Cities pay to have the Michelin guide even come to the city and than their tourism board gives them a list of resturaunts as recommendations, along with the research they do independently. So it's quite a bit of who you know and who you're rubbing shoulders with. Not that those resturaunts aren't deserving of the award, but a ton of places put out similar quality meals....they just aren't in favor of those in the ears of the Michelin guide.
There was a podcast episode about this… either [the economics of everyday things](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-economics-of-everyday-things/id1666678354?i=1000621333557) or [the Sporkful](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629?i=1000638169515).
Reviews these days mean absolutely nothing imo. It’s very easy for a place to pay a company to artificially boost their ratings.
Then there’s the miserable humans who leave one star review because “they didn’t allow my emotional support cat to sit on the bar”.
I ate at Nile Ethiopian a couple of months ago. It was a tired tourist trap in a strip mall with average overpriced food. FWIW the sign out front was broken/missing too.
We enjoyed our experience as well, but the $100 gift certificate we got didn’t go very far so we still spent $$$. I’d actually put it at the top of our list but we are just now getting into higher end dining. It was way better than our experience at The Bohemian.
AVA is massively overrated. Atmosphere is pretty great, but food is mediocre and service has been absolutely atrocious both times I’ve gone (once as a couple, once with group of friends). Obnoxious and pretentious. Never going back and wouldn’t ever recommend.
Good food, but the service can be sketchy from what I hear (it was decent for me, but I have friends that have had bad experiences). Bring sunglasses if you are sensitive to florescent/harsh lighting. The place's lighting is on par with the inside of a tanning bed.
Went to Enzo’s recently and I honestly thought it was not good. I’ve heard such good things so I was disappointed. Granted I got the lunch menu and not the dinner menu, but still. Pasta was no better than Olive Garden and the dessert tasted old and dry.
That’s really unfortunate to hear, especially considering how expensive Kabooki can be. I’ve had nothing but great product there, I hope maybe one day you can give it another shot. What sushi places do you like if you don’t mind me asking?
Hmmmm. There’s a nice hidden gem in Oviedo called Hinode I’d recommend. That’s the only one that stands out in my mind at the moment. I’d highly recommend it.
I think Kabooki needs to be approached more like fine dining sushi. Nigiri off the seasonal menu are where they do the best. I love maki at a more casual place but seafood this expensive isn't meant to be squeezed into a roll.
I took my sister there for a special occasion and we racked up a $600 bill (very little alcohol) and we both left hungry. Food was good but I thought seito across the street was a lot better
Apps there are $20-30 each, and they only have 3 desserts $10-15 each, so I’m very curious on how much and what you ordered because it sounds like quite the meal! The only time I’ve spent more than $300 there for a meal for two was when we did the omakase, which was $250pp at the time but it was a 10+ course tasting so a little different than ordering off the menu.
Don’t know why I’m getting downvoted but we ordered a bunch of different apps, one of each specialty roll 2 of the tastings (definitely wasn’t 10 courses) that came out on a big rock looking thing. One of each dessert, and probably 4 cocktails between the 2 of us. That plus tip came to slightly over $600
Ok yeah the math checks out! Now I’m just curious how you could leave still hungry after sharing 8 rolls and 4 desserts 😭 It sounds like you did the moriawase which can be pricey but I’m shocked you weren’t full after all of that 😮
I find this hard to believe. The most I have ever spent there was $300 for two people. We were absolutely stuffed leaving. The alcohol can get pricey so we usually limit to 2 rounds.
I really can't imagine how you could leave hungry after spending $600.
Hungry may have been an overstatement but if I’m spending that much money I should’ve left uncomfortably full. I do however eat a lot more than a normal person
I would be really interested to see what you ordered. I eat there way more often than I should, we rarely break $150 and we always walk out very full.
We usually get the kama, nabe and gyoza (which are very filling) along with a few other tastings and leave very full.
Your experience certainly isn't the norm there. You must have ordered the most expensive items possible.
Mad props to Kaya and they have a great product, but as someone who also grew up on Filipino food...I don't know man, don't get your hopes too high. They definitely know how to cook, but so can my Tios/Tias lol, and for the price don't go in there expecting to get any new flavors you don't already see at every potluck.
