We stayed at the host resort (Tranquility Bay), so we ate here often. It was consistently great--fresh + delicious food, friendly and fast service, and beautiful atmosphere. I LOVED the Butterfly Risotto. The Filet Mignon was delish, and you can get it with lime cilantro butter or blue cheese crumbles or sautéed onions. Their key lime cheesecake is the best in the area--and it's gluten free! They also have an amazing flourless chocolate cake. They have plenty of gluten free options, and it is marked clearly on the menu. My only criticism is that the kids macaroni + cheese was made with fake cheese sauce sometimes (but once it was real). At a nice place with these prices, I expect real cheese ALL the time. I highly recommend Butterfly Cafe whether or not you stay at the resort. :) read more

We dined here 7/6/2025 at 8pm. Great ambiance, delicious food and amazing service by Anthony! Posting this review a year later.... Found it in my drafts. read more

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Excellent food. We had the risottos-both of them. I particularly enjoyed the scallops with mine. The flourless chocolate cake and the Key Lime pie were great contrasting desserts. read more

I absolutely love the staff and food at this fine establishment. When the waiters come over, they ask how your day was and are very energetic. That really makes a difference. The food is great, it really blends with the ambience of the outdoors. I finished the entire plate. I strongly recommend this restaurant. read more

Butterfly Café - Menu - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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3.5 stars - I have been here twice now once about a year ago and now present day... I think they lack consistency. The service was eh... I think they run quite short of staff judging my how many tables one server was servicing. The ambiance is quite nice - I would request patio seating very nice. No specific water views though. The food was okay but for what you spend one expects a bit more. The pork chop was a bit dry. The fish was well prepared but over sauced. Dessert was very good - combined the flourless chocolate cake and to die for toffee with a scoop of vanilla ice cream now that is delicious! If your in the keys and want a nice meal it's a good option but prices are high read more

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A sleeper hidden gem, in the Tranquility Bay resort. Outstanding food, romantic Florida ambiance, and top notch service combine at one of the best restaurants. We sat on the verandah, and had a magnificent dinner, after a long drive, down to Marathon. The pork chops were first rate. The fish was fresh, and perfectly prepared, and the shrimp, and scallops, were rich and buttery. They have a full bar, as well. Not a bad place, at all, for a mid-price resort in the keys! read more

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I had the Yellowtail with potatoes & asparagus. Chocolate cake for dessert. It all was perfectly done. Our server was skilled & delightful. The ambiance was comfortable & lovely. read more

We had a party of 7. Two of us got the seafood pasta. It was bland and had zero texture. One of us got the filet and it was not edible. It was past its expiration date for sure. Very disappointing dining experience for an outrageous price. read more

Came here in vacation after driving from the Miami airport. The setting was really nice, and the food was great. Only one star knock are the prices (around $50 for a main dish). The bread is fresh and warm. I had the tuna special, which was good. For dessert I would recommend the TDF (basically a sticky toffee pudding made with dates). The frozen key lime pie wasn't that great. They also have a kids menu. read more

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While we have for years loved and appreciated the quality of food and service at at Tranquility Bay, our most recent visit to dinner was quite disappointing. Among our group of 6 people 3 had ordered the $69.95 Cowboy Steak as our entree.... all of which were ordered at Medium Rare temperature. The steaks were horrifically overcooked to bunting less than gray burnt rough and tough beef jerky. I am not one to complain, and as someone who lives and works in NYC for Google I am no stranger to high quality food service. That said, upon receiving our meals we immediately brought the order discrepancy to the waiters attention, who was profoundly kind and professional and recognized value mediates that the food was significantly overcooked. A manager came to our table to review the matter and proved to be completely inept and useless offering nothing more than a recognition of their failure followed by a shallow apology of "I'm sorry." No remedy, no resolution, no sincere empathy... Just an apology for completely destroying over $210.00 beef and then walked away. Again, I am one who values how situations are managed versus the actual situation occurring. I have found the best measure , the most honest measure if the response... As in life things happen... However, I am profoundly disappointed not by the 3 overcooked steaks, but by the pathetic insufficient response.... The bill was nearly $700+ and we did not punish the server; however, My recommendation is to AVOID the Butterfly at Tranquility Bay at ALL Costs. Every gas station form Marathon to Miami sells top quality beef jerky ant significantly lower prices.... Profoundly and utterly disappointed! Pete read more

The Butterfly Cafe reminds me of something straight out of Sweet Magnolias - the vibe is very southern/relaxed. We had a wonderfully attentive hostess and server. I would go back for the Scallop Risotto again and again! Lovely presentation and phenomenal taste. read more

Butterfly Café - Scallop Risotto - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

