If you're in Islamorada, Chef Michael's needs to be on your list. Fresh local seafood, elevated dining and great service. We started with a shrimp and lobster ceviche served in a half coconut and a wahoo and tuna special. Both were exceptional. For my entree I had a fish trio special featuring blackened mahi with crawfish creole cream, pistachio crusted hog fish with mango sauce, and grilled swordfish with herbs. Finished with a six layer carrot cake that was absolutely worth it. read more

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Best restaurant in Islamorada. Everything was 10/10. Best conch chowder in the keys, amazing fish. Top notch service. Small restaurant so get a reservation, but still a keys vibe. Not cheap, but you know what you're getting into. read more

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Food was magnificent. Well served delicious I would highly recommend Nice quiet place to enjoy some good food read more

Chef Michael's is always a hit and never a miss! Excellent service from professional servers that love their profession. Each server is unique and demonstrates great knowledge of each dish which helps making a selection easier. The food is just exquisite. My favorite and go to dish is the Pontchartrain preparation which is extremely flavorful and perfection. The steaks and lamb chops are delectable. Let's talk desserts: OH MY... The cinnamon roll bread pudding is to die for! Must try! read more

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Finally had a chance to experience Chef Michael's. We had a really enjoyable dinner. We took our own catch of Mutton Snapper and they charged us $27.00 per person to cook our catch. It was more or less 50% of the cost of a dish as the average dish is $48.00. The restaurant is has a nice vibe with an upscale keys vibe. Reservations are highly recommended especially on the weekends. The bread was super fresh. We had the tuna appetizer and small fried Lion fish which was excellent as well. Our fish was delicious cooked in two ways. Portchartrain and Abassador. Both were amazing! Highly recommend those two. The coconut rice and vegetables were amazing! The service was great too. They also had good kids menu with chicken, steak & pasta. They had etch & sketch for the kids to used at dinner which allowed them to stay entertained for a bit. Really enjoyed the experience. read more

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This establishment was recommended to us by someone in our hotel jacuzzi. She said several people told her about it! The hotel provides a shuttle so that was easy too. Made a reservation. The food was delicious. The service was great! The environment was peaceful. It's a place that you can go dressed nice or business casual. The server recommended fish that is good (different fish options than we were used to). All in all, I would recommend this place over and over to people who are in the area! I just wish we ordered a dessert. Later at the hotel, one of the employees said it's known for their desserts too! So if you're reading this, save some room for a dessert. :) The only thing is that they knew it was a very big special occasion, but they didn't recognize it in anyways, so that was the only disappointment and everything was so great it is hardly worth mentioning. read more

Chef Michael's - Flash Fried Lion Fish - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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Food, service, ambiance were all perfect! Fresh fish was delicious. Bonus gluten free key lime pie. Highly recommend! read more

Changed chefs? Inconsistent is how I would describe our dinner tonight. While the NY strip steak $75 was delicious and perfectly cooked, the Hog fish Francaise with crab cake was lacking. The consistency of the crab cake was off putting; like ground up imitation crab and lack of brightness from lemon was a fail. Conch chowder flavor was good but lacked actual pieces of conch. The conch and shrimp fritters were also delicious but we had issues with the temperature on a kids 8ounce steak $25 it was way over cooked. The reorder of another NY strip steak after waiting 25 minutes was under done. Unfortunately this was birthday boys meal and he left disappointed. Gone are the beautiful orchids and replaced with plastic ones. read more

Best seafood restaurant in Islamorada. Offer things besides seafood which are also first class.. steak/duck/lamb. Service is outstanding. Tough to get last minute reservations or walk in. Small and popular. Wine list just ok.. no liquor just beer and wine. read more

Came here because of Yelp reviews and were glad we did! Nice restaurant with very fresh fish! We try not to eat bread but it came with their herb olive oil that was delicious! And then of course with escargot there's more chance to eat bread. We got the wahoo tataki as an app, trilogy fish (subbing another fish for mahi because we'd already had mahi that day), and the Juliette triple tail. So got to try five fishes in one meal! Service was also great. Highly recommend! read more