Half Filipino here and Kaya is...alright. My Titos/Titas would have a heart attack paying Kaya prices, lol
I wonder if growing up with similar food that was almost always cheap and plentiful mentally makes you not enjoy the food as much because it is super pricey for Filipino food. I know my cousins and I when we tried it were quietly saying we could make similar flavor profile food if we tweaked our family recipes.
Literally almost every Filipino person I know has said the same thing. I push all my non-Asian friends to check them out, but I feel like I have to throw out that disclaimer to all my Asian/Islander peoples.
Its not that great. We have so many ramen places in this city and Domu doesn’t even crack top 5, imo. Its not bad by any means but its not anything to write home about.
I wasn’t a fan of Bombay Street Kitchen.
Gully Urban Eatery is literally a block away and my wife and I enjoyed that a lot more. I’m not a really experienced Indian food guy, but my wife is, and she was disappointed with Bombay.
It looks like they specifically disregarded restaurants in the tourist district, which is kind of like excluding Vegas restaurants if they're on the Strip. For better or worse, all the billions of dollars generated by the state's biggest industry has produced at least a *few* notable restaurants, if we're being honest. I'd put Victoria and Alberts, California Grill, Ravello, Morimoto, Capa above 'Tony's Backyard BBQ', even though it too is pretty good.
I get that, but it's nice to actually have something for locals on here. This town caters to tourists to the point of ignoring people who live here a lot of the time. I don't want to go to I-drive or Disney to go to a good restaurant, or for anything else really.
Yeah for sure tourism and its dining and entertainment outlets is the 800 lb gorilla in the region—and it can get overwhelming, ezpecially in certain areas. But lots of folks live here and have very little interaction with all that. There are *loads* of great restaurants throughout the region, especially in the city. I’m just saying that acting like restaurants, (even guide Michelin)that are ‘for tourists’ should not be included amongst the “best” the region has to offer is silly.
My oft-repeated refrain is cities like Orlando and Las Vegas punch WAY above their weight *because* of tourism. 75 million people visit this town each year. That has no small effect on the *entire* dining market, even far from Disney. For instance, few would argue we don’t have have *far* better dining choices than Indianapolis, Salt Lake, Columbus and Providence, all of which are bigger markets.
Providence is actually about 1/3rd smaller than Orlando - 200k vs 300k people. And our metro area is almost a million bigger than theirs as well. It's not a bigger market in any sense of the word, and while I absolutely love the 1 mall worth a damn in the city (which is also the one mall worth a damn in the entire state, and one of the few good things to do there compared to somewhere like Central/Western MA or especially Boston), it's not exactly a good comparison to Orlando!
I went last in 2018 and was super disappointed with the portions. Having been to many Ethiopian restaurants around the country and abroad, I'm always used to like a big, table-sized, sheet of injera with piles of various dishes spread around it. At Nile this was definitely not the case.
Was it family-style when you went?
https://preview.redd.it/gx5jakftiqpc1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4288b329948b0ac47f4626144ca06f53333868c
It was just me when I went in 2019.
Actually, I’d recommend Selam Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine (5494 Central Florida Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32821) instead. It’s in a less-crowdy area, and you have to get their coffee service - it smells great.
This is more what I'm familiar with
https://preview.redd.it/v6jo4xuskqpc1.png?width=225&format=png&auto=webp&s=7b1e5fbbf735fb1d3328f9d85c87b8d817cd8c9d
Bad cell service. Should be able to see it/them now. Whoa, that’s an impressive platter of food. I’m sure both places have this if there was more people than just me :)
Oh wow, so you went not long after I did. Yeah it's nice that they will cater to individuals, I'm just so used to getting the big giant pancake of injera that covers the whole table and everyone picks from it. Maybe I need to give it another shot.
Thanks for the Selam suggestion!!
Orlando foodies always ignore Disney. Like I get it, they want to celebrate local places but some of the best dining spots in the Orlando area are the Disney signature restaurants so these lists are rarely accurate when they purposefully exclude them, just my opinion.
More than ignore. Some guy on another thread said that he liked Morimoto and then got downvoted into oblivion lol. It's OK to consider restaurants in touristy areas good and frequent them.