I very rarely give 5 star ratings but this restaurant exceeded all my expectations and more. Jasmine our server was the perfect host. All her recommendations were delicious. We had the crab cakes, so good. The seafood bake was bread sopping good; large shrimp and mahi mahi in a light cream sauce, served with buttery mashed potatoes and perfectly cooked asparagus. Did I mention the bread, warm crusty and Don't forget the TDF for dessert. It's a sticky toffee pudding with killer To Die For sauce. Love the chic beachy decor that is perfect for celebrating a special occasion or just for enjoying delicious food. read more

Butterfly Café - TDF - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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Our family grabbed dinner here the first night we stayed at the resort. It was convenient but the service was definitely lacking from our waitress. Other waitresses seemed to have more pep in their step and were definitely more friendly. Our waitress was constantly missing in action. The food was okay but overpriced for the quality and quantity. The filet was a decent cut however the chicken entree was a joke. It was overcooked and belongs on the kids menu. The outside seating was pleasant. Again, it was convenient but we probably wouldn't dine here again. read more

This was a hard one - a "tweener". Sometimes I think people (including myself) throws a 5 star at anything really good. We had a mixed meal between excellent and pretty good. The excellent was the setting on the porch - beautiful if you get the right table Also excellent was the service, the drinks, the hot fresh bread and the caprese salad. Plus best key lime pie we have had this year - very subtle - really outstanding. My Cuban pork chop was just ok, pork is hard to get tender - my wife's grouper was ok as well. One slight demerit for service, wife asked for coffee - told server it tasted off that she did not want it. Still showed on bill until we asked that if be removed. Overall a lovely serene dining experience- dining not eating.... We will be back! read more

I'm torn with this review but here goes. We booked an outdoor patio table and were excited to have a nice birthday dinner. Our server was personable and helpful with recommending entrees and dessert. The sourdough bread is fantastic, enough so that I asked for a second order! We ordered shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and our server forgot it, so that was a bit disappointing. The true disappointment however was with my cowboy ribeye; the patio was dark so I couldn't confirm the temperature, and that was a mistake as I'm fairly certain the steak was undercooked and gave me a terrible stomach bug that started at 2am and lasted ~36 hours. I never felt that sick in over 25 years and it negatively affected over a full day of vacation. It wasn't the best way to spend our last night at the resort. In conclusion, the dinner was nice but...yah...I think I'll stay away the next time we're in Marathon. read more

A peace of magic, is what I would call this place ! The ambiance of the butterfly cafe gives me an enchanted home in the islands. The exposed wood roof and the huge ceiling fans allow for this. In addition, the food was great too. The best part was the cheese bread. It was soft, warm and perfect for any dish that had sauce. read more

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Cute restaurant on the premises of Tranquility Bay Resort, it was a short walk from our beach house and very convenient, the Staff was amazingly friendly and welcoming, the ambiance was chic and felt high end, buttttttt the food was NOT amazing, I was hoping for some amazing fish; I mean it is in Key West (fishermen's heaven) instead I was served definitely tasted likes a frozen fish pattie!!! I ordered the mahi mahi ($42) with veggies and mash potatoes which was very good but the fish was horrible!!! Tasteless and watery, very frozen like; the rest of my party agreed. We all ordered some type of fish dish over $30 dollars each and was very disappointed. The server was very nice and offered us another dish but it wasn't much to choose from so we just eat the veggies and left the fish! (Waste of Money) I would recommend if you are staying at the resort to eat from the Tiki Bar it was good!! If you want a nice dinner head on out to one of the locate restaurants. read more

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Pros: -The food is all very good. -The wait staff was all really nice and provided great service. Nara was an awesome waitress! Cons: -While the food is very good, it's definitely overpriced. -The hostess is a huge turn-off. On both nights that we went for dinner she had a passive-aggressive attitude right from the start and was rude. The manager really needs to have a word with her. This really isn't the job for her, they need someone warm and welcoming at the front to greet guests. read more

Highly recommend the Tiki Bar to watch the sunset and have a cocktail, unfortunately dinner was really disappointing. Service was poor and very slow. The food was average to below-average. With the prices this place charges, I would expect a fine dining experience, unfortunately it was anything but that. I cannot recommend Butterfly Cafe with good conscience. read more

Food was mediocre at best. Service was HORRIBLE. We asked to speak with the manager but was told on a Friday night at 6pm they didn't have one present. Don't waste your money here- there are MUCH better places to eat!!! read more

A fabulous restaurant... The term "café" is a misnomer, because this is a fine dining establishment. The food is expensive, but worth the price. The drinks are more than generous. Service is excellent... We had the scallops with risotto, and I also had a Caesar salad and tuna tartare. One of the best restaurants we've enjoyed in quite a while, and the hotel, Tranquility Bay, is a place where we would enjoy staying. read more

