Cocktail barNeighbourhood bar with kitchen$$old-townDaily 11:30-02:00
Mary Ellen's serves grilled cheese down an Appelrouth Lane alley until 02:00, the late Key West kitchen that beats a pizza slice after Duval Street.
Signature drink: Boozy slushies with a grilled cheese
Food: Nine grilled cheeses plus Bad Boy Burrito
Order: A grilled cheese from the nine varieties, with the dipping sauces
Tip: Appelrouth Lane is easy to walk past; the kitchen serves late, which makes it the grown-up alternative to pizza slices.
Cocktail barTiki bar$$duval-streetDaily 12:00-02:00
Tiki House shakes zombies and mai tais with fresh fruit on lower Duval in Key West, the island's dedicated tiki room from the Horseplay bar family.
Signature drink: Zombie with fresh pineapple
Food: Drinks only
Tip: Happy hour runs 12:00 to 15:00 before the street gets loud; the rum build quality beats the location's spring-break stereotype.
Cocktail barNovelty bar$$duval-streetDaily 11:00-23:00
The Smallest Bar squeezes a full Key West cocktail list into 72 square feet on lower Duval, claiming the title of the tiniest bar in the United States.
Signature drink: Key Lime Pie shot off the shotski
Food: Drinks only
Tip: The operator claims 72 square feet and America's smallest-bar title; the Key Lime Pie shot is the thing to order at the ledge.
Cocktail barSpeakeasy$$$historic-seaportDaily 17:00-23:00
Berlin's hides behind A&B Lobster House above Key West's harbour, a leather-chair speakeasy the operator dates as a local favourite since 1947.
Signature drink: Slow-sipped classics with a cigar terrace
Food: A&B Lobster House menu served in the lounge
Tip: You can order the full A&B menu at the bar, and the cigar terrace overlooks the marina; jazz nights run in season.
Cocktail barHotel dive bar$$duval-streetDaily 17:00-00:00
The Chart Room hides inside the Pier House Resort at mile zero of Duval, the wood-panelled Key West bar once frequented by Jimmy Buffett and Mel Fisher.
Signature drink: A cold beer amid the room's stacked memorabilia
Food: Complimentary bar snacks
Tip: The keywesttourist guide notes Buffett and treasure hunter Mel Fisher drank here; the room seats barely a dozen, so go at 17:00 sharp.
Cocktail barCocktail bar and liquor store$$old-townDaily 12:00-23:00
The Roost pairs serious old fashioneds with caviar service half a block off Duval in Key West, doubling as the neighbourhood's corner liquor store.
Signature drink: Wednesday old fashioneds
Food: Caviar service, smoked salmon and deviled eggs
Tip: Happy hour runs 12:00 to 18:00 and the caviar-and-cosmopolitan order is the move; bottles to go from the shop shelves.