AMAZING! The best meal we had in Key West and one of the top dining experiences I've ever had. Robert was our server and he was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable with the menu and we could tell he was familiar with food/cooking/restaurants. We got to talking and he shared he used to have his own restaurants elsewhere which was not a surprise. Little Pearl offers a 4 course tasting menu for $85. You can also get additional items from their raw bar. I started with the shrimp bisque which was very tasty. Had a bit of spice which was a nice touch. Second was the lobster burrata. Very good. Third was the crispy sea bass which was SO good. I live in the Midwest and you just don't get fish like this ever. Could tell how fresh it was and it was cooked perfectly. My boyfriend got the day boat which is the catch of the day. It was swordfish and tasted unreal. Dessert was lavender ice cream with a bit of sea salt. Never had lavender ice cream and I loved it. This is a must in key west. If you're a foodie you will love the experience. Robert was awesome, he even gave us restaurant recommendations for Miami after hearing that we were going in a few days. You should definitely make a reservation. They have options at 5, 7 and 9. We did 9 and it was about a 2 hour experience. read more

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Love love it. Second time and there will be a third. They change the menu every 45 days. Chef's Tasting Menu. Staff is amazing, providing insight on wine and choosing the perfect bottle. read more

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Foodie Alert! If you are a foodie you can find some of the better restaurants off Duval and slightly away from the crowds. Little Pearl is exactly one of those pearls. I ordered the multi course meal which started with a delicious corn based chowder. There were several enticing main entries including the shrimp and grits which featured fresh shrimp and was flavorful. The surprise of the eventing was the popcorn creme brûlée and the combination worked well. Service was pleasant and efficient and they were even kind enough to accommodate without a reservation. This is a beautiful little restaurant. The only disappointment was that while the restaurant was very stringent on Covid protocol including temperature checks, I noticed the back kitchen cooks with their masks on their chins which is unacceptable and hypocritical. read more

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We had a lovely meal at Little Pearl - the food and experience is at the fine dining level and it was very enjoyable. We were only able to get reservations and 5pm (the 7pm and 9pm seatings were booked well in advance) but it worked out because we had our choice of tables and we were able to dine al fresco and enjoy the perfect 76 degree Key West evening. We started off with the special of the day grilled octopus with chimichurri nam prik - which was probably the best octopus I've ever had. I then had the maguro usuzukuri, which was very good, and the Maine lobster with burrata and Thai basil which was amazing! My meat course was the petite osso buco which was perfectly prepared - tender yet slightly gelatinous with the bone marrow to be sucked out. Dinner was rounded out with a pleasant cheese course with a lot of tasty fruits. read more

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What a disappointment! We went there for our 35th wedding anniversary and noted that in the reservation. Our server didn't mention it until we brought it up and only said "yes, I saw that". The food overall was only ok. First course snapper ceviche was so over spiced that both of our lips were burning. All serving sizes were extremely small. At one point a guest accidentally broke a glass. The servers were complaining to each other audibly that there was glass everywhere. Wait staff was very snooty overall and definitely not attentive nor kind. After we paid our bill we got a "happy anniversary/good night ". Will not be wasting money there again. read more

Small romantic neighborhood spot off the main drag. Great atmosphere w/romantic lighting & curated music. It offers a tasting menu style w/three options from 4 different categories. The staff are attentive but at times can come off pushy. Over all would recommend as a nice spot for a romantic evening but may not be a must visit destination. read more

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Reservations are hard to get so book in advance. And for a reason! Place was amazing. From the service to the food. Highly recommended

Food was delicious and service was great! I will recommend this to friends. Ambiance is very energetic, but not too loud where you can't have a conversation. read more

