A colleague of mine is visiting the Key West area and inquired about restaurants in the Keys area. I have a few of my favorites that I have enjoyed over the years but wanted the input of you guys as to your recommendations and favorites.

Please name names, as I'm going to be in the Keys soon.

I've heard that B's Cuban food is great, but I have no personal experience with the place.

B's is supposed to be closed -- I haven't been down since last year so I can't speak from personal experience.

For Cuban food, I'd send you to El Siboney at the corner of Margaret and Catherine Streets -- I think it's great, but an even better reference comes from a former girlfriend who's a Cuban expat living in Miami, and who says "El Sib" has the best Cuban food of any restaurant in Florida. The restaurant is "a local's place" off the tourist path, is not open late and doesn't take credit cards.

For breakfast or brunch, Blue Heaven on Thomas Street in Bahama Village.

For a true conch feel, visit BO's Fish Wagon on Caroline Street near the Bight for a grouper sandwich and a beer. Another bar that's less touristy than most of the places on Duval would be the Green Parrot on Whitehead. Both BO's and the Parrot have music in the evenings. The Parrot is just a bar but you can get food from the barbecue place next door -- try the green beans if you like things spicy.

There are reviews of some Key West restaurants (it's an incomplete list but it's a start) at:

http://www.foodreference.com/html/ke...formation.html

Michael's in Key West has always been an excellent choice of mine..great steaks, very friendly and supportive service and an overall good choice--not too touristy or a rip off like others in the area.

never had a great meal in Key West, best consistent food I've had in the lower keys is Mangrove Mama's on Sugarloaf Key, MM 19.9 (305) 745-3030

Anyone had any experience with Louie's Backyard?

I heard that Key West is full of homersexuals.

Are you sure you would want to eat in the same restaurants as they do?

Louie's Backyard is a great restaurant. I ate there on a recent trip through the Florida Keys with my family. My wife and I left the kids with a babysitter at the nearby Wyndham and had a wonderful romantic evening out. The setting is idyllic - the restaurant is housed in an old colonial style building in a residential neighbourhood overlooking the ocean. The seafood was divine - from memory I had sea scallops followed by sea bass, both of which were perfectly cooked. Deserts are also delicious. A couple of words of advice: be sure to make a reservation, preferably several days in advance. We were very lucky to get a table at two days notice. Try to get a table outside on one of the decks - there are two (or three including the back porch) levels of deck that descend outside down towards the water. My wife and I had a table on the back porch. Also, go for dinner rather than lunch - the balmy Key West evenings, candle lit tables (with additional lighting in the mangrove trees that grow around and through the decks) coupled with the sea lapping at the shore make for a memorable romantic evening.

This is part of a review from Frommers that I think sums up the place nicely: "Nestled amid blooming bougainvillea on a lush slice of the Gulf, Louie's remains one of the most romantic restaurants on earth. Famed chef Norman Van Aiken of Norman's in Miami brought his talents farther south and started what has become one of the finest dining spots in the Keys. As a result, this is one of the hardest places to score a reservation: Either call way in advance or hope that your hotel concierge has some pull."

Louie's also has quite a comprehensive website: www.louiesbackyard.com that's worth checkinh out.

Enjoy!

B.O.'s Fish Wagon. That's just the place for lunch. I adore it. There were several excellent places we ate in Key West, but B.O.'s stood out the most for the freshness of the food. It's just terrific. The grilled mahi-mahi sandwich is to die for, but the fried grouper isn't anything to sneeze at, either. Fish, fish, and more fish. It's seafood heaven down there. Love it.

Lot's of good restaurants in Key West! You have to be willing to travel further down Duval Street to find several of these:

Italian: Antonias & La Tarattoria
Seafood: Seven Fish (probably one of the best restaurants in town)
Continental: Cafe Marquesa & Mangoes (for people watching on Duval St.)

I would also check out the following link which provides links to many of the restaurants mentioned above:

http://keywest.com/restbar.html

I have heard about Antonia..can you give us a review and an idea of what it is like? Thanks!

Try the A & B Lobster House on Garrison Bight. I spent a great dinner there, endive salad, crab cakes, a bottle of wine ending with a Macanudo and McAllen 18 in the bar. I felt at piece with the world after leaving.

I agree on all of the recommendations listed above, with maybe the exception of Mangoes (and it's not bad). Seven Fish to me is the absolute best in Key West - reservations essential.

I also think that Michael's is good - but a bit expensive for what you get, IMHO.

Antonia's was always a more upscale italian than La Trattoria. If you like regular italian standard dishes then La Trattoria was your place. If you liked more out of the ordinary fish and meat dishes then I went to Antonias. I just noticed that they were not listed on the website link I included. Hopefully they are still around!

My family and I like El Meson de Pepe for decent Cuban food, music and fun.

http://www.elmesondepepe.com/