarily a ‘long-time’, it’s definitely enough time to make the most of a quick trip in Tallahassee! We absolutely loved that most of the places we visited were located in historic buildings. It was very evident that Tallahassee takes pride in preserving its rich history and culture.

Not to mention, everyone is so friendly and hospitable! We made so many meaningful connections with complete strangers, and a few even offered to take our picture while we were out and about. Although it rained most of the time that we were there, the city was still absolutely beautiful, and we cannot wait to come back!

Needless to say, Tallahassee is full of that unique kind of charm that you’d expect from a Hallmark movie, and we will definitely be back!

Have you ever visited Tallahassee, Florida?

Any hotel recs or favorite restaurants that I failed to mention? Let me know in the comments!