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Now this was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had in Key West and I've been coming here nearly 30 years and have enjoyed many restaurants and meals here. The night I came the menu was coursed-out, not a la carte, but with 3 selections per course. There were still tough choices to be made because more than one item per course looked very appealing. Gail, our server was very helpful and knowledgeable about the menu, the work being done in the kitchen, the ownership, and their broad selection of freshly caught seafood. They have a nice wine list, no other spirits/cocktails though, but we were fine with this, as we're mostly wine drinkers. We started with bubbles and moved to a nice chardonnay and prices are very reasonable for the offerings on the wine list. I didn't research the pricing before coming, just reviewed several reviews, enough to know that it would be a great experience, so we came. Once the meal started, I was worried that it would be price-prohibitive, but it was far from that, as only $85/pp... what a great deal! We added the ceviche course, which came out first and it was a steal at only $16 and was incredibly fresh, tasty, and ohhh sooo spicy with ghost pepper in it! I'm not sure why Michelin doesn't come to Key West; if they did, this place deserves recognition! Please don't confuse this Little Pearl with the one in DC that does have a star... they're not related. Overall, the entire meal was excellent... We'll definitely return!! read more

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Probably in my top 5 restaurants of the last 5 years. We did the tasting menu (right now it's all they offer) Absolute gem of a place with an amazing wine list to boot! We will be back! heads up - you do need reservations- we made ours 3 weeks in advance and we're able to get in because of a cancellation! read more

This place is only doing tasting menu and you have to call to make the reservation, this process was really painless, they were really nice and the first reservation we had, the weather wasn't looking good so they called to check an we moved it. Helpful. Now the food, you can see the menu it was really good, everything was delicious there were a couple of thing that they could improve/work on, not that they are bad but were the weak spots of the dinner... the grits and the mochi. The grits I do not want to say blah but they're were pretty bland. If I were to do that menu again and getting 2 surf and turf and 2 banana foster, everything else the same. The service was excellent and we would totally consider going back for a new menu. read more

Little Pearl - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

Our night started out perfect from the moment Patrick introduced himself to us! We are foodies and love a great meal and this is a place we stumbled on this morning during our bike ride. I only wish it was earlier on in our trip because we would have definitely visited again. The atmosphere is inviting and the fact that there are limited tables makes it an "experience" as opposed to dinner. Patrick gave suggestions for wine that paired perfectly with our selections of food for the evening and he was engaging and always had a smile on his face. Wonderful qualities that we enjoy when heading out to dinner. He was also kind enough to share other restaurants in the area for breakfast and lunch that we have not tried. We will certainly be back when we visit Key West next year. Thanks for allowing us to be the first to try the new menu and for making our experience top Notch! read more

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The flavors were excellent and original but the portions were small. I realize it is four courses so you want the portions to be sized appropriately but my husband needed a snack after dinner. We had the following: 1. Lobster nuggets (good), plantain veloute with crab (excellent) 2. Wedge (good), mussels (excellent) 3. Day boat grouper (excellent) 4. Cheese plate (excellent), cannolis (good) It was a little disappointing the wedge salad was the only alternative to seafood with course 2. My husband doesn't like octopus or mussels and asked if he could sub a first course dish. He was told that was not allowed. Service was good but not overly attentive. I would have ordered a coffee with dinner but was not given the chance. The couple next to us got their main course before their second course. They had to tell the wait staff what they ordered. I would return again for the flavors but I hope the fish portion is bigger next time. read more

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The food was so good (and fantastic sake & wine options) that we ate here two of our four nights in Key West. The asparagus gazpacho soup, cod with Korean gnocchi in a sesame chili sauce & cannoli with shiso was inventive and delicious. Beautifully decorated restaurant with maybe 10 tables & fabulous service. You won't be disappointed if you go! read more

Very delicious, creative, and fresh food. When I went tasting course was $85 per person. Super fun experience. It's a small dining room so it's not quiet, but as soon as our food came we were just happy as clams. read more

Little Pearl - Soft shell crab steamed buns - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Fantastic meal and great service! Everything we ate was delicious but the octopus was out of this world. The most tender and flavorful I've ever had. Highly recommend checking out Little Pearl. Being a set menu, look first to make sure you like your options. read more

