We spent two weeks in Key West over Christmas and New Year's and I've been meaning to report on our dining there for some time. This is it, I'm finally getting to it.

Used to think that Key West was a relative wasteland in the great food department but we had some good meals there this year.

Bagatelle near the end of Duval close to Mallory Square. Nice outdoor porches on two levels. Lots of variety with something to please everyone in our picky party of 5.

A&B Lobster House. Ok but not great for the cost. Nice views of harbor area but food not special.

Catch, a really cute, trying hard, new place on Simonton a few blocks toward Mallory from Truman. Apparently featured on some foodtv show. Porch with two story interior in an old Synogogue. New wave music and healthy but tasty food. Emphasis, as you might expect, on fish and seafood. Innovative dishes.

El Siboney, a Cuban place in a small house. Cheap, good food and waitresses with attitude--sort of like, what, me worry.

Jamaican Me Hungry just across the street from Mallory Square upstairs. We had a goat stew. Tasty and pretty inexpensive.

Origami, off beaten path a bit in a house, with good sushi and other Japanese treats. Not cheap but good.

Conch Republic Seafood, one of those giant pole barn buildings with open sides and hoards of people by Key West Byte. The hoards are there because it's really good. Standards like crabcakes, cheeseburgers, etc. but all done well.

Commodore Steak House. I think this is owned by the same folks as own A&B Lobster House, and it's close by with the same great views of the boat harbor but much better food. High prices to go with. Has seafood as well as steaks but really great steaks.

More to follow.

We paid the requisite visit to La Te Da on the end of Duval furthest from Mallory and the food was good for a New Year's Eve. Ambitious prix fixe dinner with 6 courses or more depending upon how you count. Entertainment was better. Female impersonator Randy Roberts doing Cher, Joan Rivers, etc. Really a talented person.

Duffy's a little steak and everything place on the corner of Truman and Simenton was near the place we stayed. That was it's only virtue.

Cafe Sole is in a residential neighborhood not far from the cemetary. It's run by a chef husband and maitre d' wife. It has some of the best French/mediterranean food in Key West. We liked it so well we ate there twice. Their hog fish snapper (speared not line caught) is wonderful.

You get what you pay for and at Pisces (the revision to Cafe des Artistes on Simenton just around the corner from Truman) we paid a lot and got a lot. Wonderful service and wine list with very refined French/modern cusine emphasizing fish. All this and you can go in your bermuda shorts. My husband loved it. His kind of upscale eating.

I reported earlier on Petronia's having asked for reviews on this site before leaving, but here it is again. A great place on Petronia street beyond Blue Heaven that features Polish food in a restaurant that's rough on the outside--and in what appears to be a questionable neighborhood--but wonderful on the inside--candles and white table cloths and napkins. Food is really good. Go for the sample plate with bigos, pierogi, and other Polish delights. One of our favorite finds on this trip.

Key West. What a great place with really good food.

Wow! What a great report! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you. We will use this in a few weeks! We also have 5 people(3 teens and 2 adults). I will print this out and take it along.

That's what I call a trip report! We're headed to Key West on Saturday and my mouth is watering already. A couple of specific restaurant questions, for JmVikmanis or anybody else:

1. We were planning to go to Seven Fish for great seafood but your mention of Catch (Caladesi Catch?) is very intriguing. I know how their menus differ, but how do their service and prices compare?

2. Cuban food is our other must-do. Everybody mentions El Siboney but I read in a guidebook that Jose's Cantina (White St., near Petronia) is a little better. Anybody been to Jose's?

Thanks so much!

We had lunch at Jose's Cantina a year or so ago. We preferred El Siboney for Cuban. Nothing wrong with Jose's, but more options at El Siboney.

Seven Fish is good but in my opinion not remarkable. I wouldn't rely on it to have the best seafood in town.

Thanks, JeanH and SusanCS, for the replies! SusanCS, where CAN we get the best seafood in town?

There are lots of places that have great fish so deciding on ONE place is virtually impossible. Our first meal in Key West is always the Half Shell Raw Bar. They have a long list of fresh fish and they know how to cook it! The fish - like the decor - is nothing fancy. You pick the fish you want, and pick the way you want it cooked. While I'm not sure it's the best in Key West, I can't think of anyplace better. This is definitely NOT a fine dining experience...think short, T-shirts and dogs are welcome!

Great report! Thanks!
Is the place that replaced Cafe des Artistes owned and run by the same people that it used to be?
(I was sooo disappointed when I heard CdA closed. It was one of our favorite rests. in the world!)

I understand it is the same chef and the same owner but they just decided to do a face lift on it. It has been getting wonderful reports.

Tried almost all you discuss, and found Seven Fish and Alice's offered the best food, service, etc. - but since Seven Fish is tiny, you must reserve! The chefs came out to explain what they prepared. People in KW who know rate El Siboney highly. Cafe Sole was overrated, to say the least. Oddly enough, Mangoes on Duval, very touristy, served very good food for lunch - we were surprised. Glad to see you omitted Louie's back Porch = simply terrible - we had been warned away, but constantly ran into people who didn't get the word, and the news was all bad.

I, too, have always been impressed with Seven Fish.
A word of warning: restaurants in the Keys (perhaps more so than any other place) have high turnover of chefs/cooks. So, what was good last week, may not be good this week.

the best fish we have had in Key West was mangrove snapper that we caught that morning and had our fishing guide fillet. we brought it to The Half Shell Raw Bar and for $5(?) per pound they made half blacked and half fried. you can request it make any way they can do it and you get potatoes/corn and rolls to go with it. have also brought in mahi mahi, yellow tail snapper and wahoo--all were great.
best Cuban: El Siboney
personal favourite: Rooftop Cafe
best 'fancy': la te da's at Alices (great wine list)
plus: Pepe's on Caroline is great
also,did not care for the attitude of staff at Seven Fish.
enjoyed breakfast at Blue Heaven.

Don't forget about BO's. It is down by the marina. It is my favorite restaurant in key west. The grouper sandwich & fried shrimp are perfect! It is great for lunch or a casual dinner.

We LOVE BO's! That is a "do not miss" when we visit. Another is the lobster bisque @ the A&B Lobster House. OMG it is to die for. A&B is not associated with the Commodore. A&B, Alonzo's Oyster Bar, Turtle Kraals (sp?) and The Half Shell Raw bar are all owned by the same person but I understand they were all just sold, as a group, to someone else. The Commodore, Pisces, Duffys and Abodannza(sp) are another restaurant group and all owned by the same person.

On a funny note - I have to laugh everytime I hear the Commodore mentioned. While I was visiting Key West once I learned that the Commodore has earned the nickname The Commode from some of the locals. I guess ever since then I have always been a little leary of the place.

Where is BO's located? If I can get my dh out of Half Shell, we will try it.

Its very close to it. Maybe a block away on the corner of Margaret and Caroline.

OK! Now that we're back I wanted to thank everyone for suggestions and report on our trip.

We went to El Siboney, which was just as good as everyone says . . . although nobody mentioned the conch chowder! It's heavenly! I think it has file powder in it (file as in file gumbo; can't get the accent symbol on the e).

The next night we ended up at Alonzo's Oyster Bar. Other family members were pooped and didn't want to walk any further, so though it wasn't recommended particularly, we stopped. We were VERY impressed with our meals and the service was fine, too. Our entrees (all seafood) were fresh and creative. I'd go again, though of course next time I want to try your suggestions . . .

I also want to put in a word for Cole's Peace Artisan Bakery. Now THAT's real bread!