Cafe Marquesa

TLDR: Dinner amazing, delicious and totally worth it! Breakfast, very average and disappointing. We ate at Café Marquesa twice while staying at the hotel Marquesa. The 1st time was for dinner and we very much enjoyed our experience. Service was friendly, we didn’t have to wait long for our drinks and food, the plating was very pretty, the restaurant setting is intimate and charming but most importantly, everything we ate and drank was delicious. They even accommodated my special request on one of the dishes. Also, they definitely have one of the best key lime pies in Key West. Unfortunately our 2nd meal was not nearly as pleasant. We went for breakfast on our last day, wanting to keep the “best for last” since our expectations coming off our previous dinner was quite high, but we were disappointed. The service was not as welcoming, the food was very average compared to their dinner plates that showed creativity and excellent execution. They also don’t even have fresh pressed orange juice or fruits. Overall the dinner deserves 5* and since I think everyone should eat here I am going to give 5* on Google but the breakfast truly deserves a 3*. That being said, if you are in key west, you must book your dinner here, you will not regret it!

Phenomenal experience at Cafe Marquesa. Excellent service and the food was outstanding as well. Our server, Wilson, made it a very memorable experience as it was our first time dining here. We will be back next year! Highly recommend the tuna tartare small plate and the dessert trio!

Five stars across the board! We stopped into Café Marquesa without a reservation and were so lucky they had room at the bar #score! From start to finish, the experience was fabulous. Our bartender/server was amazing - super attentive, actually listened (rare!), had a great sense of humor, and just made the whole night even better. The amuse-bouche of beet and goat cheese was a nice surprise, and I was thrilled they had gluten-free bread so I could enjoy it with their Vermont butter topped with sea salt flakes. The oysters? Yum! May need to steal their recipe. And the scallops? Next-level. Honestly, everything was delicious, but those scallops were the standout for me. Loved everything. The vibe, the food, the drinks, the service. 🤩 We were four very happy people by the end of the night. Highly recommend if you're in Key West and want something special. Ps. Make a reservation to be sure you can get in... 🥂

Fine Dining That Delivers—Without the Fuss or the Foam If you’re wandering through Key West wondering whether true fine dining exists somewhere between flip-flops and frozen daiquiris; it does, and this is the place. The menu is beautifully balanced, clearly crafted by someone who respects both flavor and Florida’s unrelenting heat. I started with the hot and cold foie gras, and honestly, it was a beautiful surprise. The pear element? Game-changer. Sweet, elegant, and the perfect contrast. Who knew summer heat and foie gras could get along so well? I followed it with the pan-seared potato gnocchi, which had just the right mix of pillowy comfort and crispy edges, and the prime beef carpaccio, thin, tender, and full of flavor. For my main, I chose the swordfish, which was fresh, light, and perfectly cooked, basically, the culinary equivalent of a chilled linen shirt on a 90-degree day. No heaviness, just flavor and finesse. Service was attentive but relaxed (Key West style), and the setting matches the food: elevated, but not trying too hard. You’ll feel fancy, but you won’t need to fake an accent. Highly recommend, especially if you're tired of deep-fried everything and just want a real meal that reminds you why dining out can still feel special.

Cafe Marquesa delivers a true Michelin-star experience, with flawless service and unforgettable dishes like the yellowtail, triple tail, and melt-in-your-mouth beignets. Every detail felt five-star, and we’ll absolutely be coming back for another memorable evening.

The first and second course dishes are simply amazing. The main dish is good, but just normal good, bit the first two courses are absolutely to die for. This is based on three in our party that God different selection and universally came to the same conclusion. Like the sword fish is good, but Latitudes has a better version, veal is good, but plenty of better versions, and so on. Now hot foie gras is like you are transported to Paris to one of their Michelin star restaurants (and I've never seen it served anywhere outside of France before), tuna tataki is also best I have ever tried. The gnocchi are really -really good.