Having stumbled upon this gem of a place, we sadly didn't have a reservation to try the food. Instead we sat at the bar and enjoyed a couple glasses of wine recommended by the bartender. The place is small but has an intimate feel to it, with limited seating indoors and some outside tables. Hopefully, next time we'll have the opportunity to dine-in and see what the fuss is all about! read more

My husband & I came here for my 40th birthday dinner, and it certainly felt like a special meal. The $70 4-course tasting menu was fun to work our ways through. Started, respectively, with gazpacho & king crab and ahi sashimi--both were delicious. Second course: miso glazed Brussels sprouts (so good I drank the leftover miso right from the bowl) and swordfish. 3rd course: day boat (black fin snapper with Israeli couscous and fermented black bean sauce) and sous vide snapper with pea purée. We both agreed the day boat was the best thing we ate the whole trip, mostly because of that couscous and sauce. Ended with chili watermelon sorbet and butterscotch pot de creme-- I ate most of both! The latter is very rich, in a lovely decadent way. Only complaint: the small space got pretty smoky from so many dinners cooking shrimp at their tables. I had to step outside. read more

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Outstanding in every respect - made our 90 year old head of the family very happy! Could not find a better place in Key West and maybe south Florida. read more

Sushi waffle, shrimp wontons and halibut entree were excellent. Conch salad and limoncello cheesecake disappointing. Reasonably priced wine list. Very friendly, excellent service, comfortable atmosphere. Definitely recommend. read more

This was our 25th wedding anniversary and my husbands 50th bday dinner and it did not disappoint. It was a well deserved splurge that was amazing. The service was stellar and the food was to die for. All course just kept exceeding our expectations. Most surprising was the ghost pepper lychee sorbet, so so good. Such a quaint little place. Great ambiance. A hidden gem... or should I say pearl. read more

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Not a lot of food, but amazing food. The courses I chose were contrasting in texture and flavor. If you like unique experiences, based on what the chef feels like making that week, you will be as ecstatic as I was. My server agreed to curate wine pairings for each course, and wow was that a home run. I would have never gotten close, nor would I have chosen what she did to perfectly compliment the meal. read more

Little Pearl - Grouper - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

RJ brought me here for my birthday because we had such a great time here last year. It's very tiny, but less crowded this year thanks to COVID. The food here is outstanding, the kind that leaves you speechless. We started with stone crab claws which were large and fresh and came with a sauce with a kick. RJ had a lobster bisque that was creamy and full of flavor. He also got a seafood pie that was insane. I had local snapper which tasted like they caught it a minute ago. Wow, it was mindblowing. We love it here so much and tried to come back again in the spring, but they changed to a pre-fixe menu so we will wait until they change it back to more options. Service is always impeccable here. read more

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Wow, I was super disappointed with this restaurant. It bills itself as a high end, innovative place. Must go for a 4-course set menu, at $85 (used to be only like $70 a year ago!). The dishes are all fusion with a Japanese influence. Fine. Drinks - we decided not to drink tonight. Was hoping they could do some cocktails, or have an interesting selection of non-alcoholic drinks. Nope, just three choices, all sodas. Service - was efficient and professional, so no issues there. Food - was delicious and interesting dishes, which is a breath of fresh air in Key West, where everywhere serves almost the same dishes. Portions & Value - this is where it all falls down. While you are getting 4 courses, the courses are so small, that it is equivalent to maybe 2 courses at other places. I left feeling a bit hungry, still. So paying for 2 courses worth of food, for $85 - definitely not cheap. And the ambiance doesn't make up for it; this is not some fine dining, white tablecloth, really amazing service place. Its a casual-mid restaurant by any standards. No bread to start with, not even to order. The table next to us asked, in order to mop up some of the delicious clam broth. Nope. Don't have bread. Nor do they give amuse bouche or petit fours, like most other set menu type restaurants do, to round out the meal. Is the food good? Yes, it was good. But for the (ever increasing) pricing and the portion sizes - I'd say this is a poor choice. read more

