Alfresco Dining at Orlando’s Best Places to Eat Outside

From patio seating to waterfront dining, Orlando boasts a wide range of outdoor restaurants with varied ambiance and cuisine. Here are some great options to whet your outdoor dining appetite:

Boxi Park

877 Tavistock Lakes Boulevard

Tucked into Orlando's Lake Nona neighborhood, this sprawling outdoor venue dishes up food, drinks, and entertainment all in one fun space. Made from repurposed shipping containers, the family-friendly Boxi Park boasts walk-up window service for multiple food options (think tacos, seafood sandwiches, and fried chicken), drinks (a cocktail bar), and entertainment (sand volleyball and a stage with live performances on weekends).

A variety of seating options are sprinkled throughout Boxi Park, ranging from barstools and just-for-two tables to picnic tables and umbrella-shaded tables and chairs. Kids will enjoy the playground, and pups can run free in the adjacent Barxi Park — a fenced-in area for dogs of all sizes.

Canvas Restaurant & Market

13615 Sachs Avenue

Courtesy of Tavistock Restaurant Collection

If you crave local, seasonal produce and fresh seafood in a striking setting, head to Canvas, which offers both a marketplace and a restaurant. This popular Lake Nona eatery boasts a colorful dining backdrop called The Glass House — a sustainably made public art installation by Tom Fruin. A nearby eating area with picnic tables, flowering plants, and overhead string lights makes for a picturesque meal. A terrace with tables and chairs overlooking the water provides another atmospheric dining option.
For breakfast, you can grab a cappuccino, fresh pastry, or breakfast burrito in the market, or settle in for weekend brunch. Savor lunch and dinner options ranging from skirt steak salad and a tuna poke bowl to crispy red snapper and rigatoni Bolognese.

El Patron Restaurante Mexicano

12167 South Apopka Vineland Road

Rich in culture and buzzing with energy, this family-owned eatery serves arguably some of the best Mexican food in the area. Since 2007, El Patron has been serving traditional favorites (like enchiladas with mole sauce and sizzling fajitas) and house specialties (such as carnitas Michoacanas and pork chop al pastor). Make sure you save room for the flan with a touch of hazelnut liqueur.
While the colorful interior provides a cool respite during those hot summer months, head outside for a more intimate experience. The outdoor space feels like a cozy oasis, with plants strategically placed around the patio to shield the umbrella-topped tables.

The Grill at Grande Vista

Marriott's Grande Vista, 5925 Avenida Vista

Located at Marriott's Grande Vista golf clubhouse, The Grill at Grande Vista makes a convenient spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with scenic terrace views overlooking the practice greens. In this hidden gem, you'll find American cuisine (think beef stroganoff and Nashville hot chicken) in a casual, pub-like space. It's the perfect spot to grab a meal after a round of golf or a full day at the theme parks, or to start your evening with a thirst-quenching craft beer or freshly muddled mojito.

Pal Campo Restaurant

13605 South Apopka Vineland Road

For authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, head to Pal Campo, voted Best Puerto Rican Restaurant in Central Florida several years running in the Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards. Serving traditional Puerto Rican cuisine with a modern twist, this eatery features dishes like pollo empanadillas (chicken turnovers), alcapurria de carne (beef fritters), and vegetarian items like tostones rellenos de vegetales (plantains stuffed with vegetables).

While the interior decor gives off its own San Juan plaza vibes, outside dining provides casual picnic table seating and string lights — perfect for families. For a fun Instagram moment, you can pose outdoors by the oversized Adirondack chair painted to resemble the Puerto Rican flag.

SLATE

8323 Sand Lake Road

Courtesy of SLATE Restaurant

As one of the anchors of Orlando's Restaurant Row, SLATE delivers an upscale dining experience for a festive brunch or a special night out. With Chef Kevan Ho at the helm, SLATE spotlights seasonal ingredients and fresh seafood with menu items like crispy Brussels sprouts, blue house-seared salmon, and pistachio dessert pizza. SLATE provides an indoor/outdoor dining experience by opening the windows to let fresh breezes drift in.

Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen

JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, 4040 Central Florida Parkway

Nestled in JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, Whisper Creek Farm: The Kitchen aims to provide an authentic farm-to-fork dinner experience by growing fruits and vegetables, raising chickens, and tending apiaries whose yield is used seasonally on the menu. Serving comfort food, craft beer, and house cocktails, the restaurant spotlights dishes like short rib lettuce wraps and shrimp with sofrito rice and low-country gravy.

The patio space provides a casual dining spot just outside the main restaurant, with a fire pit for cooler nights. There's also a rustic dining setting with picnic tables near the farm — typically reserved for special events like Fall on the Farm, a family-friendly, seasonal event held on weekends through October.

Where to Stay:

When it comes to Orlando, Florida, there’s fun around every corner. And with so many options for places to stay, you’ll always be close to the adventure. 

Add a little magic to your vacation when you stay at Marriott’s Cypress Harbour, Marriott’s Royal Palms, Marriott’s Grande Vista, and Marriott’s Sabal Palms, just a short drive from the gates of Walt Disney World_® Resort. 

If you’re looking for a bit more thrill to your trip, you can stay at Marriott’s Lakeshore Reserve, Marriott’s Harbour Lake, or Marriott’s Imperial Palms, and visit the epic coasters of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. 

There’s more to Orlando than just theme parks. Vistana Signature Network^® members and Marriott Vacation Club^® Owners with Club Points^* can visit the city’s championship golf courses, museums, and natural waterways with a stay at Sheraton Vistana Resort or Sheraton Vistana Villages.