The Delicious Orlando You Never Knew: 5 Tips For Eating Outside Disney And Universal
Orlando: Come for the theme parks, stay for the … dinners? On a recent trip to central Florida, my two young boys in tow, I found a rich dining scene. In 2022, the esteemed Michelin Guide took on the Sunshine State, and the Orlando area is now heavily represented among its pages, with 48 local restaurants recognized this year.
From the Mills 50 area to nearby Winter Park to distinguished hotels like the Four Seasons — where I spent two nights with my family — the city is fast becoming one of the country’s most interesting dining destinations, with plenty to offer besides the attractions at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. Here’s what you should know about eating in and around Orlando.
Mills 50 Is A Must
Located just north of downtown Orlando, Mills 50 boasts more Michelin-recommended restaurants than any other area of the city. East Colonial Drive is the district’s main thoroughfare, and the restaurants that line this street are influenced by Southeast Asia and the Pacific islands. No trip to the area is complete without a meal at Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Z Asian - Vietnamese Kitchen, where Vietnamese food arrives in a modern atmosphere.
At Kaya, Filipino cuisine takes center stage with a regularly rotating menu, highlighting Florida’s local produce through a five-course tasting menu. Chef John Calloway emphasizes Latin flavors and prioritizes sustainability at Black Rooster Taqueria. And at Edoboy, billed as Orlando’s first standing sushi bar, chefs Tyler Inthavongsa and Francis Varias serve aburi, traditional nigiri and temaki, along with decadent extras, like bumps of caviar.
Take A Trip To Winter Park
Just outside of Orlando proper, visitors to the area will find Winter Park, a natural haven filled with art museums, lakes and multimillion-dollar homes (as well as Rollins College), all positioned close to the city’s tony Park Avenue. But those in search of the next great meal can also make the pilgrimage for lunch or dinner at places like Prato, a Michelin-recommended Italian restaurant with year-round patio seating and house-made pizzas and pastas.
There is, in fact, no shortage of excellence when it comes to Mediterranean-inspired food in Winter Park. Braccia Ristorante, chef Vinicius Turci’s stunning Italian restaurant, serves fresh pastas from his nearby market and café, Turci Pasta. Executive chef Hung Huynh runs the kitchen at AVA MediterrAegean, where Mediterranean and Cycladic flavors come across in dishes like grilled octopus with mojo pistou and ink aioli; sea bass carpaccio, amplified with lemon, sumac and chives; and chicken tagine with pattypan squash, heirloom tomato and couscous.
There’s more for the casual foodie than just restaurants. After a scenic pontoon boat tour through Winter Park’s canals and lakes, my family and I stopped into Foxtail Coffee Co., a chic and industrial coffee shop and roasting facility. As a delicious parting gift, we grabbed chocolate-covered popcorn and handmade chocolates at Peterbrooke Chocolatier, which has made these confections in Florida since 1983.
Don’t Overlook The Food Halls
Casual dining in Orlando is as cool, interesting and accessible as a trip to one of the city’s food halls. In the Audubon Park area, East End Market, founded by Florida native John Rife, offers everything from Japanese mochi-style donuts at Dochi to ramen bowls at the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Domu.
Orlando has many food halls and markets to choose from, but Henry’s Depot, which opened in 2019 on the site of one of the state’s first railroads, should make any food lover’s list. With options from vendors like Hawaiian barbecue hot spot Sweet & Salty,Yugiri Ramen Project and The Current Seafood Counter, the 8,000-square-foot space — complete with its own cocktail bar — is ideal for tasting some of the city’s most compelling bites. At the aesthetically creative Boxi Park Lake Nona (a largely outdoor food court made from repurposed shipping containers), hungry travelers can choose between seafood sandwiches at Claw & Order, fried chicken at Fowl Play and more, all while enjoying live music and entertainment.
Hit The Hotels
Orlando’s superlative resorts offer more than just a place to sleep and sun by the pool. During our recent trip, my family and I split time between the new Evermore Resort and the 443-room Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, both of which offer unparalleled dining experiences outside of the park. On our leisurely first morning, we ate breakfast at Evermore’s Twin View Restaurant, where eggs Benedict with lobster was just the fortification I needed before a day at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Guests of Evermore can also dine at the Conrad Orlando’s restaurants, which share grounds with Evermore. One evening, we took advantage of the warm night and enjoyed playful bites — shrimp toast, pork gyoza, chicken wings with furikake ranch — and sophisticated cocktails alfresco at the property’s Papaya Club.
A few nights later, after a long day in the sun, my brood and I were happy to settle into a cozy table at Ravello, the Four Seasons’ Italian restaurant that offers homemade pastas (my spaghetti with San Marzano tomatoes overperformed), pizzas and more.
Other area hotels are equally impressive when it comes to destination dining. (The Four Seasons also boasts its own Michelin-starred restaurant, Capa Steakhouse.) At the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, guests can dine at Knife & Spoon, a spin on a steakhouse concept that incorporates fresh seafood and homemade pastas. It’s worth a visit, too, to Ette Hotel’sSalt & the Cellar, a fusion restaurant helmed by critically acclaimed Korean American chef Akira Back.
Dine At Disney — Springs, That Is
Though technically part of Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Springs is outside of the main parks, and the area offers upscale dining options from some of the country’s leading restaurateurs. The Boathouse, with its waterfront view, opened in 2015 and centers around fresh seafood: a raw bar, market fish and various composed seafaring dishes, like pan-roasted golden tilefish.
Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s Morimoto Asia is also located in Disney Springs. The 9-year-old restaurant serves a five-to-seven-course omakase experience, in addition to a la carte options. (The chef’s ochazuke miso Chilean sea bass, with wok-sauteed bok choy and Morimoto duck broth, is on the menu here, naturally.)
Chef José Andrés, known for his Spanish-leaning restaurants and also for the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, opened Jaleo by José Andrés in Disney Springs in 2019. One of Orlando’s premier dining experiences lies in Jaleo’s jamón ibérico offerings. Diners can order the Spanish ham with soft-cooked eggs and seasonal mushrooms; with figs and goat cheese; or with grated tomato and avocado mousse — and all can be amplified with the addition of either Amur Beluga or Royal Ossetra caviar.
But whether your theme park preferences take you to Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, EPCOT or elsewhere, a great meal in Orlando won’t be far behind.
