15 Best Cocktail Spots in the Florida Keys (my top pick is last)

Initially I made a list of all the cocktail spots in the Florida Keys that we have stopped at in our many trips from Key Largo to Key West, but there were too many. Then I tried to trim it down to what I think are the ten best cocktails places in the Keys but i still couldn’t do it, so here we are with my 15 favorite spots to get a cocktail. Of course there are lots more, but I really like these picks for both getting a quality beverage and being in a beautiful spot.

Whether you’re looking for the quintessential Key Lime Martini or just want to have a refreshing drink as you look out across the water, I don’t think you can go wrong with these restaurants and bars for a nice visit. With a range of budgets and vibes, our picks for best cocktails in the Florida Keys is inclusive of both indoor and outdoor establishments just in case the weather isn’t your jam. If you have any questions about any of our top picks or want to suggest your own favorite cocktails in the Keys, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more to help others plan a fun trip in the Florida Keys.

Best Florida Keys Cocktail Spots

As you’re driving the Overseas Highway from Key Largo to Key West, you’ll be making all kinds of stops. From diving off Key Largo or doing the famous glass bottom boat in Pennekamp State Park to enjoying the day at Historic Pigeon Key, you’ll work up an appetite and get thirsty along the way. We’ve picked the best cocktail spots in the Florida Keys to be able to have a variety of experiences as you explore. It’s not all key lime martinis, but we’ve put together a great mix of environments and cocktail menus that ensure you have both iconic and unique breaks along your trip.

Skipper’s Dockside on Key Largo

I always enjoy Skipper’s Dockside on Key Largo, both for food and for drinks. I love the location just off a canal in the same marina where you catch the African Queen boat, and there is plenty of outdoor covered seating. There’s usually mellow live music (it’s not annoying) and even on busy days we get sat pretty quickly. I love their blackberry jalapeno margarita (I hope it doesn’t go away) and they’ve consistently been the home of my favorite Key Lime Pie in the Florida Keys for years. If you don’t want to get a beverage because you’re driving through Key Largo, you should still stop for the Key Lime Pie. For vibes and starting the trip on the right foot, Skipper’s is one of the best spots for cocktails in the Florida Keys.

Snook’s Bayside Restaurant & Grand Tiki Bar

Snook’s Bayside on Key Largo is great for grabbing cocktails, maybe some food, getting the sand between your toes and enjoying the outdoor tiki bar vibes. You can get a table on the sand and listen to the live music, watching the turquoise waters of the Keys flow by or sit at the bar under the tiki hut enjoying the shade. This was our go-to cocktail spot when we were staying at the Bayside Inn Key Largo next door, and we’ll be back again and again I’m sure.

Marker 88 Cocktails with a View

I think Marker 88 in Islamorada has one of the best views in the Florida Keys. The tiki style bar has a long counter facing out to the water with plenty of seating there or at the bar. You can come here for just a beverage or you can have a nice meal in the open air restaurant. I like Marker 88 for an adults-only stop because it is nicer and the restaurant area has a more mature vibe, but kids are welcome in the non-bar seating. Marker 88 has some of the best cocktails in the Florida Keys and when paired with the vibes and sunset view is absolutely winning.

Islamorada Brewery and Distillery for Cocktails

Located across the street from my favorite adults-only resort in the Florida Keys, the Casa Morada, Islamorada Brewery and Distillery is a combination of a tasting room, cocktail bar and patio with yard games and a food truck. You can stop in and do a tasting of either the different spirits in the distillery (I like the hibiscus gin and passionfruit vodka) or the beers at the other bar. Order a handcrafted cocktail or one of their on-tap drinks and head out to the gardens and patio. It’s a great place to hang out, and there’s even a food truck if you need some snacks. This is a kid-friendly stop, as well as dog-friendly.

Morada Bay and Pierre’s Restaurant

I include two spots here because they are directly next to one another and you park in the same spot. Morada Bay is a great place to visit with kids or adults only, with a big sandy patio to enjoy or you can sit at the counter and enjoy the AC that blows out from inside. There may be chickens running around you but it’s such a great vibe and both the food and cocktails are good. It’s one of the best cocktails spots in the Keys for family-friendly afternoons.

Pierre’s Restaurant next door is much fancier and is a great option if you’re doing the Florida Keys without kids (it’s the most expensive meal I’ve had in the Keys and it was exceptional). While families are indeed welcome, Pierre’s is quite upscale and the Green Flash Lounge is top notch. It’s almost as cool and classy as my favorite cocktail spot in Key West (see below). Pierre’s is a wonderful idea for where to get a cocktail when you’re doing a luxe Florida Keys trip.

Florida Keys Brewing Co for Flights

The vibe at the Florida Keys Brewing Co is very similar to the Islamorada Brewery (and it’s not far away) but here they focus on beer and have a ton of their own and a few other local brews on tap. I know I’m including this in what I think are the best cocktails in the Florida Keys, but if you’re up for another sort of drink, Florida Keys Brewing has my favorite vibe.

