Island Hotel & Restaurant

This review is about the restaurant because we did not stay at the hotel. The restaurant was absolutely wonderful. I had one of the best gluten-free pasta dishes of my life. The Calypso trio was to die for. I couldn't believe the clams and the flavor of the sauce. Something I will tell people about for a long time. My wife had the red snapper special and it was also incredible. Didn't taste fishy at all... Golden beats on the side with roasted potatoes made that fish dish. One of the best we've had. The service was terrific. Not only did Shannon do a great job helping us but I will. Another server stopped by and chatted for a moment. She was so kind. What was funny about her stopping was that we saw her at another place down the way where we had breakfast! I guess this was her second job. Either way, she's wonderful too. We didn't realize how fun this place was until we went to the restroom where I saw a whole group of people enjoying live music. Didn't even know that was happening until I got up and went around the corner.
Also the lobby of the hotel where you enter had lots of interesting things to look at and purchase. I felt like I had stepped out of time for a moment into a place that understood what fine dining meant and what good music was. So fun. I can't wait to come back and hopefully we will be able to get a room and stay here sometime. Thanks for a great evening! Cheers!

Did not stay at the hotel, went to the Neptune Lounge and for a cocktail and then to the restaurant for dinner. This was a great little cocktail lounge with an interesting atmosphere. Loved it!! Amazing history…..read about. The restaurant is the best food and atmosphere in the city. The seafood was absolutely and amazingly delicious and spectacular. This is the place to go at least once during your stay in Cedar Key!!!!!

Found by accident. Was a great quiet place to stay. Breakfast was great and the staff friendly and very helpful. Lots of history and character. The rooms are nice beds extremely comfortable. This is not a luxury hotel this is a historic bed and breakfast. There are stories of ghosts being seen. We did not experience anything off but really enjoyed our stay.

The hotel is an interesting stop for anyone interested in the history of Cedar Key and a great spot to have dinner too. We walked into the hotel and looked at the dining room. It looked just a bit stuffy to us. Then we discovered Neptune's Lounge and it looked like the people eating and drinking in there were having a lot more fun. So we had dinner at the bar with the large mural of King Neptune, called Neptune's Lounge. We enjoyed every minute of our time there and the food too. The woman tending bar was busy at the time, but kept up with our needs in the process. We tried the Calypso Pasta dinners, shrimp pasta and chicken pasta. Both were great. We met the owner too, which was nice that he stopped in to greet visitors like us. The best part was hearing all the stories around us, from the bartender, locals and visitors like us. The best one was how the mural of Neptune got its bullet holes. There are so many stories about this hotel, we want to come back just to hear more. This was a great evening in a very friendly kind of place.

We had dinner there on Saturday. There was live entertainment scheduled at 6:30 by Jim and Marci and all tables were reserved. We were there at 5:15, so we were seated by Grace and allowed to eat before the 6:30 reservation arrived.
We ordered Ahi Tuna salad, and it was cooked to perfection. As it turned out, a couple could not make it that night, so we moved to their seats and stayed a few hours for Jim and Marci. What a wonderful experience. Grace is an amazing waitress, and we enjoyed her immensely.

Had a wonderful night stay in this 1859 hotel and restaurant in adorable quaint Cedar Key. We love old and funky, and this was perfect. The price was reasonable, the room has no TV but we didn't care. Antique dresser, antique bed, firm mattress, high ceilings, vintage bathroom but water is great! Wonderful breakfast served to order and the waitress and front desk ladies were so sweet!

Visited the historic Neptune Bar and the restaurant at the Island Hotel. Live music was fun in the cozy bar with its storied mural.
We had dinner in main dining room and it was delicious. The crab bisque was the best I ever had. Lots of local charm and early history of Cedar Key can be found here !

Old Florida feel and charm. Staff at the inn are friendly and helpful. Recommend dinning in the bar as the atmosphere is fun and the food is great. Cedar key and this inn are a great weekend destination.

Loved the hospitality and the staff. Peaceful. The breakfast was wonder. Already booked for 4th of July

While we had visited the restaurant and bar a few times before, we always wanted to stay in the hotel itself, and spent a weekend there. Absolutely outstanding is the hospitality and service; so very friendly, personal, welcoming, and on top of things. Let's just say that getting "ghosted" on any of your needs or requests is out of the question where it concerns the excellent staff.

