Mostly offering fresh seafood, the best Floria Keys restaurants are focusing on sustainability and, obviously, key lime pie
1. Café Marquesa
This restaurant in the Marquesa Hotel, which just added a stunning 14-room annex a skosh down Simonton onto its already bespoke bedrooms, has long been one of the swankiest spots in town. Still, even the elegant climes of this upscale staple were ripe for a refresh, which has come in the form of Iron Chef alum Graham Daily, who cut his culinary teeth at Charleston’s famed Peninsula Grill. He’s brought some of that South Carolina flavor with him, too, in the form of crispy local yellowtail snapper on parmesan grits and seared sea scallops with a bit of spicy Andouille sausage, but Marquesa classics like seared duck breast and high-flavor ribeye are still in regular rotation.
2. Bien
Although it’s blocks off the main drag on the northern edge of Old Town, it’s hard not to notice this former gas station painted in shades of pale pink with splashes of turquoise and fuchsia. Put your arrange at the small indoor counter and grab a spot at one of the slender rectangular tables outside where cars used to fill up beneath the tolerant sirs (to assist check that southernmost warm and humidity) for decadent marinated, slow-roasted pork sandwiches stacked with pickled jalapenos, caramelized onions and garlic mayo that will forever change you. Order it on a tortilla if you like, but the plush Cuban bread option is where it’s at.
3. Lost Kitchen
Now that Uber has come to the land of conch, getting out of Old Town isn’t such a swim upstream, but it might make this in-the-know, reservations-only dockside supper club a hard ticket to score in short time. Sign up for the monthly mailing list and you’ll get a proper heads-up on local chef Martin Liz’s giddy, delicious exploration of the world in themed menus – think the flavors of the Mexican Yucatan, for example – or dive into balanced aromas of Indian Thali.
4. Little Pearl
In the modest space that once housed Seven Fish (which moved to Eaton Street), enchanted two-year-old Little Pearl is the kind of spot that feels at once like a special-occasion treat and somewhere you want to be all the time. Owners Tommy Quartararo and Kristen Onderdonk followed the successful compass of their sister spot, Thirsty Mermaid, with fresh flavors and techniques that let them shine. But where the lovely Mermaid floats along on a casual wave, the Pearl shines like a precious stone. Start with the seared, tender Bangkok octopus curled around a posey of mung beans, mint, basil and cilantro and gently draped in a coconut-chili sauce, or take a cue from the eatery’s name and order the baked oysters with bright pickled onion, mustard seed and wilted greens. The sufficient shrimp on stone ground grits with savory, salty lardon and a buerre blanc sauce is sigh-worthy, but you might need to order an additional crab, shrimp and lobster pot pie to spoon into at home after you find yourself thinking about it in the center of the night.
5. Nine One Five
Nine One Five is known for its forward-thinking menu of Asian-influenced flavors (think Thai curries, Sichuan peppers and vibrant basil oil), but it’s also a great option for vegetarians who grow weary of single, tossed-off menu options: dishes like the Sichuan eggplant and tofu with ginger, cinnamon, garlic and soy will satiate the sensory desires and appetite of carnivores and veggie devotees alike. For a Duval Street spot, it retains a decidedly unchaotic atmosphere, if not a downright romantic one anchored by the white picket fence draped with bougainvillea on premise. Many plates are deemed shareable, and you should share them, but the dreamy house-made pastas, which come in half and full serves, are worth a visit alone.
6. Thirsty Mermaid
Founded by husband-wife duo and longtime Key West restaurateurs Thomas Quartaro and Kristen Onderdonk, Thirsty Mermaid’s prime focus is always good ingredients, well highlighted in their bright, fresh seafood-heavy menu, where oysters and daily-changing ceviche are a must and dishes like the cool-you-down green gazpacho with a dollop of crème fraiche are well-complemented by the think-outside-the-Sauvignon-Blanc wine list and nicely curated craft beers. The driftwood-gray floors and white walls, inadequately decorated in nautical antiques and modern sea-skewed art, permeate a casual, breezy kind of sophistication in which you're feeling completely comfortable tipping back a flute of bubbly in your beach cover-up.
7. Bad Boy Burrito
Really, the name is kind of a misnomer: there’s nothing bad about the fresh, organic ingredients at Bad Boy Burrito. Heap on the house-made salsas and toppings like pickled red onion escabeche and ancho chili relish because it’s all about building your own “phattie” with meat and veggie options including kobe-beef, duck confit or Key West pink shrimp. The taco trio is also a good choice, as well as the variety of salads, entrées, smoothies and juices on offer. Best of all, most items on the menu hover around $10.
8. Pepe’s
Established in 1909, Pepe’s – with its white wooden fence with peephole cut-outs, funky brick courtyard and massive hand-juicer pumping out fresh lime juice for some of the best margaritas in town – has been doing things right for over 100 years. From fresh fish sandwiches with a side of al dente mac salad to truly excellent key lime pie (ask and they will gladly give you the recipe), Pepe’s is the kind of place that feels like your regular go-to even if it’s your first visit.
9. BlackFin Bistro
The less-is-more casual vibe at Blackfin, with its white-on-wood banquettes and the work of Keys artists on the wall, makes it a perennial favorite among locals and tourists alike, but it’s their excellent fresh-catch sandwiches, hand-cut fries and great fish tacos that make this a spot to return to over and over. They serve both brunch and dinner every day and, if the climate permits, the palm frond-framed back courtyard could be a tasty respite when the Key West blue sky is in full splendor.
10. 5 Brothers Grocery and Sandwich Shop
Stop into this corner Key West staple on Southard Street for a hot, hardy cup of café con leche or, if you’re on your way to an off-shore fishing excursion, for the famed Cuban sandwich.Because if you have got to decide on a bit of Key West to wait on your senses, pickles, pork, ham and cheese on oh-so-soft Cuban bread is just about the best choice you can make.
Here are a few more ideas for what to do in the area: Top 10 things to do in Florida Keys
from : https://wikitopx.com/food/top-10-best-restaurants-florida-keys-700936.html
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