Keys Eats With a View

This year marks 10 years since our first visit to the Florida Keys. We originally came for the scuba diving, and fell in love with the year-round sunshine, laid back atmosphere and seriously yummy seafood. For me, the absolute best is when you wrap up all three of those with a cocktail and a lovely waterside view. Keys life at its finest! After countless trips to the Keys, I’m still finding fun new places to soak in all the flavours, and love returning to our tried and tested classics.

Travelling north to south through the Keys, here are 15 of my fave Keys restaurants that combine local specialties with great views. Some are refined dining, some are casual chillout spots. All are authentically Keysie and def worth a visit!

The Buzzard’s Roost, Key Largo

One of the first restaurants when you enter the Keys, Buzzards sits off the main drag and offers a relaxed Old Florida-style restaurant tucked into a marina canal. The vibe is casual and very “locals after a day on the water” with signature dishes including hogfish, conch chowder, and fresh catch specials. The screened porch and outdoor tiki seating overlook a quiet canal rather than open ocean, giving laid-back marina charm with excellent cocktails.

Snook’s Bayside Restaurant & Grand Tiki Bar, Key Largo

One of the classic sunset restaurants in Key Largo. Snook’s is all about tropical drinks, live island-style music, and wide-open Florida Bay views. Expect a chilled tiki-bar atmosphere with views for days. Seafood dominates the menu — lobster mac and cheese, local catch, and Keys-style fish sandwiches. The food is yum but the draw is the unobstructed bayside sunset from nearly every table.

Wahoo’s, Islamorada

A longtime Islamorada institution with a more “fishermen’s hangout” feel than polished resort dining, Wahoo’s is known for ultra-fresh local fish, smoked fish dip and its deck with great views. It overlooks the marina and canal system, so you get working-waterfront vistas with boats coming and going and sweeping ocean views behind. A great stop for authentic Keys seafood without the touristy gloss.

Morada Bay Beach Café, Islamorada

Probably the most visually iconic dining setting in Islamorada, this is the laid-back version of its super posh cousin ‘Pierre’s’ next door. Tables are directly on the sand facing the bay, with palm trees, white sand beach, and spectacular sunsets. The menu leans upscale-island cuisine: tuna tacos, fresh catch, and ceviche to name a few. More polished than many Keys spots, it’s beachy vibes are excellent in full sun or at sunset.

Square Grouper Islamorada

The original Square Grouper on Cudjoe Key is a foodie paradise but has no view. The newer addition in Islamorada on the other hand has arguably some of the best food in the Keys and a view too! More contemporary and chef-driven than tiki-bar casual, they serve up beautifully prepared local fish, seafood pasta, and creative daily specials. The setting is lush with views over a lovely canal and will def be a meal to remember.

Lazy Days, Islamorada

The ultimate chill-out restaurant, Lazy Days gives classic waterfront dining with expansive ocean views and breezy outdoor seating; and is famous for “Lazy Days style” fish along with coconut shrimp, and of course key lime pie. The atmosphere is relaxed, family-friendly, and very Keys-casual. Such a great place for long lunches overlooking the water. Plus, you can even chill in a beach chair or feed the tarpon (and an occasional cheeky pelican) from the dock.

Hideaway Café, Grassy Key

This place is a true hidden gem! The Hideaway is a quieter, more intimate restaurant attached to a small, understated resort, and definitely one of the more romantic restaurants on this list. Expect continental seafood dishes like lobster ravioli, seafood risotto, and carefully plated specials. The elevated deck gives lovely oceanfront sunset views in a much calmer setting than the larger restaurants. Ideal for a slower dinner.

Keys Fisheries, Marathon

A local favourite, this is a true working fish market and dockside seafood shack — and one of the most authentic seafood experiences in the Keys. You order at the counter and eat overlooking the fishing harbour. The signature dish is the Lobster Reuben but I love their fried fish tacos and fresh local catch baskets. It’s rustic rather than beachy, but incredibly atmospheric if you enjoy boats, cocktails and arguably the best sunset views in the Middle Keys.

