El Siboney

Mom read about El Siboney's Paella Valenciana before our trip, so I made sure to call in an order of paella for two the morning we arrived in Key West. El Siboney is located in a residential neighborhood, away from the touristy bars near Mallory Square. Be patient with all the one way streets when finding your way to El Siboney. It's well worth the maze.

El Siboney

The toasted and buttered Cuban bread was simple and delicious. It was hard to restrain ourselves from eating more than half a piece because we knew an impossible amount of food awaited us. The fried plantains were ok. I didn't bother to eat more than 2 pieces because I knew I would be eating them elsewhere during my stay in Miami.

Cuban Bread and Fried Plantains

There was a hush in the restaurant as the waiter brought over our paella. We were the only table that ordered it, and we were damn proud that we did. The paella for 2 was more like paella for 6! It had dark and white meat chicken, a ton of shrimp (almost one shrimp per spoonful of paella), and a whole lobster tail. The key lime juice gave the paella a refreshing citrus taste. The rice was fluffy, flavorful, and just the right amount of savoryness. We ate 1/3 of the bowl and boxed the rest for a late night dinner back in our hotel in Miami.

Paella Valenciana