Five Stars Isn’t Enough for This Experience I recently returned to Caffe Marquesa with my love — it was his first time, and for me, a long-overdue reunion with one of the most exquisite dining gems in the heart of Key West. I’ve lived here before and have dined at Marquesa a few times, but this visit? Unparalleled. We didn’t have a reservation (pro tip: make one), but the host greeted us with the kind of warmth and grace that instantly made us feel welcome. Even though they were fully booked, he went above and beyond, personally arranging cocktails for us and escorting us next door to enjoy them at the Inn. Our wait was short, but the hospitality was already unforgettable. Enter: Nelson. Our server, our guide, and honestly, one of the highlights of our night. Nelson has that rare mix of professionalism, warmth, and just the right dash of charm. From the moment we were seated (with our cocktails waiting for us), his menu suggestions were absolute perfection. I opted for the beef carpaccio — yes, as my entrée — and it was a chef’s kiss moment. Silky, flavorful, and plated like edible art. My love had one of the seafood specials of the evening, and I still don’t have the words. Delicate. Flaky. Cooked to absolute perfection — it was the kind of dish that makes you close your eyes after every bite. Dessert? Oh, we didn’t just stop at dessert. We ordered the sampler — and those beignets? As someone who’s been to New Orleans more times than I can count, let me just say this: superior. And that’s not something I say lightly. And I must give a standing ovation to their Key Lime Pie. As a Florida native of over 30 years — and a former Key West local — I can honestly say this pie ranks in my top three of all time. Balanced, tart, creamy, unforgettable. Cafe Marquesa isn’t just a restaurant — it’s an experience. A love letter to fine dining, elevated service, and next-level cuisine tucked away in a town too often mistaken for nothing but bars and barefoot chaos. This is refined, intimate, soul-stirring dining in the heart of Key West. If you’re looking for a place that blends elegance with heart, and culinary craftsmanship with soul — this is it. I’ll be dreaming of this night for a long time and can’t wait to come back!

🌞 A Taste of History & Excellence at Café Marquesa! ☕ Located inside the iconic Marquesa Hotel (a beautifully restored 1800s landmark!), Café Marquesa is known for its gourmet breakfast and intimate setting—and it absolutely lived up to the hype. 🔥 What We Tried: 🥐 Breakfast Sandwich – A toasted, buttery croissant filled with eggs, shaved Parma ham, aged cheddar, avocado aioli, fresh greens, tomato, and local Mack Farms breakfast potatoes. The flavors were spot on! 🍋 Beignets with Lime Curd – Fluffy, golden-fried perfection with a tangy lime curd—a must-try! ✨ The blend of history, charm, and top-tier cuisine makes Café Marquesa a true Key West gem. Whether you’re a local or visiting, this place is worth every bite

We had an amazing time at Cafe Marquesa! Best dinner of our entire trip. We had the crab cakes which were pure crab- no bread here. Complimentary amuse bouche and bread were great as well. I had the shrimp and grits as my main entree. Wow. Best I've had outside of New Orleans. My husband has a fish that was prepared New Orleans style with red beans and grits. We also had their key lime pie and beignets, but were a little too full at the end to really enjoy them. Charlotte was our server, and she was so attentive and helpful. She made sure we had an excellent dinner, and had great suggestions. She also told us about the local event going on during our trip. Some other guests got drunk and angry during our dinner, and tried to ruin the experience for everyone. However, Charlotte and the male host/manager of that evening handled it well and made sure we felt safe. We loved this restaurant, and would recommend it to anyone visiting or local.

Perhaps we had a rare bad experience but the Cafe disappointed twice. On our first visit I ordered 2 egg whites and got regular eggs. I sent the order back. The last day, today June 1st saw several service failures. The meal I ordered came with a choice of protein. I selected bacon and it was not on the plate when it arrived. Since potatoes were part of the meal I asked the server to bring ketchup. He never returned with either. After 7 minutes and seeing the bacon on the window I flagged a server and she brought both. By then the potatoes were cool. We placed the coffee urn lid up to signal a refill was needed. The young man who started the table never returned once to check on us. The lady who brought the bacon and ketchup never asked if we needed coffee. After 17 minutes of waiting for coffee I advised I wanted to speak to the manager. Since I knew I was going to leave a comprehensive review (bad) with time lines I felt obligated to let her know. Frankly she was not engaged in her job since there were only two tables eating with a total of 4 people. Service should have been perfect but clearly fell deeply short.

