Restaurant Row

Restaurant Row - In the Heart of Dr. Phillips

You've Got to Go for the Ultimate in Dining Experiences

Restaurant Row located on Sand Lake Rd. in Dr. Phillips is an extremely exciting gathering place for residents of Southwest Orlando. Much of the tourist traffic remains near Disney and International Dr. so this area has a much more local flavor. The Dr. Phillips Marketplace, The Fountains at Bay Hill, and Plaza Venezia are the three main shopping centers that make up Restaurant Row. Restaurants of all types and flavors can be found here.

The more established and long standing restaurants are located in The Dr. Phillips Marketplace since it was the only center in the area until about a decade ago. Some of the long standing favorites here are Morton’s Steakhouse, Carreiras, and Christini’s but there’s also some new blood here which include Press 101, Pups, Einstein’s Bagel, Five Guys, and of course Starbucks. Morton’s has the best steaks in town as far as I’m concerned. Everything is a la carte so it can get expensive. Carreira’s has great pizza and pasta dishes and a more casual affair. Every Italian I’ve spoken with says the food at Christini’s is the closest you can find to the meals back home in Italy.

My favorites in The Fountains include Vines, Antonio’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Ruth Chris Steakhouse, and Moonfish. The Vines has great live jazz band playing most of the time and surprisingly the food is superb. Antonio’s is a well known Italian restaurant and Ruth Chris a fine steakhouse. I’d have to say that the Marketplace offerings of Christini’s and Morton’s definitely have this combo beat. Moe’s is great for a cheap burrito but it does seem the food is a bit on the salty side. Moonfish has great fresh seafood but can get a bit pricey.

Timpano, Samba Room, Amura, Roy’s, Bonefish, and Season’s 52 are my favorites in Plaza Venezia. Timpano is an Italian Chophouse and the best place to listen to Frank Sinatra impersonators. I love the flatbread here. Samba Room has great Cuban cuisine and on Fridays, as poetically coined by Gloria Estafan, a great place to shake your body to the rhythm of the conga until you can’t shake it any longa. The best place for some sushi and sake is Amura.

Season’s 52 is the best looking restaurant and the outdoor dining is really nice during the winter months - the lounge is one of the most comfortable I have evern been in - a tremendous place to meet, greet and mingle with others. Phil, the bartender is a staple at Seans 52 and provides the finest in service not to mention it is indeed a pleasure to interact with his personable nature.The food to me is a a fusion between California style and light eating. The ambiance is so lovely. The sashimi at Bonefish is one of the best and the apple desert at Roy’s which is a Hawaiian fusion restaurant is a great surprise.  The service at Roy's is impeccable.  I have dined there and had three to four waiters (all at once) provide me with the utmost in the dining experience.  Here you will feel like you are being treated like royalty.  The owner travels from table to table, making lively conversation, and truly this is a nice touch to making guests feel welcome.

There’s no shortage of choices here and little something for every mood and occasion.