The sheer number of exceptional eating establishments that unveiled themselves in 2023 made identifying and ranking the best new restaurants for this annual roundup more difficult than foisting a $15 hot dog onto skeptical Orlando foodies. Re-revisiting these notable hotspots certainly didn’t make this somewhat subjective task any easier, and only served to add another 10 pounds to my bay-windowed frame.

Clearly, restricting the selection to just five new restaurants — as we’ve done every year since the inception of Top Tables in 2012 — was going to be far too limiting, given this banner 12-month period. So, in an effort to accurately reflect this unprecedented year for restaurant openings, the decision was made to expand the selection from five to 10 restaurants, and my brain and belly are all the happier for it. From sophisticated houses of fine dining to frenzied fast-casual sup spots and everything in between, here, then, are the very finest restaurants that opened in 2023 — my top 10 tables, plus a group of notable 2023 openings.

No. 1: Camille 4962 New Broad St., camilleorlando.com Opened June Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
Camille 4962 New Broad St., $$$$ Chef Tung Phan taps into his flavor memories in creating his elevated Franco-Indochine dishes and, in turn, churns out a memorable dining experience. Guests can opt from a 10-course tasting menu at the chef’s counter or a seven-course menu in the main dining room. Either way, Phan’s creative and innovative takes on Vietnamese staples makes for one of the most original meals in the city. Closed Sunday to Tuesday. Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
Primrose Lanes 400 N. Primrose Drive, Orlando It may be the only restaurant on this list that doubles as a bowling alley-turned-hang out spot, but Primrose Lanes definitely got the people talking this year. With a few pricey dishes ($15 for a hotdog) and a new look, this spot earned itself quite the buzz. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
No. 3: KungFu Kitchen 8466 Palm Parkway, kfkitchennyc.com Opened September Lines are common at this tourist sector outpost of Peter Song’s famed New York City dumpling house but, fear not, they tend to move with Disney-like efficiency. Without question, those meat-filled funbags are every bit worth the wait, but just as next-level are the pan-fried buns, scallion pancakes, wokky stir-fries and Song’s specialty hand-pulled and knife-cut noodles. Either of those squigglers inside a bowl of beef with chili oil makes a tongue-wagging slurp of worth. (Review) Credit: Photo by Faiyaz Kara
Zaru 1114 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando The concept, which we first told you about back in July, is by James Beard Award-nominated restaurateurs Johnny and Jimmy Tung. Zaru’s intimate and striking 25-seat dining room will feature Udon noodles will be made from Japanese flour sourced from Kagawa Prefecture, the birthplace of udon, and will be offered in both hot and cold options, with and without broths, along with freshly fried tempura and a host of add-ons for a custom-built bowl. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett/Orlando Weekly
FOREIGNER RESTAURANT 2816 Corrine Drive, 321-517-6985, $$$$ Chef Bruno Fonseca’s trust-the-chef confiance menu is rooted in comfort, albeit elevated, beautifully plated and impeccably dressed comfort food. The 10-course offering runs $175 and fuses flavors from Spain, Portugal and Fonseca’s native Brazil. Wine pairings go for $80 and $150 with an optional coffee service for $20 that includes macarons, bonbons and petit fours. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
