5 Best New Restaurants in Orlando, Florida to Try Today

Orlando’s restaurant scene exploded in 2025, proving the city is much more than theme parks and tourist traps.

From Spanish wine bars to Japanese beef cutlets, these five new spots showcase the diverse, sophisticated dining culture that’s taken root in the City Beautiful.

1. Sparrow – Downtown Orlando’s Spanish Soul

807 N. Orange Ave., Orlando

Step into Sparrow and you’re instantly transported to a 1970s European wine bar—complete with red velvet ropes, checkerboard tiles, and a disco ball named Rhonda. This intimate Good Salt Restaurant Group concept opened in May 2025, bringing the combined talents of Chef Wendy Lopez (Reyes Mezcaleria) and Beverage Director Lorena Castro to create something truly special.

The menu celebrates Southern European cuisine with Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French influences. Chef Lopez, drawing on her Madrid roots and experience at Tapa Toro, keeps dishes as traditional as possible—letting quality ingredients and classic techniques shine. Start with the jamón ibérico or pan con tomate with pickled boquerones (anchovies), then move to showstoppers like the sole meuniere with lemon butter and capers, or the rich arroz negro (squid ink rice).

The wine program is extensive, featuring both Old and New World selections, while Castro’s cocktail creations—like the wildly popular tomato gimlet with dry gin, strained tomato juice, and basil eau de vie—prove this isn’t just another wine bar. Don’t miss their monthly Afternoon Tea service on the last Saturday of each month, a rare offering in Orlando that feels genuinely special.

The space is just under 2,000 square feet but feels both intimate and lively—the kind of place where adults can actually hang out without the forced vibe of a nightclub. It’s cozy, sophisticated, and exactly what downtown Orlando needed.

2. Gyukatsu Rose – East End Market’s Japanese Innovation

3201 Corrine Drive, Orlando (Inside East End Market)

Domu founder Sonny Nguyen has done it again. His latest concept, Gyukatsu Rose, opened in 2025 inside East End Market and introduced Orlando to the art of Japanese fried beef cutlets. This isn’t your typical tonkatsu—gyukatsu uses premium Wagyu beef that’s seasoned, coated in breadcrumbs, and given a quick fry before being sliced rare.

Here’s where it gets interactive: each plate arrives with a mini stone grill so diners can sear their beef slices to their exact preference. It’s part theater, part customization, and completely delicious. The crispy exterior gives way to tender, buttery Wagyu that melts on your tongue—especially when paired with the accompanying sauces and sides.

Located in the beloved East End Market, Gyukatsu Rose benefits from the communal, food-hall atmosphere while offering a distinctly elevated experience. It’s perfect for adventurous eaters who want Japanese innovation beyond the usual sushi and ramen offerings. Nguyen’s track record speaks for itself, and Gyukatsu Rose proves he’s still pushing Orlando’s culinary boundaries.

3. June – Thornton Park’s Mexican Escape

700 E. Washington St., Orlando

June opened in July 2025 in the former Graffiti Junktion space, and Team Market Group has completely transformed it into a Tulum-inspired escape. Executive chefs Jason Campbell and Nick Grecco created a restaurant that feels like a mini vacation—think open-air dining concepts meets Mexico City’s cosmopolitan food scene.

The menu was initially focused on Yucatán flavors but evolved to showcase Mexico City’s incredible culinary diversity—incorporating Asian, French, and Middle Eastern techniques with traditional Mexican ingredients. The result? Dishes like yellowfin tuna crudo alongside wood-fired short rib and kobachi with tomato chili butter served with fresh tortillas.

But the real star here is the masa. June receives their tortillas fresh daily from Joseph Creech and Hunger Street Tacos, and the restaurant is proudly gluten-conscious and seed-oil-free. The aroma of fresh masa fills the space, creating that warm, welcoming feeling you get from a great Mexican kitchen. Don’t skip the equites (Mexican street corn) or the chayote salad—simple, fresh, and perfectly executed.

The wood-fired cooking adds depth and smokiness to everything, from proteins to vegetables. Combined with minimal refined sugars (they press their own sugar cane for cocktails) and thoughtful accommodations for dietary restrictions, June proves elevated Mexican cuisine can be both sophisticated and accessible.

4. Osteria Ester – Thornton Park’s Italian-American Heart

629 E. Central Blvd., Orlando

When James Beard Award finalists Jason and Sue Chin (Good Salt Restaurant Group) open a restaurant, Orlando pays attention. Osteria Ester opened in 2025 as a true neighborhood gathering place—casual, communal, and deeply personal. The restaurant is named after the grandmother of executive chef-partner Michael Cooper (from The Osprey, another Good Salt operation), giving it an instant warmth and authenticity.

This is Italian-American cooking at its finest—not trying to reinvent the wheel, but perfecting the classics we all crave. The space encourages lingering over wine and sharing plates with friends, exactly what Thornton Park needed. Cooper’s experience shines through in every dish, balancing tradition with just enough creativity to keep things interesting.

The Chins have proven repeatedly they understand what makes a restaurant not just good, but beloved by a community. Osteria Ester isn’t chasing Michelin stars or Instagram fame—it’s building the kind of loyal following that comes from consistently excellent food served with genuine hospitality in a space that feels like it’s been there forever.

5. Corner Chophouse – Winter Park’s Elevated Steakhouse

558 W. New England Ave., Winter Park

The space that once housed Dexter’s and Park Avenue Tavern got a serious upgrade when Corner Chophouse opened in 2025. This Charleston-based Indigo Road Hospitality Group concept brings high-end steakhouse tradition to Winter Park with a distinctly Florida twist.

Corner Chophouse serves Certified Angus Beef Prime cuts alongside regionally sourced seafood and shareable sides, creating a menu that honors steakhouse classics while celebrating Florida’s incredible coastal bounty. The bar program is notably martini-forward—because what’s a great steakhouse without a perfectly chilled martini?

What sets Corner Chophouse apart is its balance of refinement and approachability. The space is upscale enough for special occasions but comfortable enough that you can actually relax and enjoy your dinner. Winter Park has long been known for its dining scene, and Corner Chophouse adds a sophisticated steakhouse option that was genuinely missing from the neighborhood’s portfolio.

The Verdict

Orlando’s 2025 restaurant openings showcase a city that’s come into its own culinarily. These aren’t cookie-cutter concepts or safe bets—they’re thoughtful restaurants from talented teams who understand that great dining is about more than just food. From Sparrow’s disco ball to June’s fresh masa, Gyukatsu Rose’s stone grills to Osteria Ester’s neighborhood warmth, each spot offers something distinct and memorable.

The City Beautiful’s dining scene is no longer playing catch-up—it’s setting its own standards and doing it with style.