3 Best Restaurants in Orlando, Florida

A hip space nestled in a former private house off Colonial Drive, Kaya gives traditional dishes from throughout the 7,000 islands of the Philippines inventive new angles. Though pricey, the "five-wave Sama Sama Tasting Menu" is truly memorable—what should be a standard dish, the yam noodle pancit, becomes extraordinary, and California long-grain sushi rice is transformed into a revelatory fried-garlic-infused plate with locally grown squash, eggplant, and lion’s mane and oyster mushrooms. Indeed, chef Lordfer Lalicon, who honed his craft at the famed Blue Hill at Stone Farms, takes local sourcing very seriously. 

With nine permanent food and drink vendors, all housed in colorful repurposed shipping containers, Boxi Park is like a big, stationary, food-truck park, just with more alcohol. Three of the venues serve microbrew beers and margaritas or other mixed cocktails to go with the hand-rolled sushi, burgers, chicken sandwiches, tacos, lobster rolls, and more.

Using locally sourced ingredients, the chef at this small, independent redbrick eatery on Sanford's main drag creates Southern-fusion dishes. His house-made biscuits and gravy are renowned, the Saturday brunch menu includes a BLT with house-cured bacon and heirloom tomatoes, and dinner choices include pan-seared Florida trout with bacon from Tennessee and the ever-popular shrimp and grits with corn from Zellwood, Florida.