Five Stars Isn't Enough for This Experience I recently returned to Cafe Marquesa with my love -- it was his first time, and for me, a long-overdue reunion with one of the most exquisite dining gems in the heart of Key West. I've lived here before and have dined at Marquesa a few times, but this visit? Unparalleled. We didn't have a reservation (pro tip: make one), but decided to take a chance -the host greeted us with the kind of warmth and grace that instantly made us feel welcome. Even though they were fully booked, he went above and beyond, personally arranging cocktails for us and escorting us next door to enjoy them at the Inn. Our wait was short, but the hospitality was already unforgettable. Enter: Nelson. Our server, our guide, and honestly, one of the highlights of our night. Nelson has that rare mix of professionalism, warmth, and just the right dash of charm. From the moment we were seated (with our cocktails waiting for us), his menu suggestions were absolute perfection. I opted for the beef carpaccio -- yes, as my entrée -- and it was a chef's kiss moment. Silky, flavorful, and plated like edible art. My love had one of the seafood specials of the evening, and I still don't have the words. Delicate. Flaky. Cooked to absolute perfection -- it was the kind of dish that makes you close your eyes after every bite. Dessert? Oh, we didn't just stop at dessert. We ordered the sampler -- and those beignets? As someone who's been to New Orleans more times than I can count, let me just say this: superior. And that's not something I say lightly. And I must give a standing ovation to their Key Lime Pie. As a Florida native of over 30 years -- and a former Key West local -- I can honestly say this pie ranks in my top three of all time. Balanced, tart, creamy, unforgettable. Caffe Marquesa isn't just a restaurant -- it's an experience. A love letter to fine dining, elevated service, and next-level cuisine tucked away in a town too often mistaken for nothing but bars and barefoot chaos. This is refined, intimate, soul-stirring dining in the heart of Key West. If you're looking for a place that blends elegance with heart, and culinary craftsmanship with soul -- this is it. I'll be dreaming of this night for a long time. And we will be back soon!

We dined here while staying at the neighboring Marquesa Hotel. Every bite was impeccable. Oh my, one of the best restaurants I've dined at in a long time. Service was spot on, the decor in this Historic former residence is lovely and wonderful dining memories were made! While staying at the neighboring hotel we came here twice - for dessert and breakfast. The late evening dessert of Key Lime Pie and Beignets were heavenly. How thoughtful to wish us a Happy Anniversary in chocolate writing on the beignet plate! Their breakfast was equally delicious! My Garden Omelette with fresh spinach, mushroom, tomato with my choice of goat cheese was fantastic - eggs cooked perfectly, the creamy goat cheese added decadence - definitely a reorder if returning. Hubs Eggs Benedict plate was clean and an affirmation of its deliciousness! I hope to return again!

We found this place on Yelp and gave it a shot. Food and service was excellent. Definitely recommend this restaurant.

The food is amazing. You do not need to sprinkle salt and pepper at all because of the flavor already infused in everything on your plate. Kate was our server and she was thoughtful and kind. It is extremely quiet inside and they play great music, not extremely loud, thankfully.

We stayed at the Marquesa hotel and had breakfast included with our stay (30$ per person per day). It's such an elegant dining room, it felt very different from Duval st! The breakfast was a highlight of our stay at the hotel- I loved the Huevos rancheros and ordered it multiple days. The restaurant is not known as a vegetarian place but I was surprised to realize I never ate any meat during our stay! Service is great, friendly and quick. We were supposed to go to dinner here but sadly didn't make it. I was looking forward to trying it!

Went here on a Sunday night for dinner. The service was great and the cocktails were creative and good. The food was crazy expensive. The pork belly amuse bouche was very good. The crawfish pasta was a very small portion with a couple of tails mixed in for $27. My husband had a fish dish that was good, but priced at over $60. Our friends had the short rib special and a fish dish. Short rib special was $80. The food was good, but for what they are charging, it should blow your socks off. I know Key West is expensive, but this seemed really over the top. Nice place with nice people, but be prepared to pay the price.

