Chef Michael's

We had our first visit to Chef Michael’s and were genuinely impressed! It’s a fine dining restaurant, but the prices were surprisingly reasonable for the quality and experience. The atmosphere felt upscale yet welcoming, and the service was attentive throughout our meal. The highlight was definitely the food — everything we ordered was delicious, beautifully plated, and full of flavor. The only downside for us was the dessert — it didn’t quite live up to the rest of the meal. It wasn’t bad, just not as memorable as the main courses. Overall, a great experience and we’re already looking forward to going back. Highly recommend!

We have been dining at Chef Michael’s on our anniversary for years and it’s always a wonderful experience. This time we were seated in what used to be their porch area (it is enclosed). I personally prefer sitting in the bar area and will ask for that next time. Our server, Jennifer, came to the table and told us about all the specials. We split a wedge salad - iceberg lettuce, heirloom tomatoes and candied bacon - it was delicious. I always order Hogfish if it is available which is was - amazing. My husband ordered Lamb Lollipops with Pistachio Pesto which he said was delicious but it was an entire rack of lamb and he could not eat it all (this would be a great dish to split). This is an expensive restaurant (dinner for two with a bottle of wine will be about $300.00) but the food is fresh, creative and delicious.

Chef Michael’s is a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday! Food, service and intimate atmosphere made it very special for our family to get together and enjoy a meal. The Trilogy special, the seafood pasta and duck were all excellent!!!

We visit year after year and always amazing! They are able to accommodate hook and cook of huge proportions. We brought 14 lobster and 1 large grouper and it took about 20 mins for the kitchen to prepare it all different ways. I would recommend this place to everyone!

This place has stood the test of time and is better than ever! Tonight, they had swordfish, wahoo, triple tail, grouper, and, of course, hogfish. Everything was fantastic, including the desserts. I was able to order a trio of wahoo swordfish and hogfish. What a treat! Not to mention reasonably priced compared to a lot of South Florida places. Amazing service. You've got to love it.

5/25/24 - Chef Michael's is fantastic! This was our first visit, but we'll definitely return whenever we're in Islamorada. We started with the Lion Fish appetizer because it's an invasive species and we're trying to do our part to help the Florida Keys ecosystem. 😉 It was tasty and the sauce it was served with was amazing. Chef Michael's had five or six fresh fish with five or six preparations to choose from. I went with the mixed nut preparation of the hog fish. It was delicious and again had a perfect dipping sauce with it. My wife selected the Juliette preparation of the triple tail. It had a nice sauce with shrimp and scallops that made for a delicious entree. We finished with their "nearly famous" carrot cake. I think they may have to remove the nearly from the description. I don't love carrot cake, but this was fantastic. Give it a try, but consider sharing because it is a large piece of cake. We've been to several nice restaurants in the Keys, but so far Chef Michael's is the best.

My son made reservations over a month ahead for my birthday and gave his credit card info. When we arrived the hostess tried to seat us directly in front of the busy service door and staff register we asked for a different table and were shown a table directly in front of the front door which we took. Our wonderful waitress Jenny then took it upon herself to ask for a different table when I told her how surprised I was that reservations made a month in advance resulted in less than desirable table selection. From that point on our experience was lovely. Our dinners were tasty and well prepared. She sent us home with a slice of “birthday” key lime pie. Overall, hostesses rated 1 star and Jenny and the chef deserve 5 stars

Great tasting food. On the pricey side, but you’re getting what you pay for. Good size portions (especially if you get the prime rib special!!)

Chef Michael's is one of the few true fine dining experiences in Islamorada. There are two things that are certain when you visit Chef Michael's. You will have an incredible dining experience... and you certainly will pay a pretty penny for that experience. For appetizers I got the lamb lollipops (chops) and the Baby Iceberg salad. The salad was fantastic, however I was not impressed with the lamb. It tasted ok, and was cooked to the requested temperature, but lacked any real seasoning. It was too charred on the outside given the lack of seasoning to balance it out. For entrees I had the "Juliette" prepared Hogfish and the Fried Lionfish. Both were served with coconut rice and vegetables. Both dishes were fantastic! I have always wanted to try Lionfish, and it was fried to perfection with a very light breading. The "Juliette" preparation of the hogfish was fantastic as well with it being a creamy white wine sauce with shrimp and scallops on top. Even though I loved the taste of the Lionfish, I likely would not get it again as it is an exceptionally boney fish, and those bones are so small and prevalent around the meat, that they were hard to avoid. Still a delicious dish. The ambiance was fantastic with the dining room dimly lit and quiet, and a small bar area. It is the perfect setting for a date night or special occasion. I was very impressed with the staff as well. Everyone was friendly and our waitress was very knowledgeable both of the menu and wine pairings. Definitely a dining experience that lived up to and in some areas exceeded my expectations!

