The hottest new restaurants in Orlando

Eten in Orlando is veel meer dan een ontbijt met Disney figuren of een grote "turkey leg" eten in één van de vele pretparken.
Naast de geijkte toeristen paden zijn er volop restaurants die de klassieke Southern style samen brengen met internationale invloeden.
Hier zijn 11 van de meest opwindende nieuwe restaurants die in het afgelopen jaar geopend zijn.

Artisan's Table

Why It’s Hot: 

After earning his chops at area longtimers K Restaurant, California Grill and Antonio’s La Fiamma, Scott Copeland was ready to go solo. Along with two partners, the chef set up this eclectic, global-inspired restaurant in the heart of Downtown Orlando, a quick stroll from the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The laid-back spot has become a go-to for breakfast through post-theater noshes.

Must-Order: Japanese-style breakfast bowl with sticky rice, chile sauce and togarashi ($6.50); herbed zucchini and Manchego fritters ($8); bacon-wrapped, chorizo-stuffed pork loin with rutabaga sauerkraut and honey-balsamic reduction ($24)

Insider Tip: Save 10% when you visit before or after a show. Simply show your ticket stub from the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

ARTISAN'S TABLE, 22 E. Pine St., Orlando; 407-730-7499

Capa

Why It’s Hot: It could just be that curious folks want an excuse to tour the new Four Seasons, situated on Disney World’s northern edge. But the hotel’s signature restaurant draws intrigue on its own. The rooftop destination is a Spanish steakhouse, and bullfighting elements are cleverly integrated — dramatic red ruffles hang from the dining room ceiling, and faux gold coins and bulls’ nose rings are used as wall and ceiling art. While chef Tim Dacey’s contemporary tapas and aged steaks are impressive, the bar’s patio is a huge plus: the expansive outdoor lounge offers sweeping views of the 47-sq.-mile Disney World complex.

Must-Order: Flash-fried cauliflower with smoked caper vinaigrette and a sous vide egg ($11); 40-day dry-aged rib-eye steak with a side of verde sauce, made from cilantro, parsley, chive, mint and sherry vinegar ($70); dark chocolate Valor mousse with buttermilk chocolate cake, coffee ice cream, cardamom-infused chantilly cream, caramel toffee and meringue sticks ($12)

Insider Tip: For happy hour Monday through Thursday, the bar sells select cocktails at half-price and serves little pinxtos (bar snacks) alongside for free.

CAPA, 10100 Dream Tree Blvd., Lake Buena Vista; 407-313-7777

The Coop

Why It’s Hot: After he got O-Town (finally!) excited about barbecue with 4 Rivers Smokehouse, pharmaceutical-exec-turned-chef John Rivers has turned his sights on other classics from the Southern canon. This new counter-service restaurant features thoughtful takes on Dixie classics, from biscuits to meatloaf to pork-laden breakfasts. The homey mismatched wooden tables and chairs were collected by Rivers and his team at local garage sales.

Must-Order: Fried chicken ($7.99 with “fixin's”); super-sweet creamed corn made with cream cheese ($2.49); old-school banana pudding made with baked bananas and ‘Nilla wafers ($3.99)

Insider Tip: Don’t worry about over-ordering. The Coop keeps stacks of take-out boxes near the utensils so guests can easily pack up extras.

THE COOP, 610 W. Morse Blvd., Winter Park

Kappo

Why It’s Hot: Forget the oversized rolls drizzled with spicy mayo. Kappo is new breed of sushi spot in Orlando. By day, the no-reservations, seven-seat specialist inside the Audubon Park Garden District’s East End Market serves a sushi and sashimi omakase menu. Foods are at the whim of the chef, Philippines-born Mark Berdin, who trained at London’s Umu and New York’s Morimoto and 15 East. At night, groups of seven can buy out Kappo for a 10- to 14-course customized omakase dinner (approximately $150 per person). No matter the time of day, chef-diner interaction is as integral to the experience as chopsticks.

Must-Order: sushi and sashimi plate ($42); charashi ($26); 10-nikiri omakase served piece by piece ($45)

Insider Tip: Arrive at 11 AM or between 2-5 PM if you want a seat without waiting.

KAPPO, 3201 Corrine Dr., Orlando; no phone 

Mamak

Why It’s Hot: Mamak is a sleek spot serving small plates of Asian street foods. Owners Jenny and Ken Lo, once of the Chino-Latino El Famboyan, are Malaysian, and the bulk of their offerings come from that country, Singapore and Hong Kong, with a few items from Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia as well.

Must-Order: Steamed chicken-shrimp dumplings in roasted brown peanut sauce and chile oil ($5.50); roti canai, flaky bread with spicy curry dipping sauce ($3); aromatic tofu curry with whiffs of lemongrass ($8)

Insider Tip: While Mamak doesn’t officially take reservations, the staff will get you seated faster during busy times if you call ahead.

MAMAK, 1231 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando; 407-270-4688

Mynt

Why It’s Hot: Sunny Corda's second area restaurant brings a more sophisticated, high-end vibe to the local Indian food dining scene. Plate presentation is taken seriously here, and the meats are fresh and antibiotic-free. The recipes at Mynt, in Winter Park’s Hannibal Square, come from throughout India.

Must-Order: Pani poori shooters with herb water ($6); smoked baby eggplant in peanut-sesame-coconut sauce ($16); butter chicken, Delhi-style with tomatoes and fenugreek ($19)

Insider Tip: Don’t despair if the tiny downstairs dining room is full. Two more seating areas, one with a 10-seat bar, are located one flight up.

