I have had the pleasure of living in the Lake Nona area for 2 years now, and the longer I stay, the more I come to appreciate our little community and how happy I am living in it. It's innovative, trendy, family-friendly, artsy, and promotes healthy living and there's a plethora of things to do. Whether it's a night out at Boxi Park, a day in the sun at the water adventure park, a round of golf at one of the two championship courses (or just hitting some balls at Driveshack), the various biking and running trails, a staycation at the one of a kind Wave Hotel, or a date night at one of the many dining options in the area, Lake Nona has something for everyone.
This article though is going to focus on the aforementioned collection of great places to grab a bite. There's no shortage of these in Nona. From upscale dining, to coffee shops, to breweries and taverns, to casual quick service spots, there dining scene in Lake Nona is diverse and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
This article will look at each restaurant I've been fortunate enough to dine at in Lake Nona and rank them from worst to best. To be clear, there are no "bad" restaurants here, just some that are more "can't miss" than others. Only restaurants and chains specific to the Nona or Greater Orlando Area are eligible, no major fast-food or sit down chains. Here is my list!
#13. Piazza Italia
Again, this is in no way, shape, or form saying this place isn't good. But someone has to be last and I am going with Piazza Italia. To be fair, I have only pizza from here once, when my wife got it to-go for us when I was experiencing some neck stiffness. As I recall we got two personal pizzas, one was a pesto-based one and it escapes me what the other was. The pizzas themselves were perfectly fine, but the reality is if I want pizza in the Lake Nona area, there's another wood-fired pizza juggernaut my wife and I will go to instead.
#12. Nona Social
We tried this place once to watch an NFL playoff game and it was okay. The space itself was very tine, with the bar taking up more than half the space and then just a little hallway of tables leading to a large TV at the end. The beer selection didn't really seem to be anything out of the ordinary. The burger I ordered, which was similar to a patty melt, I actually remember being pretty good. And that's the main reason I'm keeping them out of last. But it just didn't feel like much of a sports bar and there's multiple other places in the area I'd go to first if I wanted to catch a game and drink some craft beers. #11. CFS Coffee
It's a charming little Columbian themed coffee shop located in the Eagle Creek plaza. The "CFS" stands for Coffee For the Soul, and in addition to in-house coffee they also make and sell pottery. I have only been twice, but the second time I tried the Dulce De Leche Cappuccino which was excellent! I would go back just for that coffee. My wife tried the Farmer's Coffee, which featured brown sugar and cinnamon, which was also good. We tried some food as well, which was alright. I had an omelette with some meats, cheese, onion and pepper, which was long but could have been more filling. My wife had a breakfast sandwich that was decent. I would for sure go here again for coffee, but it's also fair to say there's another local coffee shop we find ourselves at more frequently.
#10. Lime
Lime was actually pretty good, which speaks to the competition of other restaurants in this area. But essentially it's a TexMex place that's a level up from like a Chipotle or Moe's. The inside is more similar to Chipotle, however it isn't build-your-own/assembly line style. Instead it's a lot of premade options and you order at a register and then sit down and wait for the food to be brought to you (though I'm guessing there is also a build-your-own-option). They also serve alcohol and there's actually a little outside bar in the back you can sit at and order food and drinks from if desired. I think I had a burrito, as well as some chips and queso of course, and overall remember it being good.
#9. Hot Taco
This was the most recent one I tried and overall I thought it was solid. Hot Taco is owned by the same management group as Don Julio's (but is more quick-service/less sit down) and located in the same area as Nona Blue in Lake Nona Village. I decided to try 3 tacos, which came with beans & rice as well, as well as a side of chips and queso. There's a wide variety of specialty tacos you can choose from, but I decided on the Carne Asada (steak based), the Barria (beef brisket based), and a Shrimp & Pork Belly one. All were good but the Barria ended up being my favorite. I think Tin & Taco, which is not in Lake Nona but rather a chain in the Greater Orlando Area, has better selections, however the close proximity makes Hot Taco a great option without having to venture far.
#8. Boxi Park
It's not your typical restaurant, but rather an outdoor venue with a variety of food options from pizza to chicken tenders to burgers to street tacos to ice cream. There's also a massive bar in the center with specialty cocktails as well as two smaller walk up stands, one for mixed cocktails and one for Park Brewing beers. On a given night, this is the most fun spot on the list, considering it also features live entertainment and volleyball courts. However in the interest of fairness, I'm grading it on solely the food and drinks. No individual stand within the park would rank inside the top 10, but combining all of them collectively gives a good enough variety to propel them into it.#7. Haven
This would probably be even higher on the list if we ever have dinner there, but my wife and I stayed in the hotel on our wedding night and had breakfast at Haven the next morning. I remember getting some coffee and I think one or both of us had eggs benedict. The restaurant itself is very pretty, the walls are lush green plants that almost gives the place a tropical/jungle vibe and the restaurant also overlooks the pool, which has views of the Towncenter in the background. The dishes themselves are big on presentation and the staff is professional and friendly. And of course afterwards you have the flexibility to see the other things the hotel has to offer like the sculpture garden and the lobby bar. But it will always hold sentimental value as the first place my wife and I enjoyed breakfast as a married couple.