Historic Charm & Breakfast Perfection at Café Marquesa! A morning walk through Old Town Key West led us to Café Marquesa, a quaint yet luxurious dining spot inside the historic Marquesa Hotel (which dates back to the late 1800s!). The history, atmosphere, and food were simply unmatched. What We Ordered: Breakfast Sandwich - A toasted, all-butter croissant loaded with eggs, avocado aioli, shaved Parma ham, aged cheddar, fresh greens, sliced tomato & locally sourced 'Mack Farms' breakfast potatoes. Absolutely delicious! Beignets with Lime Curd - These famous, golden-fried beignets were pillowy soft inside, crisp outside, and the tart lime curd was the perfect finishing touch! If you're in Key West and looking for a truly special breakfast spot with a touch of history, Café Marquesa is a must-visit!

Excellent dining experience! Very cozying dining room in the Marquesa Hotel. The Miso Glazed Black Grouper was phenomenal as was the Pan Seared Duck Breast. Finished with delicious Key Lime Pie and Beignets!

Outstanding dinner from start to finish! Thank you to the chef and wonderful staff for a wonderful meal and evening. Staff's attention to detail is impeccable. Food was excellent. Everything was fresh, beautifully plated and delicious. Cocktails were great as well. We will definitely visit again when we are back in key west!

Overall the service was really good, consistent with checking on our party and doing refills. Admittedly we may have high standards, but this food was beyond subpar. The crab cake was non traditional, more of a ceviche than anything, yet this wasn't stated on the menu. Our table was brought out a tasting of braised pork, with a tomato sauce (seen in the pic w crab cake), this bite was luke warm- we were laughing trying to figure out if it was meant to be served hot or cold! The tuna tar tar, was unseasoned. Both (seafood) dishes were bland, and didn't come with lemon lol, and the tar tar came with no vehicle to eat it with as well. The angel hair pasta was the best dish of the entire meal. Again it lacked flavor but was better than the previous. I would suggest going here if you like normal food but I wouldn't say it's beyond what you'd get at any other place around here.

We made a resy for early seating on a Thursday night. This restaurant is a small, so the sound level was quite loud later in the evening. It was hard to decide what to eat because everything on the menu looked good, but our waiter helped with recommendations. The service was excellent; timely and attentive. The food was expensive but delicious, although our meals would have benefited from a dash more salt.

Excellent breakfast, cocktails and soothe service. The chef's in the Marquesa kitchen are hitting home runs!

Real good food and presentation. Service was also excellent and matched what you would expect. Very expensive so I would view this as $$$$ and not $$$ but to put it in perspective it was closer to $200/pp with minimal drinks....

Unfortunately the service was pretty non existent. Food took an age to arrive - was okay, but nothing to get too excited about. Even paying the bill seemed like hard work to them- which was odd, considering the prices of the food! Plenty of other options, with better service, food quality and value

This review is for the bar, as we only stopped in for drinks on this trip, but based on that, we'd definitely eat here in the future! The bartender, as well as all the staff we encountered were very friendly and helpful! They have an excellent wine list, some great wines by the glass, as well as a very nice cocktail list. We enjoyed the drinks and great conversation... can't wait to return for dinner!

After reading so many wonderful reviews maybe our expectations were too high? But this was just not a highlight for us and we will probably skip it next time we're in town. They tried to do some interesting things like wasabi mash potatoes with their grouper but instead of bringing a little heat and flavor it was just bland and odd - it didn't help that it was cool. The grouper also had a very aggressively hard sear on it - I'm all for a good sear but this was hard. My husbands steak came out very nicely though he didn't care for the sauce - again just not something that mixed quite right. Something that also detracted for us was that the crowd there was rather stuffy and clipped - when you're squeezed in tight to maximize space it's hard to not speak to your date to where others can't hear you - and being told that others are trying to have a quiet meal and we should be silent is a turn off (but I realize this is not cafe marquesas fault so I didn't take stars off for it)

All I can say is WOW!! The food was incredible and well prepared. The chef pairs his ingredients well to make every dish a masterpiece. The service was prompt, polite, and very thorough to any needs. Nice ambiance and definitely a memorable experience. I highly recommend this gem.