CHAYOTE BARRIO KITCHEN 480 Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 321-343-3003, $$$$ Chef Mario Pagan’s menu, a bill of fare rooted in his “Nueva Mesa Latina” ethos, celebrates the heritage and culinary footprint of all Hispanic cultures and Latinidad cuisine. Closed Monday. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
No. 7: Norman’s 7924 Via Dellagio Way, normansorlando.com Opened February Many chefs on this list owe much to Norman Van Aken, the elder statesman of Florida cookery and progenitor of fusion’s “New World Cuisine” subset. The Sand Lake Road location was three-and-a-half years in the making, and the restaurant’s sleek new look marks an aesthetic break from its former dated environs of the Ritz-Carlton. The menu’s original Latin-Caribbean DNA, overseen by chef de cuisine Carlos Robles Molina, remains intact with flavors from Japan and Southeast Asia adding to Van Aken’s evolving “New World” understanding. The wine list is just as stellar as before, and a recently launched tasting menu should please the restaurant’s most avid patrons. (Review) Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
Bakery 1908 2021 E. Colonial Drive, Orlando John Zhao, the restaurateur behind YH Seafood Clubhouse, established Bakery 1908 this fall, offering a rotating selection of dim sum items, coffee and boba. Zhao has partnered with the owner of a Taiwanese bakery that’s been in business since 1908, thus the name. And with a century-long pedigree, you can bet their cakes, sweets and honey fragrance (mi xiang) teas will draw a lot of interest. Credit: Photo via Bakery 1908/Instagram
No. 9: Superica 415 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, superica.com/winter-park Opened November Five-time James Beard Award nominee Ford Fry has effectively spread the true gospel of Tex-Mex throughout the Southeast with his Superica brand of restaurants, and Winter Park is all the better for it. Dishes like tacos al carbon with guava-glazed crispy pork belly and the jiggly 36-hour-smoked hunk of bone-in short rib coated in a charred chipotle-molasses crust are as vibrant as Superica’s colorful interior, where cattle horns, blingy light fixtures, taxidermy and glam Italian red-leather stools converge. (Review) Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
SUSHI SAINT 400 Pittman St., 407-412-6000, $$$ This temaki bar from Soseki’s Michael Collantes brings tropical wabi-sabi vibes to the Brew Theory Marketplace, along with a roster of impeccably crafted and purposefully pricey hand rolls. Experienced barkeeps craft scrummy cocktails. Closed Tuesday. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
Honorable Mention: Danilo’s Pasta Bar 3201 Corrine Drive, instagram.com/danilos_orlando Opened June As the second Domu Lab concept to take up residency at the Neighbors at East End Market, chef Danilo “DJ” Tangalin’s pasta bar impresses with dolled-up riffs on Filipino-Italian fare remixed with French pops. The $75 tasting menu option is an eight-course tour de force that changes weekly (think “surf ‘n’ turf” comprising squid ink tagliatelle, Chinese sausage, bay scallops, chicken, carrots and cabbage in an oyster-soy broth). And much like its predecessor, Camille, the third-culture cooking here is also introducing new flavor combinations to the city. Don’t be surprised if Danilo’s goes brick and mortar next year. (Review) Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
Caravan Uzbek & Turkish Cuisine 8015 S. Orange Ave., 321-294-4444, $$ Succulent kebabs grilled over open charcoal are the main draw of this tucked-away spot in Pine Castle. Hand-pulled Uyghur-style noodles, dumplings and savory pastries are of the highest order. A bevy of cakes beg to be enjoyed with unlimited cups of Turkish tea. Open daily. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett

