Founded by local restaurateur Jason Dugan in 2004, Santiago’s Bodega is a modern Key West classic. Slightly off the beaten path in Bahama Village, it’s situated inside an intimate, romantic dining room filled with flowers and abstract art. There’s also an inviting wraparound patio. Perennially popular amongst locals, the menu of Spanish tapas-inspired small plates has remained much the same since day one—and that’s a good thing. Over all those years, the quality has never lagged and diners return time and again for a parade of familiar, crave-worthy dishes.
Divided between cold and hot tapas, as well as soup and surprisingly large-format salads, there’s an art to placing the perfect order. Might we direct you to the French green beans with gruyere and prosciutto, hummus trio, brandy flambéed haloumi saganaki, seared beef tenderloin with bleu cheese butter, croquettas with prosciutto and provolone, spanakopita. The housemade red and white sangria is always a hit or opt for a bottle from their excellent global wine list. And don’t sleep on the bread pudding for dessert, prepared fresh to order with croissant, it’s ooey-gooey and perfectly decadent.