Just can't justify the price. I was staying at the hotel (great place, by the way)... didn't want to venture far away on my last night and early AM flight... so I stayed in. I new better to order 18-yr Rye without asking the price, and then I was offered a second pour... OMG.. $100 a shot and not a generous pour, a shot from a measuring jigger - REALLY! I (almost) never look at price but even taking off the $200 for the two shots of Rye, it was still $200 for just me! All I had was an app, carpaccio, black grouper and beignets for desert. So all in with tip it was well in excess of $400 for myself. The food was good 4/5**** quality and service too was good 4/5... there are too many other great places to eat in KW. There's better bang for the buck out there.

Great coffee strong but great flavor and was perfect temp. 8.8 The smoked salmon Benedict was flavorful and cooked well, potatoes were good nothing crazy, presentation was nothing special. 7.7 I'd come here again, worth going to if ur in the immediate area.

Chef's tasting menu was excellent. Everything was perfection from the first bites of tuna, foie gras, oysters rockefeller, tenderloin with crab cake. Do not miss out on house made beignets! Service was impeccable. Only two notes: It was incredibly loud because of a few larger tables and this detracted from the overall experience. Very few nicer wines by the glass. Will definitely be back when in town.

I have had Christmas dinner there for the last 10 years it has always been above reproach. I don't know what happened this year. My fried oysters were cold. The grilled swordfish was cold also and it tasted as if it had been boiled The service was slow the time between appetizers and dinner was way too long. Another thing I noticed was that it was not its usual busy pace. It seemed that maybe other diners already knew what I found out.

Exceptional service, great food, we found this spot while on vacation, would recommend if you're looking for a nice fine dining spot in Key West!

The chef is a genius!! The food that comes out of this kitchen is remarkable and extremely delicious. The wait staff is awesome and very accommodating in every way. Our drinks and the food we had made our weekend the absolute best. We went for breakfast and dinner two days in a row...that's how much we enjoyed it!!

Cafe Marquesa is the restaurant in the Marquesa Hotel. I came here on my quest to find the best restaurant in Key West, and to my mind I found it. This, Cafe Marquesa, is it. I tried practically all the others, and though most were very good, their food just didn't have the culinary goodness of Cafe Marquesa. I started off with their She Crab Soup to which I added a generous amount of sherry wine. It was totally delicious with a good amount of lump blue crab. I then had their Prime Beef Carpaccio which was nicely sided with a truffled egg salad, baby greens, and topped with asiago cheese. For my entrée, I had their Grilled Tenderloin of Beef "Oscar." It came perfectly done as ordered with an excellent celery root puree, tender young asparagus, a lump crab cake with real lump crab, and a delicious bearnaise sauce. At $88.00 I thought the price was rather steep, but for what I got, worth it. Throughout my meal, my service was excellent and attentive. Key West has a lot of very good restaurants, but for me, Cafe Marquesa is the best.

Ok. When you make your hotel reservation in Key West, follow that up by immediately making a reservation at Cafe Marquesa One of the finest restaurants I have ever visited The starters, entrees and service are all fantastic Highly recommend this fine dining establishment Brace yourself for the price. Not inexpensive

Cute Key West cottage a few blocks from Duval street w/both indoor & outdoor seating options. Atmosphere, service & food all well presented & flavorful but be careful of sneaky servers who slide what appears to be a complementary dessert platter onto your bill. Overall a good experience though due to the well prepared & flavorful food.

Amazing place. Stunning surroundings and amazing tasty food. Once you visit, you be always coming back.

