Key West holds the densest part of the guide, with neighbourhood restaurants covering seafood and small plates alongside wine lists and natural wines.
Latitudes combines Caribbean seafood fine dining with an extensive wine list on Sunset Key. Its private-island beachfront setting looks across the Gulf of Mexico, with dining offered à la carte.
Azur brings Mediterranean cooking to Old Town, blending Italian, French and Spanish influences with local ingredients. The chef-owned restaurant has an extensive wine list and craft cocktails alongside its à la carte format.
Bahama Village wine bistro with an exceptional wine programme, natural wine, and an extensive wine list. The format leans to small plates and keeps the focus on bottles, charcuterie, cheeses, and sourdough.
Cafe Sole pairs French-Caribbean seafood cooking with a wine list in Old Town. It holds a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and its small dining room serves a menu that changes with the market.
Old Town and Bahama Village have recognised restaurants covering American cafe cooking, Caribbean food and Floribbean seafood.
Moondog Cafe holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2026) in Old Town. Its American cafe cooking focuses on fresh, health-conscious fare with gluten-free options, served à la carte in a neighbourhood setting with a local following.
Blue Heaven serves Caribbean cooking and craft cocktails in Bahama Village and holds a Michelin Plate (2026). Chickens roam its tree-shaded courtyard, where live music accompanies casual dining and ingredients draw on local waters and farms.
Louie’s Backyard serves Floribbean seafood in a restored Victorian house in Old Town, with ocean views, a wine list and craft cocktails. It holds an Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America recommendation (2026).
Key West's bars include neighbourhood dives serving classic cocktails and a waterfront brewery focused on house-brewed beer.
Green Parrot Bar serves classic cocktails in Old Town. Among the island's oldest continuously operating bars, it has an unpolished dive-bar setting, live music and a following of fishermen, locals and visitors.
Mary Ellen's Bar & Restaurant is a neighbourhood dive in Old Town serving classic cocktails and craft beer. Its food includes gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and frozen Irish cream desserts.
The Waterfront Brewery is a craft brewery serving craft beer in Historic Seaport. Its waterfront setting overlooks the harbour, and its award-winning house-brewed beers include Crazy Lady Honey Blonde Ale.
Waterfront stays in Islamorada, Key Largo and Duck Key range from secluded cottages and bay-side bungalows to a larger full-service resort with a marina.
The Moorings Village has 18 secluded cottages in Islamorada, with accommodation facing the Atlantic. The beachfront resort occupies a former coconut plantation and has one of the largest private white-sand beaches in the Florida Keys.
Playa Largo Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection occupies a bay-side setting in Key Largo. Waterfront bungalows, a private beach and direct bay access accompany Ameri-Caribbean design, with Eventide sunset celebrations forming part of the resort experience.
Hawks Cay Resort occupies a private island on Duck Key, with 374 rooms and a saltwater lagoon fed by the Atlantic. The full-service resort includes a marina, family programming and adults-only areas, with access to Atlantic and Gulf waters.
Key West is the focus for wine in our guide, with natural wines at VIV Wine Bistro in Bahama Village and extensive lists at Azur in Old Town and Latitudes on Sunset Key. Cafe Sole in Old Town holds a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
There are no Michelin-starred restaurants in our Florida Keys guide. Restaurant recognition includes a Michelin Bib Gourmand for Moondog Cafe in Old Town and a Michelin Plate for Blue Heaven in Bahama Village, both awarded in 2026.
Atlas Izakaya in Old Town offers omakase alongside small plates and à la carte dining. The chef-owned restaurant serves Japanese cooking with local seafood and binchotan charcoal grilling, accompanied by a wine list, sake and craft cocktails.
Cafe Sole in Old Town is the Wine Spectator award winner in our Florida Keys guide. The French-Caribbean seafood restaurant holds a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, awarded in 2026.
