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Authentic southern Italian cuisine, with freshly made Neapolitan (Naples-style) pizza, pastas, and desserts is the focus here. A nicely landscaped garden with a cute Fiat decked out in the colors of the Italian flag should alert you to founders Tony and Isis Wright's obsession with detail. All the ingredients are imported from Italy, including the tomato sauce and olive oil, and master pizzaiolo Leopoldo Figlioli churns out pies with chewy crusts that are nicely blistered from the brick oven.
98070 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo, Florida, 33037, USA
Known For
- Friendly service
- Neopolitan pizza
- A second location in Islamorada
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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This is the place to satisfy any French-pastry craving—from the made-from-scratch croissants to the cookies, muffins, coconut macarons, and of course, breads. A lovely patio is the perfect backdrop for breakfasts of brioche French toast, quiches with fresh salads, and a croque madame oozing with bechamel and poached eggs. Look out for the little French bulldog who meanders around the tables and is the unofficial mascot of the place.
1211 Duval St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Ham-and-cheese croissants
- Friendly owners
- French breakfasts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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Atop the famed Square Grouper restaurant is a secret spot that locals love and smart travelers seek out for its tapas and well-stocked bar. Sit at a high-top table or on a sofa, and savor made-from-scratch small plates you won't soon forget, like salted caramel puffs or chicken lollipops. My New Joint is a blissful marriage of creative cuisine, funky lighting, and good music.
22658 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33042, USA
Known For
- Craft cocktails and 170 types of beer
- Cheese or chocolate fondue
- Raw bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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Picky palates will be satisfied at this funky, dark, and sensuous tapas restaurant, which is well off the main drag and is a secret spot for local foodies in the know. Small plates include yellowfin tuna ceviche with hunks of avocado and mango or filet mignon with creamy Gorgonzola butter. Waiters recommend choosing three small plates per person, then sharing.
207 Petronia St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Legendary bread pudding
- Homemade white or red sangria
- A favorite with local chefs
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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Calories be damned—the conch fritters here are heaven on a plate. Come early for dinner (Jack's closes by 6:30, when the mosquitos start biting), and come hungry; the free-form fritters are large and loaded with flavor. The crab cakes, made from local blue crabs, earn hallelujahs, too. The conch salad is as good as any you'll find in the Bahamas. This weathered, circa-1950 restaurant floats on two roadside barges in an old fishing community. Regulars include motorcyclists, families, boaters, and the upscale crowd from nearby Ocean Reef Club, including Kathie Lee Gifford, who all come not only for the food but to admire tropical birds in the nearby mangroves and the occasional crocodile and to jam with the bands playing each weekend afternoon. It's about a half-hour drive from Key Largo, so you may want to plan a visit for your drive in or out.
58000 Card Sound Rd., Florida, 33037, USA
Known For
- Heavenly conch fritters
- Unique setting (about a 30-minute drive from Key Largo)
- Live music
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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The aroma of rich, roasting coffee beans arrests you at the door of "the Southernmost Coffee Roaster in America." Buy beans by the pound or coffee by the cup, along with sandwiches and sweets. Locals swear it's the best coffee in the Keys and beyond. But there's a whole lot more than just damn good coffee: check out the gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian specialty foods, as well as the assortment of wine and craft beers.
3180 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33042, USA
Known For
- Best coffee in the Keys
- Gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian specialty foods
- Excellent service
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This tiny counter-service restaurant is the best-kept secret in Islamorada, with the tastiest and most affordable ($11) grouper Reuben sandwich in the Keys. It's a small place—with six tables inside, a bar overlooking the kitchen, and an outdoor patio—and most diners are locals. The menu ranges from fresh seafood to excellent pizza. Don't miss the meatballs.
82758 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33036, USA
Known For
- Excellent key lime pie
- Microbrews
- Seafood omelets
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Authentic French food is on the menu at this supercasual eatery run by chef-owner Michel Bitton. The gelatos and homemade French pastries might be famous, but don't miss the opportunity to savor his daily quiches, fresh salads with Dijon vinaigrette, rustic soups, and French baguette sandwiches. French-press coffee? Just say, "Oui!" You will not be disappointed.
82245 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33036, USA
Known For
- Oversize crepes
- Freshly made gelato
- Wide assortment of macarons
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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Pop into the bakery for something sinfully sweet, or spend some time people-watching at the sidewalk café next door. You can get breakfast or lunch at the café, and the bakery is open late. Try the eggs brioche with mustard sauce for breakfast. Quiche and savory sandwiches are the standouts at lunch, but you can also get delicious burgers and salads. Finish off your meal with a chocolate Grand Marnier mousse. There's a second location on Stock Island.
816 Duval St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Gluten-free buckwheat crepes
- Popular with both locals and visitors
- Great coffee and croissants
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This is the place to dine—alfresco or in the dining room—on refined Cuban classics. Begin with a megasize mojito while you browse the expansive menu offering tostones rellenos (green plantains with different traditional fillings), ceviche, and more. Choose from Cuban specialties such as roasted pork in a cumin mojo sauce and ropa vieja (shredded beef).