Chef Michael's is the place to go if you want to try hogfish for the first time!!! They offered several preparations of it- my trio dish (3 different fish, 3 different ways, a "special" for the night), came with the "mixed nuts" hogfish. It was crusted with pistachio, cashews, and macadamia nuts and served with a mango sauce. The "crust" was crispy, and the fish was flaky and juicy. Really light fish, I enjoyed the taste and the texture of the crust worked well with it. The coconut rice was cooked perfectly, and was well-seasoned; paired well with the main dish. Service here was 10/10, the waiter was both friendly and helpful. The inside of the restaurant is small, warm, and cozy. I would definitely return to Chef Michael's- they know how to cook fish!! Fun experience. Make a reservation!!

The hostess wouldn't give us her name, we had made a reservation for 7pm and when we arrived they said it was for 8pm. We arrived at 6:45, and a woman named Mary was checking in because they had called her with an availability! What a coincidence - Not Then the Hostess had the audacity to tell us if we weren't staying for the 8pm reservation that we were going to get charged $50 per person if we cancelled. I have NEVER been treated so horribly and with such disregard and the lack of Customer Service bordered on almost a Bigot behavior. Will never have anything nice to say about this establishment!

Superior restaurant with daily menu of fresh catch of the day. Will sure to repeat next time with phone in hand for photos .

Great place to visit. Every time I come through the keys I always make it a point to stop. Grouper with nuts was outstanding, chowder was great, lamb lolly pops are a must have. Carrot cake and the brûlée are done with the attention to detail required. Great service, great ambiance.

Came here for our anniversary dinner. Reserved our table the night before. Was required to leave a credit card number for a deposit. Arrived just before our 7pm reservation. We were greeted and shown our table. The restaurant gave us a complementary glass of prosecco to start and staff wished us a happy anniversary. We ordered the lamb lollipops as an appetizer. They were outstanding with the fried spinach chips. For the main course, my wife had the filet mignon and I had the ambassador preparation on my fish. Both were excellent. We finished off our wonderful evening with a six-layer chocolate cake and two scoops of vanilla ice cream on the side. Chef Michael's met and exceeded all our expectations and hopes for the meal. Can't recommend more if you're looking to celebrate a special occasion.

What an amazing place! I love that this restaurant was not too big or too small. I would definetly recommend a reservation to come in. We sat at the bar, which gave more of a "chill" vibe for me. The bartender was super sweet. Spoke with us most is the time but was not over bearing. They do not serve liquor which I was surprised about, but they have a amazing selection of wine and bubbles. We had a bottle of rose which was great. We had two appetizers, I honestly can't remember which one was the second one because the ceviche was so amazing! Normally ceviche can be...very acidic. This was super light and refreshing. I ate the seafood pasta, which came with so much protein. Sometimes when you order something like this, it only comes with like 2 shrimps and 1 scallop, but this was not like that. Was def the best pasta I've had in a while. My husband had the seafood trilogy which was also amazing. This is a "fancy" place, but it's the keys, so you can come on down in your flip flops and shorts it seems. I liked that. Can't wait to come back!

Super friendly service. Nice inside place to sit that has a roomy feel to it. For dinner on a Tuesday night I was looking for a simple dish not feeling that hungry. The Grouper -- Simply Grilled, Sautéed, Fried or Blackened, and in this case, blackened was the perfect fit for my needs, and I was very happy with it. Though I debated upon writing this as to give it four or five stars, I ended up going full out with the five. Why? Well, not being from the area I made this choice on one factor - choice. Though I settled for the grouper for my catch of the day not wanting to venture too far on my last night in the Keys, I was amazed as to how many fish choices I was presented with. No, I'm not in New Jersey anymore. Few were familiar options for me and next time I will start to figure out what I am missing!

I asked for grouper and was served triple tail, overcooked, salad was excellent. Served with white rice & veggies. Not enough sauce, very dry. Waitress asked me iff I wanted dessert, when I said no she insisted I could take out. Ambience, not enough room to wiggle next to the wall near the kitchen door. they sat me in the back.

