Orlando represented well this year at the 2024 MICHELIN Guide Florida Awards. Notably, Victoria & Albert’s finally received recognition with a MICHELIN Star award and Papa Llama, which was previously Bib Gourmand, has been elevated to MICHELIN Star after their recent menu changes at the restaurant. Camille in Baldwin Park is now the first Vietnamese-influenced restaurant with a MICHELIN star in America.
Nine restaurants joined the sought-after group of MICHELIN-Starred restaurants in Florida, as the 2024 selection of the MICHELIN Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa was announced Thursday night at the Tampa EDITION hotel.
“Since the arrival of the MICHELIN Guide to Florida in 2022, there has been significant growth in the state’s local culinary scene, proving Florida is a leading gastronomic destination for travelers near and far,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “In addition to the nine new restaurants awarded one MICHELIN Star, we are thrilled to announce Green Star restaurants in the selection for the first time, showcasing these restaurants’ commitment to a more sustainable gastronomy.”
“With 7 starred, 11 Bib Gourmand and 30 Recommended Restaurants in the 2024 MICHELIN Guide, Orlando continues to drive culinary innovation forward,” said Casandra Matej, president & CEO of Visit Orlando. “This is a true testament to the growth and vibrancy of Orlando’s culinary scene, fueled by the dedication of our talented chefs, restaurateurs and committed service staff. Together, we’ve made Orlando a vibrant hub for international cuisine, attracting food enthusiasts and enhancing the local dining experience.”
Four Michelin Starred restaurants join the growing list of Orlando’s one-starred venues, including
- Camille in Baldwin Park
- Natsu in the North Quarter District in Downtown Orlando
- Papa Llama in Curry Ford West and
- Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Soseki Modern Omakase in Winter Park; Capa Steakhouse & Bar at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort; and Kadence in the Audubon Park Garden District retained their one-star recognition.
Additional 2024 honors for Orlando include:
- Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award for Justin Levaughn of Otto’s High Dive, a Bib Gourmand,
- Michelin Service Award to Israel Perez, maître d’hôtel and sommelier of Victoria & Albert’s
- Michelin Green Star, which recognizes exceptional sustainable dining that doesn’t sacrifice flavor, to the Michelin Recommended Kaya, led by Chef Lordfer Lalicon
MICHELIN Guide inspectors added two new Orlando restaurants of the
Bib Gourmand designation for “great food at great value” bringing the total to 11. The list includes:
- NEW FOR ‘24: Sushi Saint – City District
- NEW FOR ‘24: Zaru — Mills 50
- Bombay Street Kitchen — South Orlando
- Domu — Audubon Park Garden District
- Isan Zaap — Millenia
- Norigami — Winter Garden
- Otto’s High Dive — Milk District
- Taste of Chengdu — Baldwin Park
- The Ravenous Pig — Winter Park
- The Strand Food & Drink — Mills 50
- Z Asian — Mills 50
Orlando now has 30 MICHELIN Recommended Orlando restaurants.
The list includes:
Visit Orlando will soon launch a new culinary marketing campaign in partnership with Tripadvisor to continue to elevate the destination’s growing dining scene, following the MICHELIN announcement. The initiative includes three different Epicurean Trips for Orlando, which will be promoted on Tripadvisor’s digital and social channels, targeting foodie travelers in the U.S. and Canada to incorporate Orlando’s diverse culinary offerings into their summer travel planning.
These guides will take users through a flavorful journey including the “Somebody Feed Phil” Guide to Orlando’s must-try eats based on the Orlando episode of Netflix’s popular series, “Somebody Feed Phil”, as well as MICHELIN Guide to Orlando from premium dining to casual eateries, and where to take on Orlando’s best Food Challenges for the culinary adventurer.
These efforts are part of a broader strategy to leverage high-profile media partnerships on global platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ITV, and NBC, in multiple languages, tapping into the ‘Set-Jetting’ trend, where shows and movies inspire consumer travel decisions.
Here are the new MICHELIN-Starred restaurants, with inspector notes from each (inspectors’ comments in full on the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app):
Orlando
Camille (Vietnamese cuisine)
Chef Tung Phan has taken the pop-up and given it permanence at this space just off Lake Baldwin. Seats at the counter feature the ten-course Vietnamese-French tasting menu, while booths offer an abbreviated version. Rooted in French techniques, Vietnamese flavors are given a refined twist here. The Dungeness crab curry arrives with a tartlet shell, filled with crab meat and mixed with lime, served atop the lid, which when removed, reveals a deliciously hearty curry. Salmon over king trumpet noodles in a tamarind and pineapple sauce is creative, but the best may be saved for last. The sweet potato brioche topped with a “gold” chocolate ice cream and Vietnamese coffee sauce is an elegant finale.
