The best restaurants for outdoor dining in Orlando

Four Flamingos is a fantastic celebrity chef-driven restaurant in Orlando owned by chef Richard Blais. The restaurant is known for its fresh Florida cuisine that features incredible seafood, a lot of citrus and tropical flavors, and fantastic cocktails. One dish patrons can't get enough of is the swordfish, which is flavored with black lime, black pepper, and garlic. The fish eats more like a steak than a flaky white fish, which is nice. Guests who want to enjoy those signature Florida sunsets while dining can do so at the restaurant's screened-in porch overlooking lush green gardens.

If you’re traveling to Lake Nona, one of Orlando’s newest and fastest-growing neighborhoods, you’ll want to check out Boxi Park. The fully outdoor venue dishes up some of Orlando’s best food, all of which is served out of recycled shipping containers. There are currently six different spots to grab a bite to eat at Boxi Park, including a burger joint, a taqueria serving authentic Mexican street tacos, and an ice cream spot with delightful soft serve to round out your evening. As you eat, you can enjoy live music or watch a game of pick-up beach volleyball.

In the heart of the Mills50 District of Orlando, you’ll find Bites and Bubbles. The American restaurant is adored by locals who love the rooftop seating overlooking downtown Orlando. The menu here changes daily, so you’ll want to check the restaurant’s website before committing to ensure there’s something that sounds good to you. Or just go, you know, because these guys know what they are doing. The menu often features a variety of cheeses, sharable appetizers, and hearty entrees. Our go-to if it’s on the menu for the night is the duck fat burger, which piles swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and house sauce on top of two duck fat infused beef patties. Talk about decadence!

With two locations in Orlando, one in Winter Park and one in Winter Garden, Hunger Street Tacos has taken over the Orlando taco scene with some of the best tacos in town. Both locations offer ample outdoor seating, though the patios fill up quickly on weekends. The restaurant also makes its own tortillas for each of the flavorful tacos. If you want our recommendation, you can’t go wrong with the brisket or al pastor tacos. Don’t forget to grab a prickly pear margarita to wash it all down with.

Downtown Orlando has become a hotspot for dining in the city over the past few years and nowhere does authentic Mexican cuisine better than Reyes Mezcaleria. The beautiful restaurant boasts a lovely patio with plenty of tables for those who want to indulge in one of the more than 150 agave spirit selections. For a light lunch, consider the ceviche, which is made with sea bass, but you can also add in shrimp and perfectly cooked octopus for an additional cost. Reyes is also known for its vegetarian chile relleno, stuffed full of beans, queso, and corn before being battered and deep-fried.

The Whole Enchilada is a Winter Garden favorite for its rooftop bar overlooking the main street running through downtown Winter Garden. The fast-casual spot has a menu filled with Tex-Mex foods like enchiladas, burritos, and a take on an iconic crunch wrap. When it’s time for a drink, consider a watermelon or jalapeño margarita to wash everything down. Margaritas start at just $7, ideal for a weekend out with friends when you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

High atop the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World is Capa, a Spanish-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant. The beautiful space has floor-to-ceiling windows that allow guests to see Magic Kingdom Park from above, or guests can step outside onto the terrace to enjoy drinks and appetizers while the nightly fireworks are going off. The best part about Capa is that you don’t have to be a resort guest to dine here. Anyone in Orlando can munch on ham croquettes and patatas braves while sipping on the signature Capa Gin tonic.

Disney Springs is home to several restaurants, but none are more exciting than Raglan Road. The Irish restaurant is whipping up traditional food like perfectly cooked fish and chips, bangers and mash, and shepherd’s pie, alongside modern options like scallop and pork belly gnocchi, wild mushroom risotto, and a short rib burger. The entire menu can be ordered at the outdoor patio space, which doubles as a fun beer garden. Don’t worry about missing the lively entertainment from inside though, because the traditional Irish dancers and performers also come outside to perform regularly.

Another fun restaurant in the Lake Nona area is Canvas Restaurant and Market. The restaurant is known for its seasonal American cuisine that uses regional produce to create stunning dishes. The calamari fries are fried to a perfect crisp, while the calamari remains tender and delicious and is served with smoky red pepper aioli. Another favorite is the sweet tea brined crispy chicken sandwich served with house-made pickles and slightly spicy cayenne pepper mayo. And everything can be enjoyed with a beautiful lake-view.

In the swanky Winter Park neighborhood of Orlando, you’ll find the lakeside Hillstone Restaurant on the edge of Lake Killarney. The restaurant is known for its stunning sunset dinners with dishes like rotisserie chicken with an apricot glaze, pan-fried snapper, and a cheddar cheeseburger with all the traditional toppings. The only drawback to Hillstone is that the restaurant mainly caters to parties of two, so finding a reservation for three or four can prove challenging.

With an amazing view of its historic namesake in downtown Orlando, Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe is a delightful spot for a casual dinner or boozy brunch. Dinner features a unique blend of dishes from frog legs to a more approachable shrimp cocktail for starters, with duck confit and perfectly cooked ribeyes for entrees. Brunch at the restaurant is on Saturday and Sunday only with dishes like New England lobster rolls and omelets with your choice of add-ins. Bottomless mimosas and sangria are also available for brunch.