Tasting menu was delicious and very creative. Highlights: octodog, a scrumptious bun filled with grilled octopus and sauce (cross between a taco & asian pork bun); lobster carpaccio - exquisite; cheese plate was too small to enjoy but the milk cereal panna cotta was the BEST ive ever had. Service not great - despite 4 course tasting menu ($70 per), we started with stone crabs and were told there was to be 4 - only 2 were served ( we were a party of 4); the server, when questioned, said they were "large" hence 2 and that chef would do nothing to correct. Not good business at all. We should have sent back! She also knew little about the menu. Food very good but if you get the wrong server it affects the experience. read more

Serene cozy environment and very attentive service. Unique presentation The experience is for the palate therefore small portion sizes. Limited dessert choices..skip the homemade ice cream sherbet combo. read more

WOW! If I could afford it I'd eat here constantly. I was so impressed with the flavor combinations. This was hands down my best Keywest meal. I would happily eat at any restaurant this chef cooked at. Highly reccomend. read more

Go. Figure out how to get a reservation and book it now. We thought we had a reservation when we showed up but the person booking couldn't find the confirmation number. The server ran to his car, got a fold out table, and made a table for us. Unparalleled customer service. The waitress was kind, quick and knowledgeable. We went on a night there was a tasting menu and it was incredible. Got a little bit of everything and it was the perfect amount of food. Yes yes and please go here immediately. read more

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Showed up with no reso over the long weekend around 7, and got a reso for 9pm. We went to Duval for drinks while we waited. The restaurant right now has a few outdoor dining tables and sparse indoor dining seating. We had the pop up tasting menu. We chose the salmon creme fraiche + yuzu burrata for first course, baked oyster + king crab for the 2nd course, shrimp / grits + day boat fresh for the 3rd course, and mochi + miso banana foster for dessert. The first course started strong. I particularly loved the yuzu burrata. Having had a ton of New American / Gastronomy in the Bay Area, this was by far one of the most unique and bold dishes I've tasted in awhile. The creme fraiche was also quite a good dish, though a bit on the small side and lighter. For the 2nd course, we felt that the chef went really bold. The baked oysters had a lot of strong veggie toppings such as kimchi, which overpowered the oyster flavor. The same thing happened with the strong, spicy black pepper taste which overpowered the light king crab flavor. The third course was a good finish. The shrimp and grits also had chili crisp which added a szechuan flavor, but only a light amount of peppercorns were added to add a bit of spice. This dish also extremely impressive. The only nit I have is the soft egg didn't need to be there at all. I get that it's a breakfast dish, but it was dinner time. Day boat fresh was good, they added some cantonese flavors to the dish. Pretty good handmade mochi for dessert but nothing spectacular. The miso banana foster was another bold dish. The miso goes well with the caramel, but is still quite overpowering and overly salty, that it is almost confusing. Still, I applaud the chef for trying something so different and bold. Overall we were very impressed and would highly recommend it to foodies. The Japanese, Szechuan, and Cantonese influence in the menu was unique. Key West is small and there aren't any other New American / Gastronomy options in the area, so definitely stop by during your stay. read more

Some of the most creative food in Key West. All dishes I've had were well executed. ***** The service is good, what you would expect from a restaurant in this price range. **** The ambience is lively. Located in what looks to be a 50s era garage, it's surprising how inviting the space actually is.**** read more

Robert was awesome, this was a great meal experience. Would highly recommend, looking forward to the menu change the next time we come down!