By Emmett Haley · Updated October 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
Awards in Florida Keys
Hover any badge for the full award name. Counts reflect venues holding each accolade in Florida Keys.
Florida Keys
Selected entries from the current guide for Florida Keys.
Key West, United States
On Whitehead Street in Key West's Old Town, Moondog Cafe occupies the neighborhood cafe tier that locals use when they are not eating for the occasion. The address puts it outside the Duval Street volume circuit, in a residential stretch where repeat custom from the fishing community sets the standard. It belongs to the broader Key West conversation about what Florida's marine geography looks like on a plate at the everyday register.
Key West, United States
Blue Heaven occupies a rambling Bahama Village lot on Thomas Street where the line between indoors and outdoors dissolved long ago. Roosters wander the courtyard, a giant tree shades the main dining area, and the food draws on the same Florida Keys waters and local farms that define the island's best casual cooking. It is the kind of place Key West produces and most other American cities cannot replicate.
Key West, United States
On a quiet residential block of Old Town, Cafe Sole brings a French-inflected approach to the fresh catch and Caribbean ingredients that define serious cooking in the Keys. The room is small, the menu changes with the market, and the kitchen operates without the performance anxiety of Duval Street dining. For Key West, that restraint is the point.
Key West, United States
Louie's Backyard occupies a restored Victorian house on the Atlantic edge of Key West, serving Floribbean cuisine that draws on the Gulf's seafood larder and the Caribbean's flavor logic. Ranked #155 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list in 2024 and Highly Recommended the year before, it holds a position in the upper tier of serious casual dining in the Florida Keys.
Key West, United States
On Truman Avenue, 7 Fish draws a loyal Key West crowd that returns not for spectacle but for the kind of focused, fish-forward cooking that speaks to the island's working waterfront identity. The room is small, the format direct, and the regulars know it. Those who've found it tend not to share it too freely.
Key Largo, United States
Alabama Jacks sits on Card Sound Road at the edge of the Florida Keys, where the road itself feels like a destination. A waterside fish shack drawing on the raw material abundance of Biscayne Bay and the upper Keys, it operates as an argument for proximity: the shorter the distance between water and plate, the clearer the case for eating here. For travelers driving the Card Sound toll route rather than US-1, it is a deliberate detour with a specific payoff.
Duck Key, United States
Angler & Ale sits in Duck Key’s casual waterfront dining lane, where the central question is less culinary theatre than how the Florida Keys handle fish, beer, and resort-island ease. The appeal is its fit with the place: open-air, unfussy, and tied to a region where dock culture still shapes what diners expect from a meal.
Key West, United States
On Duval Street's mid-strip, Antonia's occupies a position that Key West's more serious dining options rarely do: a full-service dinner ritual in a city better known for its bar crawl culture. For visitors looking past the island's seafood shacks and late-night crowds, it represents a different register of eating, one where pacing and intention matter as much as the food itself.
Islamorada, United States
Atlantic's Edge sits on the Atlantic-facing side of Islamorada, where the reef-to-table supply chain that defines the Florida Keys at its most serious gets a dining room with water views to match. In a village where seafood credentials are taken seriously, the address alone, Overseas Highway at the edge of the Atlantic, signals what's on the agenda: fish pulled from nearby waters, prepared with care, and served against a backdrop that few mainland destinations can replicate.
Key West, United States
Atlas Izakaya brings a Japanese izakaya format to Key West's Truman Avenue corridor, positioning it as a counter-cultural presence on an island whose dining scene runs heavily toward seafood shacks and Floribbean fusion. The address places it within walking distance of the historic district's residential edge, where the pace drops and the crowds thin.
Key West, United States
On a quiet residential block of Grinnell Street, Azur occupies a position in Key West's more considered dining tier, away from the Duval Street spectacle and closer to the neighbourhood restaurants that serve the island's year-round residents as much as its visitors. The cooking draws on the broader American fine-casual tradition, interpreted through the lens of a city where the Caribbean, Gulf Coast, and Southern Florida all press in at once.
