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Best Dining Bets
It may not have the caliber of restaurants of say, a New York or San Francisco, but Orlando has a few premier offerings that would make any foodie's best list. That said, keep in mind that for the most part Orlando is a family destination first and foremost -- and therefore caters mostly to the masses. Here are our picks for the best eating in town.
Best for Kids: Kids adore the meals served up with Disney characters bounding about and there are plenty to choose from throughout the Walt Disney World resorts and theme parks. They also love the eclectic atmosphere, sounds, and visuals of the jungle-themed Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney Marketplace (tel. 407/827-8500) and Animal Kingdom (tel. 407/938-9100). Monkey business is strongly encouraged there. If horsing around is more your style, try dining at the Whispering Canyon Café (tel. 407/939-3463) inside Disney's Wilderness Lodge for some foot-stomping fun.
Best Character Meal: It doesn't get any better than Chef Mickey's breakfasts and dinners at the Contemporary Resort (tel. 407/939-3463). These "events" have their respective namesake and other characters, but a word of warning: They also attract up to 1,600 guests each morning. A close second is a meal at the Crystal Palace Buffet (tel. 407/939-3463), located in the Magic Kingdom. You will not see Mickey and Minnie, but your kids will be greeted at your table by Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and some of their pals.
Best Spot for a Romantic Dinner: Victoria & Albert's (tel. 407/939-3463) will spoil you with superior service and stylish surroundings. Dinner is an intimate seven-course meal offering some of the finest food around.
Best View: Manuel's on the 28th (tel. 407/246-6580), so named because it's on the 28th floor of a downtown bank building, has equally gorgeous views of the setting sun and the downtown skyline. The California Grill (tel. 407/939-3463), high atop Disney's Contemporary Resort, offers a spectacular view of the Magic Kingdom, as well as a front row seat for the park's nightly fireworks display through its immense floor-to-ceiling windows.
Best Wine List: For something a bit out of the ordinary, try Jiko (tel. 407/939-3463) at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge; it features one of the most extensive collections (65 vintages) of South African wines in the country.
Best Value: At Romano's Macaroni Grill (tel. 407/239-6676), the casual yet lively ambience and the northern Italian cuisine score very high, and prices are low, low, low.
Best Oriental Cuisine: The Mikado Japanese Steakhouse (tel. 407/239-4200) in Marriott's Orlando World Center offers a tastier meal and a more intimate atmosphere than the other Japanese steakhouses in the area. For Chinese cuisine, head to Ming Court (tel. 407/351-9988), which offers a menu as impressive as its elaborate surroundings. Emeril's Tchoup Chop (tel. 407/503-2467) takes your taste buds on a tour of the Pacific Rim islands while its chic and trendy decor is among the most inviting around.
Best Barbecue: Follow your nose to Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ (tel. 407/628-1212) after catching a whiff of the tangy hickory smoke. It tastes as good as it smells.
Best Italian Cuisine: It's a toss up between Bice (tel. 407/503-1000) at Universal's Portofino Bay Hotel, with its chic yet elegant atmosphere, and the more casual Pacino's Italian Ristorante in Kissimmee (tel. 407/396-8022).
Best Seafood: Of the area's many seafood restaurants, the best around is: Fulton's Crab House (tel. 407/934-2628), which offers a creative menu and a rich wine list. Todd English's bluezoo (tel. 407/934-4644) blends a unique atmosphere with creative seafood dishes to great success.
Best Tapas: Café Tu Tu Tango (tel. 407/248-2222) takes the tapas concept to another dimension, serving items ranging from Cajun egg rolls with blackened chicken to alligator bites in a fabulous artist-loft atmosphere.
Best Steakhouse: The steaks, seafood, and poultry served at Charley's Steakhouse (tel. 407/363-0228) are prepared to perfection over a specially designed wood pit, ensuring a delicious meal.
Best Late-Night Dining: The trendy B-Line Diner (tel. 407/345-4460) at the Peabody Orlando is open round-the-clock for eclectic fare ranging from steaks to falafel sandwiches to grits and eggs. You won't be able to pass up one of their decadent desserts.
Best Spot for Celebrating: Emeril's at Universal's CityWalk (tel. 407/224-2424) and Tchoup Chop at Universal's Royal Pacific Resort (tel. 407/503-2467) are great choices for a high-end special occasion. For the pure party factor, you can't beat Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville (tel. 407/224-2155) at CityWalk.
Best Outdoor Dining: The terrace at Artist Point (tel. 407/939-3463), the premier restaurant at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, overlooks a lake, waterfall, and scenery evocative of America's national parks. The Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room at Epcot (tel. 407/939-3463) delivers a front-row seat for the IllumiNations fireworks display.
Best Sunday Brunch: Atlantis, at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld, (tel. 407/351-5555) serves a champagne brunch in its sun-drenched atrium. Themes change monthly, but the menu usually features such treats as quail, duck, lamb chops, Cornish hen, clams, mussels, snapper, sea bass, sushi, and more. For a themed brunch, the House of Blues (tel. 407/934-2583), at Disney's West Side, has a down-home gospel brunch featuring live foot-stomping music and an array of Southern/Creole vittles. The food is so-so -- the same quality of a dinner show, which this is, morning-style. But the entertainment makes it a certifiable winner.
The Best Theme Restaurants
Orlando has elevated themed dining to an art form. The food at these restaurants may not be the best in town (though it won't be terrible either), but you can't beat the atmosphere.
World Showcase restaurants (Epcot; tel. 407/939-3463): Epcot's World Showcase is home to Orlando's best collection of theme restaurants in one setting. Dine in Italy, chow down in China, or watch a belly dancer do her thing as you eat couscous in Morocco. You'll have a blast no matter which dining spot you choose.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant (Disney-MGM Studios; tel. 407/939-3463): Your table is set inside a 1950s-era convertible, your carhop (umm . . . waitress) serves you popcorn as an appetizer, and you can zone out on sci-fi flicks on a giant movie screen while you eat. It's an out-of-this-world experience.
50's Prime Time Café (Disney-MGM Studios; tel. 407/939-3463): Ozzie and Harriet would feel right at home inside this replica of mom's kitchen (ca. 1950), where classic TV shows play on black-and-white screens. Servers may threaten to withhold dessert (choices include s'mores!) if you don't finish your meatloaf, so clean that plate!
Enchanted Oak Tavern (Islands of Adventure; no phone): Merlin himself would feel right at home at this dimly lit dining hall, set inside a hollowed-out "tree." The evocative decor looks even better after you've imbibed 1 of the 45 different beers on tap at the restaurant's Alchemy Bar.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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