Savor Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining® presented by Orlando Health with foodie Christina Petsos.
It is my favorite time of the year: the return of Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining® presented by Orlando Health. Now in its 20th year, this craveworthy culinary program makes it easy to explore Orlando’s fine dining scene with 160+ three course, prix-fixe menus priced at $40 or $60. And it all benefits a great cause. $1 from each $40 meal and $2 from each $60 meal will benefit the REED Charitable Foundation and more local charities. So you can feel great about saving on your next meal.
Discover: Magical Dining Menus & More
This is something I think everyone should take advantage of. To help you narrow down your top dining must-do’s, I’m sharing a sneak peek of nine Magical Dining menus, including MICHELIN Guide picks and more throughout Orlando and the surrounding areas. Read on and get ready to make your reservations for an unforgettable Magical Dining season. Bon appétit!
Orlando vacation planning made easy — and free. Make a complimentary appointment with Visit Orlando’s Vacation Planners at a time and date of your choosing for the latest insider advice, special offers and more ahead of your next visit.
Ravello ($60)
MICHELIN Recommended Ravello is an Italian restaurant located at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort. Led by Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi, you can expect an authentic Italian meal every time. This restaurant is exactly what you would hope to find at a high end resort like the Four Seasons. The flavors are bold, the service is top notch, and the ambiance is beautiful. I love to sit on the terrace a little before sunset and enjoy the weather. Your parking is validated when you dine at Ravello, so if you have not experienced Four Seasons, take this opportunity to visit. It’s a gorgeous property and I always feel like I am in a fairy tale.
Discover: Orlando MICHELIN Restaurants
I was excited to see the beef carpaccio on Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining menu, as this is a dish I order every time I dine at Ravello. It melts in your mouth and is a 10/10. The shrimp appetizer is served with cantaloupe melon, giving it a subtle sweetness that works very well. The Branzino was flaky and tender. The lamb had an incredible robust flavor. The chicken was moist and generously sized. And the pistachio affogato was the perfect ending to the meal. This is their first year having a cannoli on the menu, another great choice.
My top picks: Carpaccio Di Manzo, Agnello Scottato Alle Erb (lamb), Cannoli Classico.
Chayote Barrio Kitchen ($60)
Chayote Barrio Kitchen is a Chef Mario Pagan restaurant located in Winter Park Village. Chef Mario Pagan is a successful chef with multiple esteemed restaurants in Puerto Rico. At Chayote, he blends new flavors with traditional to create what he calls Nueva Mesa Latina, the “New Latin Table.” The food at Chayote is exceptional. My experience from beginning to end blew me away.
Discover: What’s New in Orlando
From the appetizers, I truly enjoyed them all. The sancocho was hearty and rich, honestly I could drink a bowl of just the broth. The parmesan crusted rainbow trout with its caper brown butter was incredible, giving it a light and nutty flavor with a bit of tang. The celery root it was served with was a surprise to me, as I am not usually a fan, but really enjoyed this one. The Ropa Vieja Lasagna was unique and a true gem, The romesco sauce really gave it a vibrant taste that set it apart. For dessert, the tres leches was a big winner for me. Moist and delicious with a nice crunch texture from the pistachio genoise.
My top picks: Sancocho Vegano, Trucha Meunier (rainbow trout), Tres Leches.
Kaya ($40)
MICHELIN Recommended Kaya is an elevated Filipino restaurant in the Mills 50® District. This is one of my most frequented restaurants in Orlando. Come for the food, stay for the Pamilya (family)! Kaya is all about community and supporting everyone. I love what they have built and always feel incredibly welcome and comfortable every time I step through their doors. Chef Lordfer Lalicon is an incredibly talented chef that is introducing Orlando to more of the Filipino culture. Once you meet Jami, one of the owners, you’ll feel like she is an old friend. This is their first year doing Magical Dining and it makes me so excited that it will bring new customers to their establishment. I truly believe everyone in Orlando needs to try it at least once (but you’ll keep going back).