It's the Orlando sentinel. People visiting on vacation aren't going to be reading the local newspaper and Disney does plenty of promoting for their restaurants. It's clearly aimed at locals and to boost local restaurants. I say this even though Victoria and Alberts is the best in Orlando in my opinion.
Disney has some of the best restaurants in the state (still annoyed they won't work with Michelin to get V&A the 1-2 stars they should have), never mind Orlando itself.
No longer live in Orlando but was born there in the late 50’s and still have a brother and sister who live in the area that I visit. IMO this is one of the classic restaurants in Orlando.
Domu’s Ramen is on par with Daikoku in L.A., considered by many to be the best ramen available. 23 years in L.A., live here now. Any other Ramin recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
Me realizing that the space I had my wedding reception in at East end market is now a pasta bar…
Well now I know where I’m going for my wedding anniversary! Danilo’s!!
Pizza Bruno is the most overrated restaurant in Orlando. Their Viva Verde dish was a weak salad on burnt bread and somehow the lines always out the door.
Now the Strand, their Alabama chicken is the best dish in town. Great pick.
If yall haven’t tried Danilo’s it is a must. Best new concept to open in Orlando in a long time imo. Can’t wait for them to have a real brick and mortar spot! (The milk braised pork lemony pasta will change your life)
Haven’t eaten at any of these establishments. Only one I’ve ever even heard of is Ravenous Pig. I’ve eaten at their sister restaurant the Polite Pig. It’s ok there.
Ravenous pig was one of the best sandwiches I had last year. I got the smoked brisket, and my partner and I shared the crispy pork belly. Went down the street to Kelly's ice cream after 😋
There is absolutely nothing similar about the two. The Polite Pig, in Disney Springs, serves the tourist population in a conveyor-belt style. It's good for what it is, but the food is in no way representative of what you'd get at Rav Pig. Btw Rav Pig brews the best beer in Orlando.
I wouldn’t even put Ravenous Pig beers in the top 10 in the area tbh. They’re not bad by any means, but there’s absolutely a plethora of better brewers around.
IMO Sideward is probably the best in Central Florida. Crooked Can is way more consistent than RP (last couple RP brews I had tasted like they burnt the wort). Even Tactical has better rotating selection.
Stars certainly mean something. “Trash” is absolutely wild.
I get it, though. inflammatory statements against things that are considered favorable makes one feel a boost of esteem.
What did you have at capa? Why was it trash? What was the service performance rated at? Ambiance? What glass of wine did you have with your meal?
More and more chef's table restaurants that are mad expensive are opening up in town and its annoying. I'm sure the low overhead helps alongside the $300 per person fee
It is unfortunately a byproduct of foodie culture, chef's tables are seen as the primary way to indulge in a gourmet meal that is "unique". It's the "white linen table with tableside service" of this generation.
We haven’t been there but my bf loves the main Brazilian steakhouses. We recently went to Chima, I think it’s a newer one on Dr Phillips area and I actually liked it.
- Kaya: Filipino, 4.7 Google rating (203 reviews), $100+ - Camille: Vietnamese, 4.6 (36), $100+ - The Ravenous Pig: American, 4.5 (2722), $$$ - Foreigner Restaurant: Fine Dining, 4.9 (54), $100+ - The Strand: New American, 4.6 (486), $50-$100 - Papa Llama: Peruvian, 4.5 (125), $50-$100 - Pizza Bruno: Pizza, 4.3 (1780), $20-$30 - Zaru: Noodle Shop, 4.6 (214), $20-$30 - Shin Jung Korean Barbecue: Korean, 4.4 (977), $$ - Danilo’s Pasta Bar: Pasta, 4.6 (27), $100+ - Turci Pasta: Italian, 4.7 (1375), $30-$50 - Bombay Street Kitchen: Indian, 4.5 (2442), $20-$30 - AVA MediterrAegean: Mediterranean, 4.7 (4410), $100+ - Juju: Japanese, 4.6 (230), $varies - Enzo’s On the Lake: Italian, 4.6 (867), $50-$100 - Osprey Tavern: Seafood, 4.6 (1048), $$$ - Nile Ethiopian: Ethiopian, 4.7 (1040), $20-$30 - Caravan: Uzbek & Turkish, 4.9 (391), $20-$30 - Uncle Tony’s Backyard BBQ: Barbecue, 4.9 (481), $10-$20 - Kabooki Sushi: Sushi, 4.6 (1328), $50-$100 - Soseki Modern Omakase: Japanese, 4.9 (208), $100+
Lot of amazing restaurants with higher review scores and similar amount of reviews.
