Of all of Orlando’s pockets of culinary goodness, Winter Park sure brings some special eats to the table. From mouthwatering hot fried chicken to vegan creations to Instagram-worthy Thai teas, Winter Park has a little something for everyone and every palate.

Here are some of Winter Park’s most essential eateries every local should have tried (and stuffed themselves at) by now.

Don’t see your favorite spot listed here? Let us know and we’ll make sure to give it some love.

Swine & Sons 1280 N. Orange Ave, Winter Park Swine & Sons’ long-awaited move to Winter Park last year brought the restaurants’ beloved menu of Southern-inflected sandwiches, salads and breakfast bites along with it. Credit: Photo courtesy Swine & Sons
Prato 124 N. Park Ave., Winter Park Orlando Weekly’s own “best Italian restaurant” three years in a row, Prato scores huge with Orlandoans for its authentic Italian dishes. You’ll battle crowds to get a seat at this loud Park Avenue “it spot,” but once inside, the rustic Italian creations will justify the body-checking. As you can read in our 2020 Prato review, “You’d be hard-pressed to find better meatballs in the city, seriously.” Credit: Photo via Prato/Facebook
Umi 525 S Park Ave., Winter Park Umi’s sushi and small plates impress in both presentation and palatability. Purists will appreciate their stellar sashimi and robata offerings, while contemporary diners will get a kick out of their takes on “Japanese fusion.” They offer a selection of sakes, soju cocktails and Japanese beers, too. Credit: Photo via Umi/Facebook
The Hen & Hog Gorgeous dishes comprising all those homey Southern feels. Credit: photo by Rob Bartlett
Bulla Gastrobar 110 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park Winter Park’s spot for tapas and cocktails, Bulla Gastrobar’s flavors are crafted by chef Diego Solano, who trained and cooked in some of Spain’s most prestigious eateries. Inspired by the ingredients and culture of the country, Solano has created an authentic vision of gastronomy at the Winter Park eatery. Credit: Photo via Bulla Gastrobar
Winter Park Fish Co. 761 N. Orange Ave., Winter Park A previous winner of Orlando Weekly’s Best Seafood Restaurant, Winter Park Fish Co. prides itself on its seafood dishes featuring fresh fish and unique chef-crafted dishes. Credit: Photo via Winter Park Fish Co.
Hotto Potto 3090 Aloma Ave., Winter Park Fresh ingredients, genial service and sheer variety help make this Winter Park hot pot joint an option for these looking for a change in their restaurant routine. Meats aren’t too out of the ordinary, though live blue crab, lobster, shrimp and bass keep it interesting. Soup base and spice levels can be adjusted according to taste, and a wide array of house-made sauces seal the deal. Open late Fridays and Saturdays. Credit: Photo via Hotto Potto
No. 4: Ava Mediterraegean290 S. Park Ave., Winter ParkThe trendy Mediterranean hotspot in the heart of Park Avenue may be saturated in SoBe swank, but its menu packs the sort of substance that only makes people-watching at Ava all the more enjoyable. The Riviera Dining Group out of Miami poured a pretty penny into redesigning the old Luma space, and pretty it is. And while there’s a propensity for pyrotechnics in both food and drink, consider the offerings here a foray into Greek “lit.” Indeed, the signature block of potato mille-feuille is absolute fire and worth the trip alone, though bracing dorade tartare and salt-baked branzino also merit consideration. Perhaps most notably, Ava has made many a Winter Parker forget about the space’s much-loved former tenant. (opened in February) Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
Hunger Street Tacos 2103 W Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park Hunger Street Tacos offers Orlandoans fresh, authentic and creative Mexican-style street food at its flagship Winter Park location. Credit: Photo via Hunger Street Tacos/Facebook
Briarpatch 252 N. Park Ave., Winter Park One of Winter Park’s most iconic and long-standing breakfast joints serves up contemporary American cuisine and brunch daily. With breakfast goodies like blueberry stuffed pancakes and raspberry-and-brie stuffed brioche french toast, it’s not hard to find a reason to wait in line here. Credit: Photo via Briarpatch Restaurant/Facebook
Best Vegan or Vegetarian Restaurant 1st: Ethos Vegan Kitchen ethosvegankitchen.com 2nd: Dandelion Community Café (RIP) dandelioncommunitea.com 3rd: Dixie Dharma dixiedharma.com Photo via Ethos Vegan Kitchen Credit: Photo via Ethos Vegan Kitchen
Krungthep Tea Time 1051 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park The Thai teahouse and sandwich joint forgoes both floral wallpaper and strumming troubadours in favor of a stark, yet soothing, simplicity. While the cuisine is reduced to sandwiches and salads, don’t underestimate their flavorsome bites and Instagram-worthy sweets. Credit: Photo via Krungthep Tea Time/Facebook
Anna’s Polish Restaurant 3586 Aloma Ave., Winter Park If you’re looking for authentic polish cuisine, Anna’s is a good place to start. Red borscht soup, potato pancakes, mushroom and sauerkraut pierogies – Anna’s menu has enough options to keep your babcia satisfied. Credit: Photo via Anna's Polish Restaurant/Facebook
Fredster’s 1720 Fennell St., Maitland The joint venture between two local restaurateurs is both a live music venue and a bar and grill serving turn-of-the-millennium specialties, like their chicken tortilla stack, blackened triggerfish sandwich and lamb sliders. 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
No. 5: Doshi1040 N. Orlando Ave., Winter ParkGoing from ghost kitchen outfit to modern Korean American eating house à la NYC stalwarts Atomix, Ataboy, Jungsik and Jua was no easy feat for chef-owner Gene Kim, but an assist from restaurateurs Johnny and Jimmy Tung made Doshi a reality. The restaurant comprises a six-seat chef’s counter where a contemporary, progressive and seasonal tasting menu is offered, as well as a modern dining room where à la carte options of reimagined Hanguk cuisine go beyond gochujang drizzles and kimchi ornamentation. (opened in March) Credit: Photo by Rob Bartlett
Tabla Cuisine 216 N. Park Ave., Suite H, Winter Park The beloved local Asian restaurant brings authentic Indian, Indian-Chinese and Thai cuisine of a higher level to Winter Park. Credit: Via Tabla Cuisine/Website
4. Jam Hot Chicken 400 W. New England Ave., Winter Park “This place is slap yo momma good! I’m not gonna lie, I was skeptical that it would be good. But I was more than pleasantly surprised — I was blown away! I consider myself to be a hot chicken connoisseur. This spot is as good, if not better than the famous Hatty B’s and Prince’s Hot Chicken in Nashville.” – Mike N. Credit: Photo via Hot Jam Chicken
Ravenous Pig 565 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park The stylish gastropub and beer garden offers inventive New American eats, beers brewed on-site and hand-crafted cocktails, all definitely worth the splurge, if you ask us. Credit: Photo via Ravenous Pig/Facebook
Antonella’s Pizzeria 360 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park The family-owned and operated pizzeria specializes in New York-style pies, Italian dishes and a warm, relaxed atmosphere that feels like home. Credit: Image via Antonella's/Yelp

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