Narrow down the list of restaurants participating in Orlando’s Magical Dining Month to these great date night locales.
Magical Dining Month is a special time from Aug. 25 – Oct. 1, when Orlando restaurants offer their best dishes in a three-course prix fixe menu for a set $35 price. It’s… magical.
Central Florida foodies — a subculture of which we have no shortage — will delight in completing Visit Orlando’s checklist, which reads like a bingo card of the area’s best restaurants. Parents will be happy just to get out of the house with the promise of staying within their budget. (Call up your babysitter or nanny to ensure you’ll have the stress-free night away you both need!)
With more than 100 restaurants listed, you could be standing around for hours asking each other what the other one wants for dinner. This list takes the guesswork out of Magical Dining Month and helps even the busiest of couples find the most delicious places to spend those few-and-far-between adult nights out. Take some time to enjoy our City Beautiful!
Bulla Gastrobar
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Address: 110 S. Orlando Ave., Ste. 7, Winter Park, FL 32789
Hours: Monday – Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. | Thursday & Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. | Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. | Sunday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Phone: 321-214-6120
Magical Dining Category: Spanish & Portuguese Cuisine
If you’re into tapas, this is your place. Bulla offers the most delicious small plates that pair perfectly with their stellar cocktails. My favorite is their Sangria de Cerveza, which is made with Ommegang Witte beer, St. Germain liqueur, lemon juice, and pear puree. Of course, it’s a Spanish restaurant, so their sangria and sangria blanca are both out of this world. My husband loves their patatas bravas, but unfortunately they’re not on the Magical Dining menu. Guess that means you’ll have to get some to-go — or just make another trip all together! They’re that good.
Bulla is fairly new to the Winter Park area, and it’s right across from Hillstone — another area favorite — and the new(ish) Trader Joe’s, so traffic is always busy around here. Don’t be discouraged, because this is a great place to just grab a drink and hang around the bar if table service is on a wait.
Some of Bulla’s Magical Dining offerings include Huevos Bulla (a seriously good combination of eggs, potato chips, Serrano ham, potato foam, and truffle oil) and Bombas de Cameron (shrimp stuffed potatoes with spicy brava sauce that are almost as good as the straight up patatas bravas.) The Strogonoff de Carne and Churrasco Moruno will not disappoint as entrée options. And don’t leave without trying to Flan de Coco — coconut flan with a passion fruit sorbet.
K Restaurant
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Address: 2401 Edgewater Drive Orlando, FL 32804 (College Park)
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Phone: 407-872-2332
Magical Dining Category: American Cuisine
Until our recent move, this was our favorite place to “eat local.” Chef Kevin Fonzo is a true asset to the College Park community with his foundation that helps bring gardening and cooking to classrooms to help students understand nutrition and how to make healthy meals. It’s something he brings to the table (literally) at K, where his menu changes daily depending on what is fresh and available from locally sourced farms and artisans. Most recently, Fonzo worked with Emeril Lagasse to co-found the Edible Education Experience, which is very cool and you should check it out here if you’re interested.
K is a small restaurant in what looks like could be just another College Park bungalow from the outside. It doesn’t have a ton of tables and reservations book up quickly, so don’t hesitate on this one. K’s happy hour is offered Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on their outside patio and at the K bar, and even just that is a great date night in itself.
This “farm to table” restaurant offers some truly excellent dishes on their Magical Dining menu, like ceviche, Teres Major, gnocchi, and French Toast Bread Pudding with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Everything is made fresh and is influenced by the chef’s Italian heritage.
Hamilton’s Kitchen
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Address: 300 E. New England Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789 (The Alfond Inn)
Hours:
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Brunch: Open daily, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
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Dinner: Sunday – Wednesday, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. | Thursday – Saturday, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Phone: 407-998-8090
Magical Dining Category: American Cuisine
Hamilton’s welcomes guests in to feast on their traditional Southern fare with a modern flair. They put an emphasis on local agriculture by using plenty of citrus, strawberries, corn, and gulf seafood. The open kitchen and informal dining room create a very homey feel in the upscale area of Park Avenue and Hannibal Square.
Located in the Alfond Inn, you’ll always have the option of enjoying Magical Dining as a hotel guest. Or just go for the night and enjoy the sights and sounds of Winter Park’s Park Avenue, lined with high-end retail shops, locally run small businesses, colorful foliage, and lovely architecture. If you don’t frequent this area, take a stroll to the nearby Rollins College. It’s a beautiful campus and a very romantic evening walk.
