One of the top restaurants in Key West. Reservations needed well in advance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Grayson Daughters
I couldn’t make my dinner reservation, so I sent my Gen Z kid and a friend of hers, telling them they’d enjoy Cafe Sole as much as I had the year before. They had a terrible experience, alas. They said four other tables were attended to before their drink order was taken, the server was not welcoming, and that the tuna tataki was smothered in BBQ sauce, disguising its taste, and one of the party got a horrible case of food poisoning by the next day that lasted for almost 5 days. I am so disappointed they came away with a negative impression, as I had really enjoyed my visits prior. But even so, I’ll likely try again next time I’m in the Keys to see if you have to be a retiree to have a pleasant visit to Cafe Sol.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Frank P.
A fantastic shrimp scampi I will never forget. Everything about Sole was equally beautiful and delicious. The outdoor seating we had was charming and majestic with a very classy appeal. It gave off an intimate vibe despite the amount of seating. My beef carpaccio had a thinly cut freshness that was a good teaser for the rest of my meal. My highlight was my shrimp scampi that I couldn't give enough praise for. I'd go back here just to order this again. The noodles absorbed the sum of its parts so well with the oil and sauce. I don't know how else to describe how it tasted so good. I really enjoyed the key lime pie as well. I found torching the cream on top slightly unnecessary, the cake itself along with the graham cracker crust more than made up for it (which honestly didn't really need to be made up for.) The staff was exceptional as well. We didn't have to wait long for service and everything came as expected. They gave us good wine recommendations as well.
Warren K.
Consistently outstanding. Angels on horseback are addictive! One of our favorites in key west.
Order the hogfish! We thought the reviews had to be overrated or from people who don't know fish - they weren't. And don't ignore the luscious taste of each little vegetable on the plate. Delicious.
Annette Haschke
The food here is outstanding! Every plate from appetizers to dessert were very well plated a feast for the eyes and soul. Max our waiter was excellent. They are famous for their fish dishes for a reason! Definitely a fine dining experience!
The food was really good, we enjoyed it very much, but between the heat and the bugs bothering us it really dampens the overall experience. And we had 2 parties dining and they told us they don't split checks, but would take 2 credit cards....seriously what's the difference and are you for the customer or not? We've been dining all week in Key West and haven't had this said to us before.
Lydia Calkins
The food & service were excellent. It's a very cozy restaurant. We were there during the week.Remember to make reservation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish
Paula B.
I chose a gazpacho soup that was so strong with garlic that it was inedible. My tongue was burnt for the rest of the meal. It wasn't particularly cold. I chose a hot mushroom soup to replace it. The pepper that was ground into it was not ground enough and at first I found myself chewing it, then just picked out the pieces of unground pepper. The soup was way too spiced. I also chose the beef carpaccio which was in very small pieces, like shards, and was not fresh. It was not a bright red. The Asiago cheese didn't go well with it. Parmesan would be much better. The greens were not fresh and in too small an amount For dessert I tried the Key lime pie, which was very different that I had had before. I didn't like the almond-flavored whipped cream and the meringue replacement was crunchy with sugar. ICK! The restaurant seating was too close. There was no air conditioning on the humid evening. The waitress was adequate.
RRSitz
Cafe Sole is a very popular and energetic dining destination located in a nice residential area of Key West. Parking can be a challenge unless you have a residential parking permit - so walking, biking or taking an Uber or Lyft is recommended. The atmosphere is what I would describe as "garden elegant." Even though you are sitting "outside," the walls are half lattice at the top to allow a sneak peak of tropical palms and other garden greens, etc. Our wait was right at the table and checked on us frequently. We love hearing a little bit of their background and what brought them to Key West. We discovered he originated in a location of the U.S. that was "one county away" from where our friends live. Our food was very good, although nothing that had any of us commenting that we needed to return soon. Two of us had the duck a'la'orange and two of us had Solé Pink and White Polk-A-Dot Follies (shrimp on pasta with a jalapeño hollandaise sauce). The duck was very dry, but still tasty and crunchy as promised with a healthy helping of mashed potatoes and French broccoli. The pasta dish, when I asked, was described as "oh, good." No wow moments. To be honest, we had a chef and a former owner of four popular stand-alone restaurants in the Midwest in our party. So, our rating is good. This dinner was the first together for these two couples. As much as we wanted to get to know each other, the energy level of the restaurant was such that conversations of groups around us were very loud and affected detailed conversation as you simply could not hear. We have been to Cafe Sole in past years and it was good. I would not shy away from dining here....but, with all the magnificent restaurants in Key West and a 25 mile drive up The Keys or a short ferry ride to an outlying island, there are other locations that rate higher on our list.
KeyWasted
Cafe Solè has been our go to for fine dining. The owner has always been accommodating and delightful to speak with and apparently his traits for service and hospitality have carried over to his staff. We introduced our friends from out of town to our favorite restaurant in Key West and our server, Kelsey, did not disappoint. She was wonderfully attentive and a pleasure to speak with. On a previous visit on St. Valentines Day, we were assisted by Patricia and she was also outstanding to deal with. We've met other servers and I apologize for not recalling their names but none have been less than stellar and accommodating. We appreciate the way the staff, and the chef, make a meal at Cafe Solè a pleasure to enjoy.
