First timers at Lola's. Just phenomenal. Our table of five shared all five appetizers, we all got fish for our entree, and had the most incredible desserts. After 30 years of searching, my Dad finally found a flourless chocolate cake that rocked his world. Cannot wait to return. We've had some amazing meals in key West over many years and this one ranked right up there at the top! read more

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Over priced and mediocre food. The waitress/host/menu person recommended 5 appetizers for two people! One small piece of whitefish locally caught with 4 ravioli was $78! Never again! Do not recommend. Not taking credit/debit in a small run down place does not help business. Seems like cash is being taken to report less income and pay less in taxes for overpriced food. Do yourself a favor and go to Santiago's! read more

My son talked us into this place. It was recommended to him. It was fabulous. 5 appetizer, 5 entree choices. Three of us has lobster appetizer. One has scallops. Lobster was great, but the scallops won. Hubs had duck. His won. Son had cobia, DIL had Chilean Sea Bass. I had steak. I loved this place. Great atmosphere, great staff, and service. I really can't say enough good about this place. Quirky, yes. BYOB, Cash only, two seatings. None of that bothered me. Pricey, yes. And I feel it was worth every penny. read more

the quaint dinning room is romantically lit by mostly votives, maybe 30 seats total, so intimate and the chef is in the corner preparing the freshest and most delicious plates! menu is verbally given to you by the server. loved the ambiance, LOVED the food! Ooohhh! Did I mention it is BYOB! we brought in two bottle if wines. most people did ***only accepted payment is cash or zelle*** read more

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This is a one of a kind experience. At least for me. The beautiful little restaurant does not take walk-ins. There are only about 14(?) tables. They have two seatings per night. Ours was 8:00 p.m. They let everyone in for that seating, and then lock the door again. The master chef is in the dining room, cooking in front of the guests. The service is among the most professional I've ever experienced. And feels VERY personal. 4 courses. It was bruschetta for everyone. Followed by your choice of 3, I think, appetizers. We had the scallops. Then comes the entree. I had the 12 Oz filet. My other half had the fish. Finally desert. Everything was prepared to perfection. I'm talking about Iron-Chef champion quality. No joke. It was a little pricey. However, it is BYOB. That offsets the cost somewhat. For a party of two, I recommend one red, one white. That way you have the surf and turf options covered. I believe after tip, I paid about $240 for the two of us. If you want an experience where you feel almost like you have both a personal chef, and a personal waiter, with excellently prepare food and service, go here. Truly a unique experience. Thumbs up Maestro!!! read more

I'd give the food four stars and the service a three. I left my utensils in my appetizer plate to go away. Our waitress decided that I needed to use them again so she removed them from my plate and put them back. Dinner for three was $400.00 with tip and no alcohol so I'd say it's supposed to be an upscale place. It's just ok for that price. read more

We love this place!!! We return every year for anniversary dinner. Romantic dim setting with one of the best kitchens serving you. Highly recommend! Don't forget to bring a bottle of wine. We bring a bottle of both red and white. read more

A special BYO dining experience! First off, Chef accommodated our change in res from 4 ppl to 6 which was very kind. We called in advance about the change. Unlikely that a change could have been managed w/o advance notice b/c it's small space with just 2 seatings. Restaurant is so cozy, full of candlelit ambience. No menu. Guests are seated, then waiter describes offerings to entire room. Open kitchen so if you are located near Chef, you are in for an extra treat watching him prepare the beautiful food. Tasty amuse bouche arrived quickly. Then we enjoyed scallops in a savory garlic sauce. For dinner we had the freshest grouper, Chilean sea bass over lobster ravioli and a beautiful filet. Everything was perfect. Waiter advised that we save room for homemade desserts, and we did as we were told! Pecan pie with homemade ice cream, tiramisu and key lime pie - all worth every delicious calorie. Service was warm and attentive but not overdone. A wonderful evening and can't wait to come back next year!! read more

It's all about the atmosphere. The restaurant is quaint and not obvious from the outside, but romantic on the interior with lighting of tea lights from floor to ceiling. The space has limited tables , all the way to the front door, and the kitchen is in the corner of the dining room. There's a dishwasher , Chef and 2 servers. 2 seatings 6 and 8pm and the place is byob. A verbal menu with no prices. Only accepts venmo, cash or maybe checks. No online presence and the menu changes Daily. A complimentary appetizer salad is served. Beans, cucumbers and a piece of what seemed like untoasted bread with tomato and mozzarella. The complimentary plate was appreciated but definitely was my least favorite course. For appetizers, there were 5 choices. we ordered the scallops and lamb. The scallops were of great quality and large but missing the carmelization from a sear. The sauce was good but not our favorite. Ok the other hand, The lamb was excellent. Had a balsamic reduction. My partner thought it was the best lamb he ever ate. We had a fish with pasta and a steak with mushroom sauce. The steak was cooked medium rare but the sides were so so. The fish was great and the pasta was ok. For desert we had key lime pie with chocolate sauce. I appreciate they served in two pieces since we were two people. It was good. I was allergic to some of the other choices. Great date night! A bit expensive but experience was so fun. read more

