Please let me know any recommendable dining places, particularly one to share a special, romantic birthday dinner. (Heard Cafe Marquesa or La Trattoria were potentially fine places.) [Email me directly.] Thanks.

We were just there in December, and loved Alice's at La-Te-Da (on Duval). Another romantic place - off the beaten path - is Louie's Backyard Grill - on the Atlantic side. Enjoy!

tee3 is absolutely correct! Those were our very favorite restaurants in Key West.

Hi There:

We're in our early 40s and love contemporary food ... we found an abundance of wonderful, innovative restaurants in Key West if you're venturesome.

Our two most favourite were:

Caribe Soul - 425 Grinnell Street - This one has won a lot of local accolades as best new restaurant. It had lots of bright decor -- tangerine/peach/turquoise colour scheme so it's not a cozy candlelit place. But it's great.

Also, try Seven Fish -- 632 Olivia at Elizabeth. It's a bit "funky" and minimalist. Candlelit with a NYC feel to it and great food.

(Neither were outrageously expensive.)

My one recommendation to avoid is the Kelly McGillis restaurant (I can't remember its name). It was very disappointing -- very touristy.

If you want a GREAAT local Cuban restaurant-El cibonet. No atmosphere,no tourists, just great Cuban food very reasonably priced. My brother lived in Key West for several years and told us about it.

You could also try Blue Heaven- so named because the ownwer/chef is from Chapel Hill,NC. Great seafood.

For beauty and atmosphere, you can't beat Louie's Backyard. It's directly on the water and exceptionally pretty. The problem is that the food is very expensive and not necessarily always worth it. We usually stick to it for lunch when it's less expensive. Marquesa Cafe is really good, too, but doesn't have a whole lot of atmosphere. I love the food at Alice's (and all the other recommendations) but none would necessarily fit the bill as perfect for a special dinner. Seven Fish is crowded and very informal...same for El Siboney and Blue Heaven though they're all very good. You might consider going to Michaels and asking for an outside table. It's slightly more formal than most places in Key West - though you'll see folks in short in even the most expensive places. Another possibility is Latitudes, which is a very short ferry ride (8 minutes) away on Sunset Key. If you're interested in menus, you can access most of these online by looking in Key West web sites for The Menu.