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I can't say enough about the incredible experience this restaurant offers everytime! It's quite interesting to watch everyone working like a well oiled machine. The food is amazing, blows my mind with every visit. I without a doubt think this is the best restaurant in the Keys. Highly recommend, you will not be disappointed!! read more

Chef Michael's never disappoints! We dine here just about every time we visit Islamorada. Quiet, cute with great service and delicious food every time! The ceviche is a must! While we don't normally get dessert our group shared the carrot cake, key lime pie and salted Carmel cheesecake .. all were delicious! read more

We love duck and enjoy the many ways it is served. Chef Michael presents a crispy skinned treat with a mango and mandarin orange sauce. We wanted a classier place after enough of the repetitive fried everything waterfront scene. We were not disappointed. Top it off with the kind attentiveness and friendliness of wait person Shelly, and we were off to bed as happy campers. read more

The good: *The greeting we received upon arrival; a lovely little lady welcomed us in. *Adriatic Swordfish. This was tender and flavorful. The bad: *General ambiance. The restaurant felt joyless, dark, and stuffy. *Duck. This was tough and as dry as a a popcorn fart. It was as though it had been microwaved until near explosion. The dish was dated and generally uninspired, with some white rice and random vegetables on the side. For the price, we expected far more. read more

Excellent food and service! I had the lobster and it was prepared perfectly. It was served with a key lime butter, amazing. My partner had the hogfish blackened with the creole prep. Extremely flavorful. This restaurant is small and we would recommend making a reservation. Also, beer and wine only. Not a problem for us as the wine selection was great. read more

Chef Michael's - Local lobster with key lime butter - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

I really enjoyed this place. The food was fantastic. My wife had the Hogfish and I the Yellowtail Snapper. Both were delicious! We finished it off with the salted caramel cheesecake. Excellent! read more

Chef Michael's is one of the few true fine dining experiences in Islamorada. There are two things that are certain when you visit Chef Michael's. You will have an incredible dining experience... and you certainly will pay a pretty penny for that experience. For appetizers I got the lamb lollipops (chops) and the Baby Iceberg salad. The salad was fantastic, however I was not impressed with the lamb. It tasted ok, and was cooked to the requested temperature, but lacked any real seasoning. It was too charred on the outside given the lack of seasoning to balance it out. For entrees I had the "Juliette" prepared Hogfish and the Fried Lionfish. Both were served with coconut rice and vegetables. Both dishes were fantastic! I have always wanted to try Lionfish, and it was fried to perfection with a very light breading. The "Juliette" preparation of the hogfish was fantastic as well with it being a creamy white wine sauce with shrimp and scallops on top. Even though I loved the taste of the Lionfish, I likely would not get it again as it is an exceptionally boney fish, and those bones are so small and prevalent around the meat, that they were hard to avoid. Still a delicious dish. The ambiance was fantastic with the dining room dimly lit and quiet, and a small bar area. It is the perfect setting for a date night or special occasion. I was very impressed with the staff as well. Everyone was friendly and our waitress was very knowledgeable both of the menu and wine pairings. Definitely a dining experience that lived up to and in some areas exceeded my expectations! read more

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Here we are again. Five months later and I could not wait for this meal!! It was as fabulous as I remembered! read more

Chef Michael's - Seafood pasta to-go from our balcony. Life is good!! - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

What a nice place in the keys. Elegant, yet still the keys! Our server was spectacular and the food was amazing. The wine was also amazing and better with desert! read more

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Superior restaurant with daily menu of fresh catch of the day. Will sure to repeat next time with phone in hand for photos . read more

From a greeting at the door being brought to our table chef Michaels is an amazing place. Everything is fresh locally sourced prepared to order. I ordered at the wahoo. My wife had the duck Everything was paired perfect prepared perfectly. read more

Chef Michael's - My wife had a duck. It was absolutely amazing when she was 90% finished her meal. She offered me a piece and it was still warm. - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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Chef Michael's is the place to go if you want to try hogfish for the first time!!! They offered several preparations of it- my trio dish (3 different fish, 3 different ways, a "special" for the night), came with the "mixed nuts" hogfish. It was crusted with pistachio, cashews, and macadamia nuts and served with a mango sauce. The "crust" was crispy, and the fish was flaky and juicy. Really light fish, I enjoyed the taste and the texture of the crust worked well with it. The coconut rice was cooked perfectly, and was well-seasoned; paired well with the main dish. Service here was 10/10, the waiter was both friendly and helpful. The inside of the restaurant is small, warm, and cozy. I would definitely return to Chef Michael's- they know how to cook fish!! Fun experience. Make a reservation!! read more

