The Stunning Island Off The Florida Coast With Seafood As Good As The Views

Situated on a Gulf island west of Gainesville, Florida, Levy County's Cedar Key is ripe with history. Like Cortez, another West Coast Florida fishing village, Cedar Key's recorded lore dates back to the 16th century, when Spanish colonizers mapped the area and named it for the abundance of cedar trees on the surrounding barrier islands. Also like Cortez, Cedar Key is renowned for the quantity and quality of its seafood. Its legacy isn't so much as a hotspot for Florida's famed "swamp chicken" meat, but, rather, the clams and oysters that families have been catching for generations.

Today, the deep connection Cedar Key has with its surrounding waters has given rise to a unique culture including not just the island's fewer than 800 permanent residents, but encroaching tourism as well. Visitors flock to Cedar Key not just for the quintessential Sunshine State attractions of sun and swimming, but a taste of history — literally! From its annual Seafood Festival to a handful of well-regarded waterside restaurants that dish up gorgeous vistas of Floridian sunsets alongside delectable seafood including fresh and farmed shellfish, Cedar Key is as lovely a destination for amateur photographers as it is a haven for epicureans. Discover the best wine pairings for oysters, or give into your inner beach bum and order an icy, brightly-colored tropical cocktail with a paper umbrella to sip as you warm your toes in the soft sugar sand.

Between 2023 and 2024, Cedar Key was ravaged by no fewer than three named storms, Idalia, Debby, and Helene, with a close brush from a fourth (Milton), and is still reeling from the damage. As of this writing, however, Cedar Key's beloved seafood restaurants are open for business, and eager for your patronage. 

Steamers Clam Bar & Grill is a popular name with tourists as well as locals ... the clams steamed in wine (by which the restaurant gets its name!) are often called out in reviews for being especially scrumptious. At 83 West, with two stories of decks overlooking the Gulf for magnificent waterside views, don't forget to wrap up your dinner with a Floridian classic, authentic key lime pie. Meanwhile, Robinson's Seafood is an all-in-one stop for fishing charters, as well as sit-down dinners and fresh seafood for sale right alongside the ocean in which it was caught. The salt-streaked, splintered docks and briny scent of the sea will remind you constantly of Floridian charms as you down an unforgettably fresh and delicious seafood meal.