Raw conch diced small and cured in key lime and citrus juice with onion, pepper and tomato until the meat turns opaque and firm. The raw-bar counterpart to the fritter, and the cleaner way to taste the mollusc.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
The Bahamian version is called conch salad and is chopped to order on the dock, the shell opened, the meat scored and the lime squeezed in front of you. Key West raw bars adapted it into a ceviche served in a glass, a form that also travelled up from the Cuban and wider Caribbean tradition of curing seafood in acid. Half Shell Raw Bar on the Margaret Street docks calls its version the ultimate treat and has built a reputation on it. Since the 1985 Florida harvest ban the conch is imported, so the citrus, not the provenance, is what distinguishes one kitchen's bowl from another's.
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Common allergens: Shellfish
Tip from the editors. Do not cure it overnight. Past about 90 minutes the acid keeps working and the conch goes from firm to chalky.
Half Shell Raw Bar shucks oysters and cures conch ceviche in a licence-plate-lined shed on Key West's Margaret Street docks, open to the harbour breeze.
OrderConch ceviche and a dozen on the half shell
TipHappy hour brings discounted oysters; the open-air room on the water is first-come, so aim for off-peak afternoons.
Thirsty Mermaid runs a jewel-box raw bar on Fleming Street in Key West, rotating daily oysters beside local ceviche and pan-sauteed yellowtail snapper.
OrderThe daily oyster selection with local ceviche
TipHappy hour oysters from 16:00 to 18:00 are the best raw-bar deal in Old Town; the room seats few, so arrive early.
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
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