It's hard to find a formal dining option in Marathon, FL but of the few we tried, this was the best one. It was a nice back porch, good service, reliable food and delicious dessert. Food is a bit challenging as a vegetarian gluten-free but they managed to prepare a salad and some delicious sides for me. read more

Fantastic atmosphere and food. Service was wonderful, even provided some insect repellent when the sun set! Everything was wonderful...and then came the key lime pie. That delicious little slice could bring about world peace!!!!! I'm not a fan of mandatory gratuity, so it was disappointing to see such a wonderful place adopting the policy. I normally tip well beyond, would give 5 stars without this. read more

Butterfly Café - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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Had a really nice dinner last night at Butterfly Cafe with my family. We had a reservation for 7pm and were seated right around then. We requested a table outside. It was a bit chilly outside and no heat lamps, so layer up if you want to sit outdoors. Indoors got pretty packed by 7:30, every table was taken. The service was great. We got waters right away and gave our drink and app orders. I am VERY JEALOUS that I didn't get the key lime martini that my sis got. I was worried it was going to be too vodka-y not enough key lime-y. But it was just the right allot of key lime. Almost desserty. I got the aperol spritz which was very standard. Tomato & mozz appetizer was yummy, four pieces so one for each of us. Then they bring you bread! What a treat these days. 3 of us got the grouper. It was a pretty big portion, served with mashed potatoes and veggies in a delic sauce. Overall a very yummy meal. My mom's coconut shrimp was also really tasty. Service the whole night was very good, which is a pleasant surprise these days. Would recommend for a higher end meal while Visiting the Keys. read more

Butterfly Café - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

By far the best place we ate while in town, we ate at several nice places, but this one was by far the nicest for the atmosphere (we sat outside) the food was all amazing, the warm rosemary bread they serve and the desserts were great. We really loved the Date cake with toffee sauce. Our server Jose was excellent and very attentive as well. This is a full scale excellent restaurant and at first when we saw cafe in the name we were not sure if they just served light food or was a full service restaurant. read more

Located within the approximately named Tranquility Bay Resort, this is a wonderful fine dining restaurant with a top end menu, wine list and customer experience. Our waiter was very helpful with selections and attentive without being imposing. I had the yellowtail snapper which was perfectly prepared and presented. We were in the Florida Keys in early December (just catching up) and the holiday decor was wonderful, complimenting what was already a very nice interior design. read more

Butterfly Café - Exterior of the Tranquility Bay Resort reception and the Butterfly Cafe decorated for the holidays. - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

A cozy tropical spot with a delightful menu. Especially enjoyed the conch chowder. The grouper and snapper entrees were perfectly done and generous portions. Pricey but worth it! read more

Butterfly Café - Garden view - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

Very nice menu and the food we ordered was excellent. Great wait staff. Sat outside and it was great. Award Winning GrouperYellowtail Snapper read more

Butterfly Café - 50th Anniversary - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

We are locals and this is the best meal we've had in the keys. The property is gorgeous and the ambiance wonderful. The service is fully on point, ie dedicated but not to the point of annoying. We started with the crab cakes which were great. Not lump but still delicious and with a wonderful chipotle aioli (that I now have to try to recreate!). I had the risotto but with shrimp instead of scallops, and my husband had the pork chops. My dish was fabulous. The risotto perfectly cooked with asparagus and Parmesan cheese and so so creamy. Perfect with the shrimp. My husbands pork chop was very good, although I'd say it was well done instead of medium (our only complaint). The bar and wine options were great as well. We finished with a very nice vanilla crane brûlée. Lovely. We will definitely be back. read more

Are you kidding me? What a hidden gem in a beautiful resort. Service and ambience is nothing like we've ever experienced in the keys. The food was five star. We had a group of four. Filet, shrimp risotto, mahi and shrimp & pasta diavolo. Gabby, the hostess was top notch. Wait staff was spot on. Don't go here.... I never want to have to wait to get a reservation. read more

If you're gonna auto-grat a 4-top table you better have the service to back it up!! The most expensive $460 dinner for 2 adults and 2 teenagers we've ever experienced! Food was great except the service. Jose our waiter was pretty awful. Not only did he give 2 flips about taking care of us, add in the Insult to injury at end of night, we were automatically "gratitudeted" for 4 people?! Umm, yeah since when? Is this Bob's Steakhouse? West Palm Beach? Isn't this usually reserved for 5+ tables?! What am I missing...??! Yeah, this feels more like he knew the service he gave us was absolutely abysmal. He was ambivalent towards us the entire night, but of course at the end...suddenly becomes "caring" and acting attentive, after our bill has already been delivered. We told him 2x the $34 Alfredo pasta plate was awful, 1/4 eaten and he said nothing, did nothing and yeah still charged us for it. Didn't try to make it right or swap it out. The bowl of freezer burn pasta was thrown out. And at the end of the tonight as we were literally walking out, he had the nerve to drop off our "to go" anniversary cheesecake, even tho we already ordered and paid for 2 desserts. Why would you not bring our or honor, say anything about our special evening earlier, I'll tell you why....they don't give a $hit. That's why. 1 star for this place because the hostess was actually sweet and the food (aside from nasty pasta) was actually great. Likely would have received 4 -5 stars and a much better review from us had the service but been SO pathetic. Butterfly Cafe really needs to work harder on getting better server training. read more

