Restaurants

Take in the glorious sights in the Florida Keys, then treat your taste buds to a culinary holiday they will never forget. We are an island of restaurants offering stone crabs, yellowtail snapper, cracked conch, ropa vieja, and key lime pie.

Surrounded by water, the Florida Keys yields a bounty that easily could qualify as the eighth wonder of the world. We confidently can boast that nowhere else in the continental US—oh, why not say it, the universe even—will you find fresher, more innovatively prepared fish and seafood than in our restaurants. Be sure to sample our special natural resources, served any way you like. We import a few raw materials in the feather and flesh categories as well, so your palate will be truly well rounded.

Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of our restaurants, where even the most upscale dining carries a laid-­back apparel code. Be it a roadside cafe or a resort dining room, you need dress no more formally than “Keys casual,” typically an ensemble of shirt and shorts, shoes or sandals. Men may leave their sport jackets at home, and don’t even think about bringing a suit to the Keys unless it is the swimming variety. The same code applies to women; we don’t discriminate here. The occasional restaurant, such as Cheeca Lodge, Pierre’s, or Little Palm Island, affords you the chance to dress up a bit more if you like—but the choice is yours.

The decor of a restaurant doesn’t hold to the strict expectations of other parts of the country, either. You’ll find that the most unassuming hole-­in-­the-­wall cafe, diner, or bistro may serve the best food in town. Don’t drive by. Some of our culinary treasures are hidden away off the beaten track. We’ll help you find them.

Overview

We have organized the restaurants of the Keys by cuisine type, and then location.

Free on-­site parking is available at virtually all of our recommended establishments in the Upper, Middle, and Lower Keys. However, most restaurants in Key West do not have on-­site parking. Most restaurants suggest that you make reservations, especially during the high season. Those that do not take reservations will be noted.

Many restaurants serve limited alcoholic beverages. You may infer that unless we specify that an establishment offers a full-­service bar (usually the larger restaurants or resort facilities), only beer and wine will be served.

Accessibility varies greatly in restaurants throughout the Keys. While many of our establishments are at ground level, and some second-­story locations within large resorts may have elevators, steps sometimes must be negotiated and some bathrooms may be too tiny to accommodate a wheelchair. If this is of particular concern to you, be sure to call the restaurant to see exactly what arrangements might be made to fit your needs.

Unless otherwise specified, you may assume that our recommended restaurants are air-­conditioned. Those that provide outdoor seating or accessibility by sea will be highlighted. Children are generally welcome in Florida Keys restaurants. The odd exceptions or age restrictions will be stated.

The dollar sign price code indicated in each restaurant listing will help you gauge the cost of your dining experience. Some of our restaurants include soup or a house salad with an entree; at others, entrees are strictly a la carte. Most of our restaurants accept major credit cards but rarely a personal check. If plastic is not acknowledged, we alert you in advance so that you won’t be caught short of cash.

Restaurants - Specialty Foods, Cafes & Markets

Here in the Florida Keys, we think our fish is pretty special. It’s certainly the freshest—sometimes only minutes from line to linen. Its pedigree is elite; most species are not marketed outside South Florida. And the abounding variety of innovative culinary presentations is astounding. Visitors to the Florida Keys, accustomed to choosing among cod, halibut, haddock, swordfish, and tuna back home, are often overwhelmed when confronted with the bountiful selections from our underwater treasure trove.

When you stop at one of our many seafood markets, you will undoubtedly meet the three royal families of our tropical waters: snapper, hogfish, and dolphin, also known as mahi mahi. The famed yellowtail or the equally desirous mangrove or mutton snapper most often represents the moist, sweet snapper dynasty. The firm, mild-­flavored hogfish clan competes in popularity with the large-­flaked and sweetly moist dolphin fish (not to be confused with the porpoise dolphin, which is a mammal).

You won’t want to miss our Florida lobster, a delicacy any way you look at it. And if you have never tasted a stone crab claw, you are in for a treat. To round out your palate, we have provided you with a rundown of delicatessens and shops selling specialty foods.

Overview

We have listed our recommended seafood markets and specialty food shops alphabetically from the top of the Keys in Key Largo through Key West.

Most places remain open until at least 5 p.m., with the exception of bakeries, which usually open early and often close in the early afternoon. During high season, December through April, many of these markets and stores extend their hours. The off-­season often brings abbreviated hours, so you may want to call before you shop.