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Excellent food. Walked down on Monday and was able to make reservations for Thursday. The scallops are buttery and can be cut thin with a fork! Out of this world and large portion. The conch cakes are delicious. Main entrees were also the best in key West. Friendly staff and chef. A must do when in Key West for foodies. read more

$578 not including tip and BYOB for a family of 4 and having to listen to a baby scream at the next table the whole time. No value at this place. Food was good and setting was interesting but I was expecting a bill half that price AND I had to pay all cash. This was the one lowlight of my vacation in Key West. A suggestion would be to be upfront with your meal costs and don't assume everyone can afford your outrageous prices. read more

Chef Richard's dishes are delicate masterpieces made with fresh local ingredients and magic. A kind of magical food that hits the brain in all the right places with each bite. The menu changes constantly, but we had the braised wild boar appetizer (so so good), the artichoke hearts wrapped in apple wood bacon (incredible) , the roasted duck (stellar) and the baked pompano with ravioli. The baked banana for dessert was the grand finale. I really can't express in words how good this meal was in all ways. The best food, the best service, the best atmosphere. Tips: make reservations early, the 6pm was perfect for us, the next one is at 8. You should stop by Key West Fine Wines beforehand and get a nice Chenin Blanc. Lola's does not serve beverages other than water, but they also don't charge a corking fee. Cash or Venmo only! read more

Lola's Bistro - My beautiful wife in a room with lit candles hanging from the walls. Lola's ambiance is intention elegance at its best. - Italian Near Me - Key West, Florida

Always a home run Best food on the island Make reservations in advance Clean Fresh BYOB great service Awesome food read more

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Q, the bartender at the Rum Bar told us about an extraordinary restaurant called Lola's but said you need reservations weeks in advance. Luckily, he was wrong about the reservations (our flight was canceled, giving us an extra day in KW & and we were willing to take whatever time was available) but more than right about the restaurant. So... to get a reservation, you call the restaurant and leave a message. Chef Richard will call you back. There are only 2 seatings per night (6 pm & 8 pm), and they accept only cash, venmo, or personal check. It is BYOB (only water is provided) with no corkage fee. The restaurant is fairly small, with around 25 to 30 seats. When you get there, you wait outside until the host comes out and calls your name to be seated. Once seated, the hostess goes over the menu options with you. There are no written menus, everything is verbal. You are given 5 appetizer and 5 main course options, which change daily. All meals are prepared by the chef in full view of the diners. For appetizers, Tom got the lamb chops, which were cooked to perfection, and I got the mushroom ravioli. The mushroom ravioli was in a parmesan cream sauce with shreds of Prosciutto in it. It was insanely good. Our main courses were filet mignon with melted Asiago cheese (perfectly seasoned & cooked, juicy and delicious) and Chilean Seabass (tender, flaky, and delicious). Both were over a tasty rice & peppers mixture with zucchini on the side. For dessert, I had strawberry marscapone cheesecake. I normally don't like marscapone cheesecake, but I decided to try it because I had heard it was good. One bite and I was converted. It was creamy, smooth fabulousness. Tom had the Tiramisu, which he absolutely loved. We couldn't have had a better ending to this meal. A word of advice...if you do go don't be late! There are 2 seatings, and everything is timed to perfection, so latecoming diners can throw everything off (and it's just plain rude!). Do not miss this restaurant if you go to KW. I know this will be the first reservation I make for our next trip. Well worth it! read more

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Best meal we had during our vacation in Key West! The setting was intimate, all the food was scrumptious, the service was superb. Do not hesitate-- make your reservation now. read more

I normally would write a review, but I'll let you, the audience, decide for yourselves. See the screenshots of my actual conversation with the Chef's wife and assumed co-owner of Lola's Bistro. In summary, the food was ok, the service was fine, but the hospitality was poor, which unfortunately set the tone for the whole experience. Also, I get having to bring your own alcohol (reduces the expense of having to pay for a liquor license), but no non alcoholic beverages??? Cash/ Venmo only???? And a verbal menu without any prices (I felt hostage to whatever they wanted to charge me)???? See photos. read more