Chuan Fu

1035 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park
Chuan Fu is a Sichuan restaurant by the owners of Chuan Lu Garden and U and Me Revolving Hot Pot in Winter Park. Its menue is mostly mala-coded — the fiery, numb-spicy Sichuan specialty — but fine dishes of the not-hot variety are available too. Credit: Chuan Zeng
Cow & Cheese: Smashing house of smashburgers by Chicken Fire’s Kwame Boakye. Credit: photo courtesy Cow & Cheese/Instagram
The Current Seafood Counter: Coastal-vibed seafood spot serving everything from fresh catch to shellfish. (Review) Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
The Dough Show 12140 Collegiate Way, Orlando Hamam works, stretches and pounds the gossamer-thin dough before theatrically twirling the pastry disc around his head. And then, like all shows, this dough show must go on: It’s slammed back onto the quartz counter, given a few open-handed slaps, then filled with toppings like house-brined and cured pastrami with Kiri cheese — the Middle East’s answer to Laughing Cow. Hamam folds and crimps the pastry, inverts it, and places this so-called “Oriental” pie (hey, that’s what it says on the menu) into a 600-degree oven for a few minutes until baked through. No matter the filling, be it mozzarella ($12.99), house-made sausage ($14.99), salami ($14.99) or mixed shawarma ($16.99), the result is magnificent. Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
Farm & Haus Cafe 526 S. Park Ave., Winter Park The grass-roots rise of Farm & Haus from meal delivery service in 2014 (it was Farm-Haus back then) to East End Market stall to full-scale restaurant hasn’t been meteoric but, rather, biscuit-like. Expect dishes like the harvest hash, a well-composed breakfast bowl of sweet potatoes, farro and, among other things, locally sourced soft-boiled eggs. Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
Fluffy Fluffy 2008 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando Fluffy Fluffy, or Fuwa Fuwa in Japanese, is Orlando’s latest home of the souffle pancake. The Orlando outpost is the first in the nation, where you can also find croffles (croissant waffles), macarons and sorbets. Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
FRIENDSHIP BBQ 5126 W. Colonial Drive, 407-420-7916, $$$ The import from Flushing, Queens, specializes in chuan’r, skewered morsels of spiced cumin lamb along with a bevy of other meats, seafood and veg. There are more than 50 from which to choose, but don’t pass on the lamb (natch), “Mongolia” beef, gizzards and quail. There are plenty of additional options for the curious — lamb testicles, bullfrog, pork feet to name a few. The grilled fish served in a gurgling iron hot pot is a must. Open daily. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
Kavas Tacos & Tequila: Delivering the Tex and the Mex to Pointe Orlando in style. (Review) Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett

Kyuramen

3402 Technological Ave., Orlando
“Lin is a ramen-crazed geek who turned his ramen-ya chain into a fixture in Japan and Taiwan before opening 30-plus locations here in the United States. John Zhao, the man behind YH Seafood Clubhouse and Bakery 1908, among other eateries, runs the UCF-area outpost, and it’s been a hotspot since its debut in the student-heavy sector back in November. They come for the ramen, no doubt, but many a young’un have been lured by a viral little vid making the rounds on the socials.” Read the full review here. Credit: courtesy photo
Mares Peruvian Cuisine 528 S. Park Ave., Winter Park Mares offers Peruvian specialties in Winter Park, with dishes like colorful ceviche, causa and seafood specialties, plus chicha and cocktails. Credit: Photo via Mares Peruvian Cuisine/Instagram
Maya Cafe Lounge and Gallery Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
The Nauti Lobstah 311 S. Forest Ave., Apopka, 407-889-7980, $$$ This Apopka eatery brings wicked legit Yankee chops to the area’s seafood game. Besides being a native New Englander, classically trained chef Mike Rumplik packs ample local cred from his 15 years as executive chef at Rosen Centre Hotel, along with previous stints at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, the Peabody Orlando and the Peabody Memphis. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
Papi Smash Burgers: Smashburger joint downtown makes mince of its rivals. (Review) Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
Phở Gà Hien Vuong: Farm-fresh chicken soups of the highest order. Credit: Photo by Faiyaz Kara
Pisco Peruvian Gastrobar will open another location in Lake Mary in late November. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
SANSHI NOODLE HOUSE 5600 W. Colonial Drive, 407-286-6167, $$ This West Colonial Drive noodle house spotlights Yunnanese “crossing-the-bridge” noodles which places the onus on the diner to dunk meats, veg and rice noodles into a scorching hot pot of soup. Broths come in a host of varieties ranging from fish maw chicken and pork bone to pickled pepper and spicy beef. Closed Tuesday. Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
Smoke & Donuts: Sweet and meaty sanctuary steeped in nostalgia. (Review) Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett

Additional Slideshows

Orlando restaurant critic. Orlando Weekly restaurant critic since 2006.