Anyone coming to Orlando this August and September had better bring a large appetite with them. That’s our verdict after hearing this week that the annual Magical Dining programme throughout the city will feature a record 150 restaurants.
Magical Dining – which offers special prix fixe menus at a terrific range of high-quality restaurants – will run from August 16 to September 30 this year, and the prospect is absolutely mouth-watering.
If you’ve never been to Orlando at this time of year, you might wonder what all the fuss is about, especially as the locals get more excited about it than our visitors. But the simple reason is that this imaginative programme offers the chance to sample a range of dining options that might otherwise be out of range.
Now in its 19th season, Magical Dining – presented by the Visit Orlando tourist organization with sponsorship by Orlando Health – has become a benchmark of culinary adventure hereabouts, with an increasingly wide portfolio of dining delight right across the area. This year’s offering includes 25 new restaurants added to last year’s line-up, with fully nine of them recognised by the prestigious Michelin Guide.
And, as introduced in 2023, there will again be a two-tiered system of restaurant hierarchy to promote even greater tastebud temptation, with three-course prix-fixe menus for either $40 or $60 for the six-week run. The prices usually represent a significant saving on selecting a three-course a la carte meal, so, if you never imagined yourself being able to dine in Michelin-recognised style, Orlando is definitely the place to be to change that notion, and provide some truly fabulous meals at a decent price.
Even better, Magical Dining is a major source of charitable support as, each year, it selects a different nonprofit organisation that makes an impact on the local community as charity beneficiaries, with $1 for each $40 meal and $2 for each $60 meal going toward the chosen organisation.
Last year, the programme raised $269,272 for charities supporting survivors of abuse in Central Florida, including organisations addressing human trafficking. With the funds raised, The Lifeboat Project was able to hire a case manager, purchased vehicles for transportation services and began constructing a safe house. In all, Magical Dining has brought in a whopping $25million for local charities since 2009.
Just as importantly, menus are now live at the new OrlandoMagicalDining.com website, allowing us to look ahead and dream of all the delicious dishes in store. Diners can book reservations, filter by specific areas – like International Drive, downtown Orlando and Disney/Lake Buena Vista – menu tiers and even vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dietary preferences. New to the website, diners can also find arts and cultural events curated by United Arts of Central Florida for a well-rounded night out or find deals to enhance their experience with an affordable overnight stay. Additional menus and hotel deals will be added in the coming weeks.
Casandra Matej, president & CEO of Visit Orlando, explained: “With record participation for 2024, Magical Dining continues to shine a spotlight on Orlando’s vibrant and expanding culinary scene, offers diners delicious meals at even better prices and, best of all, benefits a local charity. As we celebrate our 19th season, we are pleased to welcome Orlando Health as our sponsor, and we look forward to our community coming together to support this year’s charity recipient, The Mustard Seed of Central Florida, a fantastic organisation focused on community sustainability.”
This year’s beneficiary is The Mustard Seed of Central Florida, focused on helping residents and families recover from hardships while minimizing environmental impact. In addition to providing household items for reuse, The Mustard Seed recycles unusable items to create a more sustainable community. “We are excited to be the beneficiary of Visit Orlando's Magical Dining program,” said executive director Kathy Baldwin. “These funds will help us serve more clients in need of basic furniture for stability. Thank you for supporting a sustainable future for Florida.”
Orlando Health will serve as the presenting sponsor for Magical Dining through a multi-year deal. This builds on the current health and wellness partnership with Visit Orlando, which commits to healthy travel and offers high-quality, health-related options and medical services for our visitors. It has 12 walk-in Urgent Care facilities throughout the area, as well as another 14 Emergency Care hospitals that can cater to visitors, many of which are open 24 hours.
But you’re really here for the food, right? And there is plenty of that in store from those 150 restaurant menus. As well as existing $40 favourites such as Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine (in four locations), Brio Italian Grill (at Mall of Millenia), Café Tu Tu Tango and The Hampton Social (both International Drive), and Hamilton’s Kitchen (Winter Park), we have those 25 newcomers to the programme to drool over.
And they are truly droolworthy. Among the real standouts are Norman’s of Orlando, the former feature restaurant of award-winning chef Norman Van Aken at the Ritz-Carlton hotel now in a stand-alone venue in the Dellagio complex on Sand Lake Road west (otherwise known as Restaurant Row). Norman’s is a $60 tier choice but you could easily spend $80 or more per person outside the Magical Dining season. Also new this year is Summer House on the Lake at Disney Springs, a lovely California cuisine choice that has its own in-house bakery and is full of summer flavours. Their Herbed Chicken Breast Paillard is worth coming in for on its own.
And then there’s the truly haute cuisine option of The Chef’s Table at The Edgewater Hotel in Winter Garden, another premium selection that is well worth the splurge, as it features menu delights such as Pan Seared Scallops, Pork Ribeye and Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs. Their three-course dinner is usually at least $70/person, so this is another bargain at $60 during Magical Dining (but reservations are strongly recommended).
And then there are those nine restaurants that feature in the Florida Michelin Guide. Our brunch go-to of Maxine’s on Shine is among them, as is the upscale choice of Four Flamingos: A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen at the superb Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort. You could also opt for perennial Winter Park favourite The Ravenous Pig (another steal in the $40 category) or the outstandingly stylish BACAN inside the high-tech Wave Hotel in Lake Nona.
Or just go crazy and try all nine! If you’re here for more than two weeks during the Magical Dining season, you can really go to town and ensure that your Orlando dining experience is truly, well, magical.
What are YOUR favourite restaurants in Orlando? Tell us about them on the friendly AttractionTickets.com Community Facebook page, on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.