Chef Michael's holds a special place in my heart. My (at the time) boyfriend brought me for dinner (for what I thought was an early birthday celebration), but was actually the night he proposed! He made early dinner reservations for 5:00 PM so we could watch the sunset after (and proposal). We were promptly seated upon arrival and received excellent service throughout the meal. Their special of the day was a Lion fish appetizer, which was exquisite! Seriously one of the best tasting fish I've ever had. For entrees, I ordered the Yellowtail "juliette style" with shrimp, scallops, chardonnay butter and toasted almonds. The flavors were light and complemented each other very well. He ordered the Hogfish "ambassador style" with crabmeat, shiitake mushrooms, capers and key lime butter. It had a rich umami flavor. For dessert we had pumpkin pie bread pudding served with ice cream, which was to-die-for! I'm a sucker for anything pumpkin pie and anything bread pudding so I loved the combination! read more

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A great place to get a great dinner. The fish is locally caught and fresh (mahi, wahoo & triple tail). The black bean soup is the best I have ever had. read more

Great experience at Chef Michael's. Most people will order the other hogfish dishes but the scallops, shrimp, pasta dish was the best thing on the menu IMO. Apps were fantastic. Mahi tuna in some type of teriyaki sauce w chips. The lamb pops were perfect for a group of four. Highly recommend. read more

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We've stopped coming here. It used to be an anniversary tradition. The last two years after asking to sit on a quiet side they placed us next to a 12 top one year and a 20 top last time. It was so loud we left and anniversary night was ruined... again. This is a place that's better in memory than in person. If you want a place to go where you're having a $$$$ meal in a sports bar this is your place. This really makes me sad. We made such great memories there over the years. :'( read more

What an amazing place! I love that this restaurant was not too big or too small. I would definetly recommend a reservation to come in. We sat at the bar, which gave more of a "chill" vibe for me. The bartender was super sweet. Spoke with us most is the time but was not over bearing. They do not serve liquor which I was surprised about, but they have a amazing selection of wine and bubbles. We had a bottle of rose which was great. We had two appetizers, I honestly can't remember which one was the second one because the ceviche was so amazing! Normally ceviche can be...very acidic. This was super light and refreshing. I ate the seafood pasta, which came with so much protein. Sometimes when you order something like this, it only comes with like 2 shrimps and 1 scallop, but this was not like that. Was def the best pasta I've had in a while. My husband had the seafood trilogy which was also amazing. This is a "fancy" place, but it's the keys, so you can come on down in your flip flops and shorts it seems. I liked that. Can't wait to come back! read more

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Wow, what an experience! We were in town as plans changed last minute & this restaurant was across the street a little way down. We felt underdressed- sorry to the team working tonight- and were treated very well anyway. Great service, remarkable food! We'd never had hogfish before. It's a new favorite. Beautiful interior, exterior & artwork. A real gem of a seafood place. read more

Not sure why people consider this fine dining or high-end, the food was good quality but also the seafood is fresh literally everywhere in the Keys?When we first showed up, the host(s) were kind but really just opened to the door and pointed at the table we had reserved--not a huge deal but it's white tablecloth, expensive dinner so was expecting a bit more. We were immediately served water and bread and our actual server was super attentive and made fantastic recommendations on the dishes and how to eat the dishes themselves (@ lion fish). We got the lion fish as an appetizer which was fried whole, flaky and crispy. Wouldn't get again but cool for the novelty of it as we had never had it before. We also got a cup of conch chowder and it was wonderful, a bit of heat and very flavorful. For dinner we got the trilogy and the grouper juliette. Grouper juliette was a knockout the fish was so fresh it was almost sweet and the sauce was delicious. Trilogy was cool because we could try multiple fish styles but swordfish Adriatic was underwhelming. Key lime pie was like a key lime cheesecake (very good) and crème brûlée tasted like it had almost a rum-bitter aftertaste. Overall, good service and good food but a tad overpriced and wouldn't come back. read more

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The menu here is interesting. The fresh local fish is constantly rotating depending on what they can get. They offer several innovative ways to cook and accompany the fish. I've tried them all and it's hard to pick a favorite. The staff is always cheerful, pleasant and knowledgeable. I like sitting at the bar. I just wish they offered cocktails. Beer and wine only. read more

Wonderful food and service! Great recommendations from the waitstaff and top notch seafood!

