By Virgin Atlantic | 05 November 2025 | 2 minute read
Despite appearances, Orlando is not exclusively preoccupied with theme parks, adventure playgrounds and Disney paraphernalia. The city also has a culinary scene to satisfy the most discerning of taste buds, with food from a vast range of countries and cultures on offer. We’ve selected some of the best places to sample global gastronomy in Orlando.
For a brunch that brings serious style to your Sunday, make your way to The Boheme at the Grand Bohemian Hotel downtown.
Dive into a feast of fresh seafood, golden Chicken & Waffles, and made-to-order omelettes — all paired with endless mimosas and smooth jazz.
And whatever you do, save room for a stop at the dessert wall. Trust us, it’s worth every bite.
Mills 50 is one of Orlando’s most exciting food neighbourhoods, so it’s worth sticking around after brunch to sample more of the area’s culinary delectations. In addition to its hipster eateries, Mills 50 is also home to one of the oldest Vietnamese communities in the United States, and a fresh and brothy bowl of pho at Pho 88 is the perfect makings of a light lunch.
A wander over to Chewy Boba Company for a rainbow-bright bubble tea to finish things off, and you will have sampled some of the best of Orlando’s global, eclectic food scene.
Over the last few years, Orlando’s food scene has been rising in the ranks, and the city is now home to an array of James Beard-recognised restaurants. Husband-and-wife team James and Julie Petrakis are two of the starriest names in the biz right now, and their Winter Park-based gastropub, The Ravenous Pig, is a true Orlando standout. The kitchen makes creative use of local ingredients, so look forward to sampling dishes the likes of Seminole pumpkin ravioli with andouille and marinated kale or duck confit with roasted Braeburn apples and mole.
If you’re feeling adventurous, free up a Saturday night during your stay and reserve your spot for the most colourful dinner in town at Wantilan Luau at Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Universal Orlando. The all-you-can-eat Polynesian feast is served up against a backdrop of live Hawaiian music, hip shaking hula dancers and daring fire dancers. Careful, though, you just might be asked to join in.
Skip across continents at Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. Sanaa’s food is appropriately described as African with Indian flare, and here you’ll be able to tuck into lamb kefta or garlic-ginger naan while admiring giraffes and gazelles roaming the ‘savanna’ just beyond the windows. For an even more memorable experience, true animal lovers can dine on a four-course feast while learning about some of the resort’s 200 creatures from one of Animal Kingdom’s specialists.
Orlando is pure family magic, a mix of wild rides, wow moments, and memories you’ll talk about all the way home. From princesses to planets, every day here is an adventure waiting to happen.