If I could give zero stars I would. We made reservations for 7pm and arrived 6:45pm to ensure we were on time. When we arrived, the hostess says our reservation was for 8pm. Note that the text we received had no time so be aware. The hostess, who refused to give us her name, simply repeated that the reservation was for 8pm. The hostess argued with us in front of other guests. She then stated that we were going to be charged $50 per person if we didn't stay for the 8pm incorrect reservation time. We had to argue to have the fee removed due to their error. The level of pompous and rudeness that seems to be the norm of this establishment is truly unimaginable. The Keys (our home) is known for kindness. There's no place for that here in the beautiful Keys. I welcome a response from the management.

If you are looking for high quality food you need to Go to Chef Michaels. Absolutely amazing food every time that we go! It is fine dinning, great spot for a celebration with family or date night. Make sure to ask about the specials and try the lionfish!

This has been Islamorada's best restaurant for years. Expertly prepared dishes, attentive waitstaff and consistent quality. I never miss a chance to visit.

Terrible food. Small portions Stay away. Overpriced and low quality. There are many other good choices

Went here for the 4.5 star rating It was wrong .....should be 5!!! The lobster & shrimp ceviche was beyond outrageous The hogfish was outstanding And finally the seafood pasta puts this place way over the top. Best food and flavors in the entire state!!

Food was good, ambiance was nice, but like others had a rude server (Jennifer?) She was rude to me throughout the night, but what really got to me was her reaction to me spilling my sauce on the table. My husband noticed her rolling her eyes at it. I apologized for spilling the sauce as she laughed in a bothered way and stated " I don't know what to say." Well, here are some things a polite person would've said: "Let me help you with that " "No worries, let me bring some extra napkins" I too have been a server for over a decade and her rudeness ruined my entire evening.

Chef Michael's food was excellent I had the whole Hog fish with a side of crawfish sauce that I would eat off my bumper if I had to. Service was a bit disappointing they were slow to react but all in all I would go there again for the food!

FLO! For Locals Only! If you're not from the area find somewhere else to go! Super unwelcoming and cold reception.

So, based on Yelp reviews, I booked a dinner here during a 6 day stay in Islamorada (for my birthday). The dining experience here was very memorable as one of the best meals I've had (ever). The service was very good, attentive and not rushed. The atmosphere was romantic with low lighting and good sound control (we hate places that are too loud, but it looked like they took measures to dampen the sound). The wine list was good. I ordered a fresh fish (yellowtail snapper), prepared Pontchartrain style (blackened and topped with a 'piquant' creole cream sauce with crawfish, accompanied by coconut rice and fresh vegetables (carrots and broccolini). My husband ordered the filet mignon with mashed potatoes and fried spinach. We had agreed to change plates halfway through our meals, but loved our respective dishes too much to trade (though we did share 'tastes' with each other). The snapper was so well flavored and the sauce with crawfish took things over the top flavor-wise...I loved getting a bite of fish + sauce + rice all on my fork at the same time. My vegetables were definitely not some afterthought--they were perfectly cooked and had a gunnery buttery flavor. Since we shared we were visiting for my birthday, we were given a choice of desserts. We chose a piece of salted caramel cheesecake, which had this deep, almost smoke flavor to the caramel and fluffy, yummy texture to the cheesecake. Though I admit this is probably the most 'spendy' place we went on our trip, the food was very memorable. I'd say this is a must try restaurant, especially for anyone celebrating a special event.

Excellent dinner. Service was lovely--everyone from the hostess to the waiter to the support staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. Waiter made excellent food recommendations and provided thorough explanations of each dish. Would recommend to anyone and will certainly return.

I was looking for a special restaurant for a birthday dinner that could also get us away from the standard menus and fried food options. Chef Michael's definitely satisfied our needs. We were able to make a reservation and enjoyed the bar seating for the evening. I highly recommend sitting at the bar and enjoying great conversation with Chris. He is informative with the menu and wine selections without being intrusive. The ambiance was very nice. A small restaurant with nice lighting and not too noisy. Even while sitting at the bar, we very much enjoyed the atmosphere. We started off by sharing the cooked shrimp and lobster ceviche which comes in a cute little coconut. Ten out of ten for presentation and flavor! They will even take the coconut back to the kitchen to break it apart so that you can enjoy the coconut meat. I ordered the Hogfish "ambassador style" and it was super! It was light and fresh, cooked perfectly with wonderful flavor. The fish comes topped with crabmeat and the key lime butter was a perfect sauce without being overpowering. For dessert I had the chocolate layer cake which was massive! My husband had the salted caramel cheesecake brûlée which was to die for! Caramelized on top and bursting with flavor. Get this! Even if you aren't hungry get a slice to go. Add Chef Michael's to the top of your list while in Islamorada.

