These are the top rated restaurants in Orlando, presented in alphabetical order.
These are the top rated restaurants in Orlando, presented in alphabetical order.
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CURRENT SCORE
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Rank (best ever) 19
Score (all time) 2854.00
Created 09/14/08
Views 2804
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1
Cítricos
Walt Disney World Resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, 4401 Grand Floridian Way, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 / 407-WDW-DINE
Sun-drenched colors borrowed from the Mediterranean create an inviting ambience that blends seamlessly with the cuisine on this seasonal menu that transforms the familiar in subtle ways. The best-selling appetizer is a simple sautéed shrimp with lemon, white wine and feta cheese. Or try the classic warm goat cheese salad with arugula, frisée, lardons and marinated tomatoes. Entrées range from crispy baked breast of chicken with poached Yukon Gold potatoes to the signature braised veal shank with roasted vegetables. Lighter appetites tend toward the grilled swordfish with saffron-tomato broth. Meals are orchestrated in a marble-topped open kitchen where the cooks are clearly visible from the dining room. Desserts, from a seasonal berry gratin to bittersweet chocolate mousse tart with orange sauce, get an artful flourish in the finishing kitchen that's part of the dining room. Sommeliers will happily pair a wine with any course from the list of nearly 200 vintages.
2
Coral Reef Restaurant
Walt Disney World Resort, Epcot Future World, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 / 407-WDW-DINE
It takes a while to find this restaurant in Epcot Future World, tucked in the backside of the giant Living Seas pavilion. But what a surprise---it's a dreamy descent to the bottom of the ocean, one of the most unusual dining rooms in the world. The backdrop is a 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium, the largest single tank aquarium ever built. Eight-story-high acrylic windows open onto a brilliant undersea world alive with nearly 3,000 specimens of Caribbean reef life including sharks, stingrays, turtles, snapper and shiny amberjack. Divers regularly float by the windows to wave at diners---even Mickey Mouse makes an occasional appearance in his SCUBA suit. The ocean theme continues with creative fish dishes on a menu that changes seasonally with fish flown in from around the world seven days a week. The creamy lobster soup with chervil and brandy has been offered since the restaurant opened, and you'll usually find blackened catfish with decadent cheese grits, mahi and shrimp, as well as a grilled steak. The restaurant has a substantial wine list and a unique collection of beers.
3
Doc's
1315 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32806 / 407-839-3627
When two doctors decided to open a restaurant, they chose a convenient spot (and name)---right across the street from busy Orlando Regional Medical Center on the edge of downtown. A pleasant surprise in an otherwise ordinary strip, Doc's has a spacious, cool dining room with a sleek bar near the door and al fresco dining with a big-screen TV for those who prefer a more casual setting. Chef Neil Connolly's lunch menu features dishes from a classic Reuben to his chicken salad with grapes, walnuts, red onion and currants. If you’re in a hurry, try the Power Lunch with soup, salad or half sandwich and a slice of chocolate cake, on the table in less than ten minutes. Dinner is elegant, offering preparations like pan-seared grouper with wild mushroom risotto, or a spice-rubbed, pan-seared rib-eye. Many of Connolly's creations reflect his New England roots---the memorable Cape Cod lobster stew is a decadent bowl of milky, sherry-infused broth and tender chunks of lobster. And he makes some of the best crab cakes in town. The thoughtful wine list has more than 100 choices, from Dom Perignon to Brunello di Montalcino, Barbi 1998. Wines all have brief descriptions like spice, cherries, violets or floral, blueberry, cedar to help you decide.
4
Hue
629 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32801 / 407-849-1800
Hue is the hottest spot in Thornton Park, a stylish expansion of downtown Orlando. The interior's clean-lined, big-city look and feel is a fine setting for young, beautiful diners to see and be seen, sipping martinis and nibbling starters like sesame tuna tartare, crispy oysters or Pan-Asian crab cakes in one of the two small dining rooms or on the patio that wraps around the corner of Summerlin and Central. Main dishes are traditional, many with a trendy Asian influence like wood-grilled salmon with sesame-hoisin glaze or tamari roasted duck breast. But there's also a simple wood-grilled New York strip steak with chive mash. An ample wine list offers plenty of selections by the glass, and the full bar is the place for one of downtown's most happening happy hours.
5
La Coquina
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort, 1 Grand Cypress Blvd., Orlando, FL 32836 / 407-239-1234
La Coquina is open only September to June for Sunday brunch and an evening Chef’s Table, so call ahead. If you're lucky enough to get in, it's a treat with one of the most sumptuous spreads in Central Florida. Located in the busy Hyatt near Disney World, locals as well as tourists keep the pricey restaurant busy. The delectable brunch selections stretch on and on, with everything from fried eggs to fresh seafood. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings is the elegant Chef’s Table, right in the kitchen, where chefs create five haute cuisine courses while you watch.