Discover: Things to Do in Mills 50
Their lumpia is my favorite that I’ve tried in Orlando and it is one of their appetizers on the Magical Dining menu. While I do love tuna kinilaw, I have to urge you to get the lumpia. You cannot go wrong with any of the main courses, but I am a huge fan of the Sizzling Sisig. It is pork belly with a black garlic aioli, poached egg, hibiscus gel, and red onion. They also serve the adobo risotto, which is one of their most popular dishes. The risotto is cooked perfectly and has a nice, sweet flavor from the coconut milk. For their dessert, the ube flan is always my choice. I have been obsessed with it for a while and I don’t really even like flan.
My top picks: Lumpia Shanghai, Sizzling Sisig, Ube Flan.
The Chapman ($60)
The Chapman is another new restaurant to Magical Dining, as they just opened earlier in the year. Located on picturesque Park Avenue, The Chapman is an homage to the history of Winter Park. It is named after the founders of the city, Oliver Chapman and Loring Chase, with nods to Winter Park throughout the decor. One of my favorite things is the artwork above the bar, which looks like a Florida sunset, as well as the chainmail around the booth to mimic oak trees. Their menu was created by Chef Cliff Pleau, former executive chef of the California Grill at Walt Disney World® Resort.
Discover: Things to Do in Winter Park
On the Magical Dining menu is a goat cheese ravioli, which I do believe is a nod to his time at California Grill. This ravioli was very generous on its goat cheese filling and I quite enjoyed it. I also tried the crispy bang bang Lion’s Mane. It had a nice kick and I always love a Lion’s Mane mushroom. From the main courses, I tried the Demkota Ranch Filet and the pork tenderloin. Something I really enjoy about the steak is that it is served with curated purple salt. The pork tenderloin is served with polenta, making for a comforting meal. From the dessert choices, I am a big fan of the Sky High Citrus Meringue Pie. The meringue on top is like a cloud and I love it. The crème brulee is another solid choice.
My top picks: Goat Cheese Raviolo, Pork Tenderloin and Polenta Amarena, Sky High Citrus Meringue Pie.
Highball & Harvest ($60)
Highball & Harvest is a farm to table restaurant located inside The Ritz Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. They serve Southern inspired cuisine with locally sourced ingredients, including some herbs and plants grown at their onsite farm, Whisper Creek. I find it impressive for any restaurant to be able to do this, as it is a huge Earth-friendly initative.
Some of my favorite dishes at Highball & Harvest are on their Magical Dining menu, like The Southern Spread and the H&H Baby Donuts. The Southern Spread has a phenomenal pimento cheese spread served with crab dip and country toast. Their Brussels sprouts were addicting with a kimchi sauce that lent to their sweetness, a unique take on brussels for me.
Discover: Amenity-Packed Orlando Resorts
For my main course, I had the shrimp and grits made with Cape Canaveral shrimp and crawfish. After living in Savannah for a few years, I have become quite the shrimp and grits snob, but I can confidently say this shrimp and grits can rival some of the best in the low country. I also trued the 12-ounce skirt steak. It was tender and cooked perfectly to the desired temperature.
For dessert, you cannot miss the bag of donuts, which comes with a tube of Nutella for fresh stuffing. The Madagascar Vanilla Creme Brulee is beautiful and topped with Macarons, so you really get two desserts in one. Highball and Harvest also validates your parking for the perfect finishing touch.
My top picks: The Southern Spread, Shrimp and Grits, H&H Baby Donuts.
Sushi Saint ($40)
Sushi Saint is a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant from Chef Michael Collantes, who also operates One-MICHELIN-Star Soseki Modern Omakase. Sushi Saint is the first hand roll bar experience in Central Florida, and they use only the finest quality sushi. They have a 12-seat bar for enjoying hand rolls and a larger dining space for curated small bites and sashimi experiences. They also have a big screen and projector showing different Japanese works. Ponyo was playing while I was there and I thought it was awesome.
From their Magical Dining appetizers, the Sichuan cucumbers have an incredible honey chili garlic glaze with a secret recipe. This is the one dish the chef does not allow leftovers of to protect the recipe. I also found the Japanese Elote to be such a unique take on elote. The lime is coated with togarashi that blends when it is squeezed onto the corn. For your main course, you will choose three different temakis (handrolls). My choices were the king salmon with lime miso, unagi with avocado and truffle oil, and tuna temaki. The dessert is mochi ice cream with fresh berries.
My top picks: Sichuan Cucumbers, King Salmon, Unagi, Tuna Temaki, Matcha Mochi.
