Given the myriad choices of dining options, deciding where to eat in Key West can be both a bigger challenge than it seems and one any vacationer would probably delight to have. Seafood? Of course. Live music? Check. That place where author Ernest Hemingway used to referee boxing matches? Natch. Our first choice on this particular night in Key West is none other than Blue Heaven, in the Bahama Village section of the key.
While Blue Heaven sort of had me at “Ernest Hemingway was here,” we still tarried. We did not want to over plan our stay in Key West, but dinner reservations would be necessary. What swayed us?
Go Back in Time at Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West
Based in an historic building that dates to the 1800s, Blue Heaven treats visitors to a step back in time. The historic building’s storied past as both a dance hall and a bordello make me wonder what stories this place could tell. It is the recommendation of a foodie we admire that compelled us to the place.
Blue Heaven in Key West is not a maybe;
Bashful Adventurer
it’s a must-go.
And so we went.
Fall in love the second you leave reception as you trace a path among Key West greenery to the outdoor bar. Marvel at the sandy yard and at how comfortable one quickly becomes viewing chickens run about. Watch musicians perform on the nearby stage, admire the trees, or just envision those sweaty Friday nights when Ernest was present.
Is Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West Recommended?
As for the food? It lives up to the hype. Shrimp and beans and corn bread seemed a throwback to a time long past, before people pondered quite so much pairings or how nouvelle their cuisine is. Traditional sometimes is fantastic. If it hadn’t been good all along, it probably would not have become a tradition. Start with the black bean soup.
Go for the grub, stay for the stars and the trees and the band and the mile-high Key Lime pie.
—Bashful Adventurer
Blue Heaven, 729 Thomas Street, Key West, FL
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