Many of the things I ate in Japan were consumed on park benches, in loud izakayas or over market stall-adjacent trash cans.

I snacked on konbini onigiri and sipped canned highballs while flying at 200 mph on the shinkansen, but there were also places where serenity reigned, where the gentle art and hospitality of Japanese fine dining both stimulated and soothed.

Not long after my return, I walked into Natsu . And the experience was like a gentle infusion of Japan, easing the transition back to everyday life. That’s part of the reason it leads my list of 11 Central Florida restaurants worthy of a splurge.

Chef Stone Lin’s North Quarter omakase is warm and elegant but easy. At Natsu, there is art devoid of artifice. Lin’s skills after 15 years in some of New York City’s most lauded establishments are posh resume cred, but for all of his knowledge, the chef is just a regular guy who’s jazzed by fine ingredients.

And he was as surprised as everyone else when Natsu, just four months old, snagged a Michelin star at the 2024 awards ceremony.

“We tried to figure out when they came, but we couldn’t!” he says, poking fun at their failed attempts at sleuthing, noting that in the end it doesn’t matter. “All we can do is try to do everything well, every single time.”

I can vouch for my own experience, which featured otsumami in the form of silky, earthy kanpachi truffle and expertly grilled anago (conger eel, popular in Japan), fluffy and sweet before the parade of nigiri began.

Sea bream and jack. Mild, balanced kinmedai. Creamy uni. Rich negitoro, sharp with onion.

That night, there was only one other couple in the 12-seat dining room. But Lin says that business, while down some from last year, is still good. He believes Orlando can support what to some feels like a crush of high-end counters.

There are a lot more 99 percenters than one, but each has a birthday. Many are moms, dads, grads, would-be spouses…. There are occasions for celebration, worthy of a splurge.

Orlando is a beautiful city. says Lin, “and everything here is just beginning,” he opines.

Fine dining is Natsu’s thing but, says Lin, formality is not.

“We want people to be relaxed when they sit down here.”

Right now, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Natsu (777 N. Orange Ave. in Orlando, 407-286-5744; natsuomakase.com ) is doing a Summer Nigiri menu ($150) with optional beverage pairing ($65). The signature multi-course omakase ($195) is available Thursday through Saturday with optional sake pairing ($85). Prices here and below are per person and do not include taxes, gratuity or any other service fees. Consult restaurants or online booking engines for complete breakdowns.

Splurges in this city come in many shapes, sizes, flavors and options. Read on for a roundup of 10 more.

Camille

That chef Tung Phan’s French-Vietnamese restaurant won the Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards’ Best New Restaurant honor before it had an actual restaurant — it started as a pop-up — was an indicator of what its very own, and truly beautiful, Baldwin Park space was going to afford them. What’s extra nice about Camille, named for Phan’s eldest daughter, is that guests have options in the form of a traditional, nine-course chef’s counter meal ($195) or a more private and less pricey five-course dining room experience ($145). In the latter, portion sizes are increased slightly and I assure you, having experienced it , you will not leave hungry. Rather, you’ll be astonished by not only the space and grace in service but also the art and deliciousness this team serves up with ease. In fact, it earned them a Michelin Star beginning in 2024. Enhancements in the form of flowers, seasonal offerings and upgraded champagne run from $60-100.

Capa

It’s been a 17th-floor stunner and top-tier pick for posh nights out since the day it opened. Then the Michelin Guide came to town and declared it a one-star sensation known beyond the scope of Orlando locals and Four Seasons guests. It’s also the al fresco gem of this round-up, with fresh-air balcony seating options and even fireworks views, same time, same channel, every night. It’s also the list’s sole steakhouse, where Spanish-influenced cuisine (croquetas, pan con tomate, acorn-fed Jamón Ibérico, oh my!) reigns, along with prime meats from local purveyors like Creekstone to farms as far as Japan and New Zealand. Case in point, Wagyu Flight ($225), which features 5 ounces of American, 5 ounces of Australian and 3 ounces of Japanese beef to sample.

The Foreigner Restaurant

“Is there a chef’s counter experience in town that isn’t Asian?”

The question pops up on social media forums all the time, a testament to the crazy-diverse tapestry of incredible offerings we have in The City Beautiful. From locals in the know, one commonly heard reply is: “The Foreigner.” Chef Bruno Fonseca’s concept has been around as a pop-up since 2019, opening its brick-and-mortar location as the Foreigner Restaurant back in 2023 and in that time has continued to cultivate regulars who eagerly return for Fonseca’s take on global cuisine “through the eyes of a foreigner.” Often, that might mean elevated takes on dishes this native Brazilian grew up eating (and always, there’s the option of adding on goodies like caviar or foie gras). Its 11-course, $195 price hasn’t gone up in two years (meanwhile the city’s newer options have skyrocketed past) and a brand-new offering — four generous courses for $85 — allows for a newcomer test run or shorter sit for those less interested in camping out for the longer, “more luxe” experience.

