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Restaurants in Key West
With its share of the usual drive-through fast-food franchises -- mostly up on Roosevelt Boulevard -- and Duval Street succumbing to the lure of a Hard Rock Cafe and Starbucks, you might be surprised to learn that, over the years, an upscale and high-quality dining scene has begun to thrive in Key West. We have detailed and impartial reviews on this site.
If you're staying in a condominium or efficiency, you may want to stock your fridge with groceries, beer, wine, and snacks from the area's oldest grocer, Fausto's Food Palace. Open since 1926, Fausto's has two locations: 1105 White St. and 522 Fleming St. The Fleming Street location will deliver with a $25-minimum order (tel. 305/294-5221 or 305/296-5663).
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21 Results
- Mexican
Amigos Tortilla Bar
On the scene near Mallory Square since 2011, the brainchild of another longtime Key West character—tattooed, slightly scruffy, kite-boarding chef Paul Menta—is a boon for the budget conscious and fans of Mexican food (up until now I hadn’t been much impressed with the island’s…$Around Town - Italian
Antonia’s
From the perfectly seasoned homemade focaccia to an exemplary Amaretto coconut cream pie, this elegant little standout is amazingly consistent. The menu includes a small selection of classics, linguine with shrimp, delicious pillowy gnocchi, and zuppa di pesce (fish soup), but it…$$$Around town - Mediterranean
Azur
Owners Michael Mosi and Drew Wenzel are Key West fine-dining-scene veterans, and here on a quiet stretch several blocks off Duval Street they take their cues not just from Mosi’s Italian heritage but mix and match from across the Mediterranean—especially Spain, Greece, France (whence…$$Around Town - French/Floridian
Banana Café
Banana Café benefits from a French-country-cafe look and feel. It’s set on the less-congested end of Duval Street and has retained its loyal clientele with affordable prices and delightfully, light preparations. This is especially true of their exceptional crepes, filled with…$$Around Town - Caribbean/Seafood/Natural
Blue Heaven
A one-of-a-kind local institution founded by artist-and-writer couple Richard and Suanne in 1992, this, more than any other eatery I can think of, captures the barefoot quirkiness of the island at its best. Interior dining rooms are cute, but what defines the place is the rustic…$$$Around Town - Seafood/American
BO's Fish Wagon
If you happen to pass by this ramshackle joint without knowing what it is, you might be afraid to go in. It looks like someone upended a junk shop in the corner of a parking lot. But go in. I urge you. In his younger years, Buddy Owen (nicknamed B.O.) ran a little fried fish shack in…$Key West Bight - Contemporary American
Café Marquesa
One of Key West’s best boutique hotels also houses one of its finest restaurants, a single-room, yellow-sponge-painted 50-seater with large mahogany mirrors on one side, and on the other, large windows out onto the tranquil surrounding streets (oh, and at the far end, check out that…$$$Around Town - Cuban
El Siboney
Key West and Cubans go way, way back, of course, and since 1993 this unassuming eatery, tucked into a slightly out-of-the-way residential neighborhood, has been a prominent part of the Cuban community that’s still very much a part of the local fabric. It’s not much to look at, but…$Around Town - Seafood
Hogfish Bar & Grill
A ramshackle seafood bar and grill on Safe Harbor in “downtown” Stock Island (there’s no town, just fisheries, boats, and shacks), Hogfish is the place to try its namesake sandwich. Similar to grouper, hogfish is a delicious, rare fish with a scalloplike flavor. The sandwich they…$$Stock Island - Fusion Seafood
Hot Tin Roof
Ever hear of conch fusion cuisine? Neither had we, until we experienced it firsthand at Hot Tin Roof, Ocean Key Resort’s (p. ###) elegant, harborfront restaurant which melds South American, Asian, French, and Keys cuisine together into flavor profiles you won’t find anywhere else.…$$$Around town - American
Island Dogs Bar
This islandy, Tommy Bahama-esque bar is a cool spot to throw back a few while catching a game or a live band. But more importantly is the fare -- not your typical bar fare, but delicious burgers, chicken fingers, chicken wings, and, well, you get the picture. Sit at the bar or at one…$Around the Island - Caribbean
Louie’s Backyard
Still going strong after more than 50 years, both the setting and the creative island menu help make Louie’s one of Key West’s most cherished, romantic, and quintessential—not to mention pricey—upper-end restaurants. Set in a big ol’ 19th-century clapboard house right on the…$$$Around Town - American/Floribbean
Mangoes
A longtime favorite thanks to its prime perch midway along Duval Street, Mangoes’ red-brick patio under the banyan tree is mellow, yet affords great people watching. The ambience plus tasty fare— sourced in Florida but often with a Caribbean inflection (hence “Floribbean”)—has earned…$$Around Town - American/Caribbean
Margaritaville
If you’re searchin’ for your lost shaker of salt, head for the mother ship of Jimmy Buffet’s 25-member hospitality empire, which first set sail right here back in 1985. Yeah, it’s touristy, but so is much of Duval Street, and “wasted away again in Margaritaville” being firmly part of…$$Around Town - Fusion
Nine One Five
Housed in a restored and romantic Victorian mansion, Nine One Five has such good food that it was selected to host a six-course dinner at the James Beard House in NYC. Twice. The menu opens with sharing-size appetizers, like the aptly named “absurdly addictive asparagus” (with…$$Around Town - Caribbean/Cuban
Paseo Caribbean Restaurant
Several blocks from the Duval Street scene, this tiny spot is worth going out of your way for its very tasty Caribbean-inspired artisan sandwiches on baguettes, the most popular a variation on the classic Cuban sandwich, the “Paseo Press” (roast pork, smoked ham, and Swiss cheese…$Around Town - American
Pepe’s
The island’s oldest still-operating eatery was founded by Pepe Peláez back in 1909, and it’s definitely got that old-timey look and feel, with rustic wooden booths, tables, and all manner of Key Westiana crowding the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Another good option is the…$$Around Town - American
Sarabeth’s
An offshoot of the New York City brunch hot spot, Sarabeth’s brings cosmopolitan comfort food to Key West with house made pastries, signature jams and jellies, and lemon ricotta pancakes. Lunch and dinner means satisfying dishes like Key West pink shrimp roll with avocado, chicken…$$Around Town - American
Sloppy Joe’s
Yes, the island’s most famous saloon/eatery is touristy, but you haven’t fully experienced Key West without setting foot in this icon, founded by Ernest Hemingway wingman Joe Russell the day Prohibition was repealed in 1933, and made legendary by Papa and his cronies. Even gussied up…$Around Town - New American/Fusion
Square One
This local favorite for a quarter century might have a fairly new owner, restaurant veteran Dominique Falkner, but the quality and service are as good as or better than I’ve ever experienced here. Paris-born Falkner is also a chef, and his kitchen team now turns out a creative world…$$$Around Town - Seafood/Southwestern
Turtle Kraals Restaurant and Bar
Named in homage to the turtle cannery that once stood here, this funky dockside icon is popular with plenty of locals, especially (need I say) at daily happy hour with its appealing food specials and half-off drinks. Grab a chunky green table on the covered deck below, or a seat on…$$Around Town