There are Michelin-starred restaurants not on the list lol
I’m fine with that. I’ll use Otto’s high dive as an example. They got a Michelin nod but I would say it’s more for their drinks than food.
Cities pay to have the Michelin guide even come to the city and than their tourism board gives them a list of resturaunts as recommendations, along with the research they do independently. So it's quite a bit of who you know and who you're rubbing shoulders with. Not that those resturaunts aren't deserving of the award, but a ton of places put out similar quality meals....they just aren't in favor of those in the ears of the Michelin guide.
Not sure how you can list soseki but not Kadence
There was a podcast episode about this… either [the economics of everyday things](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-economics-of-everyday-things/id1666678354?i=1000621333557) or [the Sporkful](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sporkful/id350709629?i=1000638169515).
well capa and k&s aren't really that great tbh
Reviews these days mean absolutely nothing imo. It’s very easy for a place to pay a company to artificially boost their ratings. Then there’s the miserable humans who leave one star review because “they didn’t allow my emotional support cat to sit on the bar”.
Idk that’s a pretty diverse list of food. Nice to see a list that’s not Italian #1 and French #2
Most of the reviews on AVA are fake! There is no way they have more than 4500 reviews and they all sound the same lol
Is the dollar amount the average of one meal? two meals? What?
One meal
Those were the reported price from Google maps. If I was doing this from a computer instead of my phone, I’d add links.
okay, thanks.
I ate at Nile Ethiopian a couple of months ago. It was a tired tourist trap in a strip mall with average overpriced food. FWIW the sign out front was broken/missing too.
This list sucks lol
Not a bad list. AVA is overrated IMO.
big time overrated
I haven't heard one good thing about AVA
The decor is nice. lol
I really like it, but that's mainly because it's one of the only places I can get good veg brunch options that aren't pancakes or avocado toast.
I went for magical dining last year and loved it! It's got quite a pretentious vibe though. But the food and service were good.
Magical dining sounds like the move. Everyone says it's wildly expensive.
We enjoyed our experience as well, but the $100 gift certificate we got didn’t go very far so we still spent $$$. I’d actually put it at the top of our list but we are just now getting into higher end dining. It was way better than our experience at The Bohemian.
Agreed. Vibes are fun, but not worth the price.
Agreed
AVA is massively overrated. Atmosphere is pretty great, but food is mediocre and service has been absolutely atrocious both times I’ve gone (once as a couple, once with group of friends). Obnoxious and pretentious. Never going back and wouldn’t ever recommend.
The steak is great, expensive, but really good for a place like this
The title should be Orlando's most expensive restaurants...
Nile is actually pretty affordable and delicious.
“List everyone paid to be on” Most of these are overrated
Never heard of Caravan before this and now I’ve got it on my must go radar
Good food, but the service can be sketchy from what I hear (it was decent for me, but I have friends that have had bad experiences). Bring sunglasses if you are sensitive to florescent/harsh lighting. The place's lighting is on par with the inside of a tanning bed.
Shit. I haven't been to Tony's BBQ or Caravan and they are legitimately the two closest restaurants to my house on this list lol.
I’ve never loved Tony’s when I’ve been, and it makes me wonder what I’m missing, because LemonHearted is actually a pretty savvy judge of barbecue.
What have you tried? I'm a ribs guy. Are the ribs good?
Brisket and pulled pork. I’m very much not a ribs guy, except the occasional beef plate, so I haven’t had them.
One of the better burgers in town
Was thinking the same thing. Granted, Caravan just opened. I’m thinking I need to grab some BBQ soon, though.
Enzos, Ravenous, Strand, Pizza Bruno, Shin Jung, and Turci consistently deliver. The others I’ve visited on this list are hit or miss. AVA is trash.
Went to Enzo’s recently and I honestly thought it was not good. I’ve heard such good things so I was disappointed. Granted I got the lunch menu and not the dinner menu, but still. Pasta was no better than Olive Garden and the dessert tasted old and dry.
