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Orlando Dinning
Where to Dine in Orlando - Local Favorites
With
nearly 5,400 restaurants from which to choose, picking the right spot
for the perfect dinner in Orlando can be challenging. Whether you are
looking for a quick bite or a leisurely, upscale meal, take some advice
from those who call Orlando home. The following restaurants have earned
top honors from the readers of two popular, local lifestyle magazines -
Orlando Leisure and Orlando Magazine – in their annual readers’ polls.
Best Brunch
Styled as a French marketplace, the brunch at La
Coquina at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress offers table after table
of tempting fare including fresh fruits and cheeses, hot waffles and
pancakes, made-to-order omelets, a variety of pastas and salads, freshly
prepared chicken and seafood dishes, and succulent desserts. Brunch is
only offered seasonally September – June.
Best Outdoor Dining
Located in trendy Thornton Park, Hue – A Restaurant offers an
inventive Asian fusion menu at coveted sidewalk tables. The restaurant
is open for lunch and dinner daily, and offers a “Disco Brunch” on the
third Sunday of every month.
Best Restaurant
Seasons 52 is noted for its seasonally inspired and low-cal menu,
and for its wine list with more than 70 available by the glass.
Best New Restaurant
The newest addition to the dining scene in trendy Thornton
Park, Fifi’s
Patisserie serves Mediterranean cuisine with influences that range
from Greece to France and Israel.
Best Restaurant for a Business Dinner
From the U.S. Prime steaks, broiled to perfection at 1800
degrees, to the expertly executed seafood, New Orleans-inspired
appetizers, unforgettable desserts and award winning wine list, Ruth’s
Chris Steak House’s two Orlando locations are the locals’ choice
for great steak.
Best Service
Located at the Caribe Royale Resort, The
Venetian Room offers sumptuous cuisine served in unmistakable
elegance. Add outstanding service and you have the recipe for a truly
remarkable dining experience.
Outstanding Fine Dining
Victoria & Albert’s is Orlando’s only AAA Five-Diamond restaurant
and the crème de la crème of dining at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort &
Spa. The serene dining room with harp music, butler-style service and
an award-winning, seven-course seasonal menu, embodies a spirit of
luxury and romance.
Outstanding Hotel Dining
Norman’s at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes features chef
Norman Van Aken's acclaimed "New World Cuisine" – a unique fusion of
Latin and Caribbean recipes with traditional European technique and the
chef’s own innovative spirit.
Outstanding Steakhouse
A local staple since 1993, Del
Frisco's Prime Steak & Lobster is known for its mouth-watering
steak and seafood. Located in northern Orlando, this hometown favorite
provides a warm, down-to-earth atmosphere for all its patrons.
Outstanding Customer-Friendly Wine List
A chic newcomer to Winter Park’s Park Avenue, Luma
on Park takes a laidback approach to wine – calling it “The Juice.”
The wine list is easy-to-understand, changes frequently and is arranged
in four pricing categories. Wine tasters can order by the half glass,
full glass or bottle.
Upscale Restaurants at Theme Parks Offer Great Food in the Middle of the
Fun
Orlando’s theme parks offer world class entertainment, high-tech rides
and family friendly thrills. But, did you know they also offer great
upscale dining options that won’t break the bank? If you want to take a
break from fast food eaten on the go, check out these great in-park
restaurants for a lunch or dinner break. And, don’t worry - all of these
restaurants not only welcome children, but offer tasty menu items and
fun atmospheres that will ensure a meal to remember for the whole
family!
No
visit to SeaWorld Orlando would be complete without a stop at Sharks
Underwater Grill. As you enter this underwater grotto, your eyes will
immediately be drawn to the shark tank that makes up several of the
restaurant’s walls. More than 50 sharks swim close enough for you to
count their teeth! As breathtaking as the view is, all eyes will be on
your plate when your meal arrives. With a menu consisting of Blackened
Sea Scallops, Pan-Seared Red Snapper, NY Strip Steak and Chorizo-Stuffed
Breast of Chicken, you will find something to appeal to even the
fussiest eaters. Leave room for dessert – you won’t want to miss the
Loan Shark Brownie or the Passion Fruit Flavored Flan. If you want to
partake in a little undersea dining adventure while at SeaWorld Orlando,
please stop by the Host/Hostess stand in front of the restaurant to make
same-day reservations.
Universal Orlando Resort offers visitors plenty of excitement at its two
thrilling parks. When you need to take a break from the
adrenaline-pumping excitement at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, stop
by Mythos for a great meal in a peaceful setting. Nestled in the park’s
The Lost Continent area, the restaurant’s cave-like entrance sets the
tone for a unique dining experience. If you’re lucky, you could land a
table overlooking the inland sea. Menu highlights include the Cedar
Planked Bay of Fundy Salmon, the Cowboy BBQ Smokey Steak Sandwich and
the Risotto of the Day. But, don’t just take our word for it … Mythos
has been named the “#1 Theme Park Restaurant in the World” by Theme Park
Insider for the last four years.
At Universal Studios Florida, you can live the movies and dine like a
movie star at Lombard’s Seafood Grille in the San Francisco/Amity
section of the park. True to its waterfront setting, Lombard’s specialty
is fresh seafood. Start your meal with their New England Clam Chowder
then move on to the Catch of the Day or their signature Fried Shrimp or
Seafood Marinara. For a lighter – yet delicious – meal, try the Bay
Shrimp Cobb Salad. It’s first-come, first-served at this popular
restaurant so plan to get there ahead of the lunch and dinner crowds.
Dining experiences at the Walt Disney World Resort are as varied as the
resort’s four theme parks. The magic and wonderment of the Magic Kingdom
are captured at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the iconic Cinderella’s
Castle. Your magical dining experience begins with a royal welcoming and
includes a special appearance by the Fairy Godmother. The customized a
la carte menu offers American fare – including the signature Prime Rib –
presented with royal flair.
The World Showcase at Epcot provides the unique opportunity to tour 11
of the world’s nations in under one mile. If your globetrotting leaves
you hungry, plan to land in France at dinner time. You will think you
are seated along the Rue de Seine at the celebrated Chefs de France
Restaurant. Whether you prefer the more casual atmosphere of the
downstairs dining room or seek the slightly more formal environment of
the Bistro de Paris upstairs, you are in for a culinary treat. The menu
features creations such as canard a l’orange (roast breast of duck with
a sweet and sour orange sauce); soupe a l’oignon gratinee; or marmite du
pecheur parfumee au safran (a traditional Mediterranean seafood
casserole).
The Hollywood Brown Derby was synonymous with the Golden Age of
Hollywood. From its opening in 1926, it was the place to see and be seen
for Hollywood royalty including Mary Pickford, Lucille Ball and gossip
queen Louella Parsons. Legendary leading man Clark Gable even proposed
to his sweetheart Carole Lombard there. The glamour of the original
restaurant has been re-created at The Hollywood Brown Derby at
Disney-MGM Studios. Scan the walls for caricatures of your favorite
stars – a Brown Derby tradition – while enjoying the restaurant’s famed
Cobb Salad (they invented it!), roast pork tenderloin with polenta,
skillet-fired Florida grouper or spice-grilled filet mignon.
While theme park food might evoke memories of fun foods like hamburgers
and hot dogs, a visit to one of these delightful in-park restaurants
might just change your mind.
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