Burdine’s Waterfront, Marathon

Burdine’s is a beloved casual rooftop-style spot overlooking Boot Key Harbor in Marathon famous for burgers, giant baskets of hand-cut fries, and its famous deep-fried Key lime pie. The vibe is super relaxed: open-air deck, marina views, cold beer, boats below. In fact, you can park your boat right there and pop up for lunch!  It’s also one of the spots I regularly see manatees and even an occasional dolphin swimming by while enjoying my Jimmy Buffett style ‘cheeseburger in paradise’.

Sunset Grille, Marathon

Located right at the foot of the Seven Mile Bridge in Marathon, this is one of the best “big view” spots in the Middle Keys. The giant outdoor deck faces the bridge and open water, with especially dramatic sunset colors, and they even have a pool for the full resort-bar fun. It’s more of a fun cocktail and appetizer spot for me rather than a proper foodie spot, but the sunset and drinks are def worth it, and I really like their tuna salad and fun beachy vibe. You can also combine a sunset stop here with dinner at nearby Lazy Days South.

Kiki’s Sandbar, Little Torch Key

Kiki’s is a very relaxed, off-the-beaten-path waterfront restaurant on Little Torch Key with a true barefoot-Keys atmosphere. The draw is dining directly beside the water with beach seating, live music, and excellent sunset views across the bay. Food leans classic Keys seafood: conch fritters, peel-and-eat shrimp, blackened mahi tacos, and Key lime pie. A great spot to laze away the day with sand between your toes and an authentic old-Keys feel.

The Docks Restaurant + Raw Bar, Stock Island

The Docks sits on a commercial fishing harbour in the Lower Keys, so instead of resort scenery, you’re watching boats, docks, and sunsets over the marina — a very authentic Keys atmosphere. Food-wise, it has genuinely fresh local seafood sourced from Keys Seafood Market right next door. The raw bar is super popular, but there are so many creative chef-inspired seafood dishes to choose from. Compared with some of the more tourist-heavy Key West waterfront restaurants, The Docks feels calmer and more food-focused.

Sunset Pier , Key West

Definitely one of the most famous sunset-view spots in Key West, Sunset Pier is right on the pier at the end of Duval Street, offering panoramic ocean views with nightly live music. The menu is tropical-Caribbean inspired: jerk chicken, ceviche, fish tacos, and rum-heavy cocktails. It’s lively, colorful, and touristy in the best way — ideal for sunset drinks and atmosphere rather than a quiet dinner. (BTW if you’d like a bit more refined dining experience, combine drinks here with the posher Hot Tin Roof next door)

Louie’s Backyard, Key West

One of Key West’s classic upscale waterfront restaurants, Louie’s is set in a historic Victorian house overlooking the Atlantic. The dining deck sits right above the ocean, creating one of the most elegant spots in the Keys. Cuisine is more refined, New American-Caribbean fusion: yellowtail snapper, lobster, and sophisticated daily specials. Downstairs, the famous Afterdeck bar is a fantastic waterside cocktail spot with a slightly more relaxed vibe than the main dining room. Whether you want upscale dining or chilled-out drinking, Louie’s has both!

Latitudes, Sunset Key

Arguably the most romantic restaurant in the Florida Keys, Latitudes is located on private Sunset Key, accessible only by ferry from Key West. Dining is directly beside the beach with uninterrupted Gulf views and spectacular sunsets. The atmosphere is serene, upscale, and tropical-luxury. Signature dishes usually feature fresh local seafood with elegant presentation — lobster bisque, seared snapper, and excellent desserts. Whether for breakfast or sunset dinner, the view and overall experience are hard to beat!

Conclusion

There are so many great spots to enjoy seafood by the sea in the Florida Keys, and I hope this list of Keys eateries with a view has inspired you to explore these and more!