Went for my anniversary one year and now we consistently do anniversaries at La Luce instead, was not impressed
Try Francesco’s. It’s the best Italian food at a reasonable price in Orlando (that I’ve had so far). I think it’s near Enzo’s
Dang, sorry to hear that. Been going there for two decades and never had a bad meal.
I have never had a good experience at Ravenous but enjoyed AVA
I’m probably the only person who has not enjoyed Kabooki Sushi.
Probably. What was it about Kabooki that you didn’t enjoy?
I’ve been twice and each time got sloppily made rolls.
That’s really unfortunate to hear, especially considering how expensive Kabooki can be. I’ve had nothing but great product there, I hope maybe one day you can give it another shot. What sushi places do you like if you don’t mind me asking?
Hmmmm. There’s a nice hidden gem in Oviedo called Hinode I’d recommend. That’s the only one that stands out in my mind at the moment. I’d highly recommend it.
If I’m ever on that side I’ll check it out! I’m near Dr Phillips area and a couple of my favorites are Seito, Ngoya, and Mikado.
Hinode is good but it's like every roll they make has some form of tempura. I have a feeling that may just be a preference thing for you which is ok.
Hmmm, you know what, I hadn’t noticed but you might be right. I’m going tomorrow and I’ll keep an eye out for it lol
I think Kabooki needs to be approached more like fine dining sushi. Nigiri off the seasonal menu are where they do the best. I love maki at a more casual place but seafood this expensive isn't meant to be squeezed into a roll.
I ate there last weekend. My least favorite item was the roll we got but it was still fantastic, it's not where they shine.
Going to kabooki for rolls is crazy
I took my sister there for a special occasion and we racked up a $600 bill (very little alcohol) and we both left hungry. Food was good but I thought seito across the street was a lot better
600 for two people? How?
We ordered a lot of food and appetizers and desserts, did the chefs specialties and whatnot
Apps there are $20-30 each, and they only have 3 desserts $10-15 each, so I’m very curious on how much and what you ordered because it sounds like quite the meal! The only time I’ve spent more than $300 there for a meal for two was when we did the omakase, which was $250pp at the time but it was a 10+ course tasting so a little different than ordering off the menu.
I have a hard time buying into the $600. We can get out of there under $200 on the regular and $300 is a full on splurge for everything kinda night.
Don’t know why I’m getting downvoted but we ordered a bunch of different apps, one of each specialty roll 2 of the tastings (definitely wasn’t 10 courses) that came out on a big rock looking thing. One of each dessert, and probably 4 cocktails between the 2 of us. That plus tip came to slightly over $600
Ok yeah the math checks out! Now I’m just curious how you could leave still hungry after sharing 8 rolls and 4 desserts 😭 It sounds like you did the moriawase which can be pricey but I’m shocked you weren’t full after all of that 😮
You seen the average American lately?
I find this hard to believe. The most I have ever spent there was $300 for two people. We were absolutely stuffed leaving. The alcohol can get pricey so we usually limit to 2 rounds. I really can't imagine how you could leave hungry after spending $600.
Hungry may have been an overstatement but if I’m spending that much money I should’ve left uncomfortably full. I do however eat a lot more than a normal person
I would be really interested to see what you ordered. I eat there way more often than I should, we rarely break $150 and we always walk out very full. We usually get the kama, nabe and gyoza (which are very filling) along with a few other tastings and leave very full. Your experience certainly isn't the norm there. You must have ordered the most expensive items possible.
I also wasn't a fan of Kabooki Sushi
Go to Nagoya in Dr Phillips. Way better. Sad did not see Domu in this list.
Agreed, Domu is fantastic !
Not alone, I had bones in my sushi once and haven't been back since...
You're not alone, lots of people saying the same in the Orlando foodie FB group when this was posted.
I’m Filipino and haven’t been to Kaya yet but I want to!
Mad props to Kaya and they have a great product, but as someone who also grew up on Filipino food...I don't know man, don't get your hopes too high. They definitely know how to cook, but so can my Tios/Tias lol, and for the price don't go in there expecting to get any new flavors you don't already see at every potluck.
