Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in Florida Keys - Monroe County

OpenTable

Updated May 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in Florida Keys - Monroe County? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Red Shoe Island Bistro

4.9

4.9 (1525)

$31 to $50

American

Key West

About the restaurant

Key West seafood restaurant in the heart of old town on Petronia. The menu is kept small so that everything is nice and fresh for you. Yellowtail snapper, fish of the day, Key West pink shrimp, and seafood medley highlight the menu.
Deviled Eggs topped with Scallops, Shrimp Mango Toast and Crispy Pork Belly Croustinis tantalize the pallet. Beef stroganoff made with certified black angus beef is a favorite.

Relaxing, unpretentious, and romantic.
Seating is very limited. We offer a 6 pm and an 8 pm seating.
24 Hour Cancellation window.
For the consideration of our guests, we do not accept parties over the size of six (6), without the permission for the owners.
20% gratuity added to parties of six (6) or more.
BEER AND WINE AVAILABLE ONLY.
No Children's menu available.

Top review

LauraVIP

Dined 4 days ago

What a wonderful dining experience! The staff was delightful and the food was scrumptious.

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Santiago's Bodega Key West

4.8

4.8 (2406)

$31 to $50

Tapas / Small Plates

Key West

About the restaurant

Since 2003, Santiago's Bodega Key West in Bahama Village has been serving globally inspired small plates in a vibrant, inviting atmosphere. We offer indoor and outdoor seating. For parties of 6 or more, please call the restaurant to reserve. We are a neighborhood gem. Reservations are highly recommended.

Open daily from 11:00am-10:00pm. We offer Happy Hour seven days a week from 3:00pm-6:00pm featuring half-priced sangria, wine by the glass, draft beer, and select $7 tapa specials. We look forward to welcoming you!

Top review

CharlesVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Wonderful hidden gem with authentic Spanish tapas, plenty to share even Happy Hour portions! Delicious, unique flavors with fabulous service!

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4.8

4.8 (3104)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Key West

About the restaurant

A premier choice for fine dining in Old Town Key West.

Like Charleston and other great ports of the South, Key West offers endless inspiration for chefs. Once a stop on trade routes to the Caribbean, the island developed a signature cuisine that’s practically an open book for flavors. Pair this with the bounty from two bodies of water and the signatures of great chefs who have dedicated time here and a compelling cuisine emerges.

From its inception, Café Marquesa has led the way in expressing a unique, coastal cuisine. Our kitchen combines the finest seafood, meats, and produce with classic preparations and creativity. We offer fine dining with an authentic, homespun essence, like freshly baked bread and desserts made daily in-house. A local favorite for special occasions, and a place to settle into and savor. Every dinner layers memory upon memory. Join us and find yours.

Top review

KarenVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Wonderful place to celebrate special occasions, excellent food and well-balanced wine list.

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Popular dish

MISO GLAZED BLACK GROUPER

4.8

4.8 (3171)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Key West

About the restaurant

Simple. Good. Food.

From humble beginnings over 20 years ago, Seven Fish has earned its place as a Key West Classic.

Serving the freshest local fish in a casual, contemporary bistro setting, it is the perfect finish to your Key West day.

Unpretentious dishes, with a commitment to only the finest ingredients, and made from scratch every day, it is the meal you don’t want to end.

Try our house specialty, Thai Curry Snapper, or any of our fresh fish dishes, or maybe the Banana Chicken or even the locals’ favorite, 7 Fish Meatloaf. There is something for everyone, lovingly prepared to exceed your expectations, including our specialty drinks and inspiring wine menu. Be sure to save room for one of our home made, classic desserts.

You will love our beautiful new building, enjoy our warm, friendly staff and come back again and again for the remarkable food.

Top review

DavidVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Curried snapper excellent. Strawberry desert very good.

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Popular dish

Seafood Ceviche

Popular dish

Thai Curry Yellowtail Snapper

Popular dish

Strawberry Whipped Cream Pie

Little Pearl

4.8

4.8 (2935)

$50 and over

Seafood

Key West

About the restaurant

We are OPEN 6 nights a week with 3 seating times
Monday-Saturday 5pm/7pm/9pm
Offering Chef’s Tasting Menu only. Unfortunately, our regular menu is unavailable at this time. Follow our website, Facebook, or IG for most current menu offerings... or just give us a call!
Please contact the restaurant with ALL dietary restrictions 24 hours before reservation for us to accommodate.
Thank you for your support during these unprecedented times! Looking forward to seeing you again!

Nestled in the heart of Old Town and away from the bustling downtown streets of Key West, Florida, sits an excellent spot for fresh local catch and innovative cuisine with a tropical twist.
Reservations are recommended!! Please call us for parties larger than 4 people.

Top review

Dawn

Dined 5 days ago

Outstanding as always. Third time dining at the Little Pearl. Anytime we visit Key West, we make sure to get reservations.

