12 Best Restaurants in Orlando, Florida

The Pig established the gastropub category in Orlando and then went on to spawn several offshoots. Run by James and Julie Petrakis, a husband-and-wife chef team with multiple James Beard Award nominations, its delicacies include pork porterhouse and the pub burger, though the daily-changing menu always includes less-expensive pub fare like rock shrimp tacos and homemade pretzels. All charcuterie is made in-house, from the spiced orange salami to the game-bird terrine. Adjacent is the Ravenous Pig Brewing Co., serving small-barrel craft beers and ales in a beer garden. The Pig received the Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2022, which recognizes great food at great value.

The gift shop of the Modernism Museum across the street is attached to this tearoom-turned-restaurant, which helps to explain its striking and sublime decor. The menu changes daily featuring dishes from Florida and elsewhere in the South that are made using local ingredients whenever possible; roasted oysters, slow-cooked octopus with Japanese eggplant, or barbecue lamb shank are just some of the possibilities.

The Grand Bohemian, a luxury boutique hotel, is the setting for this sleek city-center restaurant. Start with the calamari or the porcini flatbread followed, perhaps, by a selection from the famed Angus beef menu, the Chilean sea bass, or the Hunter's Board of handcrafted charcuterie. The Sunday Jazz Brunch here is legendary, with stations for omelets, seafood, and carved prime rib, as well as an expansive dessert selection. Local politicians favor this place for power breakfasts, and local jazz stars perform in the Bösendorfer Lounge most evenings.

Hipsters, families, and business groups dine side by side at this popular restaurant, a laid-back spot that specializes in Asian street food and has quickly become a Southern institution with 15 locations in seven states, including six in Florida. Travel Southeast Asia with scratch-made family recipes from across the region. Developed by four Florida friends, the adventurous menu includes roti canai, a flaky bread with a chicken-curry dip; curry laksa, a noodle soup with exotic flavors; and crispy Korean wings. More timid eaters adore the marinated beef skewers with Malaysian satay sauce, peanut-y chilled sesame noodles, and duck tacos.

At this restaurant, award-winning, James Beard–nominated chef Braden McGlamery emphasizes innovative American dishes. Sophisticated barbecue might find a place on the menu next to Florida redfish as well as some of the best burgers in the area. The bar serves creative cocktails crafted with house-made tinctures, and the Sunday brunch is a must.

You'll be transported to Calabria at this comfortable restaurant, which is divided into a trattoria and a pizzeria. It puts out a fresh menu of Italian specialties every evening, and the finishing kitchen is in the dining room, so diners lucky enough to snag the few indoor seats (the outside patio has extras) can watch chefs create the dishes. You might feast on fried pecorino drizzled with honey, a lasagna worthy of a return Orlando visit, pear-and-cheese pasta pockets, wine-marinated duck breast with spicy mushroom risotto, or seared tuna with cauliflower puree. Most desserts are made in-house.

Standing out in a town saturated with taco places, Reyes brings authentic (meaning real Mexican) cuisine to Orlando. Michoacán-born chef Wendy Lopez honors the food of her homeland while adding inventive modern touches; Yucatán pork ribs, duck enchiladas, and a mixed grill of NY strip, chicken, and shrimp are just a taste. An extensive variety of agave-based liquors and the one-of-a-kind mezcal-soaked chocolate cake ends the meal on an alcoholic peak.

Armando Martorelli has opened many local restaurants in his career since coming from Italy to Florida, but his namesake eatery is the epitome of his craft. It has a relaxed neighborhood vibe and serves what is perhaps the area's best Neapolitan-style pizza. Other menu highlights include daily fresh-seafood specials, veal saltimbocca, and a signature pollo di Tatiana with vodka cream sauce.

The food here is served tapas-style, and although everything is appetizer sized, it's plentiful and relatively inexpensive. The restaurant is designed to resemble an artist's loft, so painters work at easels while diners take a culinary trip around the world with dishes such as Cajun-chicken egg rolls or Moroccan turkey meatballs. Thanks to a patio, diners can also share their small plates alfresco. The drinks list includes 50-plus craft beers and more than 35 wines from several countries, with most offered by the bottle or the glass. Belly dancers, flamenco dancers, Bolivian dancers, and African drummers are among the entertainers who perform on weekends.

Hampton Social covers many bases with its menu of "coastal-inspired food." With options ranging from California-style pizzas and lobster rolls to steak or seafood tacos and crispy calamari, there's likely to be something for everyone in your party. Weekend brunch adds boozy and nonalcoholic bevs, as well as live music.

A holdover from when neighborhood restaurants were actually in a neighborhood, award-winning Maxine's is casual, hip, local, and friendly. The menu ranges from sophisticated seafood to brisket burgers and Black Angus filet mignon. The wine list is unique and special, and the bar rivals the extended outdoor seating for popularity. There's live music several times a week, an unusual Friday brunch, and special events feature wine dinners and drag cabaret nights.

Using locally sourced ingredients, the chef at this small, independent redbrick eatery on Sanford's main drag creates Southern-fusion dishes. His house-made biscuits and gravy are renowned, the Saturday brunch menu features a Southern-style croque monsieur with candied collard greens, and dinner choices include pan-seared Florida catfish with bacon from Tennessee and the ever-popular shrimp and grits with corn from Zellwood, Florida.