Gator’s Dockside

***** (5 stars)

This is Orlando’s best sports bar. It has all the TVs and atmosphere you expect in a sports bar, plus excellent food and service. Gators offers “grilled” buffalo chicken wings, which are prepped the normal way (with your choice of about a dozen sauces), but are then grilled, which makes them much less fatty than most wings. They also have great burgers, monte cristo sandwiches, and — surprisingly for a sports bar — excellent salads. It’s also a very good place for large groups. We have our company birthday parties here. Highly recommended.

Gator’s Dockside
5142 Dr Phillips Blvd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 392-4669
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gators-dockside-orlando-3

Victoria & Albert’s

***** (5 stars)

Chef Scott Hunnel has created a dining experience that rivals the best restaurants in the US, possibly the world. The seven course menu provides two or three selections for each course, emphasizing fresh ingredients that work together, yet also allow you to savor each flavor and understand why it was used to create the whole.

The chef’s table in the kitchen provides an even more extensive experience.

The matching wine pairings are an excellent way to enhance the meal. Manager Israel Perez has thoughtfully selected often surprising and always delightful wines to match each course.

The dining room is lush, spacious, and romantic, and the service is both professional and friendly. There is no hint of the Disney ambiance, just the sort of perfection one expects from a five star experience.

Pricing is quite reasonable for the top notch experience you’re guaranteed. I can say “guaranteed” with some confidence, since I’ve never had less than a perfect meal in dozens of visits. Highly recommended.

Victoria & Albert’s
4401 Floridian Way
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
(407) 939-7707
http://www.yelp.com/biz/victoria-and-alberts-lake-buena-vista