Looked up nice restaurants in the area before heading to the keys. The butterfly cafe is a great one in the area! Wanted to go to a nice place for my boyfriends birthday and they were very nice to accommodate, providing a cute birthday dessert plate and sparkler! Our meals were delicious, he got the grouper and I got a salad and crab cakes. The table bread is delicious, overall we loved our dinner here! read more

Butterfly Café - Crabcakes, butterfly salad, grouper - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

Food and service were wonderful. Lovely ambiance (both indoor and outdoor options). Cocktails, starters, entrees were all amazing.

Calling this a cafe hardly does the Butterfly justice. Butterfly Cafe is one of the classiest restaurants in the Keys, an area better known for waterfront dives that concentrate more on waterfront dining than cleanliness and flair. Butterfly has both, and more. We came here with the family on a Saturday night after making reservations for outdoor dining and were seated on the veranda overlooking the Tranquility Bay Resort. After a long day of swimming and sunning, we started with most of the appetizers on the menu and everything was a hit. The conch chowder was the star - a mildly spiced hearty tomato broth, rich with vegetables and seafood. The caprese salad with beefsteak tomatoes and mozzarella, balsamic and basil was gone as soon as it arrived, and the Caesar featured fresh leafy greens with just the right crunch. My kids were pleasantly shocked at how quickly their orders arrived, and the outstanding service really set the tone. The tuna Napoleon was so good we ordered a second. The yellowtail snapper arrived on a bed of puréed potatoes and cooked asparagus and is a dish we'd come back to enjoy again. The key lime pie is served 'frozen' which wouldn't be my first choice but everyone else loved it and the flourless chocolate cake was a standout for the kids. Butterfly isn't an inexpensive choice, but it's the right one for upscale Keys dining. read more

I went to Butterfly Cafe for a birthday dinner last weekend. Everything about the night was perfect - the scallops were amazing and my friends raved about their meals as well. We sat outside on the porch on a perfect 72 degree night. And Jose Luis made sure that we were well taken care of. One of the best restaurants I've been to. It's located inside Tranquility Bay which is a great place to stay if you're in Marathon. read more

Butterfly Café - Key Lime pie and a Chocolate Martini. Dessert to die for. - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

This place was just great all around! I planned on proposing here because it looked like one of the nicer restaurants in Marathon, we were not disappointed! The food was great, we had the scallops and steak with truffle fries. The dessert was excellent too, the key lime pie was amazing and the flourless chocolate cake was to die for. Flabia our waitress went above and beyond to make this night one to remember for the rest of our lives! Thanks Butterfly cafe you guys rock!!! read more

Butterfly Café - The staff did a great job helping me out!!! - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

Yes a lot of places to eat in the Keys kinda the same, fried conch, coconut shrimp, etc. Sometimes you want something nice and upscale, especially if you're celebrating. Butterfly Café is it! I don't mind paying for great food, service and quality (have you seen my wife!) I prefer the inside seating. Just a little too hot and sticky on the porch outside. But it's the Keys right. Lovely drinks to start followed by appetizers, tuna, crab cake (it was small but I get it, it's an app) and tomato mozzarella salad (fresh cracked black pepper added by the server). I had the Cowboy steak with truffle fries. Absolutely amazing! Seared to perfection and aromatic. My wife had double pork chop. That was definitely a taste of the Caribbean! Hard to get her to share. Bottom line, I love this place. You're in paradise, indulge and enjoy!!! Skip the fried seafood in plastic baskets and have fun read more

Simply our absolute favorite fine dining place in Marathon. Great service and great staff and amazing food - personally I'm hooked on the Scallop Risotto. Omfg! And the desert that my wife insists is her alltime favorite is called TDF, which stands for To Die For! read more

Great restaurant for special occasions. Food is always top notch. Pretty extensive selection of wines. Has a tiki bar by the water for after dinner drinks. read more

Butterfly Café - View from the butterfly cafe terrace. - Cafes Near Me - Marathon, Florida

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Great restaurant. Beautiful decor. Great service and really good food. The best spot I've found in Marathon for high quality dining.