The taste menu was stella and stunning! At $60 a set of three courses plus dessert, nowhere on the island you can find a better value. I am exaggerating but you get the idea. ;) While I am not a fan of the chef's latest starter -tuna salad wrapped in an almost entire egg white, the squid steak and the osso bucco were sublime. :) The chocolate dessert was also nice, just the right size after a full hearty meal. Strongly recommend little pearl! My favorite fine dining restaurant in town. read more

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We have been coming several times to Little Pearl when we lived in Key West in 2019, we loved the food and ambience. We recently returned to Key West and was looking forward to come back to one of our favorite restaurants on the island. Sadly we found out they had decided to use seatings. This normally removes any restaurant from our list, however we decided to give it a try. They offered a 4 course set menu where with three options per course, at $75 per person, which we booked. Food and wine was amazing, service was friendly, though in line with their seating "policy", dishes came way too quickly after each other "rushing" the meal, which was very annoying! On top of that the leadership/ownership had become greedy. When we got the check, the price had gone up to $85 per person. Their explanation; it was their boss who had decided to raise the price the day before. They did not make that clear when we arrived, nor when they called earlier that day to confirm our reservation. It's not the money as such, it's the principle and their attitude. Hence Little Pearl is off our list of Key West top spots, fortunately their are other great places to go. read more

So excited to try this intimate restaurant. Had done my due diligence about it online and had tried several times to make a reservation but it was always fully booked. We finally scored a 5pm seating on a Tuesday night. Arrived early so we were offered the opportunity to order wine and sit outside at a table. We ordered a bottle and when my husband tried the wine, he said it needed to breathe. Food was beautifully plated, and for me, 3 of the 4 courses were very good. My husband had a terrible experience with his courses. He said 1 of the 4 was good. Too salty for his taste. The wine never opened fully for him and it ruined his experience. The restaurant was not full so when I received my third course and it wasn't what I ordered, I thought the correct one would come out quickly. Not the case. My husband finished his third course before mine arrived. Apologies were given. I'm on the fence as to whether to return. For a $330 dinner for two, the experience wasn't memorable. read more

Do it. Currently they have a tasting menu during COVID and it is all delicious. Highlights included the snow crab, octopus and snapper. Super cute little place, a real foodie's discovery. read more

Little Pearl - Octopus - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

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I don't know if it's the location, because Seven Fish was my favorite when it was located here. But Little Pearl was an outstanding replacement. Eat at the bar to be a part of the kitchen scene. Food is superb and service matches. My new favorite place in Key West. read more

On this third visit to Little Pearl for a BIG birthday celebration we were once again showered with excellence. Let me be clear that the first visit was five years ago--outstanding I still recall. The second visit was days before the world shut down due to Covid. Again--they delivered stellar quality all the way around the restaurant. Then, last week, for the biggie birthday, the service was on point, not overly solicitous and the food was creative and bite after bite delicious. The oysters were the best we ever recalled enjoying and the Queen Snapper was flavored subtly to allow the freshness to shine. Consistency is missing in many many restaurants these days--as is service where employees seem often to not possess the heart for service. Not here at Little Pearl! Service and quality are alive and well! Can't wait for visit number 4. But until then, I have been reminded of what I SHOULD, and will, expect for the higher prices I pay for a nice meal out. Way to set the bar high, Little Pearl team, on quality in a time when many forget they should expect to be showered with excellence. read more

Little Pearl - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

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From being seated to leaving, it was hands down one of the best food experiences I've ever had. The intimate setting allowed for amazing connection with my wife. The music set a very chill ambiance. The seasoning and flavor profiles of each course were through the roof phenomenal. With a menu that changes every 6 weeks, we'll return to Key West every six weeks just to try the new courses. read more

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We just had dinner here and I gotta say it was our best meal yet! Appi: My husband and I both had the pink shrimp curry soup! Bam!!! It was full of shrimp and so flavorful! Starter: I had the burrata and lobster , hubby had the clams. Deeelish! Main meal: I had the branzino and hubby had the petit veal. Just downright perfection! Dessert: I had panna cotta and hubby had the cheese platter. I have not one complaint. Food, service and timing and cleanliness was spot on. I would highly recommend this place and if I do return to the keys....I will be back! Thanks for a great meal!! read more

Beauty dinner with amazing food, staff, and ambience! Will come back over and over again!