When I look back on this year of restaurant openings, “extraordinary” is the word that comes to mind. That’s because most, if not all, of the 10 newbies listed here are capable of becoming perennial fixtures on any “best of Orlando” inventories moving forward. They tout the creative extravagance of chefs’ tasting menus, the smoky luxuriance of Texas barbecue and everything in between. But, more importantly, these restaurants have collectively raised the caliber of this city’s gastronomy, and we have the visionary restaurateurs and gifted chefs and cooks behind these operations to thank. Here, then, are the very best restaurants that opened in 2024.
No. 1: Sorekara
4979 New Broad St., sorekarafl.com
Opened March
There is simply no other restaurant space in the city quite like Sorekara’s. The multimillion-dollar sanctuary steeped in Japanese serenity and the temporal philosophy of sorekara (the appreciation of how every moment in time is unique) is equal parts art exhibit, cultural spectacle, philosophy class and restaurant. The stunning space sets the table — a table fashioned from a 700-year-old kayeki tree — for chef William Shen’s equally stunning dishes inspired by the 72 micro-seasons of Japan. His visionary nouveau-Japanese menu quietly shuttles out 20-plus courses, each an artful study of flavor and presentation. And the relationships he’s forged with Japanese farmers and fishermen mean those rarefied ingredients, manipulated in exacting and creative ways, get passed on to Sorekara’s patrons. Each of the four rooms guests are ushered through during the almost four-hour affair are as highly curated as the dishes themselves. And put those timepieces away — every moment at Sorekara, like its food and drink, is to be savored.
No. 2: Ômo by Jônt
115 E. Lyman Ave., Winter Park, omobyjont.com
Opened February
Also a serious contender for the top Top Table of 2024, Ryan Ratino’s three-room, 16-seat “experiential” offshoot of his 2-Michelin-star Jônt in Washington, D.C., celebrates elite ingredients and indulgences with jaw-dropping aesthetics. But beyond the highly marbled Kobe wine beef from Hyogo, the gorgeous sea urchin from the Rishiri Islands or the free-flowing Krug Champagne, it’s the service here that targets and hits the highest reaches of omotenashi (hospitality). The servers and staff seem to genuinely enjoy treating their guests like royalty, and it leaves an impression. “We want to make people happy and create an unparalleled experience for our guests,” says Ratino. And that they most certainly do.
No. 3: Coro
3022 Corrine Drive, cororestaurant.com
Opened June
My favorite restaurant to open this year, Coro earned its place in my heart for its unassuming vibe and chef Tim Lovero’s perpetually changing, Italian-leaning menu spotlighting flavors and ingredients from the Far East to the Indian subcontinent to West Africa. They’re photogenic as hell, too. Being tended to by staff who are so smart and well-versed with the menu feels like a treat in a town where that can be an issue. In fact, Coro’s cooks and chefs also double as servers, so they have intimate knowledge of the dishes they present. For intrepid diners and regular restaurant-goers, a meal here can leave even the most jaded of gastronomes in a state of gratified bliss.
No. 4. Smokemade Meats + Eats
1400 S. Crystal Lake Drive, smokemade.com
Opened March
Is there barbecue being served in this town better than the smoke-made meats and eats at Smokemade Meats + Eats? No. No, there isn’t. Pound for smoky pound, no one’s doing it better than pitmaestro Tyler Brunache. His regional barbecue style focuses on Central Texas, where beef, sausage and sauceless proteins rule, just like the barbecue gods of the Lone Star State intended. And that means seasonings are kept to a minimum so that the flavor of the meat (smoked over Florida oak) speaks for itself. Those brontosaurus-looking Black Angus beef ribs smoked for 10 hours? Dino-mite.
No. 5: Lamp & Shade Craft Kitchen and Cocktails
1336 N. Mills Ave., throwsomeshadeorl.com
Opened May
Chef Ryan Stewart’s cooking career began in mom-and-pop Asian restaurants, sushi bars and traditional Korean kitchens, so the brilliant pan-Asian fare he serves at Lamp & Shade reflects the enthusiastic zeal and respect he has for Far Eastern cookery. The squid-ink squid, charred baby bok choy, and risotto umami-ed with wild mushrooms, miso and parm are worth the trip alone. In addition to Stewart’s Asian-influenced tapas fare, artist Sumner Mormeneo’s visual feast of a mural and the striking bar are focal points in a restaurant full of focal points.
No. 6: The Drake
361 N. Rosalind Ave., thedrakeorl.com
Opened February
The multi-culti roster of tapas that owners Heberto and Rona Segura plate out of their angular, glass-and-concrete space is making downtown dining great again. Of note: za’atar-spiced flatbread served with a trio of dips, flash-fried Gulf Coast snapper served over a coconut-tomato curry with plantains, and the “duck-duck-goose,” a dish as fetching as the space itself. The restaurant pays homage to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, so cocktails — particularly those fused with Gunpowder Gin — are lit.
