Restaurants in Orlando

The city of Orlando offers a wide selection of different dining options for everybody’s taste and budget. You can find great variety of casual places to eat as well as many fine dining and more expensive restaurants. The options are endless.

Since it would be impossible to talk about all of the restaurants in Orlando, I’ll only mention few of my family’s favorites. 

We like the casual and lively atmosphere of Bennigan’s Grill and Tavern. It has several different locations and offers 100 different types of beer and other drinks. 

Their specialties include my favorite Monte Cristo, which combines turkey, ham, American and Swiss cheese on battered and deep fried wheat bread. Yummy.

If you are looking for a more out of the ordinary dining experience, head over to Universal City walk where you will find many interesting theme restaurants. All of them are really unique and worth visiting.

For a high energy New Orleans experience full of bold and exciting flavors, head to Emeril's restaurant but definitely make your reservations ahead of time. The restaurant is known for being booked sometimes months in advance. Or drop in for a margarita at one of the three bars in Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.

The bars are themed after Buffet's songs and one of them, the Volcano bar, even has an active volcano that erupts lava-like Margarita mix. With Floribbean fare and relaxing music you'll feel like you're on an island get away.

Bob Marley - A Tribute to Freedom is another kind of island get away you can visit at City Walk. It is a celebration of the music and culture of Bob Marley and is actually a recreation of his home in Kingston, Jamaica. You can also immerse yourself in South American culture at the Latin Quarter with decor incluenced by the Aztec, Incan and Mayan cultures.

You can find traditional Latin American cuisine including pork, black beans, yellow rice, plantains and flan.

There are many more exciting restaurants to check out at City Walk so it's definitely worth a visit.

For those interested in fine dining, the California Grill, which is located in Disney’s Contemporary Resort on the 15th floor, was voted as Orlando’s most popular restaurant. The restaurant not only offers divine dishes prepared by Chef Clifford Pleau, it also offers incredible views of the park and its fireworks display.

Another unique fine dining experience is the Sharks Underwater Grill at Disney's Sea World. For those not quite ready for the Sharks Deep Dive interactive animal experience, you can enjoy the underwater view of the floor-to-ceiling windows into the shark habitat while you eat. The restaurant specializes in naturally fresh seafood but also serves steak and chicken so everyone will find something they like.

One of my favorite places to visit is Epcot. The idea of all day fun with a mix of cultures and cuisines from countries all over the world in close vicinity really appeals to me. There are many different choices so you can always find something you are in the mood for and they're all within walking distance.