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We made reservations to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday here. We waited like a cattle call as they seat everyone at once (15 mins over seating time). We stood waiting to be told that the concierge at our hotel messed up our reservation . Didn't try to accommodate us & sent us away with no sincerity. There was also another party of 4 waiting & they were told that the reservation was messed up & sent them away as well (celebrating their son's graduation). So 845 - on my husbands 40th birthday, with no where to eat ... Cold, terrible service - DON'T trust that your reservation will be honored. read more

I had to say I really enjoyed this dinner. The ambience was a candle lit lighting. It was great being able to watch the chef cook all the food that was being prepared in the same room as you. read more

I scored a 6 pm sitting for dinner at Lola's via Instagram. This was my first time dining there and I was so excited to taste chef's menu. We arrived at 5:50 pm, with a Cabernet Franc, and sat on the small couch outside waiting for the lights to be turned on. They open promptly at 6pm. The host came out with her list and asked for reservation names. She escorted us inside and sat us in the front. I counted 9 tables in total, some deuces and a few four tops and two larger tables. The candles were all lit and the ambiance was comforting and cozy. The verbal menu was spoken to us by Ryan and we ordered a starter and a main course. I enjoyed both and my husband liked his also. If you ask what the prices are, you most likely should not be dining here. It's an experience in not only the food but also the service. We enjoyed all of it and would recommend it to anyone that is a foodie and wants to indulge in beautiful presentation and delicious food. Make sure you have at least $200 in cash or an active Venmo account. They take checks also but seriously... who has checks anymore? Bon apetito read more

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Top notch. The kind of food you dream about before + after. Love the romantic setting- so many candles! BYOB lets you bring & drink sophisticated wine with a delectable meal at a significant discount. The entire menu is described in detail by the server, cooked in front of you, and has all the choices you could possibly need. Our go-to when visitors are in town- books up fast so make reservations :- ) read more

Second time dining here. The food is phenomenal ! Scallop appetizer and Chilean Sea Bass entree to die for ! And to finish with the best Tiramisu i've ever had ! You will not be disappointed ! Our compliments to Chef Rich . The soft candle lit ambiance is perfect for such and amazing dinner. Thank you !!! We will return !! read more

The good: the food was very good. We had fillet, duck, artichokes and the fish special. All were well prepared and nicely presented. The service was attentive. The fact that this place is BYOB with no corkage is nice since you can enjoy good wine without the crazy restaurant markups. The not so good: the atmosphere feels crowded and noisy. The menu is read at the table by your server and you are not told the prices. I guess if you have to ask, you shouldn't go there. Our final bill was at the high end of Key West restaurants, but the BYOB wine compensates for it. The room was very warm by the time we left. Overall we enjoyed the food and service, but took off a star as we did not like the atmosphere and think if you're going to read the menu, you should give the price for the items. read more

We were put on this restaurant by a local bartender. She goes once a month. I am so glad we went. It was an experience!! The chef cooks everything right there in the limited seating dining room. The staff is so accommodating and professional. They tell you every dish they are offering for the night and you can't go wrong with anything. I would give this place 10 stars! The best scallops my husband and I have ever had. The artichokes were phenomenal. Lola's only has 2 seatings per night and there are not many tables. It is very intimate and it's BYOB!! read more

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While the concept that only one chef and him only cooks for you sounds nice, but in reality, the consistency does not necessarily yield perfections, unfortunately. There's a reason that restaurants have multiple chefs that have dedicated roles. Food was ok - standard approach, nothing inspiring. Desserts were pretty bad - I think chef R needs to reconsider his choice of the pastry chef. Overall I was not impressed and won't return. Also, as Lola does not have an alcohol license (it's hard to imagine this remains unsolved as the restaurant has opened for over a year), you can bring your own bottles as you like. Lastly, the restaurant does not accept any credit cards. So, PayPal etc, cash or checks only. read more

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Tried this restaurant on a recommendation from the Key West Bed and Breakfast. We've been coming down for 20+ years and enjoy our favorite places, but always try to find something new. Interesting concept, with BYOB and cash/Venmo/Zelle only. We were greeted and seated promptly. A bucket quickly appeared for our chilled champagne. Bruschetta starter, followed by scallops, hogfish, and three, count them, three desserts (key lime pie, pecan pie, and some sort of banana/caramel goodness)! Ambiance and service was great, and food was wonderful. Would definitely return. read more