Don't go to Key West if you're not going to check out Cafe Marquesa This restaurant is a gem! It's a very intimate and cozy. The staff was inviting and provided impeccable service. Wyatt is a bartender that knows his stuff. It's fun being able to go somewhere and try drinks where the bartender is able to incorporate their personal touch. We tried a couple dishes and each of them were a 10. Fresh and full of flavor. This restaurant is a MUST if you're in Key West.

Great food and great service. Pricey, but everything was spot on. Highly recommend for a high-end meal in Key West.

The fried oysters were good, but the rice base was odd. Frisée salad was very good. Beef tenderloin "Oscar" was also very good, but the celery root puree was a little bitter. The veal chop had great taste but oddly too much fat. The chocolate cobbler was disappointing but the key lime pie was amazing and the highlight!. Service was solid, setting quite nice for Key West, but not sure it was worth the prices they charged.

We dined here at our concierge's recommendation for our anniversary "week," and it was delightful! The salad with its apple vinaigrette dressing, the She crab soup, Osso Bucco Pork, and yellowtail snapper over grits and creole shrimp--all delectable! Chef surprised us with a beautiful dessert treat, adding the mini milkshakes to the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream. Excellent service and a cozy romantic ambiance round out the experience to five star!

There's not much to choose from on the menu and it's way too expensive for what you get. I just didn't see the value.

We stayed at The Marquesa and had breakfast there everyday. It was delicious! Also had dinner there one night, it was amazing. Great service too, highly recommend stopping by! (only open for breakfast and dinner)

We were staying at the adjacent Hotel so we came here for breakfasts. Good enough food choices but remarkable staff! is the real attraction. Fun to chat with other dinners. Nicely done space. Managers are sophisticated and understanding of travelers needs. The customers are well educated and don't seem to be in Key West to drinks and party in extreme.

All I can say is wow. This spot is definitely one of the best, if not the best spot on the island. My group comes to Key West every few years and we have eaten all over the island. Not one complaint out even, a this cold have been better. The service: ultra attentive and impeccable. The ambiance: nice, but not snooty. Drinks: the wine list was not large, but effective. Mark up wasn't bad. The food: So good. We started off with the yellow fin tins sushi, smoked swordfish with fried green tomatoes, and foie gras. All were delicious and highly recommended. I'm always reluctant of swordfish or fish dip at a restaurant, but this dish was amazing. Foie gras never excited me, this one was definitely something I would order again. The little "milk shake" in the middle they give you with it was so tasty, reminded me of a really good egg nog. The entrée wasn't their Ossobuco on risotto. Once again, not the biggest risotto fan because most places don't cook it right since it's a labor of love to make it. They clearly loved it just right. Finally was the beignets we all split. Definitely a great shareable dessert. So hot and delicious. Definitely wanted more than my share. Overall there's nothing I could think of that needs improvement, definitely a must eat if you're looking for a great dining experience.

Got blackened yellow tilefish 8.8/10 , gnocci and shrimp 9/10, stone crab, grouper 8.4/10 , sword fish 7.3/10 and some insane pork shit 8.5/10

Cafe Marquesa : Exceptional food, service and overall experience. I'm from Charleston, SC which has evolved into a world class culinary capitol so when I found out former Charleston Peninsula Grill Chef Graham Dailey is now leading the kitchen at Cafe Marquesa , I made reservations immediately. The experience was amazing . You need to go here. It was the best meal of our trip to Key West . All of the food we tried was fresh , perfectly plated and delicious. The outstanding cuisine was complemented by impeccable, attentive, and gracious service. Chef Graham took the time to greet us , check in with us during our meal and offer us some complimentary fare. He made this Charlestonian feel vip and it was so appreciated ! Make reservations at Cafe Marquesa asap ! I can't wait to return ! Thanks Chef Graham and Cafe Marquesa staff!

Good service. Poor menu with extreme prices. $82 for a tiny medallion steak and 3 pieces of rotten asparagus. No plans to go back. Do not recommend.