6
Le Coq au Vin
4800 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32806 / 407-851-6980
Many evenings you'll spot chefs from other restaurants sipping a glass of Pinot Noir and enjoying the country French cuisine at the cozy roadside Le Coq au Vin. The décor is nothing fancy, but it matches chef Louis Perrotte's simple creations. You must try the namesake dish of chicken and mushrooms in burgundy wine. The braised veal sweetbreads with morels is another classic that's often on the menu. We recommend the “Duck 2 Ways”---leg confit crisp with lavender honey and roasted breast with oranges, Grand Marnier sauce and sweet potato-parsnip pie; or the sea bass filet baked with mushroom, corn, spinach crust and braised fennel, served with orange-mango-flavored butter. For dessert, you can't go wrong with a soufflé. The service is friendly and low key---a perfect complement to the food.
7
Norman's
The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, 4012 Central Florida Pkwy., Orlando, FL 32837 / 407-206-2400
Foodies know Norman Van Aken's career began as a cook in Key West, Fla., in the early 1970s, and over the next 35 years his New World cuisine, incorporating ingredients of Latin America, the Caribbean, southern United States and Asia, became legendary. This Van Aken outpost at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, gives diners a taste of his celebrated cuisine. The menu may feature entrées such as citrus-rubbed Carolina flounder with vanilla-braised Belgian endive, fennel slaw and ginger broth, or lamb shoulder, chop and shank with rosemary parsnips and warm tomatillo salsa. You'll always find the conch chowder with saffron and toasted coconut (don't miss it). The beautiful dining room features a dramatic 10,000-bottle wine vault built in its center. Van Aken is not often in the kitchen, but his disciples deftly re-create his dazzling creations.
8
Primo
JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, 4040 Central Florida Pkwy., Orlando, FL 32837 / 407-393-4444
Melissa Kelly, noted for her Primo restaurant in Rockland, Maine, is wowing diners at the Grande Lakes Resort. Her classy, 114-seat restaurant in the touristy JW Marriott is a far cry from the down east Victorian mansion with four acres of organic gardens, but the Orlando outpost does have its own small patch of organic garden and an upscale dining room with an open kitchen. Kelly makes an occasional appearance but leaves the cooking to chef Kathleen Blake, who knows her organics, too: starters like tuna tartare with Meyer lemon and a sunny-side-up quail egg, or pistachio-crusted goat cheese with organic baby beets and dried cherry vinaigrette. Entrées include pan-roasted grouper with sweet shrimp risotto; grilled Long Island duck breast with butternut squash, greens and potato gnocchi in a sage-walnut pesto; and handmade spinach linguine with littleneck clams. The menu changes every few weeks so there's always something new and notable. Bread, too, is worth a nibble, baked daily with help from a 10-year-old dough starter that Kelly carries along on her trips from Maine. Save room for the irresistible espresso float or a gelato with homemade biscotti. Service was a bit slow on our visits, but be patient---the overall experience is worth the wait.
9
Seasons 52
7700 W. Sand Lake Rd., Orlando, FL 32819 / 407-354-5212
Seasonally inspired menus, a terrific wine list and a fabulous waterfront setting make this one of the hottest restaurants in Central Florida. The bar is packed with the see-and-be-seen crowd, and in the dining room guests are happily digging in, as there's no entrée on the menu that's more than 475 calories. Portions are generous and packed with flavor, not fat (the chefs vow to use no butter, with olive oil as the fat of choice). The menu changes a little each week---Seasons 52 denotes the 52 weeks of the year. You'll find seasonal veggies on your plate to accompany tender filet mignon, salmon, shrimp, jumbo sea scallops and other favorites, most grilled over an oak fire so there's no need for heavy sauces. Don't miss the flatbread starters, paper thin and topped with garlicky morsels of meat and veggies. Or the big bowl of black mussels steamed in marinara broth, enough to share. And save room for the innovative desserts called mini-indulgences, served in shot glasses---enough for two or three bites of tiramisu, blueberry lemon cheesecake, Key lime pie and Rocky Road---ten to choose from in all, and none more than 250 calories. There are more than 100 wines on the list, with 60 available by the glass. The place is packed with locals most nights, a familiar crowd elbow-to-elbow in the bar.
10
Victoria & Albert's
Walt Disney World Resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, 4401 Grand Floridian Way, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 / 407-WDW-DINE
One of the most elegant dining experiences in Central Florida, Victoria & Albert's is tucked away on the second floor of the fancy Grand Floridian. But there's more than good looks as chef Scott Hunnel shares his passion for tastes from around the globe. One night it's Hudson Valley foie gras with Fuji apples to start, the next a tasting of rare caviar. The formal dining room has just 20 tables, giving him plenty of time to fuss over every entrée. He creates new menus every day, choosing what's freshest at the market. One evening you might find chorizo-crusted shrimp with white beans and olives, another Australian Kobe beef. Hunnel is happy if you call ahead and request a favorite dish; he'll do his best to accommodate. Dinner is served in six small courses, including a lovely cheese course with port; go with the well-chosen wine pairings if you just want to sit back and be pampered. If the dining room seems too pretentious, try to reserve the Chef's Table in the restaurant's small kitchen. Hunnel is an attentive and generous host, with room for up to ten around his table, with a fascinating view of his hard-at-work team of chefs. The restaurant's impressive wine list features more than 500 selections.
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