Exquisite Island Cuisine

At Café Marquesa, exceptional dining is guided by the seasoned talent and vision of Executive Chef Travis Lee, whose career spans more than two decades in luxury hospitality and Michelin-starred kitchens around the world. His approach, rooted in classical technique, shaped by global experience and elevated through creative innovation, continues to define Café Marquesa as one of Key West’s most distinguished culinary destinations.

Before leading the kitchen at Café Marquesa, Chef Lee served as Executive Sous Chef at Mujō in Atlanta, contributing to the restaurant’s Michelin Star status in both 2023 and 2024. His background includes roles as Executive Chef at Rooftop L.O.A. and Corporate Executive Chef of R&D for Mainline Foods and Goldbergs Group, where he oversaw menu development and culinary programming across multiple high-profile brands.

Chef Lee’s foundation was built over more than a decade with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, refining his craft in some of the brand’s most prestigious Five Star and Five Diamond restaurants, including The Dining Room in Buckhead, Georgia and Maestro by Fabio Trabocchi in Tysons Corner, Virginia. His international training spans legendary Michelin-starred kitchens such as The Fat Duck, The Waterside Inn in Bray, and Maze in London, each contributing to his precise, sophisticated approach to flavor.
“My goal is always to honor Café Marquesa’s legacy while creating dishes that celebrate both local ingredients and refined global technique,” says Chef Lee.