Zagat Releases 2013 Orlando Survey Covering Restaurants,
Nightspots, Shops And Attractions
ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Zagat
released its 2013 Orlando Survey covering 360 restaurants, 75
nightspots, 152 shops and 57 sites and attractions. The results are
based on the opinions of 5,614 local consumers and are available
today as a printed guidebook in local bookstores and for free when
using Google Search, Maps and Google+.
Dining Winners: Taking honors for best food in
Orlando is the eclectic
Cress, which won an impressive 29 rating on Zagat's
signature 30-point scale. Victoria & Albert's, where you
go when you're "trying to impress" someone, won for top service,
while Sharks Underwater Grill was rated No. 1 for decor.
This year's Best Buy is the "relaxing" Barnie's
CoffeeKitchen.
Showcasing the depth and diversity of Orlando dining are this year's Top 10
restaurants (with their Food scores):
1 Cress – Eclectic (29)
|
6 Christner's Del Frisco's – Steak
(28)
|
2 Victoria & Albert's – American
(29)
|
7 Viet Garden – Thai/Vietnamese
(28)
|
3 Nagoya Sushi – Japanese (28)
|
8 Jiko – African Fusion (28)
|
4 Chatham's Place – Continental
(28)
|
9 Texas de Brazil – Brazilian
(28)
|
5 Norman's* – New World (28)
|
10 Lee & Rick's Oyster – Seafood
(28)
|
Top-rated restaurants by cuisine:
American
(New) – Victoria & Albert's (29)
|
Japanese –
Nagoya Sushi (28)
|
American
(Trad.) – J. Alexander's (26)
|
Mexican –
Taquitos Jalisco (26)
|
BBQ – 4
Rivers Smokehouse (27)
|
Seafood –
Lee & Rick's Oyster (28)
|
Eclectic/New World – Cress (29)
|
Steakhouse
– Christner's Del Frisco's (28)
|
Italian –
Prato (27)
|
|
* Indicates a tie with restaurant above
Danielle Courtenay, Chief
Marketing Officer for Visit Orlando, stated, "We are thrilled that
Zagat has recognized Orlando as a
quality dining destination with the launch of the inaugural
Orlando City Guide. While Orlando is known for our world-class theme
parks, our dining and nightlife options have grown and matured over
the past 10 years through an influx of celebrity chefs and
homegrown talent."
Tim Zagat added, "Everyone knows
that Orlando has many great
tourist attractions, however, the strength of its dining, shopping
and lodging helps to explain why the city is consistently rated as
the top tourist destination in the United
States."
Eat and Drink: The locavore movement continues to gain
steam in Orlando as evidenced by
Winter Park newcomers Prato
and gastropub Cask & Larder, which join other top spots
like Luma on Park, the Rusty Spoon and Ravenous
Pig in their seasonal-focused approach. The Mills 50 area is
abuzz with the arrivals of two wallet-friendly dining hot spots:
Tako Cheena, dispensing tacos
with a blend of Asian and Pan-Latin flavors, and Yum-mi,
turning out Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches. Mills 50 also welcomed
BART bar, where nostalgia fans enjoy craft brews while
playing classic video games like Frogger and Pac-Man.
It's a New World: The Walt Disney World Resort dining and
drinking scene saw some notable changes, with Epcot's Bistro de
Paris currently closed for
renovations (it's due to reopen in December
2012) and the highly rated California Grill
reportedly set to undergo a revamp starting in January 2013. After a massive overhaul, Epcot
Italian Tutto Italia recently reopened with a menu designed
by celebrity chef Joachim Splichal
and a new adjacent wine cellar.
Winning Nightspots (with Atmosphere ratings) are:
1 Rising Star (28)
|
6 Bob Marley: Tribute (26)
|
2 Martha's Vineyard (28)
|
7 Red Coconut Club (26)
|
3 Wine Room (27)
|
8 Savoy Orlando (26)
|
4 California Grill (27)
|
9 B.B. King's Blues Club (26)
|
5 Latitudes (26)
|
10 Jellyrolls (26)
|
Shopping: While Orlando
is no stranger to national chains like Apple, Cartier
and Macy's, it's also home to a variety of local treasures
such as homegrown sneaker store Track Shack, souvenir
destinations The Art of Disney and Disney's Pin
Traders, and Al's Army Navy Store, where regulars stock
up on everything from fatigues to camping supplies. Standouts among
food and wine shops include Cavallari Gourmet, Sweet! By
Good Golly Miss Molly and Tim's Wine Market.
Winning Shops:
Top
Quality
|
Favorite Shops
|
Apparel & Shoes:
Chanel (29)
|
1 World of
Disney
|
Home & Garden:
Southeast Steel (27)
|
2 LEGO
Imagination
|
Gifts & Novelties:
Timothy's Gallery (28)
|
3 Art of
Disney
|
Lifestyle: Apple Store
(29)
|
4 Ron Jon
Surf Shop
|
Food & Wine:
Cavallari Gourmet (29)
|
5 Disney's
Pin Traders
|
See the Sites: Disney, Universal and
SeaWorld may be the attractions that most visitors associate
with Orlando, but there's much
more to explore, from Florida EcoSafaris in St. Cloud, where adventure-goers cruise
through the tree canopy on zip lines, to Winter Park's Charles Hosmer Morse
Museum and its grand displays of Tiffany glass, to the
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in nearby Merritt Island, where highlights include a
shuttle-launch simulation. CSI: The Experience recently
opened on International Drive, providing fans of the TV show a
chance to analyze crime scenes and solve mysteries, while nearby
Wet 'n Wild water park added the sandcastle-themed
Blastaway Beach offering an acre of tot-friendly fun.
The 2013 Orlando City Guide ($12.95) was edited by Emily Rothschild and local editors Rona Gindin and Rebecca
Kinnear. Ratings and reviews are available in guides
wherever books are sold, and for free across Google search, maps
and Google+.
About Zagat
Known as the "burgundy bible," Zagat is a trusted source for
consumer-generated survey information. With a worldwide network of
surveyors, Zagat rates and reviews restaurants, hotels, nightlife,
movies, music, golf, shopping and a range of other leisure
activities. Zagat content is integrated throughout Google,
including Maps, Search, Google+ and mobile. Guidebooks are also
available at all major retailers. In September 2011, Zagat was acquired by Google
Inc.
About Google Inc.
Google is a global technology leader focused on improving the ways
people connect with information. Google's innovations in web search
and advertising have made its website a top Internet property and
its brand one of the most recognized in the world.
Google and Zagat are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company
and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies
with which they are associated.
SOURCE Zagat