Every Orlando restaurant we reviewed in 2023

SUPERICA
415 S. Orlando Ave., Winter Park, 407-919-6671, $$$$
Five-time James Beard Award nominee Ford Fry brings his high-caliber Tex-Mex cantina to Winter Park, and it delivers. Both the queso fundido and the tortilla soup make top-notch starters. Tacos come in hard shell, street and al carbon varieties (the crispy pork belly is luscious). A dish of heft worth considering: 36-hour smoked and grilled bone-in short rib. Open daily.

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.

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.

THE CURRENT SEAFOOD COUNTER
2425 Edgewater Drive, $$
A host of marine delights ranging from fresh catch to shellfish is served at this unpretentious seafood spot with all the coastal vibes. Must-tries: lobster rolls, shrimp and pepper fritters, and sautéed middleneck clams. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Fluffy Fluffy
2008 E. Colonial Drive, 727-637-8298, $$
You might have to play the waiting game at this international house of souffle pancakes, but good things come to those who do. Varieties of poofy airy cakes range from tiramisu to mango to crème brulee to fruit forest. Don’t overlook the burnt-top cheesecakes, either. Croffles, macarons, sorbets and beverages are also offered. Open daily.

Zaru
1114 E. Colonial Drive, 407-271-8512, $$$
Udon noodles of the highest order are served in this alluring 25-seat restaurant in Mills 50. Apart from the cold and hot noodle offerings (fashioned from imported Japanese flour), a host of zensai, or appetizers, are also offered: yaki gyoza (fried pork dumplings), tatsuta-age (fried chicken), chicken chashu and wagyu tataki being the most notable. Closed Monday.

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.

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.

Kungfu Kitchen
8466 Palm Parkway, 407-778-1649, $$
Chef Peter Song’s Orlando outpost of his famed NYC noodle and dumpling house lives up to the hype. Some of the best dumplings — be they soup, steamed or pan-fried — are presented here to the excited throngs. Noodles, offered stir-fried or soup options, are handmade, hand-pulled and hand-cut. Lines are a given, but patience pays off. Open daily.

Danilo's Pasta Bar
East End Market, 3201 Corrine Drive, $$$$
DJ Tangalin fuses Italian, Filipino and French flavors at his second-floor East End Market pasta bar with a $75 tasting menu that’s one of the more intriguing bills of fare in the city. An à la carte menu offering everything from surf and turf pancit to milk-braised pork to eggplant caponata is available for walk-ins to enjoy at any of the window-side seats at The Neighbors. Open Thursday to Monday.

Boil Spot Hot Pot & BBQ
8133 Vineland Ave., 407-840-1810, $$$
Boil Spot offers scores of options, enough to satisfy the most avid hot-pot and Korean barbecue enthusiast. Open daily.

Primrose Lanes
400 N. Primrose Drive, 407-745-0862, $$$$
The unique Milk District space houses a full-scale restaurant, cocktail bar, lounge and bowling alley under one roof. A menu of elevated comfort fare is one of the most impressive of the year with everything from short rib pastrami and frites to the prime rib sandwich to, yes, the $15 hot dog. Open daily.

Kavas Tacos & Tequila
9101 International Drive, 407-776-2027, $$

Beirut Bakery & Deli
11757 S. Orange Blossom Trail, 407-286-6158, $$
Beirut Bakery & Deli on South Orange Blossom Trail, and Beirut Grill & Deli in Oviedo, lure patrons in for their Levantine baked goods, grilled meats, shawarma and sweets. Open daily.

Beirut Grill & Deli 3100 Alafaya Trail, Oviedo, 321-765-4139, $$
Beirut Bakery & Deli on South Orange Blossom Trail, and Beirut Grill & Deli in Oviedo, lure patrons in for their Levantine baked goods, grilled meats, shawarma and sweets. Open daily.

One Lounge
5648 International Drive, 850-800-0050, $$$ While the name One Lounge doesn't reveal much, there's a whole lot to tell about this new International Drive restaurant. The name might land a little less generically when you consider that it may just be the one place in Orlando where a taste of Uzbekistan can be found. Even in the broad spectrum of cuisines available in the area, Uzbek food is especially obscure, which makes One Lounge immediately exciting simply by dint of its existence.

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.

Medellín Burger Steak & Bar
1349 E. Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, 321-203-2256, $$$ Besides living up to its name with a whole menu section dedicated to hamburgers, Medellín Burger Steak & Bar also offers a full range of Colombian classics, with many dishes that lean toward comfort and tradition. The appetizer list, for example, revolves around Latin staples like arepas, empanadas and tostones. Medellín's chorizo con arepa ($6.99) features exceptional whole Colombian chorizo sausage that's much more dimensional and nuanced in seasoning than the crumbled kind often found elsewhere.

Pisco Peruvian Gastrobar
9344 Narcoossee Road, 407-286-1561, $$$$ In both cooking and atmosphere, Pisco is upscale but not stuffy. A modish convergence of garden chic and Peruvian art, it's a simultaneously elegant and vibrant place with an air of urban sophistication and a pulse of Latin house music.

The Mongolorian BBQ
2217 E. Colonial Drive, 407-601-6912, $$ Beginning with the name itself — a nod to Star Wars series The Mandalorian — the Mongolorian is going for modernity with pan-Asian flair. Designed with both style and pace in mind, the pulse here is brisk and vibrant. It’s a fast-casual operation where you line up at the counter, place your order at one of the touchscreen stations and then grab a table, where your food is brought hot and fresh.