Enjoyed some great local seafood. Service was exceptional and food came out hot and delicious.

Just looking at places to eat here at Islamorada, we came across this restaurant that serves Lion fish! So glad we were able to get a reservation at the last minute. Our server, Christopher is amazing and told us everything we needed to know about the menu. We got the lion fish and conch fritters as appetizers. They serve the whole lion fish as FYI (we're asian, we love whole fish!). It's cooked well. Crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. The conch fritters was also good. It did feel a little heavy having two fried appetizers (which our server did warn us) but they were both absolutely worth it. For the main, they offer different fresh fish and choice of preparation. My husband got the Juliette triple tail which was recommended and he loves it. My mom and I got the trilogy which was sort of a fish sample. Each fish was also prepared differently. The mixed nuts was highly recommended. They also have a kids menu and even offers drawing toy/ pad that our little one enjoyed! So glad we were able to stop by this place

We spent our 20th wedding anniversary in the Keys last weekend and dined at one of our favorite spots, Chef Michaels!! We found this gem on a previous anniversary trip to the Keys. Service, price, quality, consistency all a solid 10! I had the seafood pasta and my wife had the fresh catch. They truly treat you like family there and it's very obvious why they are the highest ranked restaurant in the area. My wife and I also own a restaurant so we look for different things then the casual diner. Place is clean..staff is enthusiastic and the setting so intimate that you make friends there every time. Love Chef Michaels place! Highly recommend

Excellent meal at the bar. Just note it's wine and beer only. Had the trifecta - 3 fish 3 ways and the seafood pasta. The was my favorite. Server was most helpful. Will be back.

Bad attitude, poor service, mediocre food. The young hostess had a very bad attitude, when we complained to her supervisor just got more attitude. Food was overpriced for the quality. Much better options close by.

The restaurant has a nice atmosphere . The waitstaff were pleasant, and the food was delicious. I had the hogfish lightly blackened, and my husband had the mutten snapper. Both were served with jasmine rice and fresh vegetables. I had a creme, Brule, and my husband had the cheesecake , both yummy. The only reason I am giving 4 stars is we were seated at a table directly inside the entrance. I don't think a table should even be here. All I noticed was the door banging behind me the entire time we were here; it was extremely annoying. They need to get rid of that table. You spend a lot of money to go to a nice dinner and get this ??? I couldn't enjoy my dinner like I would have liked too. We also felt rushed. Dinner was at 6, and we left at 7.

Excellent dinner. Menu options were abundant and all local fresh fish with some other non fish options. All deliciously prepared. Ambiance was nice. Service was excellent.

Best seafood in the keys! Service is always great and the atmosphere is perfect. Chef Michael's is always on the top of our list!

Don't ask me why we have never gone here before, because we are asking ourselves the same thing. Eric was our server, who did an impeccable job by the way. His presentation of the menu, and specials was perfect. First we ordered three appetizers which everyone loved. For dinner, The ladies chose the Spiny Lobster, and Joe and I chose one of the chef's specials the trio of fish. All meals were spectacular, and we have booked our next reservation already. It was nice to dine at a real restaurant in the keys, and feel a bit a mainland civility...

Excellent food! The tuna and wahoo tataki was phenomenal. Service was good and the ambience was wonderful

Sat at the bar. Food was amazing and the staff is very friendly and welcoming. We will visit here again the next time we're in the keys.

Outstanding in every category food, service, ambulance and wine selection. Highly recommended for a meal you will not forget.

This could be my most favorite restaurant in the entire Florida Keys and it's not even waterfront. I'm been at least four times and each time I am reminded why I keep coming back. Excellent food and service Friday night Prime Rib special Lion Fish, carrot cake, key lime pie all superb.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. This restaurant is a local favorite and has been known as one of the best restaurants around in the Florida Keys. We went there Saturday and it didn't disappoint. Their lobster ceviche and conch and rock shrimp fritters were an awesome start to a great meal. The Hogfish Ambassador Style with crabmeat and Key Lime Butter and Snapper Adriatic style were packed full of flavor. The carrot cake put an amazing final touch to a fabulous meal.

