The Best Seafood Restaurants in Key West

From casual beach cafes to fancy fine-dining, the best seafood in Key West covers all the bases. On this pocket-sized, sunshine-drenched island, chefs need venture no farther than the closest dock to source fresh snapper, stone crab, pink shrimp, and spiny lobster, among many more delicacies caught daily. But where do the savviest local foodies go when seeking the best seafood restaurants in Key West? Welcome to the Tastemaker Lists. We gathered data covering thousands of restaurants to find the best according to OpenTable’s smartest diners. Book a table for an unforgettable taste of the tropics.

The OpenTable Team

16 Restaurants

Updated February 26, 2020

Restaurants:	Little Pearl, Seven Fish, A&B Lobster House…
Price Range:	$$$ - $$$$
Cuisines:	Seafood…
Neighborhoods:	Key West…

Little Pearl

$$$$

Seafood

Key West

4.8

2011 reviews

Since its 2017 opening in Old Town, Little Pearl has earned acclaim as one of the best seafood restaurants in Key West. The chic and compact venue with refined maritime décor is a delightful spot to sample chef John Ingelsby’s take on local seafood. Some of his most tempting creations reveal a certain southern influence, as in the jumbo shrimp with stone-ground grits and the baked oysters with braised greens, pickled onion and mustard seed. Others lean toward the tropics, such as the Bangkok octopus appetizer and king crab and papaya salad with shiso vinaigrette. The signature lobster, shrimp and crab pot pie puts a Florida seafood spin on a homegrown comfort food classic.

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Seven Fish

$$$$

Seafood

Key West

4.6

2263 reviews

Seven Fish presents the freshest local fish and seafood in a sleek and modern venue with walls of windows to maximize the glorious Key West sunshine. Its cuisine embraces bright and bold flavors with tropical notes. Exemplary dishes include snapper with vegetables in a Thai curry cream sauce, a crab and shitake mushroom pasta, and an appetizer of Florida-style crab cake with ginger garlic sauce. Consider the chef’s selection, a seafood showcase for one or two comprising grilled fish, jumbo sea scallops and shrimp with sushi rice and vegetables. The local catch of the day, perhaps a just-caught wahoo or mahi-mahi, is a certain highlight as well.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

A&B Lobster House

$$$$

Seafood

Key West

4.7

3489 reviews

A&B Lobster House has served top-notch lobster and other seafood dishes to Key West locals and visitors since 1947. A significant part of its enduring appeal lies in its venue, right on the waterfront with a wrap-around porch promising unmatched views over the harbor. Lobster-centric menus that balance classics with contemporary flavors also keep diners coming back. Seven main courses starring lobster, among them Florida lobster Oscar, butter-poached Florida lobster tail and Florida lobster thermidor, are at the heart of the dinner menu. Sophisticated preparations of king crab, day boat jumbo scallops, grouper, shrimp and yellowtail also contribute to A&B Lobster House’s reputation as one of the best seafood restaurants in Key West.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Martin's

$$$$

European

Key West

4.6

1283 reviews

Martin’s, an upscale fine-dining restaurant on bustling Duval Street, brings together culinary influences from Europe and the Caribbean with impeccable local fish and seafood. Diners enjoy a choice of tapas or full dinner menus, along with seating options in the formal dining room, casual lounge or palm-shaded patio. Tapas options, ideal for sharing alongside a signature martini, include a calamari ceviche with seaweed salad and ginger, broiled sea scallops Florentine served in the shell, and crab cakes with a jalapeno remoulade. Highlights of the dinner menu’s “from the sea” section include yellowtail Capri, lobster tail Caribe and shrimp fettuccine alfredo. There’s also an option to add broiled or steamed lobster to any entrée.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Bagatelle

$$$$

Seafood

Key West

4.6

2917 reviews

In its historic venue on Duval Street – a striking 19th century, two-story house – Bagatelle presents brunch, dinner and two happy hours seven days a week. Its cuisine is inspired by the flavors of the Caribbean and the American south, with local fish and seafood a specialty. Savory seafood options on the brunch menu include a lobster omelet, crab cake Benedict and salmon toast. For dinner, consider starters like Mediterranean octopus, tuna poke and bacon-wrapped Key West pink shrimp. Pan-seared hogfish, blackened swordfish and seafood linguini in a pink vodka cream sauce are stand-outs among the main plates. Also note Bagatelle’s excellent wine list.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

