Discover brand-new places to eat and drink the next time your organization meets in Orlando (Chocolate Piñata at Uncle Julio’s pictured).
As Cvent’s No. 1 meeting destination in the country, Orlando is the sort of destination that never stops improving — and that maxim extends to our dining and nightlife. Already home to 46 MICHELIN Guide restaurants, celebrity chefs, James Beard Award honorees and a robust farm-to-table movement, not to mention vibrant nighttime entertainment, we’ve added several notable venues over the past year with still more to come. Dig into our freshest options the next time your group meets in Orlando.
Learn more: Orlando Dining
New Dining for Meeting Groups in Orlando’s Convention District
Four Flamingos, A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen
From the titular winner of Bravo’s Top Chef: All-Stars, Four Flamingos, A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen just opened in December at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress — and it’s already a MICHELIN Guide Recommended restaurant. Watch for tropical-inspired fare with fresh flavors and local ingredients, including native fruits, crisp vegetables and straight-from-the-docks seafood.
Learn more: Four Flamingos at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
The 2,750-square-foot restaurant seats a total of 140 in its four dining rooms, with the smallest room accommodating 30 for dinner and the largest up to 48 seated. Four Flamingos offers full buyouts, semi-private dining rooms for smaller events, an open kitchen and screened wraparound porches.
Amare at Swan Reserve
The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve expansion at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort included a new Mediterranean restaurant, Amare at Swan Reserve. It joins other stellar group dining options at the Swan and Dolphin properties, which also include Todd English’s bluezoo, Shula’s Steak House, Il Mulino New York Trattoria, Kimonos and more.
Amare features a mouthwatering selection of fresh-caught seafood made with tangy citrus, olive oils, and a selection of pastas and pitas to tempt any palate. An extensive Mediterranean-based wine list offers several specialized wine flights with selections from across the region.
New Dining at Pointe Orlando
Two new restaurants are coming to Pointe Orlando, aka The Pointe, in 2022: Kavas Tacos & Tequila and JoJo’s Shake Bar. Kavas features a menu paying tribute to Mexico’s rich culinary history, including savory comfort food, fresh tableside experiences, and recipes handcrafted from the freshest ingredients.
JoJo’s serves up shakes that are a visual treat, topped with a staggering array of items like Oreo cookies, candy and more. Pointe Orlando is just a short walk from the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive, aka I-Drive, in the heart of our convention district.
New Dining at ICON Park®
Sloppy Joe’s, the legendary Key West saloon, opened at ICON Park® on I-Drive in December 2021, offering live music and island-inspired food and libations. The restaurant accommodates groups of up to 140 inside, 54 on the outdoor patio.
Starting June 2022, Brother Jimmy’s BBQ is set to serve its southern-by-way-of-New-York charm in Orlando. Look for down-home, Carolina-style barbecue, plus all the sports you can watch and some of the greatest sweet tea around. The new eateries join Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips, which marked the celebrity chef’s first Orlando restaurant venture when it debuted in 2021.
Norman’s
In 2022, James Beard Award-winning Chef Norman Van Aken will reopen the doors to his flagship Norman’s in a new location: the Dellagio Town Center on Restaurant Row near the Orange County Convention Center. A 7,500 square foot space with an additional 1,750 square feet of outdoor event space, the venue will feature a contemporary menu with some of Van Aken’s signature dishes and newest inspirations. Van Aken is known as the “founding father of New World Cuisine” — a celebration of Latin, Caribbean, Asian, American and African fusion and flavors.
New Dining for Meeting Groups in Downtown Orlando Neighborhoods, Lake Nona & Winter Park
BACÁN
Located inside the high-tech Lake Nona Wave Hotel minutes from Orlando International Airport (MCO), BACÁN is a lush restaurant influenced by the many flavors of the Americas and centered around a dramatic open theater kitchen. And like Four Flamingos, it is MICHELIN Guide Recommended.
Seafood, duck breast and short ribs are just some of the entrees paired with innovative cocktails. BACÁN is available for private group dining and offers an extensive outdoor patio for outdoor dining overlooking the stunning Lake Nona Sculpture Garden. Between fine dining and other amenities, the Lake Nona Wave Hotel is an ideal base of operation for organizations seeking to capitalize on the forward-thinking Lake Nona community’s state-of-the-art medical and tech facilities.
AVA MediterrAegean
In February 2022, AVA MediterrAegean opened in Winter Park, north of downtown Orlando. And now, it is a MICHELIN Recommended venue. This 170-restaurant specializes in authentic Greek food and ambiance, and is one of many exceptional dining options in Winter Park’s upscale Park Avenue area.