Service was EXCELLENT! Food was fantastic! We had so much left over. We would definitely go back!

What can you say? When you pay good money, you get good food and service! This place is a little pricey, but that's perfectly ok, because the food is fantastic! Highly recommended!

This is by a very wide margin my favorite seafood restaurant in the world. And probably the greatest meal I've had in recent memory. I managed to blow around 200$ on dinner for myself here which says something about how good the food is here. And mind you this place isn't even that expensive, I was just tremendously hungry after a day underwater. The service is very attentive, at the table and at the bar. The patrons are all super nice and but I have gotten stuck between the people on the left telling me to get cheesecake and the people on the right telling me to get the key lime pie. Either way I got the Oreo bread pudding and it was the absolute best. I can't stress how important it is for you to try the hog fish, it's low key life changing. And the lion fish is amazing here. I think we really lucked out with invasive species being delicious. Definitely try this place when you're in the keys!

Chef Michael's restaurant is exceptional. The food goes down on a list of the best things I have ever eaten. The service was excellent and genuinely friendly. The ambiance is elegant, but not overstated. Chef Michael's is a must go! Try the hog fish!

After a long drive to Islamorada and an immediate event we were looking for a late dinner spot. Chef Michaels was open and did not disappoint! We had delicious hogfish dinner. Great wine pairing choices and the service was impeccable! Our waiter, a young man named Wyatt made great suggestions for the meal and we were very pleased with everything! Food arrived quickly and order was perfectly presented. We will definitely try this restaurant again!

My wife and I had the pleasure to share this treasure with the kids and grandkids recently. The food, mainly fresh fish was delivered timely with expectations satisfied with the first bite. With a nice selection of wine and a desert menu that filled our needs to eat for a week.

This is a solid 3.5 stars but it wouldn't allow me to do the half. Ambiance is quite nice, but no water view. Food was good but not great, while the service was fantastic. A bit pricey for what you get IMO

Food was amazing, service was fantastic! Ate here last night with my dad and sister. We had the seafood pasta, hogfish pontchartrain style and tilefish Juliette style. I would order anyone of them again!

Best meal in the keys by far!! Professional hosts and wait staff, intimate atmosphere and AMAZING food! The triple tail was amazing with a wahoo starter. I'm definitely coming back before I leave!

Poor customer service.A member of diner party (2persons) did not feel well before diner reservation.Called 50 mins ahead to change to the next day. They refused and charged $100.O0 and If we canceled as we did.Who wants to go out not feeling well. Not Ever going there All my local friends will Know. They charged $100.00 to tell us never come here. Think about it. Don't want to support this type management.

What a cool experience...The food, wine, and service was Outstanding! We started off with the ceviche plated in a coconut and escargot...both were delicious! For the main course we had triple tail, 2lb Florida lobster, and the flash fried lion fish platter with coconut rice and creole crawfish topping. Lastly we finished the evening off with a huge piece of carrot cake. We could not have asked for a better experience.

#ThankYouThursday to Chef Michael's and the best fine dining experience in Islamorada. The service, food, ambiance was absolutely exceptional. Arguably the tastiest seafood on the island. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary with friends and the restaurant gifted us a free champagne toast! For our entrees, we ordered the Juliette and Ambassador preparation on Hogfish and Cobia. Lobster and fish ceviche was so fresh and a great appetizer for the table. Dessert was also epic - the caramel cheesecake the true winner, although the key lime pie was quite the runner up. Hope to be back in the future! :)

Loved this restaurant! From our great server to the outstanding food! We had the flash fried lion fish, conch chowder, the hog fish prepared with the crushed nuts, and the mutton snapper prepared Adriatic. And finished it off with a slice of key lime pie and the salted Carmel cheese cake. It was amazing. Highly recommended!

Amazing all the way! From service to every single bite!! Best restaurant in The keys. Get the lion fish app or whole fry fish

The staff is so friendly. We've been multiple times always sit at the bar. Enjoy good conversation and wine. Th e fresh fish is always made to perfection. And best part you can bring your own catch and enjoy it in many ways. All are delicious. You must take a piece of carrot cake home.