Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in Key Largo

I have been dining at Rusty Pelican for over 20 years and it has only improved with time. They have done some key remodels that brought the place to a more upscale feel inside and out. I usually dine outside and this past experience was wonderful. Service was fantastic, food was exceptional and everyone enjoyed their time. I recommend the Imperial seafood tower, it is excellent for 4 people.

Atlantic’s Edge is an interesting place for dinner. It’s located in Cheeca Lodge which is a gated resort. So in order to enter you need to show proof of your dinner reservation, and apparently you need to arrive around the time of your reservation. So it’s a bit off putting in terms of feeling welcome or appreciated. Similar experience at the host stand. The greeting was lukewarm at best. As to the food and service, overall the food was good. The dishes were nicely prepared and seemed very much as described. But I wouldn’t say that any of the food was delicious or extraordinary. One of the dishes we tried was the blackened grouper. It lacked any seasoning and certainly didn’t show the char typically associated with “blackened” style of cooking. Food temps were also a bit off. Items were warm or room temp. So no cool crisp salads or hot entrees. This was our second trip to Atlantic’s Edge and I’m not sure we will repeat.

Zucca was great! The service was superb, the food was delicious but the ambiance was amazing. Fresh flowers and linen tablecloths on a table that looked like Martha Stewart set it. Cozy booths and fine wine. I have heard the bartender is very good so I plan on having cocktails on my next visit. That’s right - I’m going back! To finish our lovely dinner off they served us a homemade Lemoncello aperitif.

The food was amazing. It was fresh and they put a lot of effort into presentation. The food comes out pretty quickly and I could appreciate having multiple wait staff attend to the table. It took us almost 20 mins to be seated after our reservation time. But it was Christmas Day so maybe that’s the reason. I would definitely go back. Order the Wagu tacos.

I had expectations before I arrived but when I arrived and all through my time there, I had the best service and it exceeded my expectations! Love the atmosphere and hospitality. The food was amazing and cocktails was top of the line.