Everglades Restaurant ($60)
Everglades Restaurant has been an Orlando staple for decades, and it’s also been part of Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining since it started 20 years ago. Located inside Rosen Centre Hotel, Everglades specializes in steak and seafood inspired by Florida flavors. The restaurant has large replicas of wildlife that can be found in the Everglades, a colorful mural, and a beautiful aquarium. The service at any Rosen restaurant is top notch, and Everglades is no exception.
Their Magical Dining menu has a special 20th Anniversary celebration dish, the seafood vol-au-vent. It is a stew with scallops, shrimp, and their scampi sauce. This was my favorite menu item I tried. Their scampi sauce was so flavorful, and it was loaded with seafood. Another appetizer option I enjoyed was the Alligator Bay Chowder. The puff pastry served with it made it next level and the gator was tender.
For the main courses they have a lovely selection of steak and fish. The steak was juicy and the caramelized onions on top provided a lovely sweetness. The Chilean seabass was light and perfectly salty from the olive crust atop it. Their halibut is served with a black garlic sauce that complimented the fish nicely. For dessert, they serve their tiramisu in a martini glass. If you love the coffee component of tiramisu, this is for you. The 6-layer chocolate cake was moist and rich, perfect for the chocolate lover. For something lighter, opt for the tropical cheesecake.
My top picks: Seafood Vol-au-vent, Black Angus Filet, 6-Layer Chocolate Cake.
Luca Turci Italian Restaurant ($40)
Another new restaurant to Magical Dining in 2025, Luca Turci is a small Italian spot featuring handmade pasta in Winter Park. In fact, you can often watch them make the pasta from the dough at the front of the restaurant. At night, Luca Turci is so beautiful with thousands of lights twinkling outside. It’s a super cute space from the owners of Turci Pasta in College Park.
Their Magical Dining menu is nothing short of fantastic, as I have come to expect from any Turci restaurant. For appetizers I tried the classic bruschetta, caprese salad, and upgraded for the filet carpaccio. The bruschetta was piled high with fresh tomatoes and is the perfect starter. The filet carpaccio was lovely and topped with capers and a light aioli. The tomatoes on the caprese were incredibly fresh and the burrata ball served with it is large.
For mains, I tried the mushroom tagliatelle and Turci lasagna. Oh, I could sing songs about how much I loved that lasagna. This is an upgrade but oh so worth it. The mushroom tagliatelle was amazing, and the freshness of the pasta is noticeable. For dessert, I love the tiramisu. It is served in a planter and is super cute, as well as tasty.
My top picks: Turci’s Buratta Caprese Salad, Turci’s Lasagna, Tiramisu.
AVA MediterrAegean ($60)
MICHELIN Recommended AVA MediterrAegean is located on Park Avenue in Winter Park. Known for its open air feeling and showstopping tableside preparations, you feel more like you’re near the coast than in a bustling historic district. I love the Bougainvillea all around the restaurant and the open kitchen concept. The food is consistently good, and the drinks always hit the spot. Their gin and tonic is a winner.
As for the Magical Dining menu, there are some great options. The saganaki is fun to order because they flambee it tableside. They use halloumi cheese, and it is topped with honey to give it a sweet finish. Ask for a side of pita bread with it for the best experience. Other choices include their tuna tartare, crispy zucchini, and a traditional horiatiki (Greek salad). The tuna had a bit of a melon taste to it, which I found to be unique.
For the main course, I tried the Santorini Wild Shrimp Arrabiata and the 7-ounce hanger steak. I loved the arrabiata. It is served as a rigatoni pasta and has multiple different sauces on it. Mix them all together for the best experience. The steak was flavorful and cooked to my preferred temperature. For the dessert, I of course had to get the chocolate lava cake. It was warm and moist, completely satisfying.
My top picks: Flambeed Cyprus Halloumi Cheese, Santorini Wild Shrimp Arrabbiata, Molten Chocolate Lava Cake.
Stay Connected to Orlando
You never know what we will dream up next. Connect with Visit Orlando’s Vacation Planning Services for free, personalized assistance, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Threads and YouTube for valuable offers, exclusive tips, fresh attractions and the latest events. You can also subscribe to our eNewsletter for more information from Orlando: Theme Park Capital of the World.
Have feedback about this blog? Let us know.
