No Wine List. Don't Care. Get the Sangria.
Old Town (Catherine Street) · Key West · Cuban · Visit Website ↗
Updated August 2026
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · February 8, 2026
RagingWine reviewed El Siboney’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
El Siboney does not have a wine list. They do not serve wine at all. And they are in this guide anyway. Because Raging Wine is about finding the right drink at the right place, and at El Siboney the right drink is their homemade sangria. Fruity, strong, cold, and absolutely perfect with a plate of roast pork and black beans. This is the Cuban restaurant that locals call "the place where conchs take other conchs to dinner." It has been winning Best Cuban Restaurant in Key West every year since 1993, and the de la Cruz family has been running it since 2004.
Not every great meal needs a sommelier. Sometimes you need a picnic table, a plate of Masitas de Puerco Fritas, a cup of that sangria, and absolutely zero pretense. El Siboney is that restaurant. The portions are enormous, the prices are almost comically low (four people can eat for about $60), and the food is cooked with the kind of pride that no amount of Michelin stars can manufacture. If you want paella, call an hour ahead. If you want the roast pork, just show up.
We keep coming back to the sangria because it deserves its own section. It is made in-house, served cold, and pairs with everything on the menu in the way that only a drink made for the food can. It is not fancy. It is not trying to be a wine replacement. It is the exact right beverage for this exact right restaurant. Order it.
Located at 900 Catherine Street with a second location on Stock Island. Open Monday through Sunday, 11 AM to 9:30 PM. No reservations needed. TripAdvisor ranks it #32 out of 360 Key West restaurants, which for a place with laminated menus and paper napkins tells you everything about the food. Call (305) 296-4184 if you want to order the paella ahead.
The Bottom Line
El Siboney breaks every rule in this guide and still earns its spot. No wine, no white tablecloths, no reservations. Just the best Cuban food on the island, homemade sangria that hits perfectly, and a check that makes you feel like you got away with something.
Duval Street · Key West · Wine bar
For Key West, a wine bar with a genuine Champagne focus and a mid-week deal is a minor miracle. We'd send a friend here for a pre-dinner glass on a Wednesday without hesitation — just know that we're working from strong vibes and limited menu data, so go in curious rather than with a specific bottle in mind. When we get the full list, this one could move up the rankings fast.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
· Key West · Cocktail & Wine Bar
Virgilio's is a cocktail bar that quietly keeps a wine list worth paying attention to — fair prices, a genuine Italian white program, and 13 pours by the glass that won't embarrass anyone. The Monday martini specials are the headliner, but the Albariño and Pecorino are the supporting cast worth showing up for. If you're on Duval Street and want a glass of wine that doesn't taste like an afterthought, this is your spot.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Occasional
Acceptable
· Key West · American
Caroline's Café is not a wine destination, and it's not trying to be — the identical pricing across all five house labels makes that abundantly clear. If you're in Key West looking for something interesting in your glass, keep walking; if you just need a cold pour of Chardonnay with your lunch and aren't asking questions, $8 gets you there without drama.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Old Town · Key West · Winery tasting room
Key West Winery is a Wild Card because the concept itself is the draw — tropical fruit wines in the Florida Keys is exactly as niche and fun as it sounds, and it earns its badge on novelty alone. We wouldn't send a serious wine drinker here as a primary destination, but if you're already in Old Town and curious about what local winemaking looks like when grapes aren't the star, it's worth a tasting flight. Go in with the right expectations and you'll leave entertained; go in looking for a Côte de Nuits and you'll leave confused.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Key West · New American / Bistro
Nine One Five is a perfectly pleasant place to pop Champagne in Key West — and if that's your move, the selection is genuinely good. But the list doesn't push itself beyond a solid, safe crowd-pleaser lineup, and without pricing transparency or confirmed by-the-glass options, it's hard to know whether you're getting value or just paying for the ocean air. Go for the bubbles, ask about the Raventós, and temper your expectations for anything beyond that.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Key West · European / German
Martin's Key West is running a micro-list of prestige bottles in a paradise setting — which is either charming or maddening depending on your mood and your budget. There's no flexibility here, no white wine for the heat, no by-the-glass safety net. If you're committed to a big red and happy to spend for it, Pontet-Canet or Les Pagodes are your best bets. Everyone else should ask what's on tap.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
West New York · West New York · Cuban
Son Cubano isn't a destination wine list, but it's a legitimately good one for what it is — a glamorous Cuban night out where the wine program doesn't embarrass the room. Send a friend who wants a fun evening with solid pours and a view; just steer them away from the Meiomi.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Post Office Square · Boston · Cuban
Mariel earns its Wine Spectator credential by being genuinely thoughtful about a list that could have easily phoned it in. If you're in Boston's Financial District and want something more interesting than another steakhouse Cab Franc, this is exactly the kind of wild card worth having in your back pocket.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Museum District · Richmond · Cuban
Come to Kuba Kuba for the food, which genuinely earns its loyal following — but don't come here for the wine. Order a mojito, grab the Malbec if you must, and put your wine energy somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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