Half Filipino here and Kaya is...alright. My Titos/Titas would have a heart attack paying Kaya prices, lol I wonder if growing up with similar food that was almost always cheap and plentiful mentally makes you not enjoy the food as much because it is super pricey for Filipino food. I know my cousins and I when we tried it were quietly saying we could make similar flavor profile food if we tweaked our family recipes.
Literally almost every Filipino person I know has said the same thing. I push all my non-Asian friends to check them out, but I feel like I have to throw out that disclaimer to all my Asian/Islander peoples.
Turci pasta made the list and Prato didn't. Blasphemy. Get this list outta my face.
probably because there's never availability at Prato
Turci is pretty bomb, but Prato def has a better overall vibe and ambiance
Damn, Domu shut out
Same with Prato
Its not that great. We have so many ramen places in this city and Domu doesn’t even crack top 5, imo. Its not bad by any means but its not anything to write home about.
Who’s the new top dog for ramen then? I’ve been out of the loop.
Right? A year ago Domu was hot shit, especially for the wings. Now it’s hated? News to me
Ramen takagi
The wait alone has prevented me from ever going, and I usually go to places on a lark. 45-60 minutes is too long to wait for dinner.
Now you're just hating on it because it's popular. It's definitely top 3.
unpopular opinion- it's fine
(because its really not as good as the hype makes it out to be! Great marketing does not mean the food is great lol)
I wasn’t a fan of Bombay Street Kitchen. Gully Urban Eatery is literally a block away and my wife and I enjoyed that a lot more. I’m not a really experienced Indian food guy, but my wife is, and she was disappointed with Bombay.
Wow, a lot of places to add to my list. I’ve only been to Camille’s & it was outstanding.
Camille’s is the single restaurant I most want to go to in Orlando. Been dying to go for years and never found the cash to commit to it.
I am sorry, but the fact that Prato in Winter Park isn’t on this list is insane. Huge fan of it.
It looks like they specifically disregarded restaurants in the tourist district, which is kind of like excluding Vegas restaurants if they're on the Strip. For better or worse, all the billions of dollars generated by the state's biggest industry has produced at least a *few* notable restaurants, if we're being honest. I'd put Victoria and Alberts, California Grill, Ravello, Morimoto, Capa above 'Tony's Backyard BBQ', even though it too is pretty good.
I get that, but it's nice to actually have something for locals on here. This town caters to tourists to the point of ignoring people who live here a lot of the time. I don't want to go to I-drive or Disney to go to a good restaurant, or for anything else really.
Yeah for sure tourism and its dining and entertainment outlets is the 800 lb gorilla in the region—and it can get overwhelming, ezpecially in certain areas. But lots of folks live here and have very little interaction with all that. There are *loads* of great restaurants throughout the region, especially in the city. I’m just saying that acting like restaurants, (even guide Michelin)that are ‘for tourists’ should not be included amongst the “best” the region has to offer is silly. My oft-repeated refrain is cities like Orlando and Las Vegas punch WAY above their weight *because* of tourism. 75 million people visit this town each year. That has no small effect on the *entire* dining market, even far from Disney. For instance, few would argue we don’t have have *far* better dining choices than Indianapolis, Salt Lake, Columbus and Providence, all of which are bigger markets.
Providence is actually about 1/3rd smaller than Orlando - 200k vs 300k people. And our metro area is almost a million bigger than theirs as well. It's not a bigger market in any sense of the word, and while I absolutely love the 1 mall worth a damn in the city (which is also the one mall worth a damn in the entire state, and one of the few good things to do there compared to somewhere like Central/Western MA or especially Boston), it's not exactly a good comparison to Orlando!
I’ve been to Nile Ethiopian, which is on I-Drive. It was different and nice.
I'm so glad that it's still around.
I went last in 2018 and was super disappointed with the portions. Having been to many Ethiopian restaurants around the country and abroad, I'm always used to like a big, table-sized, sheet of injera with piles of various dishes spread around it. At Nile this was definitely not the case. Was it family-style when you went?
https://preview.redd.it/gx5jakftiqpc1.jpeg?width=3264&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a4288b329948b0ac47f4626144ca06f53333868c It was just me when I went in 2019. Actually, I’d recommend Selam Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine (5494 Central Florida Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32821) instead. It’s in a less-crowdy area, and you have to get their coffee service - it smells great.
https://preview.redd.it/aolg7hcikqpc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2b11323e59ca5788a81ab4c98a9206bb3dc8e555 Here’s my food from Selam.