The Bar is an absolute classic ! Fun beverages and a good menu, we went twice during a weeks stay just down the street.

Went gor dinner only. Yummy food & wine. One of the best filets I've ever tasted!

We loved this historical hotel. Deanna was the perfect host. She greeted us, checked us in & even helped carry items to the upstairs bedrooms. We enjoyed the location & the view from the second floor balcony. This is not a shiny, new hotel. There are no TVs in the rooms. No elevator, you must walk up stairs to reach the rooms. The restaurant serves breakfast each morning. We ate dinner one evening in the bar. We got great service from Kimmie. The food was very good. We enjoyed our stay & were very impressed by everyone on the staff that we interacted with. The hotel was easy walking distance from local stores & restaurants.

Purely a restaurant review, as we were staying elsewhere. Somewhat more than quarter century ago, my wedding rehearsal dinner was held here (in the very room in which we were seated) and we visited both for some nostalgia and good food. It was not disappointing in either arena. Food was excellent. Both fresh fish dishes we tried were well cooked and flavorful. The Cedar Key Clam appetizer is spectacular, and I gave serious consideration to clandestinely eating the leftover broth like a soup. The crab bisque likewise didn't disappoint, though I tend to like a little float of sherry in mine (to get fair, I didn't ask for one). Great place to eat.

What a gorgeous place and one so full of history! We stayed here with friends over Easter weekend and experienced the Southern charm of the staff, the relaxed lifestyle of this coastal community and enjoyed the fantastic breakfast included with our stay. The lounge downstairs is definitely something to step into if even for a minute. Take time to read the writing on the walls and sit in the lobby which is like your living room but better! The staff go overboard to meet your needs. Andy even rode down to the sea wall a couple blocks away to see if the horseshoe crabs were there when I asked. But you seriously don’t need to leave the Island Hotel because the second floor porch has the best rocking chairs and huge swing just made for hanging out. We sat for hours just talking and watching the golf carts and bicycles go by. Perfection!

We were looking for an up class restaurant to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary, and we found it! Nestled in downtown Cedar Key, it is an historic hotel and restaurant. We didn't stay in the hotel, but we spent a lovely evening enjoying a delicious dinner. The service was excellent (thank you Tina), the food was perfect, and the raspberry cheesecake was to die for. All in all it was a great way to start off the next 25 years of "wedded bliss!"

Review for the restaurant: Amazing. More upscale dinning (no tank tops, etc) but still island casual (folks in tshirts). Reservations recommended.
Wonderful service and helpful dinner choice recommendations.
We tried the hearts of palm salad with an exceptional “dressing” sorbet, the steamed clams in a butter garlic sauce, then moved onto a rack of lamb (the night’s special) and the grouper papillote. Exquisite!
The dessert coffee, the cactus, was delicious! Over all a great dinning experience that was worth the price.

Our friends invited us out on a double date and said we had to try this restaurant in Cedar Key. My heart was set on the heart of palm salad, but unfortunately the fruit is seasonal and it wasn't available. This just gives me an excuse to come back again. We enjoyed a bottle of wine and some of the most amazing food. The very best crusted filet, delicious tuna, and the shrimp and grits appetizer was not like you would expect a bowl of grits with shrimp. It was actually a fried grits patty, like a hashbrown, in a rich seafood gravy and the grilled shrimp were the best I've ever eaten and I've eaten tons of shrimp from all over. We will definitely return. They also had live music.

We stayed in room 30 at the Island Hotel in Cedar Key Florida. The service was outstanding. The hotel was so relaxing and beautiful. Cedar Key itself is populated by mostly retired people. Many are retired professionals. The atmosphere is so friendly. One could park the car, and walk arowned the entire village.
Next time my girlfriend and I go, I will bring my adult children and families along with me

We had a fantastic experience in the Lounge. The food was wonderful, highly recommend the heart of palm salad. The servers are fantastic. The entertainment was truly delightful. We will make this a must-stop every time we drop in to the island.