Magical Dining menu items include Compressed Watermelon Salad (pictured above), Beef Short Ribs, and Wild Mushroom Ravioli. And if you’ve ever had brunch at Hamilton’s, you’ve probably tried their irresistible Southern Bread Pudding, which includes cayenne caramel and bourbon anglaise. Well, you’re in luck, because the bread pudding is also a dessert option on their Magical Dining menu!
Boheme Restaurant
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Address: 325 S. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801 (Grand Bohemian Hotel Downtown)
Hours: Click here for hours for breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sunday Brunch, & the Lounge.
Phone: 407-581-4700
Magical Dining Category: Steak & Seafood
The Boheme is located inside the Grand Bohemian Hotel downtown. It’s the perfect date night destination if you want to be very classy at dinner but then let loose on the town, as it’s right on Orange Avenue and just steps away from most of downtown Orlando’s nightlife. You could even book a room at the hotel if you’re lucky enough to have an overnight sitter.
The AAA Four-Diamond restaurant has also been voted “Best Hotel Restaurant in Central Florida” by Orlando Magazine. Its Magical Dining choices include high-end items like Escargots de Bourgogne, Lobster Bisque, Beef Tenderloin au Poivre, and Mediterranean Baked Salmon. I haven’t had their Nutella Lava Cake yet, but it’s really calling my name.
They also host a really fun Sunday Jazz Brunch that features contemporary jazz musicians while adults eat at a set price of $49 and kids at $29 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. This is outside the Magical Dining menu and pricing, but it’s a fun option brunch option if you end up staying the night after a late, magical Saturday dinner.
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Locations:
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Convention Area: 8005 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819 | P: 407-956-3400
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Waterford Lakes: 529 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando, FL 32828 | P: 407-374-2464
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. | Sunday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Magical Dining Category: American Cuisine
Cooper’s Hawk is a great option for wine connoisseur couples. They create all their dishes with their handcrafted wines in mind. Each item on their menu also features a bin number so guests can find the perfect wine to drink with their meal. In fact, you’ll have to come back to Cooper’s Hawk once you’re done with Magical Dining so you can take full advantage of their Napa-style wine tasting room.
Although the Visit Orlando site only lists the Convention Area location, both Central Florida Cooper’s Hawks are participating in Magical Dining. Choices on their $35 prix fixe menu include Asian Ahi Tuna Sashimi, Short Rib Risotto, and Cooper’s Hawk Chocolate Cake, made with Valhrona chocolate and hazelnut ganache.
Cooper’s Hawk’s bar hours extend an hour past restaurant closing time, so you’ll have somewhere to hang out and digest your meal before braving the chaos of International Drive or the college drivers out at Waterford Lakes.
Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Address: 9101 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819 (Pointe Orlando)
Hours: Open nightly, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Phone: 407-226-1600
Magical Dining Category: Latin, S. American, Caribbean & Peruvian
Here in Florida, we have an array of hole-in-the-wall Cuban and other Latin flavor restaurants, and we all know these are the best of the best for true authenticity. Cuba Libre is a big restaurant in a big tourist area, but it does not disappoint with its level of traditional Cuban cuisine. For example, its signature mojito is the best I’ve ever had, and I used to live in Miami.
The restaurant is styled to look like 1950s Havana, and the staff I’ve been lucky enough to interact with have all been incredibly knowledgeable and have made me feel like I’m right at home, hanging out with family.
Their Magical Dining menu has a long list of appetizers to choose from — longer than most on the Magical Dining list — and includes things like pineapple guacamole and coconut crab fritters. Two of the most traditional, most delicious Cuban dishes also appear on the Magical Dining menu: ropa vieja and arroz con pollo. Try the Cuban Poke if you want something more out-of-the-Cuban-box.
Cuba Libre offers a Happy Hour menu at their bar only every evening from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. and a late-night menu on weekends starting at 11 p.m. Also on weekends, their bar is open until 2 a.m., and a resident DJ starts spinning merengue, salsa, bachata, and Latin open format music at 10 p.m. Bring your dancing shoes! Or take it a step further and break for bottle service.