This was our first time to Cafe Marquesa after reading all the great reviews. Perhaps the reviews set the expectations too high for us. We started with the she crab soup and the wedge salad. The soup was excellent but the wedge was just her typical wedge nothing extraordinary about it. My wife ordered the petite fillet Oscar which was very tender and good. However the risotto that came with it was actually quite runny. I ordered the osso bucco which was served on a bed of risotto. The osso bucco was actually a little dry which surprised me and the risotto was bit runny just like my wife's. We shared a bottle of Snitch Chardonnay with our meal which was quite good. For dessert we had the trio. The trio was good but the portions were small and in hindsight I probably would've got the key lime pie. The restaurant is small and little crowded so expected to be loud and noisy. Our waitress did a pretty good job. There's nothing special about the ambience of this restaurant to us. Overall we spent about $300 on our meal including tip. I don't believe the value is there for the prices they charge and we will probably not patronize this restaurant in the future. There are too many better choices in Key West.

Great meal in Key West - service, ambiance and food. I highly recommend coming here for dinner. We started out with the shecrab soup, Bibb salad and foie gras . Then for dinner I had the appetizer scallops that was amazing and my husband had the swordfish that was perfectly cooked and dessert was the best key lime pie.

Excellent service and food! Wilson was amazing! The cat Bob was amazing. The food was delicious. Nice bread and butter service. The pork chop was tender and delicious. The grouper was well seared! The key lime pie was excellent. Would have been nice to have gluten free options better labeled along with a gluten free bread option - otherwise will be back!

The food was impeccable. We had the oysters and the yellow tail tuna with grits... to die for. Great wine list and full bar with eclectic drinks menu. The desserts... like a whole other level. Key lime pie and beignets- OMG mouth watering goodness. I'd give it 10 stars if we could. The Executive Chef came out Lawrence Gottlieb came to each table and he is a rockstar.

Exceptional food, service and ambiance!! The crab cake appetizer was amazing as was the swordfish and our other entrees. The service was top notch and the chef came out to ensure we enjoyed the food. Bravo team Marquesa.

I've always enjoyed the vibe of the Cafe Marquesa. My first visit here was for a wedding dinner reception and the couple had hired local a local jazz singer, Peter Diamond. It was delicious then and every visit since. As I recall the wedding was at the Gardens Hotel and the guests just walked over. It's full most nights. You won't be disappointed. The staff is friendly and professional.

This was a highly rated place on a lot of Key West lists, but it was not a highlight for us. We were looking for an upscale option and the restaurant generously got us in earlier than the online reservations allowed so I appreciated that. We arrived on time and our table wasn't quite ready so we tried to get a drink at the bar but it wasn't possible because all the seats were occupied and there wasn't any room to stand. Luckily the table was ready pretty quickly. We started with some bread and the she crab soup. The first courses were the highlight of the meal. I was impressed and really enjoyed our first bites so I was excited for what was to come. Unfortunately our entrees weren't our favorite. I had the red snapper which I believe was the special for the day and it was just OK. i didn't love the tomato shrimp that came with it, and the fish was pretty forgettable. The grits were good though. I also sampled the miso glazed black grouper, it was also just ok. Nothing to write home about. Overall, this wasn't a winner the night we were here, but maybe the rest of the menu is a better.

We fell victim there to the 'daily special' scam. You hear about this scam from people traveling abroad but don't expect it in your own country. We live in the Keys and went there for our wedding anniversary a few years ago. The prices were a bit on the high side but it is Key West and expected. The waiter really pushed the 'daily special' which was a steak not on the menu and made it sound amazing compared to anything on the menu. My wife and I got it and it was really just a nice steak. Nothing that exceptional. He just never mentioned the price. When we received the bill that steak was three times higher than the most expensive item on the already expensive entire menu. My wife liked the deserts but I will never go back there. Beware of this common and well known tourist scam 'the daily special'.

Excellent service, the food is exceptional. Our table was ready when we arrived. The bartender is a master at his craft,we had a Key Lime Martini it was very tasty, I do not normally drink martinis, but I really enjoyed this one. My Steak with the crab was done to perfection. My wife enjoyed her swordfish also. Unfortunately we did not have room for dessert, next time e will. I would recommend the Cafe to anyone going to Key West.