Key West is well known for its Caribbean vibes and food which we have grown to love in our travels to the Keys. Nestled In the heart of Key West one block from the famous Duval Street sits a cozy French cafe called Frenchie’s Cafe.

This breakfast and lunch cafe is a hotspot on the island. It’s known for its freshly baked bread, croissants, pastries, croque-monsieur, croque-madame, a variety of French panini’s, quiche, chevre chaud, salads, cheeses and espresso! It’s open 6 days a week (closed Wednesday) and opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes at 3:00 p.m. I wanted to highlight what Frenchie’s is doing so you too can enjoy all this little cafe has to offer.

Frenchie’s Cafe History in Key West

Frenchie’s Cafe has a really cool history dating back to 2011 when, “​​lifelong friends Stephanie and Xavier fell in love with the island and decided to make it their home.” (Source) They moved from Paris and within a few months purchased a building that went on to be the home of the cafe. Armed with their eclectic culinary background in Paris… this cafe in Key West was exciting. “The idea of juxtaposing traditional French cuisine with the local Cuban flavors of Key West, seemed an artful and intriguing pursuit.” (Source)

Stephanie, a baker and owner of Les Moulins de Paris baking school, quickly gained local recognition as a master in the field. Locals began to expect her baked goods and with outpouring support they gained a large following. “Xavier, also a veteran of Parisian food culture, was Chef Owner of a traditional French brasserie in the Bercy district for years.” (Source) Suffice to say the two had honed in their talents and created a really special place at Frenchie’s. The quiche was so perfectly executed that we had to make one last stop on the way out of the Key’s!

Frenchie’s Cafe Menu

To dive deeper into the menu here are some favorites that we tried during our visits…

A traditional French classic sandwich the Croque-Madame Breakfast Sandwich comes with two sunny-side eggs. “Béchamel spread on toasted white or wheat bread with Swiss cheese & your choice of turkey or ham.” (Source) And next up on the list was the Veggie-Croque Breakfast Sandwich that came with ratatouille. If you go with any quiche you won’t be disappointed: veggie, salmon, Lorraine, Idaho, etc. A cool take on a tuna sandwich was the Pan Bagnat Sandwich (tuna sandwich with olive oil dressing, salad, tomato, red onions, olives, anchovies, hard boiled egg) (Source). We didn’t get a chance to try all the panini’s but the care and attention to detail makes it clear that all will be delicious: 3 Cheeses Panini, Turkey-Cheddar Panini, Roast Beef-Blue Cheese Panini, Prosciutto-Mozzarella Panini, Salmon-Brie Panini, Ham-Swiss Cheese Panini. And last but not least the salads were an artisanal creation! My favorite was the Chevre Chaud Salad which came with a, “mixed salad with pesto dressing, cherry tomato, red onions, walnuts, apple, grape & warm goat cheese on toasted bread.” (Source)

Be sure to test our any of the baked goods and grab an espresso as well. Happy exploring the Keys and beyond! Thanks for checking out a quick feature on Frenchie’s Cafe located in the heart of Key West!