Vines by H restaurant
Martini and Chilean sea bass at Vines by H Credit: courtesy image

Local restaurant openings: 

Vines Grille & Wine Bar on Sand Lake Road in Dr. Phillips is now Vines by H. The restaurant, which first opened in 2003, has been fully renovated and is now under the direction of The H Hospitality Group, the team behind Turkish steakhouse The H Orlando. The menu features everything from flatbreads to ceviches to scratch-made pastas … Sushi Saint, Michael Collantes’ handroll concept, has opened a location in the Bar Kada space at 957 W. Fairbanks Ave. in Winter Park. Bar Kada closed Nov. 30 … 

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, sporting 150 locations across the country, has opened its first Florida parlor at 20 Alexandria Blvd. in Oviedo offering 45 different flavors … Danish coffee chain Joe & The Juice will open its first area location in the old Doshi space at 1040 N. Orlando Ave. in Winter Park. Fresh juice, smoothies, sandwiches and breakfast bowls will also be offered … 

Look for PopUp Bagels, the chain that encourages customers to “grip, rip and dip” their bagels into various schmears, to open soon in the old Soho Juice Co. space at 646 S. Orlando Ave. in Winter Park … The Final Whistle, an Orlando City/Orlando Pride-themed popup bar, has taken over the Thornton Park Pub at 808 E. Washington St. Food is being offered by Tornatore’s Kitchen …

Expect Nic & Luc All-Day Eatery to soft-open at the end of the month in the former Daily News Deli & Grille space at 201 E. Pine St. overlooking Lake Eola … Conquistador Bar & Restaurant, blending Spanish influences with Floridian ingredients, has opened at the Mission Resort + Club in Howey-in-the-Hills.

Local restaurant openings & closings: 

Darden Restaurants is sunsetting Bahama Breeze, with many area locations slated to be converted into other brands in Darden’s portfolio … Torchy’s Tacos in Altamonte Springs and Winter Garden have both closed.

Local food news & events:

After a brief absence, Daawat the Experience, a halal South Asian/East African–inspired pop-up, is back with seasonal, multicourse menus served in a communal environment. Visit @daawattheexperience for dates … Mills Market will host a Lucky Lunar Night Market from 6-10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, to ring in the Lunar New Year. The $50 ticket includes unlimited Asian street food and drinks, with sake cocktails available for purchase … The multiday winter freeze adversely affected many of our local farms, so do them a solid and support them by visiting their farms or buying their produce at local farmers markets.

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This article appears in Feb. 11-17, 2026.

Orlando restaurant critic. Orlando Weekly restaurant critic since 2006.