Key West, United States
A Key West institution on Caroline Street, B.O.'s Fish Wagon operates as an open-air seafood shack where the cooking is unapologetically direct and the setting looks held together by fishing line and good intentions. It sits at the informal end of the island's dining spectrum, drawing both locals and visitors who want fried fish and cold beer without ceremony or reservation.
Key West, United States
On Duval Street, Key West's most-trafficked corridor, Bagatelle occupies a Victorian house that has fed the island's social scene for decades. The setting alone earns its place in any serious Key West itinerary, but the real question is how to time your visit, secure a table, and arrive knowing what the experience delivers.
Key West, United States
Positioned on Key West's waterfront at 700 Front Street, Bel Mare occupies a slice of the island's dining scene where maritime setting and considered service converge. The address places it within the Mallory Square corridor, where the competition ranges from casual fish shacks to polished Floribbean rooms. Expect a front-of-house register pitched toward the deliberate rather than the breezy.
Key West, United States
On the stretch of Duval Street where Key West's tourist economy runs loudest, Blackfin Bistro occupies a position that regulars treat as a counter-programming choice. The kitchen tilts toward the seafood traditions of the Florida Keys, and the crowd that returns reliably tends to be less interested in spectacle than in consistency. A dependable address in a city where reliable quality can be harder to find than the postcards suggest.
Marathon, United States
Burger Palace sits in Marathon, where casual dining is shaped by the Overseas Highway, marina traffic, and the practical hunger of Keys travel rather than white-tablecloth ceremony. The draw is less about awards or chef mythology than about how a burger stop fits into a seafood-heavy island town: quick, familiar, and useful when the day has been built around bridges, boats, and salt air.
Marathon, United States
Butterfly Café sits along the Overseas Highway in Marathon, Florida, in the heart of the Florida Keys, a stretch of coastline where the sourcing conversation is shaped by proximity to particularly productive shallow-water fisheries in the continental United States. For visitors passing through the Middle Keys, it occupies a position in the local dining scene shaped by that geography. See our full Marathon guide for broader context on eating and drinking in the Keys.
Key West, United States
On Greene Street in the heart of Old Town, Conch Republic Seafood Company draws on Key West's fishing-port heritage to serve the kind of casual, waterfront-adjacent seafood that defines the island's dining character. The menu follows the Florida Keys tradition of fresh-catch simplicity, making it a reliable anchor point for visitors working through the city's broader seafood scene.
Marathon, United States
A casual seafood stop on the Overseas Highway in Marathon, Florida, Cracked Conch Cafe sits in the long tradition of Keys-style fish houses where proximity to the water defines what ends up on the plate. The cafe speaks to a dining culture built on conch fritters, fresh catch, and the kind of no-ceremony honesty that defines the Florida Keys middle stretch between Key Largo and Key West.
Key West, United States
Dorada occupies a distinct position in Key West's dining scene, where the island's Caribbean-adjacent waters meet cooking technique drawn from further afield. It sits in a different register from the open-air fish shacks and Floribbean crowd-pleasers that dominate the island's reputation.
Key West, United States
Positioned within the historic Henry Flagler railroad legacy, the restaurant draws on Florida's coastal pantry and a wine program calibrated for the tropics. It belongs to a small tier of Key West dining that rewards advance planning.
Key West, United States
Four Marlins Oceanfront Dining sits on Simonton Street in Key West, Florida, positioning itself within the island's occasion-dining circuit. With an oceanfront address in a city where the line between casual and formal flexes with the salt air, it draws those marking moments that call for water views and a proper table. Check the venue directly for current hours, menus, and reservation availability.
Key West, United States
Grand Cafe Key West occupies a prominent address on Duval Street, placing it at the center of Key West's most-trafficked dining corridor. The cafe format suits the island's unhurried pace, where the ritual of the meal matters as much as what arrives on the plate. For context on the wider dining scene, see our full Key West restaurants guide.
