Atlas Izakaya

[I am a professional chef, restauranteur, former food critic— life-long student of Japanese cuisine]— This is the best meal I’ve eaten in a restaurant since returning from Japan a year ago. Period.
We were with a group so tried a LOT of small plates— ALL were very good— the outstanding ones were: Spicy Ginger Fritters (creative and absolutely delicious), Crispy Rice w/Tuna (ubiquitous, maybe but Atlas does it perfectly), ALL Yakitori but especially the sea bass and koji marinated tenderloin (I’ll be dreaming of that for a few weeks), Char-Sui pork ribs (incredibly tender yet still with structure and the flavor… 🤤), Maitake mushroom with miso cream (perfect balance of crisp and soft), Ssam broccoli (again, perfect texture and if you like sweet/savory combo, you will LOVE it), Yuzu tartlet (sweet/tangy and gorgeous).
Staff is warm, welcoming and explain the menu beautifully. Atmosphere is beautiful but not intimidating— EVERYTHING is on point here!
It’s expensive and worth every penny.

Short version: Great place with fresh local options. Unique dining experience that, if pricey, delivers in spades. Ask about their specials and try new things!

Long version:
Great place, very interested to see what the future holds for this spot. When my folks recommended I take my wife here, I was excited. I definitely think it lived up to the hype. If you're going for the sushi, go for the unusual/specialty stuff. The salmon was great, but you can also get that anywhere. The local yellowtail snapper nigiri was fantastic, though. Other hits were the Ssam Broccoli (not what you're expecting, better), the octopus bao bun, and the shrimp gyoza. Unfortunately, we ate all of them too fast to take pictures.

The yakitori was good but the real winner from the grill wasn't even on the menu: It was a big mutton snapper collar, very meaty and only $12, probably my favorite thing we got that night. Make sure to ask about the collar they have that day! Lastly, dessert. We got the Yuzu tartlet, which was the only thing that I had any problems with. It's a beautiful dish and pretty tasty, but I grew up on classic key lime pies that kinda slap you in the face and make you pucker up. The yuzu flavor was very good but very subtle, more discerning palates may appreciate this though. Very excited to try one of the other selections next time, but not at all unhappy with this trip.

I also think the small amount of criticism this place has gotten in the reviews recently is pretty ridiculous. Of the complaints I've seen:

1. Freshness- I grew up in the Keys. My dad and I just pulled a bunch of fish off the reefs the day before, bled and iced them, and cooked them up at his house within about 2 hours of catching them. I noticed no difference in freshness between those fish and the ones I ate at Atlas last night.

2. Price- Food is always pricey here. Atlas is definitely up there, but they make no secret of their prices like other places may. The servers were very upfront about prices and portion sizes on everything and are keen to answer questions. The trick for every place down here is figuring out how to get your money's worth. Again, the yakitori mutton collar (kama) was a great bargain, as was the broccoli. I'm also interested to try their donburi bowls in the future, they seemed very reasonable and decently filling.

3. Authenticity- Some of the dishes are more traditional, but many are more experimental and unique. They also make a point of including local flavors and spins. I think that's great. I wouldn't go to Japan, order a cheeseburger, and be mad they do it differently than they do here. You came to Key West, enjoy it! Soak up that funky fusion and those Florida flavors.

Atlas Izakaya is definitely a place I'll be keeping an eye on.

Fantastic food and staff. They managed to fit us in although packed. Staff was very informative about the menu which helped us since it was our first time. Small dishes and a little bit pricey but worth a visit.

Absolutely incredible!! We ate here both nights we were in the keys. After living in Okinawa for a few years, my boyfriend has been on an endless search for authentic ramen. He was in heaven here! We tried a bunch of small plates and each was better than the next. If you’re in the area do yourself a favor and check it out!

OMFG, 100/5. It is absolutely amazing, the best fish we ever head, and the best food overall.
The place doesn't look especially good from the outside, but don't be fooled! It's a hidden gem!
It's hard to find the words. Most dishes are small, designed to share, so prepare to order numerous dishes. Everything is amazing quality. Everything. We went twice during our stay in Key West, and we would go again if we were here longer. Loved it.
We tried the nigiri in different versions - for our two visits, we ordered it 4 times. We also tried beef, pork belly, yellowtail, and grouper yakitori - all amazing. On our first visit, the chef special was mashroom risotto and a yellowtail - absolutely amazing! On second, we tried some cauliflower, which blew our minds as well.
The servers are a delight, both (sorry, I don't remember the names!) were very friendly and extremely helpful.
Gluten free options are not marked, but you can check with the staff (personally, I'm ok with soy sauce but not much more, and I was able to eat a lot).
Definitely a must go to.