11 Best Orlando Restaurants | Must-Try Restaurants in Orlando, FL

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Foodie Flashpacker| January 18, 2023

While the city of Orlando has a population of just over 300,000, the metro area has more than 2 million. What may be most surprising to visitors is how very much there is to do outside the theme parks. The Visitors’ Bureau commissioned a study that shows it would take more than 120 days to do all of Orlando’s activities, including sporting events. But staying within Orlando’s city limits can still mean driving an hour to get to your favorite Orlando restaurants. These are several Orlando restaurants I think are worth the trip.

NB: Tapa Toro and MogeTee were visited during a press trip, the others independently with my family. The opinions about Orlando restaurants are my own.

The 11 Best Orlando Restaurants

Our first stop on a whirlwind press trip to Orlando is lunch at Tapa Toro at ICON Park on International “I” Drive in Orlando’s famous tourism corridor. The Wheel at ICON Park, formerly known as the Orlando EYE, towers over the Tapa Toro which has rolled out the red carpet for hungry visitors seeking their contemporary Spanish cuisine.

Welcomed instantly by staff, we move from a table by the bar to the chef’s table around the paella pit and watch as Chef creates flavorful seafood paella with scents wafting across stimulating our already active appetites.

We’re fortunate to have Fitzgerald as our server, photo model, introducer, and new best friend. A native of Bucharest, Romania, he was given this very Irish name after our President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. 

Fitzgerald provided thoughtful recommendations and the best service among all Orlando Restaurants.  

For celiacs, it’s important to discuss specialty needs with the staff. For example, the potatoes, which smell and look scrumptious, are deep-fried with breaded items so are a no-no for celiacs. The salmon, my choice for lunch, was served with rice, asparagus, and the largest capers I’ve ever seen in my life. I cut into them, just to check the flavor, and found them to be one of the saltiest things I’ve ever tried.

My colleagues, another travel writer, and the Visit Orlando representative were much more adventurous with Pulpo Gallego (fried octopus) and seafood combination, as the most delicious tapas I’ve seen outside Spain.

They recommend two to three tapas per person as the small savory dishes can be served before a main meal or, in combination, as the primary meal.

Our Visit Orlando guide had been here before and skillfully matched flavor profiles with beef empanadas, patatas con chorizo, ham croquettes, and tomato-rubbed bread.

Fitzgerald readily supplied pepper as we requested.

Chef revealed his skills with the shrimp paella in a paellera (paella pan). His cheerful smile made the experience that much more wonderful.

Photo opportunities abound at Tapa Toro with the red carpet, flamenco dancers in the front by the bar (ready for nights when music and dance is available) to the pictures along the wall in front of the restrooms that magically move, much like Hogwarts mobile portraits that are sometimes too quick to capture. It’s the perfect Instagram or TikTok moment. 

For an excellent meal where you’re welcomed as well-loved family, check out Tapa Toro. And ask for Fitzgerald.

Lee Bistro Asian Cuisine

5787 Vineland Road //+14072379888

In the mood for good Chinese food, Lee Bistro was in the Universal Orlando neighborhood and easy to reach off John Young Parkway. Their chef specializes in Cantonese and Polynesian cuisine and recommends the hot and spicy dishes, including the triple delight, seafood delight, happy family, salt pepper shrimp, salt pepper squid, beef pan fried noodles, seafood pan fried noodles, half of a golden roasted duck, or salt spicy scallops.

Their appetizers reminded me of childhood favorites. While offering the standard egg roll or spring roll, the menu blossomed to include Krab Rangoon, Shanghai soup dumplings, crispy soft-shell crab, fried calamari, shrimp tempura, vegetable tempura, steamed or fried dumplings, BBQ or boneless spareribs, chicken on the stick, beef on the stick, chicken wings, and Buffalo or BBQ chicken wings.

I went for a childhood favorite in scallion pancakes. I don’t think I’ve seen them on a menu since New Hampshire in the 1990s, so it was nice to find them in the Southeast as well. I didn’t even have enough room to order the edamame which is another favorite. I’m glad the restaurant is close enough to return to often.

They have 10 beef dishes, eight seafood dishes, eight vegetable dishes, and Miso soup, wonton soup, egg drop soup, hot sour soup, seafood, tofu soup, and vegetable soup, as well as green, avocado, or seaweed salad. And, if you have a taste for fried rice, they have eight kinds with a choice of four proteins. They offer six lo meins and a beef udon. 

The new dish for me was their selection of mei fun. It, too, is offered with a variety of vegetables or proteins including roast pork, chicken, vegetable, beef, shrimp, Singapore, the house special, or beef ho fun.

What I learned about ho fun is that the noodles are gluten-free as they’re prepared by mixing rice flour with water and salt with a little oil. The dough is cut into wide, thick strips, like a wide tagliatelle. It’ll be on the list for a future visit.

If you leave this restaurant hungry, it’s not because they didn’t try. This place is one of the favorite Orlando Restaurants for the locals.

We had a taste for our family’s favorites, though, and perused the poultry dishes more closely. In addition to chicken with broccoli, green pepper, chicken, kung pao chicken, Szechuan chicken, sweet and sour chicken, chicken with black bean sauce, orange chicken, walnut chicken, mango chicken, and honey chicken, they had our family favorites cashew chicken, sesame chicken, and General Tso’s chicken.