Super friendly service. Nice inside place to sit that has a roomy feel to it. For dinner on a Tuesday night I was looking for a simple dish not feeling that hungry. The Grouper -- Simply Grilled, Sautéed, Fried or Blackened, and in this case, blackened was the perfect fit for my needs, and I was very happy with it. Though I debated upon writing this as to give it four or five stars, I ended up going full out with the five. Why? Well, not being from the area I made this choice on one factor - choice. Though I settled for the grouper for my catch of the day not wanting to venture too far on my last night in the Keys, I was amazed as to how many fish choices I was presented with. No, I'm not in New Jersey anymore. Few were familiar options for me and next time I will start to figure out what I am missing! read more

Chef Michael's - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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We went here Tuesday. Hade the blackened hogfish. Others had the trio of fish. Hogfish. Wahoo and swordfish. Great. read more

Chef Michael's - Trio - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

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We had a wonderful dining experience at Chef Michael's a couple of weeks ago. Our server Christopher was gracious and made our dining experience memorable. He explained the differences amongst the fresh fish offerings, helped us navigate a wine selections and provided just the right level of attentiveness. The restaurant has a warm contemporary feel and is a great place for a date night or a small group dinner. Our meals were outstanding. We had a ceviche appetizer and conch chowder, both were delicious. And we had our fresh fish dishes Juliette style (wine butter sauce with keys shrimp and scallops). I had triple tail and my husband had the trigger fish. We enjoyed them with a white Rhône style wine. We plan to come back on our next trip to Islamorada. read more

Chef Michael's - Trigger fish prepared Juliette style in wine butter sauce with Keys shrimp and scallops. - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Great spot! Very accomodating with reservations...... hogfish was fantastic and wine selection and pricing is a fantastic selection! Staff was very friendly and service was attentive and prompt..... read more

Went here for the 4.5 star rating It was wrong .....should be 5!!! The lobster & shrimp ceviche was beyond outrageous The hogfish was outstanding And finally the seafood pasta puts this place way over the top. Best food and flavors in the entire state!! read more

Chef Michael's - Hogfish and seafood pasta - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Chef Michael's food was excellent I had the whole Hog fish with a side of crawfish sauce that I would eat off my bumper if I had to. Service was a bit disappointing they were slow to react but all in all I would go there again for the food! read more

Chef Michael's - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Chef Michael's is a world class restaurant located in the heart of Islamorada. All of the items on their menu can be considered Gourmet dining. The kitchen is spotless and the staff takes great joy and pleasing their customers. We were there with a very large party and they served us all with excellence. They start your dining with a delicious oil and basil dipping sauce for your warm bread. We enjoyed all their appetizers. Our main course was swordfish and mackerel they prepared them both excellent. I had the baby iceberg wedge salad which was definitely delicious served with pecans Gorgonzola cheese and a gourmet dressing. It's definitely enough for two. You can see in every aspect of the restaurant The Chef Michael takes great pride and joy and maintaining his status as a world class destination for food lovers. We have been coming here for over 14 years I think that is a statement in itself. The ambiance is quite quaint definitely a very enjoyable experience. read more

Overpriced, overrated and overcooked! We ordered a 75$ steak and the person cooking it did not know how to cook it. I am all for supporting local businesses-but a person cooking a 75$ steak should know the difference between medium and medium rare. read more

Tonight's special - fried Lion fish. The meal came with 2 whole fish with pontchartrain sauce, coconut rice and vegetables. The meal was perfectly prepared. Service was great with a nice atmosphere! read more

Chef Michael's - 2 whole LionFish - Seafood Near Me - Islamorada, Florida