4 Best Restaurants in Orlando, Florida

Operated by a family with Boston roots, this New England–cuisine eatery has a double personality: the interior is a brass, glass, and dark-wood-paneling kind of place, while the outside patio has table seating plus the Paddy O' Bar. The food ranges from landlubber treats like baby back ribs, prime rib, and half-pound burgers (from $8) to exquisite seafood including Ipswich clams, lobster rolls, scrod, and 2-pound lobsters (all flown in from Boston), plus, on occasion, a salute to the Sunshine State with Florida stone crabs in season. Although the place has a polished demeanor, there are plenty of menu choices right out of a working-class Boston bar—meatball hoagies, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, and Buffalo-style chicken wings. For dessert there's great—what else?—Boston cream pie.

You can enjoy outdoor patio dining at this popular seafood shack in Lake Wales, which was visited in 2016 by Emeril Lagasse for his show Emeril's Florida. Fresh shrimp, blue crab, and catfish sourced from Florida fishers are all on the menu in season.

From the Berries & Bubbles martinis that start off the meal to the chocolate peanut butter dessert draped in bittersweet chocolate ganache, Ocean Prime wows. This local outpost of an upscale chain holds its own with consistently good food, if uneven service. The jumbo-lump crab cake with pickled fennel is a good way to begin, as are the white truffle caviar deviled eggs, ahi tuna tartare, and goat cheese ravioli. Follow with a simple grilled steak, sea scallops with Parmesan risotto and citrus vinaigrette, or the teriyaki salmon. Locals find the daily happy hour to be a bargain.

Don't let the 1930s-era ocean-liner interior fool you: as theme restaurants go, this place is a good one. The straightforward preparation—grilled or broiled, brushed with lemon butter—is welcome. The chefs change the menu every day based on what's fresh. Lobster bisque is a standout, as is the chilled shellfish platter and the day's fish specialties. Save room for the baked Alaska, which is flamed at the table.