KEY WEST RESTAURANTS PLUS

Their Belgium chocolate mousse swirled with raspberry is the perfect ending for any meal. The surf-and-turf is a classic, and the prime rib is a favorite with the regulars. Start off with the crab and avocado cocktail before moving on to the pan-seared grouper with lobster cream sauce. The upscale Commodore restaurant has a menu that features both fresh seafood and select cuts of beef. The historic seaport offers the quintessential Key West experience: boats bobbing at the docks, fishing and diving boats heading in for the day, and schooners setting out to catch the sun slowly slipping across the sky. Recommended for Waterfront Dining because: Throughout the years, Schooner Wharf remains an icon and a local's favorite restaurant and watering hole with a view.Д¬laudia's expert tip: You can't go wrong at a bar with three happy hours (8 a.m.-noon, 5-7 p.m. Keep an eye on their calendar of events! Schooner Wharf has theme-night events throughout the year. Specialty drinks such as Schooner Lemonade, Rumrunners and Mango Daiquiris are featured during the bar's three happy hours. Animal lovers can bring their dogs-or their parrots-to hang out. Settle into the open-air bar and listen to the daily live music, while you people watch. First-timers to the restaurant should dive right in and try the fresh mahi-mahi or snapper melt with a house mango sauce topped with sauteed onions and mushrooms. While many parts of Key West have seen modern changes, Schooner Wharf maintains that 'old Key West' atmosphere-from the salvaged wreckage to the interesting characters that linger around the waterfront.

KEY WEST RESTAURANTS PLUS

Recommended for Waterfront Dining because: This laid-back joint offers straight-from-the-boat seafood like the Shrimp Po' Boy and conch ceviche with reasonable prices and waterfront views.Д¬laudia's expert tip: At their happy hour, 4:30-6: 30 pm daily, you can score 50% off well drinks, beer and house wines plus discounts on menu items. Grab a picnic table by the water or head to the funky bar, which was featured on the cover of Kenny Chesney's single 'When I See This Bar.' No white linen dining here, expect paper plates and plastic utensils, but when you're digging into piles of peel n' eat shrimp, oysters, clams and stone crabs, does it really matter? The Shrimp Po' Boy sandwich and the conch ceviche are two of their timeless menu options. You can actually watch your dinner being unloaded from the boats at the docks while looking out over the Historic Seaport. Just like the classic waterfront joints of Key West past, the Half Shell Raw Bar serves the freshest seafood in a casual atmosphere.

Key west restaurants