Disney's modern-cuisine showpiece, located on the 15th floor of the Contemporary, overlooks the Magic Kingdom and its Castle and serves elegant fare from an open kitchen. An ample selection of California wines overseen by multiple certified sommeliers, a slate of sushi and sashimi, and season-specific, produce-focused dishes (like warm Delta asparagus with hazelnut vinaigrette, golden raisins, and St. George cheese) make it a splurgy night out. The only downer is the decor, which has the geometric, primary-colors mentality of an early 1990s music video. Reserve three months ahead for the dinner seating that coincides with the nightly fireworks display—the kitchen temporarily halts service so diners can enjoy the show without interruption from outdoor observation decks.

The Thornton Park neighborhood, Orlando's pocket of upscale South Beach style, is studded with glass-fronted restaurants sporting black-clad waiters and mod furnishings, but few places give that cocktail milieu much depth. Here at Graze, up-and-coming chef Jephanie Foster helms a resto that goes beyond that slick visual formula with an ambitious menu that encourages casual socializing. Things start with shareable tasting platters organized according to geographic themes (the American Graze's beef sliders are usually first off the plate; the Asian Graze offers a stellar tuna tataki). When it comes to the main course, American meat staples receive an expert delivery (the short ribs fall apart at the slightest touch of the fork), and there are a few high-end comfort-food dishes—a carbonara-style mac and cheese, buttermilk fried chicken with a hot sauce reduction—thrown in to remind trend chasers to relax and chat a while.

Open Sundays 11 am to 4 pm, Mondays through Wednesdays 11 am to 10 pm, and Thursdays through Saturdays 11 am to 11 pm.

In a neighborhood better known for burgers than blood sausage, this French kitchen, installed in a onetime private home, has become a beloved city institution. Festooned with quirky rooster memorabilia, it is run by chef Louis Perrotte and his wife Magdalena, who have been brandishing the pans here for over 30 years. Their perennial threats to hang up their oven mitts are finally being taken seriously, so the dining rooms are packed most nights. Service may be as casual as any local joint but dinner can take up to three hours. The namesake dish—chicken stewed in white wine—is as flavorful as expected; other standbys include the duck garnished with lavender honey and breast roasted, and a range of soufflés that runs from Gruyère to chocolate.

Fine views of the central lagoon of Universal's Islands of Adventure park and surprisingly thoughtful dishes (blueberry and pistachio-crusted grilled pork, hamburgers with yellow tomatoes, a daily risotto) make this not only the best-tasting option within the park, but also one of the more modern menus offered inside an amusement park. The fantastic faux-stone dining room, sculpted to look like the inner recesses of a Greek god's grotto, gives kids a kick.

Call ahead for hours.

Chef Norman Van Aken, a hero among Florida foodies, oversees the flagship restaurant of the Grande Lakes development. The decor may be of the un-noteworthy convention-hotel type, and the clientele rigorously expense-account, but the menu is gutsy and phenomenally flavorful. Van Aken's "New World Cuisine" adds an inventive Latin and Caribbean (and sometimes Asian) twist to classic ingredients. Popular options include a Cuban-style roasted pork marinated in citrus sauce for two days, and a gently fried jumbo shrimp stuffed with yuca and habanero-infused tartar. Rounding out courses: ceviches, tapas plates, and ice creams so rich (chocolate with chilis, cinnamon) that they're served by demi-scoop.

Orlando's current must-have reservation may be accented by a few pubby touches—such as naked Edison bulbs and a ceiling of pressed metal—but it's a stretch to call it a true "gastropub," as chef-owners James and Julie Petrakis do. Still, if the decor merely evokes the spirit of English tradition, the dining amplifies and Americanizes it, offering an ever-changing roster of fine fish and meats, including grilled duck, flatiron steak-frites, and barbecued leg of lamb. Some of the sides, like house-made gnocchi, Gruyère biscuits, and truffle fries served in a pint glass, are delicious enough to have become signatures dishes, but the specialty of the house, which appears on the menu at monthly intervals (usually on the first Saturday), is suckling pig, roasted whole on the premises. Reserve ahead or miss out.

Open Tuesdays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 9:30 pm; Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 11 pm.

This burgeoning chain is a tonic for diners sick of the deep frying that dominates the area's kitchens. The gimmick is to change the New American menu weekly (hence the name) as new harvests come to market, and none of the choices have added fats or more than 475 calories. That means natural cooking methods (mesquite-grilling, stone-hearth-roasting) are favored, and side dishes are chosen to nutritionally balance the entrées, with portion controlled desserts served in oversized shot glasses. The atmosphere is as breezy as a California ranch house, although wait times can run steep.

Now that Orlando has proved to be fertile ground for celebrity chefs (Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck both have locations in the busy tourist corridor), seemingly every culinary marquee name is unpacking his utensils in O-Town. Todd English, the Boston-area impresario behind Olives, is pulling the strings at the seafood-oriented BlueZoo, located at the Michael Graves–designed Dolphin Hotel near Epcot. In addition to a selection of simple, fish-first dishes such as miso-glazed Chilean sea bass and raw-bar oysters and clams, English adds fusion touches, such as Cantonese lobster with a sticky soy glaze, plus a selection of flatbreads. The dining area, done by Jeffrey Beers, is a bit "Disney-fied"—a pleasing but intense environment of cobalt neon, twisting glass sculpture, wooden slats, and copper light fixtures.