Take in a breath of Bay Area class.

Just a short stroll east from the 9-to-5 of downtown businesses sits an escape from the work week and an invitation to a date with Pensacola.

The palate-pleasing duo of the Fish House and Atlas Oyster House has upped its dining experience with the newest addition to local nightlife.

The Deck, a $1 million patio two years in the making, stretches 3,500 square feet strong behind the restaurant complex. A wraparound bar, a covered band stage, upscale restrooms and plenty of seating have given the seafood favorite a makeover.

The regulars needn’t worry, though. The grits haven’t been dethroned — just accented.

“This helps make us more of an experience,” said Chris Kelly, general manager and chef. “Come here for dinner, and make an evening of it. We want to be a destination.”

Rachel Stokes, 36, already has found a regular seat at the bar. The local anesthesiologist is a sucker for an evening among bay breezes.

“There’s nothing better than being by the water,” she said. “With good music, good drinks and good food. Good, good food.”

Thanks to the Deck, the good, good food is easier to come by. The extra outdoor seating, along with a staffing boost (the complex now employs 160 employees, and Kelly said he can’t hire enough help) has axed wait times. During a recent Friday night dinner rush, diners could walk right in to an indoor table.

And when they do have to wait, a Deck cocktail helps pass the time.

Try a mojito, Kelly said. Fresh Thai basil and potent Kaffir limes provide a distinct, gourmet flavor.

“We’re owned by chefs and run by chefs,” Kelly said. “We’ve taken a chef’s approach to everything.”

The restaurant’s extensive wine list is made possible by a wine preservation system. It injects nitrous into the bottles, guaranteeing a fresh glass every time.

Fish House chefs want to further personalize their cocktails. Kelly’s office is lined with rows of massive mason jars, where he infuses vodkas and rums with fruits and flavors to be available later this summer.

Until then, Stokes will be happy sipping cosmopolitans.

She loves the easy fashion the Deck invites. The look, she said, is nautical nice. Pair a sheath dress with a flat sandal and loose, bayside waves. Finish with teardrop earrings and a swipe of peachy gloss.

Milton resident Del Lewis, 45, took in the atmosphere with a draft beer on her first night at the Deck.

“I just love the open air,” she said. “It’s very roomy here. Very friendly.”

They try, Kelly said.

The staff sets themselves apart by building relationships with their customers.

“We love what we do,” he said. “We want to know how everyone is doing, what everyone is doing.”

Moreover, they want to know how their community is doing. Anything to boost the traffic to their Downtown Pensacola home.

“We’re always promoting downtown,” he said. “We think it should be the focus of the entire area. The Deck adds that much more value, that much more versatility.”

Local grooves
The Deck features these and other local music acts:
- Nicole Mulkey and the Blues Grinders (www.TheBluesGrinders.8k.com): Pensacola singer Nicole Mulkey croons classics from Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt, Tracy Chapman, as well as original tracks. Her five-man band backs her up with soulful Southern sounds, drawing patrons out of their seats for a two-step or two.

- Lucas Crutchfield (www.myspace.com/lucascrutchfield1): The Pensacola vocalist/guitarist strums
contemporary tunes from favorites like John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Damien Rice and Leonard Cohen.

The Oar House Restaurant
Another dockside favorite near downtown

Located across the marina from the Pensacola Yacht Club, the Oar House is a boater’s delight with its tasty seafood menu and serene atmosphere.

Enjoy live music Friday and Saturday nights.

Nearly-house band Tim Spencer is a local favorite with his Jimmy Buffett-esque, feel-good tunes on Friday nights.

Saturday’s music fits its younger crowd with local bands strumming out favorites from Dave Matthews Band and the like.

Sip on some of the bar’s liquid creations: The Shipwrecker, the Oar House’s version of the Bushwacker; The Either Oar, a mammoth Long Island iced tea and The Golden Oar, a giant, top-shelf margarita.

Whether you take in the weekend at the outdoor Tiki bar or the smaller, indoor bar, snack on finger foods such as pickle chips, calamari and fried jalapenos. Dinner specials include shrimp Creole and Cajun crawfish.

Night manager Tim Peck said the atmosphere is kid-friendly with two volleyball courts and the House’s very own pets — flocks of ducks and geese that were born onsite.

“More and more people are finding out about us,” Peck said of the 11/2-year-old bar and grill.

“We’re going like crazy and having a great time.”