So selfishly I didn't want to post as this place is a HIDDEN GEM and I didn't want to share it with anyone else; but I was asked to post so here it is. Chef Richard and the entire staff was amazing. Food changes every night and everything we had was absolute perfection. I've never been to a place where we ordered from a verbal menu and enjoyed an eclectic dinner without even knowing what it would cost at the end ... but you only live once and sometimes you throw caution to the wind and you will be so happy that you did! Remember: BYOB and Cash (Venmo) only! read more

Fine dining alert! With all the high volume restaurants and bars on Duval, I have found it worthwhile to venture to some of the side streets where you will find some of the better fine dining. Lola's is one of them. It is a tiny restaurant that offers five appetizers and five main courses with some desserts. I ordered the fish with leeks and an artichoke parmesan both were flavorful. The chef is on display with the tiniest of kitchens. You could see he had the fresh vegetables waiting their moment. Service was friendly and I particularly appreciated that the restaurant was willing to accept me without reservation. Since this is a small venue and it is inside you would need to determine whether this is suitable for your circumstances during pandemic times. However, I was very glad to find this off Duval gem. read more

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I've been a Key West regular for 31 years. Unless you're one who's spending your entire vacation on a barstool at Irish Kevin's with your sister-wife (no judgement here), you'd likely know there are quite a few top-notch restaurants on this rock. Until Lola's was created by Chef and owner Richard, the top five restaurants list remained the same for many years. Lola's has taken the top spot ever since. The staff is lovely, the atmosphere is lovely, the cocktails are non-existent (BYOB only) and the food is the freshest you'll find on the island - likely any island, for that matter. Richard is a gem and prepares each and every dish to ten tables at two seatings with ease. (I'm not sure he's human). PS: If you dine with a friend named Rhett, he will gladly take your leftovers home with him, leaving you hangry AF and cursing his name the next day. See you soon, CT Dave read more

Great dinner a couple blocks off Duval... Intimate and curated dining experience. Great quality. Good for a small group or date night. They have a couple quirks you need to know about... they only have 2 reservation spots in the evening. You need to call ahead and book... it's actually really nice and provides a more personalized experience. It's also BYOB... but no corking fee! So that will save a few bucks! Just make sure you pick up a bottle of vino ahead of time. read more

Great food in a friendly atmosphere. BYOB. Cash or Venmo only. Too dark in there for my taste.

Fantastic food and a wonderful atmosphere/experience. HIGHLY recommend eating here when you visit Key West. Be sure to book well in advance read more

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We were in KW for the month of April and could not get in, they were so booked. Back in late July with better luck. A gem of a place! Service and ambiance exquisite. One waiter, Bruce, professional and personable. Richard, the owner and chef, doing the entire job solo, was a sight to see. So calm and workmanlike, clearly in his element. The food quality and creativity above and beyond any other KW restaurants of the day, and we have tried them all. Spectacular...really! read more

We were in Key West only for a few days and met some locals who told us we HAD to try Lola's. They warned us it might be tough to get a reservation but we got lucky and called in the morning at got a reservation for the 8:15 seating that night! I need to start by addressing some of the negative reviews I have seen here. Lola's is a unique culinary experience! If you are just looking for fancy, pretentious dining - this isn't it. When you call to make the reservation, you may have to leave your number but you will quickly get a call back. Melanie will explain the way the restaurant works so there are no surprises...BYOB (anything other than water!), verbal menu, get there on time - NOT early - you won't be seated until your reservation time and payment is cash, check or Venmo. You will not be given prices when you are read the menu (I supposed you could ask) but plan to spend between $100 and $130 per person. Its a small restaurant so it can be a bit noisy but again - Lola's is not pretentious - its fun! Rhett and Bruce were the hosts/servers when we were there and were phenomenal - friendly, attentive and engaging. From most tables in the restaurant you can see Chef Richard cooking and it is AMAZING to watch. Unlike the stereotypes of frazzled, frenetic chefs, watching Chef Richard cook is like watching an artist paint a painting - he is calm and focused all the while juggling the creation of 5 different appetizers and 5 main courses all on his own! The food was phenomenal. I'm not sure how anyone could possibly complain about the quality. We have eaten in restaurants all over the world - from dives to very fancy and the food here was at the top of our deliciousness list! We had such a great time that at the end of our meal we asked about a reservation for the very next night and got lucky and seemed to get one of the last reservations. We came back the next night and had an equally phenomenal experience. We will be recommending Lola's to all of our friends and family that travel to Key West and we will absolutely be back (probably more than once) on our next visit. If you are up for a fun and fabulous food experience, Lola's is for you! read more

