Cafe Marquesa — Restaurant in Key West

A very sad day when my Moms favorite restaurant has become an extremely overpriced joke. For 20 years its been the go to for birthdays,anniversaries, celebrations, and just generally the top of the list for our choice in fine dinning here in Key West. The service, drinks, quality, preparation, treatment and the overall atmosphere is why Cafe Marquesa was our favorite and after giving it 2 more tries in as many months after having our first bad experience New Years Day 2022, we blamed the terrible service and iffy food on the holiday and regular staff being off. I should have left a review the last time in March on my birthday but again blamed the extremely young and unexperienced staff. However after my sister taking our Mother and I for a night out because its her favorite restaurant spending nearly $400 dollars on a meal with only myself having a salad, Mom having 1 alcohol drink and sharing a plate of beignets ! There were many staff most of whom lined up against the back wall and let the teenagers wander around clueless,loud, and terrible. Mom ordered a lemon drop and the server who I questioned if she was old enough to deliver the drink(which she wasn't) tried to get her to order a more expensive drink from the drink menu 3 times! It was so loud in there and Mom has a little hearing difficulty especially in such a small noisy place that she kept just saying " No thats what I want" and I had to finally tell her she wants the lemon drop and then started in on the type of vodka, my said "just the well" and she again started suggesting options which Mom couldn't hear and I said "Give her Tito's" and she again tried to persuade her to try something else??? The $ 72 lamb was salty to the point it was inedible, the tiny piece of grouper was served in a pool of a sauce that was not what was promised and the same Berkshire pork chop I have had on 3 prior occasions was maybe half as thick, overcooked, and over seasoned. We still ordered the beignets as normal and they were overdone on the outside, raw in the middle, all of our cappuccino's were cold. Of course the poor , slow service was remedied with the check being swiftly dropped in front of our Mother before we were done with desert. We will not go back and be sure to let everyone we know what has become of what was one of the best restaurants in Key West,...

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...

I don’t know what information was available on the computer screen at the host desk of this fine dining restaurant located in this 4 star hotel. Did they know that we were first time diners - and therefore not (important) regulars? Did they know that we were paying nearly $1,000 a night to stay in their hotel? I don’t know why restaurants don’t get this. When the greeter and the hostess spend 10 seconds conferring before selecting a table at which to seat you - it feels like logistics. When they spend 30 to 45 seconds conferring - it feels like they are deciding how unimportant you are and where can they dump you in case someone important comes in. In this case (after the aforesaid 45 seconds), it was not only the worst table in the house - but a terrible table - quite literally, inches from the pass-through window from the kitchen. When I refused to accept that table; we were given an acceptable table- but now the second worst table in the house - immediately next to the front door and the constantly changing stacks of menus and wine lists at my elbow (not literally - but close).

What followed was one of the very best dining experiences in my lifetime. The service (thank you , Lupe’), the menu, the food (how could Oysters Rockefeller EVER be so good as to be the best that you’ve ever had - not to mention the she crab soup, yellow snapper, salmon, and key lime pie?), the ambiance, the noise level, and the background music was all absolutely stellar. Just awesome! And throughout I couldn’t help noticing that in this 15 or so table room - there were always at least four of the best 2-top tables that were never seated - a constant and consistent reminder that - during this special dinner - we were not so special. The dining experience would bring me back 100 times. The “taste in my mouth” -...