Islamorada, United States
Hungry Tarpon sits on the Overseas Highway in Islamorada, the Florida Keys village built around fishing culture and the waters that supply it. The kitchen draws directly from that same ecosystem, placing the restaurant squarely in the catch-driven tradition that defines Upper Keys dining. For visitors to Islamorada, it represents the kind of direct connection between water and plate that the island's food identity is built on.
Florida Keys
Selected entries from the current guide for Florida Keys.
Key West, United States
One block off Duval Street on Fleming, The Marquesa Hotel is Key West's most considered small hotel: 27 rooms across four historic buildings, Michelin 2 Keys recognition in 2024, and a room rate around $709 that buys genuine Old Town character rather than resort-scale amenity. Children under 14 are not permitted, which keeps the atmosphere exactly as the property intends.
Key West, United States
The Perry Hotel Key West earned a Michelin One Key in 2024, placing it among a select group of Florida properties recognized for hospitality quality rather than culinary output alone. Located at 7001 Shrimp Road on the quieter Stock Island fringe of Key West, it sits at a deliberate remove from Duval Street's foot traffic, appealing to guests who prioritize marina atmosphere and a lower-density experience over central access.
Duck Key, United States
Hawks Cay Resort occupies a full island on Duck Key, Florida, positioning it among the Florida Keys' larger full-service resort properties. With 374 rooms and direct access to both Atlantic and Gulf waters, it draws families and boating-focused travelers who want the Keys' open-water character without sacrificing resort infrastructure. Plan bookings well ahead for winter and spring break windows.
Key West, United States
Positioned on a sheltered peninsula at the quieter, western edge of Key West, Oceans Edge Resort & Marina spans 175 rooms alongside a full-service marina. The property sits outside the noise of Duval Street but within reach of the island's main corridors, making it a practical base for guests who want water access without the Old Town density. It occupies a specific niche in Key West's accommodation range: marina-integrated, mid-to-large scale, and oriented toward the water.
Key West, United States
Once operating as The Gates Hotel, this North Roosevelt Boulevard property now trades under the Blue Flamingo Resort name, marking a new chapter for one of Key West's mid-island addresses. Positioned away from the Duval Street concentration, it appeals to travelers who want proximity to the Florida Keys corridor without the noise of Old Town. Explore the wider Key West hotel picture at EP Club before booking.
Key West, United States
Casa Marina Key West occupies a stretch of the island's southern shore that most visitors never reach on foot, housed in a 1920s Henry Flagler-era building whose Mizner-influenced arcades and coral-stone detailing predate the resort category that would eventually surround it. As part of Hilton's Curio Collection, it sits in the mid-to-upper tier of Key West accommodation, trading on its architectural provenance and private beach access rather than boutique scale.
Islamorada, United States
Casa Morada occupies a quiet stretch of Islamorada bayfront at 136 Madeira Rd, offering a low-key, design-conscious alternative to the Keys' larger resort compounds. The property positions itself within the small-footprint, boutique tier that defines the upper end of Florida Keys hospitality, where architectural restraint and water-facing seclusion matter more than amenity volume. It draws travelers for whom bay access and a deliberately unhurried setting are the primary criteria.
Islamorada, United States
Cheeca Lodge & Spa has anchored the Upper Keys hospitality scene for decades, sitting directly on the Atlantic at Mile Marker 82 in Islamorada. The property combines waterfront access, a full-service spa, and a dining programme shaped by Florida Keys ingredients. It occupies a mid-tier position in the Islamorada market, sitting between boutique properties like Casa Morada and larger resort formats further down the chain.
Key West, United States
Pier House Resort & Spa sits at the foot of Duval Street where Key West's most famous strip meets the Gulf, placing it at the geographic and social center of the island. The property's waterfront position, on-site spa, and proximity to the Mallory Square sunset ritual make it a logical base for first-time and returning visitors alike. Check availability and current rates directly through the resort.
