Here's a look at restaurants and bars suitable for entertaining clients, treating a team, or even making a private presentation outside the office.
Mitchell’s Fish Market in Winter Park Village has added a private chef’s table that holds as many as 12 guests. The restaurant has also redesigned its outdoor seating with a wraparound patio that has booths and communal tables. The lunch, dinner, private dining, and bar menus have been updated, as well.
Photo: Courtesy of Mitchell's Fish Market
Just off the busy I-Drive corridor on Restaurant Row, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood has a sleek, upscale design—starting with an elegant fountain out front and continuing inside where dark wood, contemporary light fixtures, and a mix of tables and banquettes fill the 10,000-square-foot space. For private dining and entertaining, two rooms seat 40 people, and a third room seats 18. All offer full audiovisual capabilities. For outdoor gatherings, a 1,500-square-foot lakefront patio seats 60 under a cover and holds 110 total. The menu includes fresh seafood and aged steaks, along with a wine list of more than 300 selections. The V Lounge has a large, rectangular bar surrounded by high-top tables. Live jazz music plays nightly. Eddie V's opened October 24.
Photo: Courtesy of Darden Restaurants
Yard House, a national chain of casual restaurants, opened its first Orlando location in April at I-Drive 360. The 14,000-square-foot restaurant seats nearly 400 people inside and an additional 80 on a patio for casual entertaining. The menu includes shareable snacks and appetizers, burgers, steaks, and seafood, and the chain’s signature feature: 140 beers on tap, including several from Florida breweries.
Photo: Mitra Sorrells/BizBash
The foodie-centric Epicurean Hotel opened in Tampa in December. The 137-room $35 million property has an 80-seat restaurant, a culinary classroom, a wine store, a rooftop bar, a full-service spa, and 5,200 square feet of flexible event space. Corporate groups can also book private cooking or wine tasting classes. The hotel was developed in collaboration with Bern’s Steak House, a Tampa landmark, and is the first newly constructed property in the United States to join the Autograph Collection of Marriott International.
Photo: Amy Pezzicara/Pezz Photo/Epicurean
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant is a combination winery, restaurant, and retail shop that opened its first Florida location in March in Tampa. The menu offers contemporary American dishes with bin numbers listed next to each item to guide guests in selecting a wine match. The restaurant has seating for 350 guests. There is a private room that can accommodate 88 people, or it can be divided into two rooms for entertaining smaller groups. The venue also has a Napa-style tasting room and gift store where guests can sample the company’s proprietary wines.
Photo: Ruslana Studio
Restaurant and bar Don Jefe’s Tequila Parlor opened in downtown Orlando in May 2013. The 7,000-square-foot restaurant serves modern Mexican fare and has four bars serving 100 tequilas and house-made margaritas. A semiprivate area seats 100 and has a patio. For buyouts, it holds 750 people.
Photo: TK
Church Street Tavern now occupies the former Dessert Lady space in downtown Orlando. The restaurant seats 150 inside, and a small patio includes eight four-top tables. There are two semiprivate areas, one with seating for 35 and another with seating for 50. The owners describe the restaurant as an “American tavern with a Pittsburgh theme,” so expect Steelers, Pirates, or Penguins games on the televisions. The menu includes perogies, kielbasa sliders, deli sandwiches, and entrées such as meatloaf. The interior is filled with dark wood, ornate tin ceilings, and turn-of-the-century light fixtures. It opened last August.
Photo: Courtesy of Church Street Tavern
Pharmacy is a new speakeasy-style bistro that opened in Orlando's Dellagio complex in February. The secretive space was created by the owners of the Table next door and features an unmarked entrance made to look like elevator doors. Inside is a 1,600-square-foot casual restaurant that serves seasonal, local fare and handcrafted cocktails. Pharmacy is open for dinner and late-night dining and is also available for buyout.
Photo: Pearleen Buchala
Hash House a Go Go opened its first Florida location April 16 on International Drive. The concept is “farm-fresh food with a funky, modern twist.” The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving items such as chicken potpie, crab cakes, and one-pound stuffed burgers. The restaurant seats 275 people, including in two private rooms that each seat 35.
Photo: Courtesy of Hash House a Go Go
Minus5 Ice Bar opened its first Orlando location in April at Pointe Orlando. Like the existing locations in Las Vegas and New York, everything is made of ice—the bar, tables, benches, walls, and even the drink glasses. Hand-carved sculptures depict iconic Florida images such as palm trees, penguins, space shuttles, and sea creatures. The venue provides parkas and gloves so guests can stay warm in the minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) environment. The 2,500-square-foot space holds 100 people for a private event.
Photo: Courtesy of Minus5
Stefano’s Grill, which opened in January off Sand Lake Road, is owned and operated by chef Stefano Tedeschi. The restaurant is only open for dinner and seats 75. Private groups can book it for events during the day or for a buyout during dinner. The menu includes steaks, seafood, chops, house-made sausage, and Italian classics such as penne alla vodka and chicken Parmesan. The restaurant also offers gluten-free, organic, and vegetarian options.
Photo: Chris Gillyard