Natsu (Japanese cuisine)
At Natsu, there are just two seatings a night at this intimate omakase where a 10-seat counter dominates a spartan-styled room. Meals begin with four dishes from Chefs Stone and Sky, including chawanmushi and truffle kampachi, served with crispy potato straws and a yuzu truffle vinaigrette for an unexpected flavor combination that is especially memorable. The sushi is impressive and doesn’t gild the lily, as in skin-on barracuda with a dynamic char or soy-marinated salmon that finishes ever-so-sweetly. Supremely buttery toro needs no flourish and is melt-in-your-mouth tender. It all rounds out with a hand roll and ice cream.
Papa Llama (Peruvian cuisine)
Husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Maria Ruiz prepare modern Peruvian cuisine full of bright ingredients with a bit of polish, and the multicourse tasting menu is an approachable (and affordable) way to sample their sincere cooking. Nigiri kicks off the meal with a smart nod to the Peruvian tradition of Japanese fusion, delivering dialed-in flavors with confidence. Bok choy is elevated with bold, contrasting textures, while chicken thigh roulade with aji amarillo aioli is simply spectacular. For dessert, sweet potato donuts over a blueberry compote seal the deal.
Victoria & Albert’s (Contemporary cuisine)
Nestled within Disney’s crown jewel, the Grand Floridian Resort, this restaurant is by no means an easy reservation. The setting is intimate, and the pacing is that of a leisurely, three-hour waltz orchestrated by a gracious brigade of veteran servers. Chef Matthew Sowers cooks with contemporary verve and draws on influences spanning from Asia to the Nordics. Think delicate tarts set with New Zealand langoustine, striking “sandwiches” made with venison carpaccio and red cabbage, and bold sauces like cherry-cola bordelaise. Other details like water lists, an ornate coffee and tea service, and a serious wine program further impress.
MICHELIN Green Star
Kaya (Orlando; Filipino cuisine)
Initiatives: more than 90% of produce comes from Florida farms; sourcing produce and seafood from local suppliers with the intention of improving the local restaurant-farmer-community ecosystem; minimizing waste through intentional and creative utilization of byproducts.
Bib Gourmand
The MICHELIN Guide inspectors found 33 restaurants worthy of the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes great food at a great value. These are restaurants where one can have two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for about $50. There were 18 in the Miami area, 11 in the Orlando area and four in the Tampa area.
Special Awards
In addition to the Bib Gourmand and Stars awards, the Guide announced four MICHELIN Special Awards, highlighting particularly skillful professionals from the industry:
The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony is presented with the support of Capital One.
Hotels
The full restaurant selection for Miami, Orlando and Tampa will join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay in Florida and throughout the world.
Every hotel in the Guide is chosen for its extraordinary style, service, and personality — with options for all budgets — and each hotel can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for Florida features the state’s most spectacular hotels, including sustainability pioneers like the Hotel Greystone, standouts from our “Plus” collection like the Esmé and Standard hotels in Miami, restored mid-century motels like the Vagabond Hotel, cutting-edge designs like the Tampa EDITION and Lake Nona Wave Hotel, and even hotels with MICHELIN Guide restaurants, like Faena Miami Beach.
The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it’s setting a new standard for hotels. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel.
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About Visit Orlando
Visit Orlando is The Official Tourism Association® for Orlando, the most visited destination in the United States, Theme Park Capital of the World® and No. 1 meeting destination in the country. A not-for-profit trade association that brands, markets and sells the Orlando destination globally, we represent more than 1,500 member companies comprising every segment of Central Florida’s tourism community.
Visit Orlando connects consumers and business groups with all facets of Orlando’s travel community, whether for a vacation or meeting. Home to seven of the world’s top theme parks — as well as refreshing water parks, activities to connect with nature, vibrant neighborhoods, a dynamic dining scene with Michelin recognized restaurants, and a robust calendar of entertainment and sports events — Orlando is a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive community for all travelers. Find more information at VisitOrlando.com or OrlandoMeeting.com.
About Michelin North America, Inc.
Michelin, the leading mobility company, is working with tires, around tires and beyond tires to enable Motion for Life. Dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility and sustainability, Michelin designs and distributes the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its customers’ needs. Michelin provides digital services, maps and guides to help enrich travel and make them unique experiences. Bringing its expertise to new markets, the company is investing in high-technology materials, 3D printing and hydrogen, to serve a wide variety of industries—from aerospace to biotech. Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Michelin North America has approximately 23,000 employees and operates 34 production facilities in the United States and Canada. (
michelinman.com)
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