La Trattoria Old Town

$$$$

Italian

Key West

4.6

2279 reviews

An Old Town institution since 1983, La Trattoria has earned a reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in the Florida Keys. With ample fish and seafood options on its comprehensive dinner menu, locals also know La Trattoria as one of the best seafood restaurants in Key West. Martinis are another notable specialty, with more than 25 versions on the cocktail list. Diners seeking stand-out items from the sea might start with the insalata di frutti di mare, a salad of shrimp, calamari and mussels marinated in lemon, olive oil and garlic with herbs and julienned vegetables. Seafood pasta options include the penne Venezia with jumbo lump blue crabmeat in a cream sauce, and the spicy linguine fra diavolo with shrimp, mussels and calamari.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Latitudes Key West, FL on Sunset Key

$$$$

Contemporary American

Key West

4.8

11824 reviews

In 2018, Food & Wine called Latitudes on Sunset Key the most romantic restaurant in Florida. Its tucked-away setting within the luxurious Sunset Key Cottages resort requires arrival by boat. Diners enjoy glorious views across the Gulf of Mexico from terrace seating, which is illuminated by tiki torches after dark. The restaurant is open for casual breakfast and lunch service, while dinner is a more formal affair. The menu changes frequently but always showcases fresh local fish and seafood. Expect sophisticated preparations from classics like lobster bisque and seared sea scallops to original creations such as pan-roasted rosemary cobia with black olive romesco and caper crumble.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery

$$$$

Seafood

Key West

4.5

929 reviews

First Flight Island Restaurant & Brewery is notable as the southernmost brewery in the United States. It occupies the building where Pan-Am Airways started its operations in 1920. A cheerful vintage aviation theme nods to this heritage. In addition to its original brews on tap, the casual eatery presents lunch and dinner daily and brunch on Sundays. The cuisine leans toward casual comfort food, with more than a dozen shared plates on the menu. Shareable seafood options include shrimp ceviche, beer-steamed clams and ahi tuna poke. Among a number of entrees starring seafood are a horseradish-crusted mutton snapper, spiny lobster tail with risotto and seared ahi tuna with soba noodles.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Sol by The Sea at Playa Largo Resort & Spa

$$$$

Seafood

Key Largo

4.4

477 reviews

At Sol by the Sea, a delightful seafood restaurant inside the beachfront Playa Largo Resort and Spa, diners enjoy dockside seating at the edge of the pier. The restaurant takes inspiration from a rustic-chic beach shack for its décor, and for its cuisine from the bounty of local waters. Seafood and fish dishes dominate the lunch and dinner menus. Some more casual options are the shareable spicy conch fritters with a chipotle key lime aioli, island fish tacos with jerk seasoning, and a crab grilled cheese with tomato-shallot jam. The menu also includes a Keys seafood boil packed with local clams, lobster, mussels and pink shrimp.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Southernmost Beach Cafe

$$$$

Caribbean

Key West

3.7

1084 reviews

Key West’s Southernmost Beach Café bills itself a “boat to table” eatery. Chef Matt Slattery keeps the finest, freshest local seafood as the primary focus of his culinary creations, which also embrace diverse Asian-fusion and Caribbean flavors. Don’t miss the restaurant’s signature dish, drunken scallops doused in a rich sauce of duck fat, pale ale, shallots and bacon with a side of lobster mash. The fresh catch of the day is available in a choice of five preparations – macadamia or sesame crusted, coconut curry, blackened or grilled with parsley and lemon-garlic butter. The blackened catch BLT wrap, Bahamian conch fritters and a smoked fish dip are among the seafood items on the lunch menu. Creative cocktails including frozen drinks, mojitos and margaritas, are another specialty.