STK
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Address: 1580 E. Buena Vista Drive, C-17, Orlando, FL 32830 (Disney Springs)
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. | Friday, 5 p.m. – midnight | Saturday, 5 p.m. – midnight | Sunday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. | Saturday & Sunday Brunch, 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Phone: 407-917-7440
Magical Dining Category: Steak & Seafood
STK is new to Orlando along with the Downtown Disney-to-Disney Springs changeover, and it has quickly become one of my favorite upscale restaurants. There’s always a DJ providing musical entertainment — and the last few times I’ve been there, it’s been ‘90s pop music, which I will always jam to. The atmosphere is very loungey, but it’s on Disney property, so you’ll run into the scant fanny-pack-wearing, toddler-toting family from time to time. But it’s easy to ignore and even easier to devour the entire tray of house-made honey rolls STK provides before your meal even hits the table. These things are served in a skillet and covered in bleu cheese butter to make for the perfect salty and sweet precursor to a decadent meal.
They also offer a drink called the Orlando Pride — which is gin, lemon juice, muddled raspberries, and egg whites. I enjoyed my first few sips, but the egg whites aren’t really my go-to cocktail ingredient. But I’m a sucker for anything Orlando-themed, plus anytime someone orders one, the proceeds help support the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting.
STK’s Magical Dining menu includes an appetizer my husband and I both loved — their shaved Brussels sprouts, with dried cranberries, pickled onions, and red wine dressing. They also have great, standard options for entrées — filet mignon, sea scallops, and pasta with duck confit. Their Orange Dream Cheesecake is a dessert choice, so good luck trying to decide between that and the Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream!
The Kitchen
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Address: 5800 Universal Blvd., Orlando, FL 32819 (Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando)
Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Phone: 407-503-2000
Magical Dining Category: American Cuisine
The Kitchen is located inside the Hard Rock Hotel, which is on Universal Orlando property. If you’re staying at the Hard Rock or just visiting, you’re within walking distance of Universal CityWalk, which is a great date night destination on its own.
The Kitchen is a casual dining experience but a unique one because it offers visiting rock stars and celebrities the chance to cook up their favorite dishes and perform cooking demonstrations at their Chef’s Table. You’ll want to call ahead to see if anyone notable will be in the kitchen on the day you’d like to go. And after you’re done eating, you could get a room at the Hard Rock or just catch a movie and head back home.
Magical Dining menu offerings include Grilled Teriyaki Beef Tenderloin Skewers, Grilled Adobo Pork Chop, Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf, Apple Pie Cheesecake, and the Elvis Popsicle — made with peanut butter ice cream and chocolate banana cake, the King’s favorite combo.
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Address: 7488 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32819 (Restaurant Row)
Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 4 p.m. – 11 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 4 p.m. – midnight
Phone: 407-355-3011
Magical Dining Category: Seafood
Eddie V’s boasts the “finest seafood available,” and that’s a claim I’d like to spend a date night investigating. Some of their Magical Dining seafood options include Crispy Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Parmesan Sole, and Norwegian Salmon. I always like to pair a rich dessert with the lighter seafood dishes, and their options of Butterscotch Panna Cotta and Bananas Foster Butter Cake seem just right.
Admittedly, I haven’t made my way over to this place on Restaurant Row in Dr. Phillips yet. But I’ve heard it has a very swanky bar with a “sexy” atmosphere. They have a section on their Bar Menu that lists strictly “Romantic & Indulgent” cocktails like the Sparkling Ruby (Ruby Red vodka with fresh-squeezed pink grapefruit), the Bananas Foster Martini (white rum, banana liqueur, brown sugar, and cream), and the 24-Karat Cocktail (vodka, Grand Marnier, rosé, raspberries, and peaches).
Eddie V’s offers a three-hour happy hour seven days a week, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., so make your reservations for later in the evening so you can take full advantage of the cheaper fare.
The Wave
Magical Menu | Make Reservations
Address: 4600 N. World Drive, Orlando, FL 32830 (Disney’s Contemporary Resort)
Hours:
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Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
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Lunch: 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
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Dinner: 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Phone: 407-939-3463
Magical Dining Category: American Cuisine
The Wave is a small restaurant/lounge inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Locals and annual passholders know how easy it used to be to park at the Contemporary to take the monorail to whichever park you’re visiting that day — or to just park and walk to Magic Kingdom, which is right next door. Now, you need on-site reservations to park there, and reservations at the Wave will make for the perfect date night because… fireworks!
Magic Kingdom’s fireworks are so big and bright from the Contemporary, and you’ll have the chance to step out onto the observation deck to see them after dinner or between drinks at the Wave. Check fireworks times here before you make dinner reservations. This is a great way to get in on the entertainment without paying Disney prices.
Speaking of non-Disney prices, the Wave’s $35 prix fixe menu includes things like Prince Edward Island Mussels and Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. That cake paired with one of their delicious cocktails, and then add Disney fireworks? That’s about as romantic as it gets.
