305-292-7212 [email protected]
Conchiglia Italian restaurant is located right in the middle of downtown Key West on Duval Street . This Key West restaurant is very easy to find and well within walking distance of any place you might be staying on or near Duval Street. Open 7 days a week, serving Key West breakfast from 8am until 2:30pm and dinner from 5pm until 9:30pm.
Reservations are taken but not required. Parking is available on Duval Street for a fee. Plenty of room and various sized tables for couples, small or large groups.
Pricing
$ $ $ $ $
Service
10/10
Atmosphere
10/10
The Food
4/10
Conchiglia is Italian cuisine prepared by a chef who is literally from Rome, Italy. There is a mix of pastas, pizzas, salads, and meat options. A full liquor bar rounds out the experience with everything from cocktails to fine wines.
I was eager to see how the building, once inhabited by Croissants de France, had been renovated. Plus, I am always looking for a great new restaurant – especially with Italian cuisine. The extensive renovations to make the property more modern are simply lovely. Very clean, trendy, warm, airy and inviting.
When we arrived for our reservation, we were seated right away right near the street. The place was pretty busy, but the Duval Street location is wonderful, so that was not too surprising. We were brought waters immediately and our waiter, Kyle, came over to introduce himself. He was very personable and was very attentive all through the experience. Service throughout our group’s experience here was great!
Fritto Misto, delicately fried calamari, shrimp and zucchini. It was very good, although I did not care for the aioli; it was bitter and did not pair well with the seafood in my opinion. The seafood was lightly fried and not greasy at all. My friend and I both enjoyed the addition of the zucchini.
The Amalfi Arugula salad had plenty of fresh, crisp, peppery arugula along with shaved fennel, candied walnuts, and dollops of goat cheese tossed with a sweet fig balsamic dressing. It was enjoyable, but a little sweeter than I was expecting.
The San Daniel on the Veranda was thinly sliced prosciutto, buratta, arugula, and fig preserves dotted on top. The ingredients were all quality and melded together deliciously.
For dinner, I was torn but went with Kyle’s recommendation of the Conchiglia Comfort which were baked pasta shells with a three meat ragu and béchamel. This dish was just okay, and I could have made something similar and more tasty myself, so I was ultimately disappointed with my choice.
My friend went with the Aragosta Nocturne which was capellini pasta in a super spicy lobster bisque. While this may have been the best entree of the evening, it was still a bit boring, lacking any depth. And, it was extremely spicy, so those faint of heart should not try!
Her husband ordered the Parmingana Chop, which was a bone in veal chop pounded flat, then breaded and fried, served with tomato sauce and mozzarella. The presentation was very nice, and it tasted fine. I liked that it was not tough like veal can be. But it too lacked any depth of flavor.
Finally, my husband ordered the Coucous Di Mare Allo Zafferano. These were pearl couscous mixed with shrimp, mussels, calamari, white fish (don’t know what kind), octopus, and clams. While the presentation for this dish was phenomenal, the dish itself was awful. It smelled so fishy, I am not sure how he, a veteran fishing guide, powered though any of it. I took one bite to try it and I had to spit it out because there was an octopus beak mixed in with the couscous. And, it tasted just as fishy as it smelled. Sadly, my husband was up all night, sick from eating what he did from this dish.
My friend and I still had some wine in the bottle that we ordered at the beginning of dinner, so we decided that we had to try dessert to finish up the evening.
We shared the chocolate lava cake. Now, I am not a huge fan of chocolate cake, but lava cake is one of our favorite desserts. And, when Kyle told us that there were cherries in it, I was in. It was served nice and warm but not scolding. The cherries that were in the bottom gave it extra points and made it a standout from other lava cakes. And it of course paired perfectly with the scoop of vanilla gelato that it was served with.
My friend went as far as to say that it was the best lava cake she had ever eaten. This was THE best part of the meal. Unfortunately for the guys, they didn’t want to try it. Better for the girls! It was delicious. So, as least we ended the meal on a high note.
Will I be coming back to Conchiglia Italian Restaurant? Probably not.. The setting and atmosphere was wonderful sitting next to the street was enjoyable for the people watching. With the exception of dessert nothing that we experienced with our meals really left us with something to remember. As an Italian foodie, I expected more and found this to be somewhat unremarkable.
Conchiglia has great potential with location, atmosphere and service. They could help themselves by focusing on a more simplistic approach to their entrees to make these dishes stand out.
Conchiglia (Italian for conch) is a recently opened Italian restaurant on Duval Street in Key West, Florida. The ambiance is beautiful, with inside, outside, and bar seating options.
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