Sometimes we all need a little help when it comes time to impress a date. Certain restaurants may please the tongue and fill the belly but don't tug on our emotions. The selections we have gathered here have that certain something—perhaps a light-speckled patio, or a roving musician, or inspirational garden—that can wow a date, and put them in the mood to satisfy other appetites. Presented in alphabetical order, here are the top ten romantic restaurants in Orlando.
Sometimes we all need a little help when it comes time to impress a date. Certain restaurants may please the tongue and fill the belly but don't tug on our e... more
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1
The Boheme
Westin Grand Bohemian, 325 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801 / 407-581-4700
This is downtown Orlando's top dining experience, in a jewel box of a hotel, the Westin Grand Bohemian. Just outside the dining room is a shimmering Imperial Grand Bösendorfer piano, one of only two in the world, part of the setting for a diverse menu that's a balance of high-end classics and inspired creations. Soups are standouts such as the rich lobster bisque with Cognac. Entrées we can recommend include the double-cut pork shop stuffed with pecorino and arugula, and the filet mignon with Cabernet reduction. For fish, try the roasted Chilean sea bass or the honey-scented salmon. Accompaniments---portioned so there’s plenty to share---include grilled asparagus and Yukon whipped potatoes. Settle back with a fine glass of port or dessert wine from the restaurant's extensive wine cellar with 3,000 bottles on the shelf. There are plenty of super selections by the glass, and half bottles if you can't decide on red or white. Nearly two-dozen sparkling wines and Champagnes are fine starters, and a solid catalog of old- and new-world vintages round out the list.
2
Chez Vincent
533 W. New England Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789 / 407-599-2929
Tiny Chez Vincent is tucked in an old building in Winter Park's trendy West Side, with the ambience of a Parisian café: a pleasantly quiet dining room with white linen tablecloths, fresh flowers and gracious servers. It's the kind of place to enjoy a fine lunch or dinner, then linger over a decadent crème brûlée or espresso. Chef Vincent Gagliano is French-trained, and he and his wife Teri run the restaurant with a European flair. Reasonably priced lunches include a lovely salade de chevre chaud with warm goat cheese, roasted pumpkin seeds and balsamic vinaigrette, and a perfectly sized steak au poivre with shallots, Cognac and demi glaze. The dinner crowd is treated to Gagliano's culinary creations like fresh poached salmon with a sherry-raspberry sauce, hearty grouper provençal or sautéed duck breast with a Grand Marnier sauce. The wine list is ample, offering wonderful selections by the glass. We always save room for a crêpe or tarte Tatin. Bon appétit!
3
Enzo's Restaurant on the Lake
1130 U.S. Hwy. 17-92, Longwood, FL 32750 / 407-834-9872
Housed in a former residence, Enzo's sits behind a wall along Highway 17-92, a little gem in the midst of car lots and mom-and-pop businesses. Don't let the location fool you---Enzo’s lakeside eatery is a local institution, with upscale, classic Italian cuisine. Service often lacks and the kitchen has some off nights, but you can't go wrong with the bucatini alla Enzo, pasta with a sauce of peas, mushrooms and prosciutto, tossed with fresh black pepper and Parmesan---it's been on the menu since the restaurant opened many years ago. The simple spaghetti alla carbonara with bacon, egg yolk, sautéed onions and Romano cheese is another favorite. And there's always a daily risotto special. If you're in the mood for a steak, try the straccetti di manzo, thin-sliced Black Angus steak sautéed in shiitake mushrooms, arugula and balsamic vinegar. You'll find a wide selection from Italy, France and California on the wine list.
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
Kres
17 W. Church St., Orlando, FL 32801 / 407-447-7950
Restaurants like Kres are bringing crowds downtown for power lunches and chic dinners. The same team that opened Hue in Thornton Park is behind this 210-seat chophouse, decorated with lots of wood with bold red accents and crisp white tablecloths, all softly lit with fresh flowers on each table. Start with classic steak tartare prepared tableside or a jumbo shrimp cocktail. Or be extravagant and order the pricey Seafood Tower for two with oysters, shrimp, rare seared tuna and crab. But meat is the star of the show, with showoffs like a 20-ounce rib-eye, fork tender filets with béarnaise, hefty lamb and veal chops. Fish gets a supporting role with snapper, salmon, yellowfin tuna and black grouper. And, after a heavy meal, sweets seem mandatory, so share a crispy banana split or fresh berries with vanilla vodka crème. More than 100 wine selections offer something for every taste and pocketbook. Open late, it's a sophisticated spot for after-theater drinks or a light dinner.
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
Manuel’s on the 28th
390 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801 / 407-246-6580
High atop the Bank of America building downtown, an elevator zips up 28 floors to this glass jewel box with floor-to-ceiling windows and a jaw-dropping view of the City Beautiful. Crisp linens, fresh orchids and professional service start the evening off right. You’ll feel right at home in the “preferred” jacket and dressy attire. The menu is limited and the kitchen small, but there’s a diverse selection of “contemporary world” cuisine. Dishes change seasonally, but you’ll generally find a buttery beef tenderloin; whatever fish is freshest, like fennel-pollen-dusted Chilean sea bass; and a mint-pesto-crusted rack of lamb. Or make it easy and just order the prix-fixe dinner with four lovely courses. French and American wines dominate the pricey wine list that also includes a wide selection of vintage ports and Cognacs. With just 95 seats, the place fills fast, so early reservations are a must. Forget engagements, birthdays and anniversaries---Manuel’s on the 28th is something to celebrate all by itself.
8
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.
9
Park Plaza Gardens
319 Park Ave. S., Winter Park, FL 32789 / 407-645-2475
There are two types of diners who frequent Park Plaza Gardens. The young, hip crowd vies for tables along busy Park Avenue, and longtime fans want a table in the courtyard dining room. There are two slightly different menus though anything from the dining room can be ordered in the casual street-front café (a bar separates the two dining experiences). Expect a twist of creativity to standards like shrimp cocktail, beef tenderloin and rack of lamb. Diners may also opt for the Prince Edward Island mussels in a golden curry cream, or orange-horseradish-glazed salmon with nutmeg-scented spaghetti squash and wilted spinach. Beware, the Kobe beef South Beach burger can only be ordered for lunch. Sweet endings are irresistible, like the tropical coconut pound cake and frozen mocha soufflé.
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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