410 Wall St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Authentic plantain chips
- Latin band during the nightly sunset celebration
- Touristy atmosphere
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If you want a taste of the island's Cuban heritage, this is the place to dine alfresco or in the dining room on refined Cuban classics. Begin with a megasize mojito while you browse the expansive menu offering tostones rellenos (green plantains with different traditional fillings), ceviche, and more. Choose from Cuban specialties such as roasted pork in a cumin mojo sauce and ropa vieja (shredded beef).
410 Wall St., Key West, Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Authentic plantain chips
- Latin band during the nightly sunset celebration
- Touristy atmosphere
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At this family-style restaurant, the dining room bustles, the food is traditional cubano, the prices are reasonable, and the sangria is muy buena. There are well-seasoned black beans, a memorable paella, traditional ropa vieja, and local seafood served grilled, stuffed, or breaded.
900 Catherine St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Memorable paella and traditional dishes
- Wine and beer only
- Cheaper than more touristy options close to Duval
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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This no-frills, roadside eatery has a loyal local following, an unfussy ambience, a couple of outside picnic tables, and friendly service. Signature dishes include snapper on grilled rye with coleslaw and melted Muenster cheese, a fried-fish burrito, George's crab cake, and tomato-based conch chowder. Landlubbers can choose everything from burgers and dogs to meat loaf and Cuban pork. Plan to dine early; it's only open until 6:30, but the hours depend on the season.
11711 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33050, USA
Known For
- Luscious lobster bisque
- Fresh and affordable seafood and meat market
- Affordable specials
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends, Reservations not accepted
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Like a fine wine, this small natural-foods eatery and market surrenders its pleasures a little at a time. Step inside to the aroma of brewing coffee, and then pick up the scent of fresh strawberries or carrots being blended into a smoothie and the green aroma of wheatgrass juice, followed by the earthy odor of hummus. Order raw or cooked vegetarian and vegan dishes, organic soups and salads, and organic coffees and teas. Bountiful sandwiches include the popular tuna melt or hummus and avocado. Sit at the counter or in the back garden, and mingle with the locals as folks have been doing since the early 1980s. Then stock up on healthful snacks like dried fruits, raw nuts, and carob-covered almonds. There are gluten-free items, too.
30150 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33043, USA
Known For
- Vegetarian and vegan dishes
- Sandwiches and smoothies
- Organic items
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations not accepted
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Smack-dab on the docks, this legendary place gets its name from the oysters, clams, and peel-and-eat shrimp that are the stars of its seafood-based menu. It's not clever recipes or fine dining (or even air-conditioning) that packs 'em in; it's fried fish, po'boy sandwiches, and seafood combos. For a break from the deep fryer, try the fresh and light conch ceviche.
231 Margaret St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Daily happy hour with food and drink deals
- Few nonseafood options
- Good people-watching spot
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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If you're looking for comfort food—like melt-in-your-mouth key lime biscuits the size of a salad plate or old-fashioned hot cakes with sausage or bacon—try this refreshing throwback for a hearty breakfast. At lunch, Harriette's shines in the burger department, and all the soups—from garlic tomato to chili—are homemade.
95710 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33037, USA
Known For
- A wait—but worth it
- Best muffins in Key Largo
- Tight dining space
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner, American Express not accepted, Reservations not accepted
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This shack-like spot has been the go-to for quick, affordable comfort food since the 1940s. You'll find all the Old Keys staples—conch, lobster tail, fried oysters, and fresh fish—as well as cheeseburgers and filet mignon. Sit at picnic tables on the screened-in porch or inside, where it's air-conditioned. More than 20 craft beers are offered daily, and the entire wine selection is available by the glass or bottle.
6350 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33050, USA
Known For
- Great craft-beer selection
- Crispy conch fritters
- Good key lime pie
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues.
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It's worth a drive to Stock Island for a meal at this down-to-earth spot, where hogfish is, of course, the specialty. Favorites include the "Killer Hogfish Sandwich," which is served on Cuban bread (be sure to sprinkle it with one of the house hot sauces), as well as the hogfish tacos, gator bites, lobster BLT or pot pie, pulled-pork sandwich, and barbecued ribs.
6810 Front St., Florida, 33040, USA
Known For
- Pricey fish sandwiches
- A taste of local life
- Fried grouper cheeks
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This is part of the colorful, bustling Old Florida scene at Robbie's Marina, so you know that the seafood here is fresh and top quality. The extensive menu seems as if it's bigger than the dining space, which consists of a few tables and counter seating indoors, plus tables out back under the mangrove trees. Try the Matecumbe fish sandwich with provolone and bacon on grilled sourdough.
77522 Overseas Hwy., Florida, 33036, USA
Known For
- Insanely good Bloody Marys with a beef-stick straw
- Heart-of-the-action location
- Biscuits and gravy
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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Owned by Bass Pro Shops and housed in an open-air, oversize tiki hut on Florida Bay, this restaurant offers a quintessential Keys dining experience. Menu highlights include cracked conch beaten until tender and then fried, and fresh-catch Portofino blackened perfectly and topped with Key West shrimp and a brandied lobster sauce. There's a small tiki bar if you prefer a stool to a table.
81532 Overseas Hwy., Florida, USA
Known For
- Tourist hot spot
- Great views
- Afternoon fish and shark feedings in its private lagoon