Food, atmosphere, and service were all great. I got the Fruit of the Sea and the seafood portions were very generous!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We ate here in July 2023 and I’ve thought about that damn hogfish almost every day since.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Key Lime Pie, Yellowtail Snapper, Snapper
Very good food, and service was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish
One of the top restaurants in Key West. Reservations needed well in advance.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I couldn’t make my dinner reservation, so I sent my Gen Z kid and a friend of hers, telling them they’d enjoy Cafe Sole as much as I had the year before. They had a terrible experience, alas. They said four other tables were attended to before their drink order was taken, the server was not welcoming, and that the tuna tataki was smothered in BBQ sauce, disguising its taste, and one of the party got a horrible case of food poisoning by the next day that lasted for almost 5 days. I am so disappointed they came away with a negative impression, as I had really enjoyed my visits prior. But even so, I’ll likely try again next time I’m in the Keys to see if you have to be a retiree to have a pleasant visit to Cafe Sol.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
A fantastic shrimp scampi I will never forget. Everything about Sole was equally beautiful and delicious. The outdoor seating we had was charming and majestic with a very classy appeal. It gave off an intimate vibe despite the amount of seating. My beef carpaccio had a thinly cut freshness that was a good teaser for the rest of my meal. My highlight was my shrimp scampi that I couldn't give enough praise for. I'd go back here just to order this again. The noodles absorbed the sum of its parts so well with the oil and sauce. I don't know how else to describe how it tasted so good. I really enjoyed the key lime pie as well. I found torching the cream on top slightly unnecessary, the cake itself along with the graham cracker crust more than made up for it (which honestly didn't really need to be made up for.) The staff was exceptional as well. We didn't have to wait long for service and everything came as expected. They gave us good wine recommendations as well.
Consistently outstanding. Angels on horseback are addictive! One of our favorites in key west.
Order the hogfish! We thought the reviews had to be overrated or from people who don't know fish - they weren't. And don't ignore the luscious taste of each little vegetable on the plate. Delicious.
The food here is outstanding! Every plate from appetizers to dessert were very well plated a feast for the eyes and soul. Max our waiter was excellent. They are famous for their fish dishes for a reason! Definitely a fine dining experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Escargot, Key Lime Pie, Yellowtail Snapper
Wonderful cozy experience and the food was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was really good, we enjoyed it very much, but between the heat and the bugs bothering us it really dampens the overall experience. And we had 2 parties dining and they told us they don't split checks, but would take 2 credit cards....seriously what's the difference and are you for the customer or not? We've been dining all week in Key West and haven't had this said to us before.
The food & service were excellent. It's a very cozy restaurant. We were there during the week.Remember to make reservation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fish
I chose a gazpacho soup that was so strong with garlic that it was inedible. My tongue was burnt for the rest of the meal. It wasn't particularly cold. I chose a hot mushroom soup to replace it. The pepper that was ground into it was not ground enough and at first I found myself chewing it, then just picked out the pieces of unground pepper. The soup was way too spiced. I also chose the beef carpaccio which was in very small pieces, like shards, and was not fresh. It was not a bright red. The Asiago cheese didn't go well with it. Parmesan would be much better. The greens were not fresh and in too small an amount For dessert I tried the Key lime pie, which was very different that I had had before. I didn't like the almond-flavored whipped cream and the meringue replacement was crunchy with sugar. ICK! The restaurant seating was too close. There was no air conditioning on the humid evening. The waitress was adequate.
Cafe Sole is a very popular and energetic dining destination located in a nice residential area of Key West. Parking can be a challenge unless you have a residential parking permit - so walking, biking or taking an Uber or Lyft is recommended. The atmosphere is what I would describe as "garden elegant." Even though you are sitting "outside," the walls are half lattice at the top to allow a sneak peak of tropical palms and other garden greens, etc. Our wait was right at the table and checked on us frequently. We love hearing a little bit of their background and what brought them to Key West. We discovered he originated in a location of the U.S. that was "one county away" from where our friends live. Our food was very good, although nothing that had any of us commenting that we needed to return soon. Two of us had the duck a'la'orange and two of us had Solé Pink and White Polk-A-Dot Follies (shrimp on pasta with a jalapeño hollandaise sauce). The duck was very dry, but still tasty and crunchy as promised with a healthy helping of mashed potatoes and French broccoli. The pasta dish, when I asked, was described as "oh, good." No wow moments. To be honest, we had a chef and a former owner of four popular stand-alone restaurants in the Midwest in our party. So, our rating is good. This dinner was the first together for these two couples. As much as we wanted to get to know each other, the energy level of the restaurant was such that conversations of groups around us were very loud and affected detailed conversation as you simply could not hear. We have been to Cafe Sole in past years and it was good. I would not shy away from dining here....but, with all the magnificent restaurants in Key West and a 25 mile drive up The Keys or a short ferry ride to an outlying island, there are other locations that rate higher on our list.
Cafe Solè has been our go to for fine dining. The owner has always been accommodating and delightful to speak with and apparently his traits for service and hospitality have carried over to his staff. We introduced our friends from out of town to our favorite restaurant in Key West and our server, Kelsey, did not disappoint. She was wonderfully attentive and a pleasure to speak with. On a previous visit on St. Valentines Day, we were assisted by Patricia and she was also outstanding to deal with. We've met other servers and I apologize for not recalling their names but none have been less than stellar and accommodating. We appreciate the way the staff, and the chef, make a meal at Cafe Solè a pleasure to enjoy.