From new lantern-lit theme park eateries to upscale Yucatán spots to sought-after bao bakeries, Orlando is in for a spring full of fresh eats. Here are 19 new Orlando restaurants opening their doors soon.
The Yardery
231 N. Baker St., Mount Dora
The Yardery, a 5,400-square-foot family-friendly restaurant, opens March 1 at 221 N. Baker St. in Mount Dora. It will feature the only rooftop bar in Lake County, along with 11,000 square feet of yard and patio space for games and activities. Credit: Photo via The Yardery Mount Dora/Facebook
409 N. Magnolia Ave., Orlando Leiah Restaurant, the downtown boîte on the ground floor of the Hilton Garden Inn fronted by chef Omar Torres, will soft-open this weekend. The restaurant is billed as a “chef driven home-style kitchen that makes perfect symphony with the most luxurious elements of land and sea.” Credit: Photo via Leiah/FacebookJune will draw inspiration from Ki’is in Riviera Maya Credit: Image via kiiskanai.com
737 N. Thornton Ave., Orlando Arthur Boothe and Julian Burgos built their reputation on cocktail bars (Death in the Afternoon, Suffering Bastard and the now-shuttered Bitters & Brass), but the dynamic duo of drink is getting into the grape game and will soon open a wine bar in Mills 50. Lorelei, named after the German siren of lore, will open this spring across the street from Edoboy. Credit: Photo via Lorelei/Instagram
204 S. Sanford Ave., Sanford If you’ve sunk your teeth into Jimmy Nguyen’s and Chau Vo’s KFC bao with gochujang, nori, scallions and a creamy slaw, you’ll likely make a beeline to Sanford when they open their baoery in the old Moon’s Subs space. BTW: Their bao are handmade in small batches using all-natural ingredients free of preservatives. Credit: Photo via Hot Asian Buns/FacebookBlack Coffee/Cafe Negro Bistro
761 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park
Black Coffee/Cafe Negro Bistro, a Latin-ish concept by Univision personality Jose “El Negro” Figueroa, now serves cheffy breakfast, lunch and early dinner fare as well as weekend brunch. Ángel Serrano, a fixture in Puerto Rico’s food landscape, oversees the menu. Credit: Photo via Black Coffee/Cafe Negro Bistro/Facebook
7988 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando Lewis Lin (Susuru, Juju) will have a busy year ahead of him with Mao Mao opening in the fall but, prior to the handroll eatery, he and investor partners Khoa Nguyen and Keren Swanson will open this 100-seater specializing in wagyu shabu-shabu next door to Peperoncino in the Dellagio Town Center. Nabe will also offer premium seafood, as well as cocktails and a sake program. Nola’s Ice Cream will be situated in front of the almost 3,000-square-foot space. Credit: Image via Google Maps
2401 Edgewater Drive, Orlando The 2,935-square-foot cantina, Tamale Co. Modern Mexican Kitchen & Bar comes from Tamale Co.’s Fernando and Jennifer Tamayo and is set to take over the former space of Matt Hinckley’s now-shuttered Mid Drive Dive. The Tamayos have been serving their stellar tamales, tacos and street fare from the Tamale Co. inside the Hourglass Market for nearly six years, as well as from their Tamale Co. food truck since 2012. But they’re now ready to take on a full-fledged restaurant. Credit: Image via Google MapsHeatwave
741 W. Church St., Orlando
After LGBTQ+ bar Stonewall abruptly closed at the end of 2021, their former Church Street space will reopen — not as a nightclub, but as a new restaurant concept called Heatwave. The ambitious new restaurant concept from a local ownership group of Kevin Varanai, Andrea Dunn and Brandon Wood will include three interconnected spaces: a café, restaurant and hybrid theater-lounge. Credit: Photo courtesy LoopnetZen Dumpling
423 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando
Zen Dumpling, the Jacksonville-based restaurant specializing in soup dumplings, fluffy pan-fried bao and boba tea, opened a new location this spring in the old Moe’s Southwest Grill space in Waterford Lakes. Credit: Photo via Zen Dumpling/Google MapsNuri’s Tavern
63 E. Pine St., Orlando
“‘Nuri’s is like modern Pizza Hut for millennials and I’m in love,’ says my friend and fellow food writer Adam Erace, and he’s spot-on. Only the pies hearken back to the pre-personal-pan-pizza era, when the Hut’s hand-tossed, thin-crust wonders ruled the land. And the tavern-style pies devised by Team Market Group chef-scientists Jason Campbell and Nick Grecco are instant classics.” Read the full review. Credit: Photo via Nuri's Tavern/FacebookThe Rev
728 Virginia Drive, Orlando
Asian seafood restaurant The Rev is now open in the former home of Orlando Meats. It’s the latest project from Jason Dugan, the owner of Santiago’s Bodega, and offers eats ranging from steaming bowls of ramen to fresh oysters. Credit: Photo via @therevorlando/Instagram
807 N. Orange Ave., Orlando Sparrow, a 1,978-square-foot wine bar and lounge, will be located about 100 feet away from Reyes Mezcaleria and will present a focused menu drawing on executive chef/partner Wendy Lopez’s heritage (her great grandfather, “Papa Chema,” was Spanish). But flavors and techniques from Portugal, Italy and France will also pepper the bill of fare with continental classics like tortilla Española, patatas bravas, jamón ibérico and conservas served alongside bacalhau croquetas, cacio e pepe and prawn de bourgogne. Credit: courtesy Sue ChinChef William Shen Credit: photo by Faiyaz KaraArden, across from the soon-to-open City Food Hall, offers biodynamic wines, low-ABV cocktails and a food menu from Red Panda Noodle’s Eliot Hillis and Seth Parker Credit: photo courtesy Arden/InstagramGyukatsu Rose
3201 Corrine Drive, Orlando
Gyukatsu Rose, now open in East End Market, is the latest concept from Domu founder Sonny Nguyen, serving gyukatsu, or Japanese fried beef cutlets. Wagyu is typically used, which is seasoned, coated in breadcrumbs, and given a quick fry before being sliced rare and served alongside a mini stone grill for diners to sear to their liking. Credit: Photo via Google MapsMister O1 Extraordinary Pizza
10 Alexandria Blvd., Oviedo
Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza will open its third area location March 4, this one at 10 Alexandria Blvd. The Michelin Guide-recommended pizzeria from South Florida opened its first Central Florida location on International Parkway, and offers expansive pizza options, salads and a burrata bar. Credit: Image via Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza/InstagramAtlantic
1001 Epic Blvd., Orlando
The upcoming Universal Orlando theme park Epic Universe will house Celestial Park and its new full-service restaurants, one of which being the Atlantic Restaurant. It’s set to be an “undersea culinary fantasy reminiscent of an enormous Victorian aquarium” serving seafood and steak. Credit: Rendering via Universal OrlandoUniversal Epic Universe – Celestial Park -–The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant Credit: Rendering via Universal Orlando
