A futuristic seafood spectacle: At Salt & The Cellar, even a familiar seafood tower becomes a work of art. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez.
Welcome to the 2026 Orlando magazine Dining Awards, featuring 222 winners across 74 categories, all voted on by you, our loyal and apparently very hungry readers.
From delicious Hasselback potatoes and deconstructed sushi appetizers to French onion meatballs, tableside Korean barbecue and a cocktail made with cream cheese, this year’s winners prove there is no single way to dine well in Orlando. You sent us to elegant listening lounges, rooftop restaurants with fireworks views, neighborhood bars where everyone sort of knows your name and steakhouses where serious business gets done over red meat and orange cake. We found German schnitzel in Sanford, Szechuan whole fish in Winter Park, plant-based fried “chik” in Audubon Park and a little taste of Tokyo inside Epic Universe.
Some winners are polished. Some are gloriously messy. Some require reservations, proper attire and a credit card with plenty of available balance. Others serve exactly what you need in a paper-lined basket with a cold beer. That range is what makes Orlando’s dining scene so much fun. There is always another restaurant to try, another cocktail to order and another reason to tell yourself you will start eating healthier on Monday.
