Where to Eat and Drink in Orlando

Located in the Plaza Venezia, a swanky area locals fondly refer to as Restaurant Row, trendy yet comfortable Amura is the perfect place for a date or family dinner. Make a meal for two out of the Dragon and Atomic Bomb rolls, a bento box to share, and some Nigori sake infused with coconut and vanilla, or feed a group with tempura and The Boat (a mix of crowd-pleasing sushi rolls and fresh sashimi like tuna, salmon, and sea bass).

Chef Chico Mendonça brings a taste of Portugal to Orlando with his food truck, Bem Bom. For the signature Prego de Frango Piri-Piri, he marinates chicken in his own piri-piri and serves it on fresh, warm prego (a crunchy yet chewy Portuguese bread) with hot mustard, cilantro, and pepper relish. If you’re lucky enough to be at the truck when Mendonça has piri-piri for sale, don’t leave without buying a bottle.

The chance to try Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s first Pan-Asian restaurant is what brings most people to this Disney Springs spot, which opened in 2015. The menu blends flavors from China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia, while the decor impresses with a glass staircase, sparkling chandeliers, and a 270-foot-long bar. This is the kind of restaurant where sharing plates makes for the most satisfying meal, so come with a group and cover your table with Peking duck, sushi and sashimi, shumai dumplings, pad Thai noodles, and more. Just be sure to save room for the revelatory desserts, which range from Oreo tempura to house-made churros.

The restaurateurs were aiming for an approachable French spot when they opened this brasserie in downtown’s Bank of America building in 2016—and they’ve succeeded, in spades. Here, the perfect start to both lunch and dinner is a bowl of the savory French onion soup, which features just the right amount of bone marrow. Other menu highlights include steak frites, croque monsieur sandwiches, and artisanal cheese plates for dessert. If seafood is your thing, you’ll also love the raw bar, with its spread of oysters, shrimp, and crab legs. On weekday mornings, DoveCote offers a café-style breakfast, complete with authentic French pastries and espresso drinks served in the open lobby. Every other meal occurs in the actual restaurant, which stuns with soaring ceilings, whitewashed brick walls, and a palette of soft blue, gold, and gray that feels trés français indeed.

It’s no surprise that the opening of this beloved gastropub back in 2007 coincided with Orlando’s rise as a culinary hot spot. While its owners James and Julie Petrakis have not stopped opening other ventures around the city (including at Disney Springs), this local favorite—known for its Cask & Larder beers and sophisticated Southern fare—has hardly waned in popularity. Start with the charcuterie platter (a spread of rillettes, dried sausage, and salami), then choose from favorites like shrimp and grits and the enormous Pub Burger, which comes topped with caramelized onions and buttermilk blue cheese. Whether you come for happy hour, dinner, or something in between, expect a lively atmosphere that’s perfectly suited to groups.

Located in the heart of Orlando’s Little Vietnam district, this casual eatery does Pan-Asian cuisine perfectly, with a spread of affordable, piping-hot dishes inspired by hawker-style street food. It’s hardly a new concept in a city known for great Asian restaurants, but Mamak does it exceptionally well with small plates like beef bulgogi, golden roti canai bread, Indonesian nasi goreng, and a spectacular version of Malaysian char kway teow noodles. Come with a group so you can order a little bit of everything—it’s the kind of place where sharing just two dishes is nothing short of sin.

Opened in Orlando’s eclectic Audubon Park Garden District in 2013, this wildly popular market features a collection of gourmet purveyors in a refurbished industrial building. Among the merchants are an artisan baker, a small enterprise specializing in barbecue sauces and rubs, a specialty cheese vendor with selections from around the world, and a craft coffee roaster. At the market’s anchor restaurant, Domo, guests can also look forward to specialty cocktails, Pan-Asian ramen, and a lively scene that lasts long after the other vendors have closed up shop. Occasionally, the market even hosts community events, pop-up dinners, yoga classes, and courses on cooking, home brewing, and more.

The surprises at this excellent Italian restaurant in Disney Springs start right when you arrive and gaze upon the airy dining room. Complete with 50-foot-high ceilings, a grand staircase, and sweeping views over Lake Buena Vista, it’s themed after an abandoned airline terminal, with lots of fun travel touches that include a vintage-style glove dangling like a giant chandelier overhead. Chef Theo Schoenegger is a native of Italy, and his menu spotlights specialties from Rome and Sicily. Delicious Italian cheeses and cured meats are perfect starters for sharing. And signature dishes include Sicilian arancini di carne (rice balls with meat) and a spiral pasta dish topped with crab called busiate con granchio. Italian red, white, and Prosecco wines star on the well-informed wine list. And don’t miss a plate of cannoli to share for a sweet finish.

Downtown Orlando is a very social place, with blocks of bars and restaurants that stay busy from happy hour through late night. Along Orange Avenue—but delightfully removed from the more boisterous downtown stretch—this rooftop lounge overlooking Ivanhoe Row is a local favorite for drinking craft cocktails al fresco. Ride the glass elevator up the third-floor deck, where a horseshoe-shaped bar is shaded from the sun but open to the breezes. Seasonal sangrias spiked with whatever fruit is at peak ripeness go down easily. And another house favorite is the Majors Mule, which puts a tequila twist on the ginger beer and fresh lime classic.

Orlando is known for great Asian eats, and this sweet little Thai spot in Winter Park stands apart for its stylish vibe and rainbow range of iced and hot teas and desserts. KrungThep is the Thai name for Bangkok, but much of the menu skews fusion-style, with items like pesto chicken sandwiches and satay sandwiches and toast-style desserts topped with everything from condensed milk and homemade coconut ice cream to Nutella, matcha, and organic honey. Tea-lovers are in heaven here, with herbal, black, and white loose leaf varieties galore. The black and white decor scheme is both blatantly Instagram-able and cozy and inviting. For a quiet chat with a friend or a self-care moment alone, you can’t go wrong while taking a break to recharge here.