Phenomenal food and excellent service! Love the changing menu, BYOB, cash/Venmo only. My partner and I were told to come here but heard they might not take walk-ins. We showed up for my birthday dinner anyway and luckily they made a last minute table for us. And wow...the food was incredible. We ate too much and drank way too much but it was well worth the money and time spent. They sat us near the kitchen where we were amazed to watch the maestro chef in action. And best of all, the crew working there were as friendly and welcoming as the folks we had met in Key West. read more

Lola's Bistro - Italian Near Me - Key West, Florida

The food was very good. Before we came in to the restaurant, we were briefed about etiquette and how it is a fine dining establishment, and everyone under stood that .it was a quiet, intimate atmosphere. Some people (party of 9) .... showed up late hooting and hollering!!! The atmosphere was as loud as being at a sports bar. The manager was kindly spoken to about it. They did nothing!! Even other couples showed irritation and a few walked outside, because they mentioned they were overwhelmed by the noise. We probably will not go back. A good restaurant with good food and atmosphere..... should not allow disrespectfulness. A group of 9 ruined it. read more

A couple blocks from the Duval street action and couldn't be done any better. 6 of us were there Sept 25th for an 8 pm reservation and we were all blown away. No menu just choose from 5 starters and 5 entrées which were all to die for. The bring your own booze was fun mix as the Lola team provided top notch service focused on food and they killed it. Cant wait to go back! read more

Lola's Bistro - YOU CAN WATCH THE CHEF COOK WITH ALL FRESH CUT INGREDIENTS - Italian Near Me - Key West, Florida

What a cool experience!!! The restaurant is by reservation only and seats roughly 10 tables. The chef is there cooking everyone's meals out in the open with whatever ingredients he had that day. The menu changes daily but the quality was beyond my expectations! The staff working there were excellent and so kind! Next time we're in Key West we will definitely be making another reservation read more

Lola's Bistro - Italian Near Me - Key West, Florida

We were so excited to try this restaurant after hearing about it from a Key West local. We promptly arrived at 8:10 with an 8:15 seating scheduled, they were running a bit behind but no worries there. The place is cute and kitschy . Before being seated , the rules of the establish are gone over, ie it's byob , cash or Venmo only which we were prepared for. No surprised there , so we waited for our name to be called to be seated. Service was fine, verbal menu and friendly and attentive. The food, however is another story. First the positives, the amuse bouche of tomato, mozzarella and toasted bread with white beans and cucumber was delicious. The scallops, perfectly pan seared with a well seasoned garlicky sauce were the highlights . We ordered two other appetizers, the stuffed portobello with chorizo, the description being much more impressive than the results. Unmelted cheese on top, bland and boring. The tempura lobster tail was served raw not once but twice. We ordered the hogfish and 10 oz filet for entrees . The hogfish was well cooked but unimpressive and the filet ordered medium was more or less raw and cold as well as the orzo pasta and sauce it was served with. A tab of $250 without alcohol or tip , my expectations were much higher. We've dined all over the country at some of the finest restaurants from NYC to Las Vegas , the execution of this establishment should try to match the arrogance. read more

Accidentally chose this restaurant by chance. Only 2 seatings so a reservation is a must. Cash, Venmo or personal check only. Maitre'd was direct and respected the privacy of the first seating. He informed us that it was byob and gave us directions to a packy. We were sat during the 815 seating and created by the server. Very passionate and helpful. 5 appetizers, 5 main course and 5 desserts. We ordered the spinach raviolis in a parm cream sauce and per the server a must try when offered scallops. Both were delicious and rich. Main course we had smoked house topped 10oz filet over chef's orzo and hog fish which is rare due to the way they are caught.(spear fishing only). Hog was pan fried in a rich sauce and was to die for. Desserts were delicious and made daily. Only downfall was we were trying to get to better than sex and never made it because we're so full and satisfied. Can't wait to go back. 1. Make reservation 2. Bring wine of choice 3. Bring cash we spent $300 2 people 4. Have open mind for food. Can't wait to return Jimmy B read more

Interesting concept. No posted menu..you have no idea what you're getting into prior to showing up. What wine should you bring? Who knows. The server comes to the table and you are read a menu. Don't think about pondering it. They have to turn the tables. What's the price? Who knows. I've dined all over the world in the finest restaurants. This place is mediocre at best with flat service. The servers seemed to be put out to be there. There are much better places to eat in Key West. A number of white table cloth places if that's your preference or even dives with great food at a great price. It's interest to do once. I wouldn't go back simply because there's better food elsewhere. read more