We agreed on the sesame chicken, and the General Tso’s, which is typically served with broccoli and peppers. We requested and they adjusted the General Tso’s to include celery and carrots instead. I just prefer that flavor profile and it’s already a very spicy dish. They served both with white rice as we requested. Steamed rice or fried rice is available.

Between our appetizers and entrees, the food lasted several meals. The scallion pancakes, or, as my daughter likes to refer to them, “green onion,” never made it out of the car. Served with a dark brown soy-based sauce with sesame seeds, it’s delicious with or without the sauce. It’s fried, and the pancake did become dough-y as it cooled but remained tasty throughout. It’s just “best” served hot. The Krab Rangoon came with that yummy, sweet sauce.  The sesame chicken was as tangy as we like. The General Tso’s needed the steamed rice and tea or water to combat the spice, but I’d order it again without additional thought.

This may be the first restaurant I’ve ever seen that offers both Coke and Pepsi products, likely because they’re canned. They also offer tea and bottled beer.

Oh, they do have a dessert menu. Tiramisu and a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake if you can even think past the appetizer offerings. 

Anytime I’m on the west side of John Young Parkway, I’ll return to Lee Bistro Asian Cuisine to dine in or take away because it really became one of my new favourite Orlando Restaurants.

While we did request take away, we’d happily dine in. The proprietor is friendly, the booths and tables in the restaurant comfortable, and the décor cheerful with all the red accents to bring prosperity to those that visit. 

The Hampton Social

9101 International Drive //+16898006760

If you’re interested in floral beach house dining, this is the place for you. International Drive, known locally as “I-Drive,” as in I-Dine, I-Play, I-Sleep, I-Meet stretches well past the tremendous convention center. Choose the valet parking or nearby garage to avoid the frustration of parking in this area … or if you’re at the convention center, consider walking. And have a reservation if you’d like to eat at a typical lunch or dinner hour. This place is so good, it’s busy and the wait can last hours, especially for brunch.

Once you’ve taken your selfies against the floral walls or under the neon signs or in the broad, open-spaced wood-paneled bar area, order your drinks and peruse the menu. While I order the water and perhaps an iced tea, I enjoy watching favorite daughter making her decision. Will it be the “I Glitteraly Can’t” or the “Hampton Frose” today?

Will she try the drink, the oyster shooters, to go with her new favorite appetizer raw oysters? She’s not much of a coffee drinker, but I’ve learned that won’t stop her from ordering the Starlet Espresso Martini. When I see the “Winter Solstice,” it gives me pause … they offer it by the glass or the “large seashell.” It’s a great place. And it’s Florida, so don’t be surprised by their ingenuity, embrace it.

Moving to the food, because by now we are truly hungry, we see the brunch menu is geared towards sharing. Monkey bread, anyone? They’ve got it. Bang bang chicken, grilled octopus, crab & shrimp bruschetta, Cooper’s Beach Calamari, Colossal Crab Cake served in its own individual cast iron skillet, and Oyster Saint Charles make you feel even closer to the beach than you actually are. Their cold bar continues with seafood selections from sparkling towers to today’s oysters with dishes of salmon, scallops, shrimp, and tuna available. 

Spinach Dip, crispy quesadilla, and short rib poutine help those that prefer land animals a leg up on the meal. 

Their New England Clam Chowder (white sauce) has been available each time we’ve visited and I’m working my way through their salads from the golden beet, Caesar, classic wedge, and Green Goddess. So far, the classic wedge (with the house dressing instead of bleu cheese) is my favorite.

They offer four types of pizza and I’m pleased to see that gluten-free crust is available. Their four-cheese pizza is an easy choice, as a meal or to share as an appetizer. 

Favorite daughter also loves the northeast U.S. with friends in Rhode Island where she was first introduced to lobster rolls. She tells me the Hampton Social lobster roll tastes just as fresh and chooses the Maine style (cold and creamy) over the Manhattan (warm and buttery) which is “just right” on this warm Florida day. Even in November, the temperature here is in the 80s mid-day. 

While the Shelter Island Chicken Burger and Smash Burger tempt me, the large plates are made for an appetite this size. They offer shrimp tacos, scallop risotto, balsamic glazed skirt steak, fish and chips, honey glazed salmon, roasted chicken, spicy pipette, and my friend and favorite go-to the Baja fish tacos.

As you wait for your order to arrive, you have plenty of time for more selfies or a good wander and, if it’s not too loud, some decent conversation. It’s a good place to get caught up on each other’s lives. Or consider one of the side dishes as an appetizer: roasted Brussels sprouts, Hampton Mac ‘n Cheese (ordered and enjoyed by many around us), creamed street corn, Parmesan Truffle Fries, or loaded homemade fries with bacon, blue cheese, and green onion.

The oysters, lobster roll, and fish tacos arrive to some fanfare. The oysters are savored, and the lobster roll devoured promptly. The mango salsa with my Baja fish is a delightful accompaniment, light and tangy, with the jalapeno aioli offering a little kick.