The 165-square-foot, semi-private dining room can seat up to 12. Downstairs, the 1,133-square-foot Lounge will accommodate up to 42. Groups can also gather in the 1,255-square-foot main dining room, an 809-square-foot raw bar, or the 300-square-foot bar that merges with an outdoor terrace to double the space to 600 square feet. Full or partial buyouts accommodate up to 170 seated or 280 reception style.
The Monroe
In the Creative Village section of downtown Orlando’s Parramore district, The Monroe has emerged as the area’s culinary hotspot. Belly up for barbecue salmon, their acclaimed fried chicken platter, pastrami-spiced corn dogs and more, all from a diverse menu offering.
The midcentury modern venue has over 3,000 square feet of interior space and 1,500 in the backyard patio, making it ideal for special events. Restaurant buyouts can accommodate up to 250 for buffet and cocktails or 130 seated. Additionally, the outdoor patio can accommodate 75 for cocktails or 32 seated.
The Milkhouse
Where to find The Milkhouse? In downtown Orlando’s Milk District, natch. This creative space demands decisions. How about fresh-caught mussels or meatballs at Cicchetti’s? Or an icy cold brew from Foxtail Coffee that uses only the freshest coffee from global suppliers? Or even The Ravenous Pig, an award-winning American gastropub and brewery serving unique fare such as lobster tacos and grilled octopus. After that, your attendees will need something sweet, so dish up a homemade ice cream made fresh on the premises of Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream.
Dining room buyouts are available for up to 95 guests in a seated-and-standing setting. A 1,200-square-foot patio is also available as an addition (total 154 seats). There’s even room for a live band to dance off all the calories.
The BANDBOX
New to downtown Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village Main Street district, the 500-square-foot BANDBOX Orlando is a speakeasy, gallery and boutique with non-alcoholic cocktails served indoors and out. The BANDBOX’s 300-square-foot main room and patio seat up to 10 guests at high-tops, tables and sofas, plus another six standing.
In addition to beverages, groups can order hors d’oeuvres and/or desserts through outside vendors. Reservations are a must.
The Hall on the Yard
In downtown Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village Main Street district, The Hall on the Yard offers nine eateries. Chef & I for American Fusion, Fork & Hen for Southern, and Wabi Sabi for Japanese, to name a few, but this eclectic venue also offers five curated event spaces and three premium cocktail bars, all in the same building.
Clearly, this is not your ordinary food hall. The Hall features table service so your group can chillax and taste a little something special from all the restaurants without giving up your seats. All event spaces boast their own cocktail bars, covered patios and state-of-the-art AV capabilities. Besides the Main Room, event space includes the 2,700-square-foot Miles Theater to accommodate 150 indoors and out, while the Grey Room will hold up to 30 with private bar. The Biergarten promises flexibility with 2,700 square feet of indoor/outdoor space, and the Great Lawn has 4,400 square feet of lush open green space.
Deadwords Brewing
Deadwords Brewing opened in Orlando’s Parramore district in January 2022. Groups can choose from four event spaces, or any number combined to accommodate larger groups. Buy out the entire taproom (not including two small event rooms) to accommodate 125 seated, or 338 standing in a 2,250-square-foot space. Other space options for this brewpub include the 312-square-foot Clay Lounge for up to 15 standing, and the 570-square-foot Barrel Room for up to 40 standing. An 820-square-foot covered patio is also available for up to 50 seated at benches with tables.
4Roots Farm Campus
John Rivers, founder of 4 Rivers Restaurant Group, will open the first phase of the 4Roots Farm Campus in late 2022. This 18-acre urban farm, an alliance of community stakeholders investing in a healthy thriving, sustainable, food system, is coming to Orlando’s Packing District north of downtown. This campus is intended to serve as a community crossroads where individuals and organizations work together to build solutions for a better food future. Plans also include classrooms, a community green space, farm-to-table restaurant, more than 49,000 square feet of greenhouses, and a diverse and fascinating range of growing systems focused on innovation, sustainability and education.
The 4 Rivers Restaurant Group operates numerous local outposts of its flagship eatery, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, including those in East Orlando, Kissimmee, Longwood, SoDo, Winter Garden and Winter Park, as well as The Coop and 4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck.
Ready to learn more about new dining and nightlife for meeting groups in Orlando? Submit your RFP, and subscribe to our newsletter for updates from Cvent’s No. 1 meeting destination in the country.