The backyard is huge with lots of seating and colorful picnic tables, and they even have some event space. This is a good stop on an adult-only Florida Keys trip, but it is set up so kids can hang out with parents on the patio. In general, the people you meet in the Key are easy going and kind, but the owners of the Florida Keys Brewing Co are some of the nicest I’ve met

Papa Joe’s Waterfront for Sunset

At the tip of Upper Matecumbe Key in Islamorada you’ll find Papa Joe’s Waterfront, and besides having some of the best food in Islamorada, they also have the best sunset. Papa Joe’s has amazing outdoor seating, beautifully prepared meals, and some of the best cocktails in the Florida Keys. They use as many Florida Keys ingredients as they can in their cocktails, so whether it’s the limes or the honey you’re after, you’ll love getting dinner and drinks here as the sun sets over the Middle Keys.

Bongo’s Botanical Beer Garden: Dream and Chill

If there’s one place that really has the lazy beach bum vibe that you may think of when you’re plotting out your Florida Keys trip, it’s Bongo’s Botanical Beer Garden. Grab your beverage and chill out in a hammock. Order lunch and sit in the shade of the palm trees while reggae music plays. This is a family-friendly spot, but if you’re doing the Keys without kids, you’ll be able to veg out here as long as you like. If ever I get to open my own cocktail spot somewhere, I want it to be reminiscent of Bongo’s Botanical Beer Garden.

The Palm Deck: Rooftop Cocktails in the Florida Keys

Located at the Grassy Flats Resort (which I love), the Palm Deck is the rooftop bar looking out across the quiet flats of Marathon’s Grassy Key. The view is lovely and the drink menu is great. Classic cocktails, sangria and really good appetizers / shareables make it a solid pick to start your evening. You don’t have to be staying at the Grassy Flats Resort, but while you’re here grabbing a drink you can check out the rest of the property for your next visit.

Lighthouse Kitchen and Bar at Faro Blanco

Every visit to the Faro Blanco includes some of the best cocktails in the Florida Keys vis the Lighthouse Kitchen and Bar. I’ve been here so many times. This spring we had a wonderful stay at the Faro Blanco Resort and each afternoon we were sure to visit the Lighthouse Kitchen and Bar for their happy hour. The restaurant itself is wonderful (my favorite nice dinner in Marathon) but the bar is great if you’re visiting without kids. Hanging out chatting and watching the boats come in and out of the marina, all while enjoying delicious snacks and drinks, I love spending some time here relaxing between activities.

General Horseplay in Key West: Fun Cocktails and Happy Hours

Key West is absolutely full of cocktail bars and places to enjoy food and drinks, but there are a few unique spots that absolutely are my favorites. I’ll start with General Horseplay just off Duval Street which I think is one of the best cocktail bars in the Keys. I absolutely LOVE their cocktail menu, their decor, the staff is awesome and hilarious, and I LOVE the way they do their happy hour. General Horseplay runs their happy hour like a dice game, and depending on what you roll you’ll get different deals. It’s great outside of happy hour too, but I think it’s a fun place to go in the afternoon/early evening before dinner or after your Ghosts and Gravestones Tour of Key West.

The Roost: Best Surprise Cocktail Bar in the Florida Keys

When you first enter the Roost on Fleming Street you might be confused. Is it a bar or a liquor store? Can I get food? Yes to all of that. The cocktails are fun and thoughtfully made, including a different cocktail on tap each day. The appetizer menu is lit and perfect for sharing. And then there is happy hour every day from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. There are cozy tables or you can sit at the bar. And yes, you can purchase bottles of both mainstream and niche spirits to take home with you. If there’s one spot that embodies both the classy and snappy side of Key West, it’s the Roost.

Bagatelle for Feeling Swanky

It’s easy to be swept into the Jimmy Buffet style spots of Key West, or the well known watering holes, but there are a few gems that are easy to walk by, and the bar at Bagatelle is one of these. Feeling like a 1930s speakeasy bar but not actually hidden, just dark and moody in the middle of the restaurant, Bagatelle has some wonderful dishes and cocktails. The carpaccio with a dirty martini… that’s the prime nightcap that finishes a night in Key West perfectly. If you get here at happy hour (4:00-6:00) you can beat the evening crowd and just enjoy this quiet escape off Duval Street. Some of the best cocktails and best vibes in Key West.

First Flight Key West – Cocktails and History

I love how Key West is just woven with historic spots that you might not even think of, like the original PanAm Airlines office… which is now the First Flight Brewery. Located near the Hemingway House and Audubon House, stopping into First Flight for a cocktail or nice meal out on the patio is always a good idea. It gets pretty busy here in the evenings, but it’s one of the best places for a cocktail on a shady patio in the afternoons.

TOP PICK: Hemingway Social Club Key West

Of all the places, I strongly feel that this is the best cocktail spot in Key West, and maybe in all of the Florida Keys. This is my FAVORITE spot to visit in Key West without kids, and maybe it’s just my love of literature or the vintage vibes of the place, but the Hemingway Social Club is everything I want from a cocktail bar. I want big leather chairs and decor that feels like I’m traveling in the 1930s. I want bourbon and jazz. When I’ve been in the sun all day and communing with nature, I want to snap back into the human side of the Florida Keys with a cocktail and a big mood.

The Hemingway Social Club is attached to the Hemingway Distillery (Papa’s Pilar Rum) and it’s THE vibe I want every bar or lounge to be in any city everywhere. It’s a step back in time to the 1930s, with the leather chairs, jazzy musicians and classic cocktails. Add to that a bronze statue of Ernest Hemingway at the bar and it’s perfection in a cocktail bar. Truly, they did an awesome job creating the atmosphere and setting the mood with the Hemingway Social Club.