Atlas Izakaya

4.8

4.8 (343)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Key West

About the restaurant

Atlas Izakaya is a chef-run restaurant focused on creating delicious, thought-provoking Japanese food. Meaning “stay-drink-place” in its native tongue, Izakaya is a word to describe the perfect spot to settle down with company as you dine together. Located in the heart of historic Key West steps from Duval Street, our restaurant provides a relaxed vibe to meet your palate. To live up to our name, we created a refined atmosphere that features an impressive open kitchen to complement the same great impression made by our menu. Complete with local seafood, fresh vegetable dishes, bao buns, dumplings, and much more, our offerings are the kind you’ll be craving in the weeks following your visit. If you’re in the mood for cozy comfort and whimsical Asian cuisine, join us at Atlas Izakaya.
Now offering Omakase Bar seating. Let the Chef cook for you at the limited 6 seat counter.
Call restaurant directly to book your 10 Course Shefu Menu.
Seatings at 530pm and 8pm. Call direct...
305-998-4189

Top review

MargitVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Excellent spot. Love the scallop/ apple/ shiso roll. Love the Caesar!

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Experience

Kokadama Plant Class

Italian Food Company - Key Largo

4.6

4.6 (218)

$30 and under

Italian

Key Largo

About the restaurant

A slice of Italy in the Florida Keys! This approachable and genuine pizzeria/trattoria serves authentic Italian dishes in a warm and memorable atmosphere. Locals, families, couples, and groups flock to Italian Food Company for the food, service and attention to detail. Guests dine on imported, hand painted lava tables made by local artisans from the foothills of Mt. Etna, while overlooking our wine and beer garden. Hand painted murals depicting scenes from Sicily and the bay of Naples set the tone. Insta perfect picture spots come alive with a vintage Fiat 500 and the Italian Food Company Vino Van. If you have a love for all things Italy, you will come to adore this home away from home. Pizza Lovers beware - the Pizza is authentic Neapolitan, the real deal without the passport.

Top review

JudyVIP

Dined on Apr 27, 2025

All of the staff were friendly and accommodating .

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Yellowfin Bar & Kitchen

4.6

4.6 (53)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Key West

About the restaurant

Seafood sourced right from our marina, a char-grilled filet, or your own catch cooked right here? You’ve come to the right place. Executive Chef Yeni Mendoza and Yellowfin Bar & Kitchen celebrates flavors native to the Florida Keys while seamlessly blending them with the culinary influences and cooking styles of the Caribbean. Live music Fridays-Sundays. Enjoy your experience with us in our air-conditioned dining room, or marina-side shaded patio.
We look forward to your visit with us.

Top review

Craig

Dined 4 days ago

First visit to Yellowfin. The setting is first class and the staff was friendly and attentive. The Short Rib entree was the best I've had in the Keys. We will definitely return!

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Experience

Mother's Day Brunch Dockside at YellowFin

Experience

"Oh so Happy" Daily

First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery

4.5

4.5 (1455)

$30 and under

Seafood

Key West

About the restaurant

First Flight Island Restaurant and Brewery is located in the home of Pan Americans office, where the first American international flight ticket Key West- Havana, Cuba was bought on October 28th 1927. The restaurant features a beautiful garden dining area nestled under the canopies of 2 Strangler Figs, an inside dining room with Pan American memorabilia and an indoor- outdoor crash bar made from an airplane wing.This is also the birthplace of the Southernmost Brewery in the States where 3 flagship and seasonal beers are made by Brewmaster Andrew Koennecke. The restaurant menu focuses on locally sourced seafood, house brew braised dishes and fresh seasonal ingredients. The menu changes throughout the year by Executive Chef Ben Schneller who supplements tradition with an island twist.

Top review

Heather

Dined 4 days ago

Food was great, service and host were awesome too. Almost all seating outside under trees (FYI) and “inside” was just covered space that is not conditioned. Definitely the vibe of KW, chickens running around and all. Got a coupon for a free flight of beer which was a real benefit. Place is historical as it was first HQ or PanAm airlines. I’d come back!!

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Salt + Ash at Hawk's Cay

4.4

4.4 (70)

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Duck Key

About the restaurant

Salt+Ash is a bold new dining experience by Chef Jeremy Ford, rooted in the vibrant connecton between land, sea and fire. This truly farm-to-table concept celebrates the raw beauty of natural ingredients, expertly charred and delicately seasoned with the essence of the ocean. With a curated yet effortless coastal aesthetic, Salt + Ash offers a space where bohemian charm meets refined craftsmanship, inviting guests to savor every flavor and texture that tells the story of its surroundings. Here, the elements are not just inspiration, they're the foundation.

Top review

Paula

Dined 2 days ago

This is a lovely restaurant, It’s beautifully designed and decorated. Our visit will be one we remember for a while. The service was attentive but not overly intrusive. We began with a glass of Sancerre and a Clarified Colada…both were delicious. We especially enjoyed our starters of Ahi ceviche and Key West shrimp…the combination of shrimp and shishitos peppers was great. I appreciated the idea of a having a daily local catch as part of the menu prepared with flavors listed….no trying to remember what the server described. It was amazing. My husband ordered the Butternut Agnolotti, they make their own pasta. It was another tasty combination of flavors. If this was not our last night in the resort, I would definitely go back to try the pizza.

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