Kadence

It’s Orlando’s original omakase, a multiple Restaurant of the Year pick in the Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards (by two different critics) whose edgy chef proprietors, Mark Berdin and Jennifer Bañagale (along with Michelin- and James Beard-recognized Lordfer Lalicon, who now helms Kaya ) can be credited for busting through the doors that lots of the folks on this roster could then walk through. Back in the day, a top-tier tasting here went for $145, which was unheard of in 2017. The prices here may have risen, but so have the options. Right now, you can book a bar seating for The Bar at Kadence, where an a la carte menu features dishes ranging from $45 (Kadence chirashi) to a $205 seafood tower. Beverage flights (tea, sake, champagne) range from $25 to $50. You can always add more once you get there.

Leiah

Buzz is good on this downtown newcomer, currently featuring an impressive and generous six-course tasting menu for the soft-opening price of $95 with a $58 wine pairing. Spoiler alert without too much detail: We were impressed. Vibe from server to sommelier was surprisingly casual and friendly amid posh digs and truly gorgeous plates. Some fine-dining fans may want more snobbery, I suppose. And who knows? Perhaps this team can deliver on demand. But they read my preference perfectly. I’d go back. And I will. Maybe even for an a la carte lunch that currently features some of what I enjoyed on my nighttime recon. Good on you, chef Omar Torres. See you again soon.

Ômo by Jônt

This year’s Best New Restaurant choice was a one-star pick for the Michelin Guide just a few weeks later, but chef Ryan Ratino’s resume is basically its own constellation at this point. Back in March, both his new venues, one here in Winter Park along with the Chef’s Counter at MAASS down at the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, garnered some twinkle, joining his Washington, D.C., restaurants, which have three stars between the two of them. They’ve pared down the adventure options at Ômo since getting their star, doing away with the $145 Excursion I enjoyed months ago. That leaves the Journey ($195) or the 20-preparation Jaunt (an eye-popping $375), which showcases luxe elements such as caviar, Wagyu, uni and crown melon. Similarly named beverage pairings go for $140 and $195. Either will take you from one beautifully appointed room to another, changing the mood, the music and the exquisite morsels you’ll enjoy here, a contemporary French restaurant where Japanese ingredients guide the experience.

Papa Llama

I think about Papa Llama and I think about how it’s all at once elegant and impressive and entirely approachable. I think about co-owner Maria Ruiz’s copious natural wine knowledge and the generous ways she shares it. And I remember one of the best dates I’ve ever had , enjoying time out among real, live people, as the world began to emerge from the pandemic. The set-up has changed a little here. A la carte has since become a $150 per person five-course dinner where the live fire of the open kitchen sizzles, the ingredients are largely local and the family-style service is steeped in warm, Peruvian comfort. Michelin noticed them, too, bestowing Papa Llama a star that they’ve held onto since 2024. Wines are available by the glass, bottle or pairing. Add it on when you get there. And tell them I said hi.

Sorekara

Chef William Shen and his team are not pretentious. When they’re not creating the $350, roughly 30-course experience that made them the second-ever two-Michelin-starred venue in the Sunshine State, they’re churning out $5 onigiri at a Mills Market stand named after the chef’s dog. But when you show up at their blindingly beautiful Baldwin Park venue, the multi-room, multi-dimensional journey feels, sometimes literally, like magic. A story unfolds here, on many plates, bites adventurous, whimsical, elegant and exquisite, a reimagining of Japanese cuisine that is singular. “It’s about time,” Shen said of Sorekara when it was awarded Restaurant of the Year honors in the 2025 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards . “Part of the experience we want guests to understand is that you need to cherish every moment. Because no two moments will ever be the same.”

Soseki

There’s an essence of cool at Soseki that’s rooted in the curation of its many pieces. It starts with design. The room containing this 10-seat multicourse offering just has a vibe. There’s a drawer at each seat where guests can choose their weapons in attacking everything from bite-sized otoshi to beautiful dessert — be that silverware, chopsticks or otherwise. Each plate, built of ingredients both local and far-flung, is art. The music, too, is thoughtful. Cool tracks you know, new ones you’ll want to remember, but the playlist doesn’t try too hard. At $255 per person, each dinner runs an incredible 18-24 courses, with enhancements (beverage, caviar, Wagyu, tea) that can tack on $60 to $350. How baller do you wanna be? Michelin-starred Soseki’s got you covered.

Victoria & Albert’s

There is a lot to be said for the timeless and truly elegant feel at Victoria & Albert’s, where the setting inside Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and an enforced semi-formal to formal dress code truly enhance the experience. Here, live music accompanies service so incredibly spectacular , and people from all walks — especially those who save diligently for this once-in-a-lifetime Disney splurge — can don their best to enjoy classically formal fine dining with zero concern they’d be treated any differently than folks who could dine here every night. Prices start at $295 for seven courses, $375 for 10. Wine pairings start at $155. 2024 saw the culinary team earn not only a Michelin Star, but also an Outstanding Service Award for hospitality legend Israel Perez, Victoria & Albert’s maître d’hôtel and sommelier. This one’s a classic, yet entirely contemporary — and undeniably Orlando.

Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie . Email: , For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group .