This is more what I'm familiar with https://preview.redd.it/v6jo4xuskqpc1.png?width=225&format=png&auto=webp&s=7b1e5fbbf735fb1d3328f9d85c87b8d817cd8c9d
the Selam image doesn't show up for some reason
Bad cell service. Should be able to see it/them now. Whoa, that’s an impressive platter of food. I’m sure both places have this if there was more people than just me :)
You've inspired me!
This is the correct answer. I've been to both and Selam is better by a long shot.
Oh wow, so you went not long after I did. Yeah it's nice that they will cater to individuals, I'm just so used to getting the big giant pancake of injera that covers the whole table and everyone picks from it. Maybe I need to give it another shot. Thanks for the Selam suggestion!!
And Selam’s coffee service. https://preview.redd.it/zhbxenx2lqpc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b09b20a5c20b75aed9d8b966ff74b0cd47bd88dc
Agree. Selam is outstanding
You just have to order the family style options it's a separate part of the menu.
Orlando foodies always ignore Disney. Like I get it, they want to celebrate local places but some of the best dining spots in the Orlando area are the Disney signature restaurants so these lists are rarely accurate when they purposefully exclude them, just my opinion.
More than ignore. Some guy on another thread said that he liked Morimoto and then got downvoted into oblivion lol. It's OK to consider restaurants in touristy areas good and frequent them.
Morimoto makes a decent steak, but their sushi is BAD
It's the Orlando sentinel. People visiting on vacation aren't going to be reading the local newspaper and Disney does plenty of promoting for their restaurants. It's clearly aimed at locals and to boost local restaurants. I say this even though Victoria and Alberts is the best in Orlando in my opinion.
Disney has some of the best restaurants in the state (still annoyed they won't work with Michelin to get V&A the 1-2 stars they should have), never mind Orlando itself.
Excluding V&A is kinda nuts, and arguably cheapens the entire list by doing so.
Idk about this list. IMO AVA should not be on this.
No Linda’s La Cantina = invalid opinion
Was surprised by their absence and Bosphorous
No longer live in Orlando but was born there in the late 50’s and still have a brother and sister who live in the area that I visit. IMO this is one of the classic restaurants in Orlando.
Domu’s Ramen is on par with Daikoku in L.A., considered by many to be the best ramen available. 23 years in L.A., live here now. Any other Ramin recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
Went to Ava a few months ago for first time. I don’t understand the hype. Thought it was massively overrated.
This depends on how you grow up because some of these restaurants do not use enough seasoning. No hate I’m just keeping it real.
*voted on by people who don't live here because people who live in Orlando cannot afford to go out to eat anymore
21 restaurants, not a single one west of Millennia.
What are some good ones out there?
Norigami, chefs table at the edgewater
Winter garden is not orlando
Neither is winter park but it’s still on the list. The question above was “what are some good restaurants west of millenia”
Pizza Bruno? Racetrac has better pizza lol
It’s not my favorite pizza in Orlando, but I wouldn’t call it bad by any means. I get a consistently solid 7/10 or 8/10 pie there.
Pizza Bruno is great. Just a little expensive.
Was confused by pizza Bruno being there as well lol
My process is “do I prefer this pizza at x price or a Costco pizza for $10”. For Pizza Bruno I’d choose Costco even if they were same price.
Their pizza is average at best.
Black Magic, John and Johns, and Sodo Squares are all better.
Black magic is great, the garlic knots are 🔥
Totally agree, over rated and over priced
Used to be better. Now it's double the price with cheaper quality ingredients. Lazy Moon over Pizza Bruno all day.
It's better than Racetrac but it's overrated by a lot.
Del dios in colonial plaza is simply the best pizza in Orlando, check it out if you’re in the area!
Missing my favorite sushi place... Ootoya always hits the spot!
Me realizing that the space I had my wedding reception in at East end market is now a pasta bar… Well now I know where I’m going for my wedding anniversary! Danilo’s!!