#6. Vanessa's
Now we're getting into the really good stuff. We found this spot kind of off chance because we wanted some coffee after mass one Sunday morning and discovered this place was right outside our new neighborhood. Then we kept going back, and back, and back. First and foremost it's a coffee shop and every coffee I've had there is terrific, but my personal favorite is a Cinnamon Roll Latte. One unique thing about Vanessas which I have not seen any other coffee shop offer, is that you are allowed to request Nutella on the rim and can even top it with things like Oreo crumbles. Foodwise it's great too and they are generous with their portions. They offer an entree where you get both an omelette (with an additional egg over it) and French Toast, which is perfect for those of us who like the sweet and the savory. It's become our go-to coffee shop and one that my sister requests we visit every time she is in town.#5. Canvas
Anything in the top 5 has a realistic argument to be #1, and I'm sure many Lake Nonians (I made that up just now) would put this at the very top. Canvas is a Tavistock-owned lakeside fine dining establishment located within Laureate Park. It's a solid option for both date-night and weekend brunch. There's also this cool glass house made of different colored pieces of glass just outside the entrance to the restaurant that guests often use a background for photos. Everything I have had here has been great. Food wise I know I have had the Denver steak and the Fish & Chips for dinners and the Eggs Benedict for brunch. And I can't recall the name of it but for dessert multiple times we ordered this crusted pastry with some sort of cream in the middle that they light on fire beforehand. Cocktail wise I've had the spicy margarita, old-fashioned, and espresso martini and all were great. They change their menu seasonally and also there's a little market outside the main restaurant where you can order coffee and pastries.
#4. Nona Blue
#3. Don Julio's
Everyone needs a good Mexican food & Margarita spot and Lake Nona's is Don Julios which is located in Eagle Creek plaza. While the food is good too, the staple of this place is it's fish-bowl sized margaritas, which are never shy on the tequila. I normally have a pretty high tolerance but two of these bad boys always gives me the perfect buzz. There's a wide variety of margaritas to choose from, from more traditional options, to spicy, to more unique concoctions, and there's also a plethora of tequilas you can choose for the base if you want something fancier than the house. But the food does not disappoint either. We love getting the queso as an appetizer to go with the chips and often get the churros for dessert which are accompanied with a few different dipping sauces. My go-to entre is the Burrito California, which is a massive burrito doused in queso which you can stuff with chicken, shrimp, or steak along with all the other fixings. The inside is vibrantly colored as a good Mexican restaurant should be and there's a large outdoor area with a plethora of seating as well. Depending on the day of the week and time, they sometimes bring in DJ's and pump up the music, which is impossible not to vibe to after the right amount of tequila. It's never a bad time at Don Julio's.
#2. Chroma
It took my wife and I a while to finally visit this place and we immediately regretted waiting as long as we did and fully intend to make up for lost time. Chroma is a beautiful restaurant with a chic atmosphere located in the heart of the Towncenter. Their staple is small-plate shareable menu items, which is great if you're looking for variety and not wanting to limit yourself to a single menu item or two. The menu is also globally diverse, with cuisine ranging from Asian, to Spanish, to Seafood, to American options like steaks, lamb chops, and sliders. There's an extensive and diverse cocktail selection as well, as well as wines and draft beers. The presentation of the dishes and cocktails is very aesthetically pleasing, and the quality and taste is excellent and flavorful as well. It's a bougier more upscale vibe, dress code for the staff often includes suits/button downs/nice dresses and it's common to see professionals at the bar for happy hour as well. The service has always been really good and the staff is friendly and can explain any dish on the menu in great detail. We have only been for dinner but apparently they are known for weekend brunch as well. I can't say enough good things about Chroma, probably my favorite date night option in the area.
#1. Park Pizza
Although there are more upscale options, for me personally Park Pizza reigns supreme. Firstly it's a place where you can come as you are. There's no need for me to get dressed up nice and a t shirt, basketball shorts, and flip flops are perfectly acceptable. Secondly we find ourselves there on a number of different occasions. Whether it's grabbing dinner before a night out with friends at Boxi, or an NFL Sunday, or a lunch trip after a bike ride, or a spontaneous trip to try the newest Park Brewing seasonal beers, there's always an excuse to head to Park Pizza. Then of course there's the food and drink. As the name suggests, Park Pizza is known for the wood-fired pizza's, and there's a variety of personal and/or shareable crafted ones you can choose from, as well as having the option to build your own. There's also some bar appetizer favorites like wings, dough poppers, and pretzels with beer cheese. For beverage, they brew their own beers in house (you can actually see the distillery behind the bar) and you can pick any 4 and make a flight. Some beers are offered year-round, but they also rotate fun seasonal beers depending on the time of year such as Christmassy beers in December, Irish themed ones around St. Patty's, Oktoberfest and pumpkin based ones in Fall, etc. The restaurant is in the same prime location as Chroma in the heart of the town center, and to top it all off everything is very affordably priced. I'm a simple man of simple taste, and for me being able to hit the neighborhood bar in comfy clothes and watch sports with my wife and/or good friends just feels like home, which is why Park Pizza tops my list.
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