MYNT , 535 W. New England Ave., Winter Park; 407-636-7055

Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbacoa

Why It’s Hot: Thomas Ward's Mills 50 District phenomenon is a hipster barbecue joint where  global flavorings distinguish the grilled-meat specialties. The tacos alone offer flavor tributes to India (butter chicken), Asia (smoked and grilled pork belly with dragon sauce) and Mexico (shrimp, chorizo and cilantro sauce, or chicken, queso fresco and pineapple salsa), not to mention the Texan-ish brisket variety. The service is polished and doting even though guests order at a counter.

Must-Order: The Big Floyd — brisket, pork, sausage and sweet barbecue sauce on a toasted coconut-pineapple roll with citrus-peanut slaw and fries ($9.49); oak-smoked ribs with sides like apple-fennel slaw and grilled corn on the cob with chile, lime and cotija cheese (from $14.99); “Cuban” cinnamon-lemon pudding with bananas and ‘Nilla wafers ($4.99)

Insider Tip: If the line is long, beeline to the seven-seat bar and order your meal there.

Pig Floyd’s Urban Barbacoa1326 N. Mills Ave., Orlando; 407-203-0866

Soco

Why It’s Hot: As a tourist town, Orlando has drawn offshoots of several celebrity-chef restaurants. By running the local kitchen of two — Roy’s and Emeril’s Tchoup Chop — Greg Richie has become a local star in his own right. After revamping sister restaurant Cityfish’s seafood menu, the vet of Southern kitchens like Magnolia’s created the Southern contemporary bill of fare at this indoor-outdoor Thornton Park destination. Modern and classical mix, with slick chandeliers that resemble gaslamps and a tailored take on wood and bricks.

Must-Order: Chicken-fried cauliflower steak with a deep-roasted tomato gravy ($17); Korean-style fried chicken flavored with a mix of Asian peppers ($23); potato-chip-crusted chocolate cake with peanut brittle and salted caramel ($9)

Insider Tip: Chef Richie hosts monthly five-course wine- or spirit-pairing dinners.

SOCO, 629 E. Central Blvd., Orlando; 407-849-1800

Swine and Sons

Why It’s Hot: Husband-and-wife chefs James and Julie Petrakis have been Orlando’s “it” chefs since their Ravenous Pig brought Winter Park its first gastropub, then sealed the deal with their "Southern Public House," Cask & Larder. Now, together with charcuterie wiz Rhys Gawlak, they’re packing their signature snout-to-tail offerings to-go at Swine & Sons. Offerings include sandwiches, salads, condiments, ice creams and one nightly full to-go dinner for a 5-to-7 PM pickup. Neighbors often congregate at the few seating areas — a shared wood table, an L-shaped lounge — sipping sorghum sweet tea and Cask & Larder house brews with their snacks.

Must-Order: Marinated tomatoes with cucumber, onion, feta and verjus vinaigrette ($5); Italian sandwich, for which every cured meat is made in-house ($10); milk-and-honey-braised pork dinner with sweet potato pirlou, grilled broccolini and candied benne ($17)

Insider Tip: The website posts each week’s daily to-go dinners on Mondays.

SWINE AND SONS, 595 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park; 407-636-7601

Txokos

Why It’s Hot: Txokos is Orlando’s first and only Basque restaurant, and that’s not all the Spanish spot, pronounced CHOE-kose, has going for it: chef Henry Salgado, who owns the restaurant with his wife Michele, is a two-time James Beard Award regional nominee for his first restaurant, New Smyrna’s Spanish River Grill; and this newbie is located in East End Market, the city’s first locavore emporium. The menu evolves with the seasons, and much of the produce, including shishito peppers, is grown to order in a front-yard garden.

Must-Order: Citrus-laced grilled octopus with garlicky tomato-based vizcaina sauce ($14); smoky grilled whole yellowtail snapper Xixarios with a Guindeo pepper sauce, named for the Basque restaurant where the chef learned the 100-year-old recipe ($27); wood-fired pork chop with a wild mushroom bread pudding and stewy fennel-bell pepper piparrada ($26)

Insider Tip: The wines, sherries and beers are all Spanish. Sip at one at the barstools by the wood-burning oven, while noshing on cheese with fig bread and truffle honey.

TXOKOS, 3201 Corrine Dr., Orlando; 321-972-8852

Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen and The Brewery

Why It’s Hot: Using produce raised and eggs laid at the on-site Whisper Creek Farm, this eponymous hotel restaurant and nanobrewery debuted in South Orlando in April 2015. It has rustic elements — wood and leather, flowered fabrics and earthenware plates — and was designed to feel like a family’s kitchen. Yet it retains the polish you’d imagine in a JW Marriott. The no-reservations, just-stroll-on-in policy and communal seating belie the fancy surrounds. Beer, sausages and charcuterie are all made in-house.

Must-Order: Chive biscuits with pork butter and apple moonshine jam ($6); flatbread with kale pesto, eggplant, Gruyère and balsamic onions ($15); hanger steak with salty pistachio butter, steel-cut oats and golden raisin salsa ($15)

Insider Tip: The partially shaded patio area is a quiet escape for a cold one and a nibble.

WHISPER CREEK FARM, 4040 Central Florida Pkwy., Orlando; 407-206-2300

Bron: Zagat