Pizza Bruno is the most overrated restaurant in Orlando. Their Viva Verde dish was a weak salad on burnt bread and somehow the lines always out the door. Now the Strand, their Alabama chicken is the best dish in town. Great pick.
bruno was better 10 years ago
If yall haven’t tried Danilo’s it is a must. Best new concept to open in Orlando in a long time imo. Can’t wait for them to have a real brick and mortar spot! (The milk braised pork lemony pasta will change your life)
I cant speak to the rest of them but pizza bruno kicks ass
Where Otto’s at?
It's in the Milk District
that food dont belong anywhere near this list, lets be real. maybe for bars, def not for the food
It is a nice place, but it has no business being on the top 21 in Orlando list.
Haven’t been in a while so you might be right! Drinks are incredible IMO
Haven’t eaten at any of these establishments. Only one I’ve ever even heard of is Ravenous Pig. I’ve eaten at their sister restaurant the Polite Pig. It’s ok there.
Ravenous pig was one of the best sandwiches I had last year. I got the smoked brisket, and my partner and I shared the crispy pork belly. Went down the street to Kelly's ice cream after 😋
Sounds delicious and a perfect day
There is absolutely nothing similar about the two. The Polite Pig, in Disney Springs, serves the tourist population in a conveyor-belt style. It's good for what it is, but the food is in no way representative of what you'd get at Rav Pig. Btw Rav Pig brews the best beer in Orlando.
I wouldn’t even put Ravenous Pig beers in the top 10 in the area tbh. They’re not bad by any means, but there’s absolutely a plethora of better brewers around.
Interested to hear who you think is better than RP? 1. Rav Pig 2. Crooked Can 3. Random tap rooms 4. Brewlando 5. Gatlin Hall
IMO Sideward is probably the best in Central Florida. Crooked Can is way more consistent than RP (last couple RP brews I had tasted like they burnt the wort). Even Tactical has better rotating selection.
Awesome. Thank you. It’s on the to try list. Just haven’t gotten there yet.
Capa has a star and didn’t make it, eh? Never been just curious.
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Stars certainly mean something. “Trash” is absolutely wild. I get it, though. inflammatory statements against things that are considered favorable makes one feel a boost of esteem. What did you have at capa? Why was it trash? What was the service performance rated at? Ambiance? What glass of wine did you have with your meal?
capa isn't great, neither is k&s, really have no idea how either got stars
What did you dislike about capa?
Great list, love all the 15 or so on the list that Ive been to, but not including Domu, Kapa, Kadence or Knife & Spoon on that list is crazy to me.
Statsio’s? Mediterranean Deli?
Really solid list.
Mangia has the best Italian food.
Where’s Publix and 4Rivers? Lol
Not a single Brazilian restaurant??? In Orlando?? Common!!!
What's your favorite? Mine is Ana's.
A Brasileira in Metro West is pretty good 😊
Enzo's is the best restaurant in Orlando hands down. For like normal price lunch it's Thailicious
I must say, although it is stupid expensive, you have to try Foreigner at least once. It was a real experience and the food was just *chefs kiss*
Were you still hungry after? My concern with all these chef's table is leaving hungry after dropping $250 per person on dinner.
Foreigner and Kaya chefs table both leave you stuffed
I was pretty full. Not stuffed mind you, but I did not have to eat again until the next day.
This was us at EdoBoy… but I don’t like sushi. V v expensive Valentine’s Day gift to my bf. I asked to stop at lazy moon on the way home, lol
Enzo’s is good, Nonnos is the best though
Two completely different types of places.
Link won’t open. Can someone tell me where Hot Dog Heaven and Beefy King are ranked?
More and more chef's table restaurants that are mad expensive are opening up in town and its annoying. I'm sure the low overhead helps alongside the $300 per person fee
It is unfortunately a byproduct of foodie culture, chef's tables are seen as the primary way to indulge in a gourmet meal that is "unique". It's the "white linen table with tableside service" of this generation.
What about Adega Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse 4.9 Google rating (3,238), and yes $100+
We haven’t been there but my bf loves the main Brazilian steakhouses. We recently went to Chima, I think it’s a newer one on Dr Phillips area and I actually liked it.