Key Largo, United States
Playa Largo Resort & Spa sits on the bay side of Key Largo, where the Autograph Collection flag signals a design-conscious departure from the corridor-hotel formula that defines much of the Upper Keys. Waterfront bungalows, a private beach, and direct bay access place it in the small-footprint luxury tier that competes on setting rather than scale. For the Florida Keys, that is a meaningful distinction.
Key West, United States
Southernmost House sits at 1400 Duval Street, occupying one of Key West's most geographically significant addresses: the southernmost point of the continental United States. The property places guests at the terminus of the Florida Keys, within walking distance of Old Town's core and the Atlantic shoreline. Among Key West's historic properties, it represents the address-as-experience category that defines premium lodging on the island.
Key West, United States
Sunset Key Cottages occupies a private 27-acre island reachable only by a short ferry from Key West's Historic Seaport, offering cottage-style accommodation that places guests entirely outside the noise of Duval Street. The property belongs to a tier of Florida Keys retreats where physical separation from the mainland is the primary amenity, positioning it alongside island-only alternatives rather than Key West's in-town hotel corridor.
Islamorada, United States
The Moorings Village occupies a rare stretch of Islamorada waterfront where the Florida Keys' working fishing culture meets a quieter, more considered style of accommodation. Cottages sit directly on the Atlantic, with the kind of unhurried pace that defines the upper Keys at their least performative. It belongs to a small tier of Keys properties where scale is kept deliberately low and proximity to water is non-negotiable.
Florida Keys
Selected entries from the current guide for Florida Keys.
Key West, United States
Aqua Bar and Nightclub occupies a prominent stretch of Duval Street at 711, putting it at the centre of Key West's most animated strip. The venue draws a mixed crowd that spans locals and visitors, with a program of entertainment and nightlife that reflects the island's reputation for inclusive, high-energy after-dark culture. It is one of the more established names on the Duval corridor.
Key West, United States
On Caroline Street in Key West's Old Town, Caroline's Other Side occupies a stretch of the island's bar scene that rewards the curious over the crowd-followers. The address puts it within reach of the Duval Street circuit without sitting squarely inside it, a positioning that shapes what kind of drinker ends up on a stool here. For Key West, that distinction matters more than it might elsewhere.
Key West, United States
Green Parrot Bar at 601 Whitehead Street is one of Key West's oldest continuously operating bars, a no-frills Floridian institution where the drinks are cold, the crowd is local-heavy, and the live music runs most nights of the week. It occupies a different tier from the island's tourist-facing saloons, operating more like a neighbourhood anchor than a destination attraction.
Key West, United States
A sprawling open-air saloon on Key West's Mallory Square waterfront, Hog's Breath Saloon occupies a specific place in the city's bar culture: loud, unapologetic, and built for the kind of afternoon that turns into an evening without anyone noticing. The crowd skews toward visitors on their first or fifth trip to the island, drawn by live music, cold beer, and a setting where the dress code is whatever you arrived in.
Key West, United States
Mary Ellen's Bar & Restaurant on Appelrouth Lane sits within Key West's compact but characterful bar district, where the distance between a dive and a serious pour is often measured in feet rather than miles. The bar fits the island's tradition of low-threshold hospitality and high-proof conviviality, drawing a mix of locals and visitors who want something more deliberate than Duval Street's louder options.
Key West, United States
The Porch is listed as permanently closed following the June 22, 2026 status audit.
Key West, United States
Positioned on William Street where Key West's working waterfront gives way to its bar district, The Waterfront Brewery draws from the city's long tradition of outdoor drinking culture and salt-air socializing. Where many of the island's bars lean on nostalgia or spectacle, this brewery anchors itself in place, offering craft beer alongside the kind of unmediated harbour access that defines the island at its least performative.
Florida Keys
Selected entries from the current guide for Florida Keys.
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