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Castaway Waterfront Restaurant & Sushi Bar

$$$$

Seafood

Marathon

4.6

1176 reviews

Castaway Waterfront Restaurant & Sushi bar started serving cold drinks and fresh seafood on Marathon in 1951. Today’s eatery sticks with the timeless appeal of those original offerings while adding an expanded range of food and drinks to suit contemporary tastes. This includes 52 beers on tap and a comprehensive sushi menu. Castaway is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, dinner and happy hour. All menus are lengthy, with ample options to suit every imaginable appetite. Consider the custom entrees with a choice of six fish and 10 preparation options, or specialties like crab enchiladas, lobster thermidor and bacon-wrapped jumbo sea scallops. A couple of gator dishes feature on the dinner menu too.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Lighthouse Grill - Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club

$$$$

American

Marathon

4.2

834 reviews

Lighthouse Grill, a waterfront restaurant adjacent to a historic lighthouse on Marathon, offers top-notch seafood and more for breakfast, dinner and happy hour daily. During happy hour, diners might share peel-and-eat shrimp, smoked fish dip, spicy conch fritters or calamari with a drink. Those same items feature on the lunch and dinner menus as well, here joined by such seafood highlights as conch chowder, shrimp Veracruz with saffron risotto croqueta, and pan-seared sea scallops. The fresh catch of the day – always local to the Florida Keys – is offered as a sandwich at lunch, and for dinner in a choice of five signature preparations.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Pierre's Restaurant & Lounge

$$$$

Contemporary French / American

Islamorada

4.7

979 reviews

With its expansive two-story, plantation-style mansion on the waterfront and an acclaimed menu of globally inspired cuisine, Pierre’s Restaurant and Lounge is well worth taking a short trip from Key West to Islamadora. Dinnertime visitors enjoy unmatched views of the sunset, but the palm-lined beachfront presents a stunning panorama at any time. Look for local seafood showcased on the sophisticated dinner menu, including black grouper, yellowtail snapper and Florida lobster. Other impeccable fish and seafood items are flown in daily. Some of the more lavish items available include a chilled seafood tower for two or four, a Russian osetra caviar appetizer and entrees like Florida lobster curry and local catch meuniere.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Florida Keys Steak & Lobster House

$$$$

Seafood

Marathon

4.7

1759 reviews

Steak and lobster dishes are naturally the specialties of Florida Keys Steak and Lobster House on Marathon. However, the casual restaurant’s lunch and dinner menus are both quite comprehensive. Along with steaks, chops and seafood entrees they feature pasta dishes, sandwiches, vegetarian items and sushi. Petite portions are available as well. All the seafood is brought in fresh daily and prepared to order, and diners can opt to add shrimp, scallops or a lobster tail to any entrée. Regulars rave about the restaurant’s attentive service and friendly vibe.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Angler & Ale at Hawks Cay

$$$$

Caribbean

Duck Key

4.3

583 reviews

Angler and Ale at Hawks Cay Marina offers sun-drenched seating right on the docks as well as a light-filled dining room with a cheerful nautical theme. Lunch and dinner menus both predominantly feature fish and seafood. Diners coming in from the water can also take advantage of the “hook and cook” option and have the kitchen prepare their very own catch of the day. Angler & Ale’s signature cuisine embraces local and Caribbean flavors. Some of the most tempting options include the sesame catch salad with a cilantro-mint vinaigrette, jumbo lump crab cakes with a salt-and-vinegar chip crust, and a Florida Keys lobster roll with avocado and radish vegetable slaw.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

DiGiorgio's Cafe Largo

$$$$

Italian

Key Largo

4.4

803 reviews

The family-run DiGiorgio’s Café on Key Largo made its name in the local dining scene – even boasting an appearance on television’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” – for offering excellent Italian-American cuisine. There’s plenty of space on its menu for local seafood creations along with classic pasta dishes. The catch of the day, whether mahi, yellowtail or hogfish, is offered in three preparations: parmesan-crusted, piccata or in a roasted garlic sauce. Wild-caught local pink shrimp stars in four different dishes as well as featuring in the seafood linguini marinara and more. The restaurant sources its seafood from Key Largo Fisheries, a stone’s throw from the restaurant, while importing other authentic ingredients from Italy.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

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The Best Seafood Restaurants