No. 7: Bar Kada
957 W. Fairbanks Avenue, Winter Park, barkadafl.com
Opened April
Michael Collantes’ dark den of drinks and delectables dazzles with impressive bites created from an “international perspective” that never feel (or taste) derivative. Just as impressive are sommelier Benjamin Coutts and sake geek Daniel Lugo, who pull the curtains back on the traditions of rice wine production with barrelfuls of knowledge.
No. 8: Mosonori
1100 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, mosonori.com
Opened November
The show-stopping design and aesthetics of Henry Moso’s temaki bar come courtesy of local design firm GDP, but the show nevertheless goes on as chefs prepare nori-wrapped hand rolls with aplomb. As orgasmic as the roll marrying king crab, Kaluga caviar and spicy mayo is, don’t pass on a tasting of toro tartare with truffle ponzu and bubu arare.
No. 9: Pocha 93
7379 W. Colonial Drive, pocha93.com
Opened July
Shin Jung owner Michael Lee re-created this Korean pub based on a memory of visiting Seoul’s multisensorial Jeongseon Market as a child in the 1990s. The sizable space is accoutered with ’90s-era signage and Korean paraphernalia, but it’s the street food staples, or pocha, that further differentiate the restaurant from other Korean establishments in town: dishes like “army stew,” fluffy, custardy gyeran-jjim soufflé, and succulent maekjeok pork belly wet-aged in soybean paste and a soy-honey marinade. A bit of DIY meat play — Angus cuts on tabletop grills — complements Pocha’s strong beverage game.
No. 10: Boiled Fish
8910 Turkey Lake Road
Opened January
Boiled Fish’s soupy bowls of, you guessed it, boiled fish all have one thing in common: the palliative pucker and tang of pickled mustard greens. The citrusy zip of the “lemon flavor sauerkraut fish” is a slurp of superlative worth; a recent menu expansion added other Sichuan classics like cold chicken in chili sauce and bracing cucumber salad to supplement those soups. And the brown sugar glutinous rice cakes served here are, in a word, addictive.
Honorable Mention: Mills Market
1110 E. Colonial Drive, instagram.com/millsmarket.orl
Opened June
Sprawling food halls, step aside, because this small-scale food hub and market has been one of the buzziest venues to open this year. It’s poised to get even buzzier in 2025 with the opening of Japanese curry house Cowboy Curry and a Japanese whisky bar. Until then, just brave the snaking lines to sample UniGirl’s flawless onigiri, the Hong Kong-style barbecue and cuisine at KaiKai, and Banh Mi Boy’s killer handhelds. Saigon Snow’s icy, fruit-filled treats are as refreshing as they are photo-worthy, but if the malted pandan waffle is being offered, get it.
Other notable 2024 openings:
An Vi: Low-key Vietnamese strip-maller in Casselberry
Arden: Ivanhoe Village boîte with a menu from the boys behind Red Panda Noodle
Ceiba: Rooftop cantina at the Conrad plating contemporary Mexican dishes
Corazon by Baires: Luxe Latin-American dining and entertainment in the tourist sector
d.b.a.: Offspring bar by the Strand crafting stiff sips and cheffy snacks
Ispirazione Italian Sandwiches: Bringing the crunch and fluff of tigelle to the wilds of West Orlando
Kori Bakery & Dessert: Japanese- inspired bakery and dessert bar specializing in kakigori and shokupan
Koyla Pakistani BBQ: The best Pakistani fare in the city, be it redolent nihari or charcoal-fired bihari kebab
Lim Ros: Solid Siamese staples in the former home of Brick & Spoon in Maitland
M’ama Napoli: Brings the finest from Italy’s South to South Orlando Avenue
Maitland Social: Pizza Bruno, Wave Asian Bistro and the soon-to-open Packwoods Bar in Maitland
Maroush: Syrian stop in Waterford Lakes shaving some of the best shawarma in the city
Oza Izakaya: SeaWorld-area stunner dishing hot/cold tastings, sushi, ramen and binchotan-kissed yakitori and kushiyaki
Palm Beach Meats: A wagyu- lover’s sanctuary in SoDo
Parea Greek Taverna: Refined Greek anchoring the prominent corner of Maitland City Centre
Quicksand: Heather LaVine’s soothing new natural wine bar in Mills 50
Rion’s Ocean Room: Sonny Nguyen’s Hawaiian-style poke stall at East End Market
Toshka Syrian Street Food: Savory Syrian delights from a parked truck in Longwood
Walala Asian Noodle House: Pulled Lanzhou noodles, Hunan rice and ramen on West Colonial Drive
Yao’s: Oviedo modern Chinese kitchen flipping American Chinese classics on their heads
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This article appears in Dec 25-31, 2024.