10 Kid-Friendly Magical Dining Restaurants to Try Right Now
Magical Dining ends on Sept. 30, 2024 and this week is your last chance to check out some of our favorite family-friendly options!
Everything in Orlando is magical, from the theme park amusements to seeing the twinkle of awe in our kids eyes at every over-the-top offering Orlando can serve up. Kids really have it good here! To make things even more enchanting, the great city of Orlando plays host to numerous dining-out deals, including Magical Dining. Running Friday, August 16, 2024 through Monday, September 30, 2024, get ready to wow the whole family with an affordable and stylish night out.
In Case You’re Interested:
>> Super Fun Family Restaurants
>> Cheap Family Fun
>> Orlando Hotels with Waterparks
Offering pre-fixe three course menus, Magical Dining offers locals or visitors to Orlando an opportunity to try some of the admittedly more expensive restaurants at a fraction of the cost.
In fact, this deal is offered for only $40 per person! While some upscale spots are $60 per person, our kid-friendly Magical Dining restaurants focus on the $40 per person value.
10 Magical Dining Restaurants for Kids
1. Benihana
Locations on International Drive or in Lake Buena Vista
This forever classic for family-friendly dining is in part a theatrical dinner show, offering kids a fun and mesmerizing evening of onion volcanoes and shrimp flipping over a hot hibachi grill. Magical Dining menus offer an added value with an appetizer like dumplings or edamame and ice cream for dessert.
APPETIZERS
Pork Gyoza
pan fried pork dumpling
Edamame
served warm and sprinkled with sea salt
California Roll
krab mixed, cucumber and avocado
MAIN COURSE
Entress served with: Hibachi Chicken Rice, Benihana Onion soup, Benihana Salad, Hibachi Vegetables, Hibachi Shrimp appetizer, Homemade Dipping Sauces and Japanese Hot Green Tea
Choice of:
Hibachi Chicken
chicken breast grilled with green onions and mushroom with sesame seeds
Hibachi Steak
New York strip steak and mushrooms hibachi grilled to your specification
Hibachi Shrimp
hibachi shrimp grilled to perfection
DESSERT
Green Tea Ice Cream
Japanese matcha ice cream
Chocolate Ice Cream
Vanilla Ice Cream
Rainbow Sherbet
2. Bulla Gastrobar
110 S. Orlando Avenue, #7, Winter Park, FL 32789
Hands down one of my family’s favorite restaurants for any occasion, Bulla Gastrobar serves up the most authentic Spanish tapas we have ever had in the States, and that’s coming from the wife of a Spaniard! Living in Spain part time we have our favorites – you must try the ham croquettes – and their happy hour is one of the best in Orlando.
If you visit for Magical Dining, expect the children to be welcome, despite the upmarket atmosphere. Bulla is all about creating a familial environment, after all the whole idea behind tapas style dining is sharing small plates and good company.
APPETIZERS
Creamy Mushroom Croquettes
cremini mushrooms croquettes, blue cheese, pear jelly
Margherita Flatbread
spanish tomato sauce, roma tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, oregano
Patatas Bravas
crispy potato cubes, spicy brava sauce, aioli*
Ham Croquettes
serrano ham, fig jelly
MAIN COURSE
Pollo a La Cerveza
chicken leg confit, castelvetrano olives, beer-cooked beans, golden raisins, evoo
‘Solomillo’ with Blue Cheese Sauce
pork tenderloin, shishito peppers, piquillo confit, french fries*
Salmon
baby spinach, chickpeas, lemon cream*
Truffle Carbonara
linguini, wild mushrooms, bacon, garlic cream, green peas, poached egg
DESSERT
Churros Con Chocolate
traditional fried dough, chocolate sauce, dulce de leche
Almond Cake
toasted almond slivers, goat cheese frosting; contains licor 43
Flan De Coco
coconut flan, passion fruit sorbet
3. Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ
Locations in Orlando and Flamingo Crossings
My family loves taking my daughter to get global eats. It fuels her passion for foodie travel, which we do a lot of! At nearly four years old, she not only has been out to get Korean BBQ and the similar Japanese BBQ (called yakiniku), but she’s been overseas to South Korea and Japan to try it authentically as well!
Related: World Cultures and Educational Experiences in Orlando
That said, kids all over the world are enjoying this cook-your-own-dinner style of eating, and the flavor profiles are incredible for children to explore. Even picky eaters will enjoy the interaction of cooking up raw pieces of meat at their own tabletop grill.
Have no fear, the ordering process is made very simple with the magical dining menu – choose your starter, choose your heaping plate of meat (I recommend the upgrade to kalbi short rib), and then for dessert let the kids make their own s’mores over the center-table grill. Does it get any more fun than that?!
4. Seasons 52
Locations at Sand Lake Rd and Altamonte Springs
Believe it or not, Seasons52 is one of the masterful restaurants on the Magical Dining list that can so elegantly combine the rhythm of a chain restaurant with the feeling of old world opulence. Kids can enjoy the flatbread starter that comes with the magical dining menu, or mac & cheese is always an option to add on to Dad’s wood grilled filet mignon.
My kid undoubtedly shares my heaping plate of risotto and seven (!!) giant scallops before we all dive into their adorable ‘mini indulgences’ desserts. The open atmosphere allows an intimate dinner to be enjoyed in a lively way, so fidgety kiddos won’t be all that disruptive compared to other fine dining restaurants.
APPETIZERS (Two courses)
FIRST COURSE
Select one (1) flatbread to share per two (2) guests.
SECOND COURSE
Choice of one (1) soup OR one (1) salad.
Roasted Tomato Flatbread
mozzarella, parmesan, basil
All-Natural Pepperoni Flatbread
roasted tomato, mozzarella, parmesan, basil
Seasonal Soup
choice of seasonal soup
Field Greens
organic greens, toybox tomatoes, almond granola, white balsamic vinaigrette
Caesar Salad
Parmesan croutons
MAIN COURSE
Wood Grilled Filet Mignon 6oz
roasted shiitake mushrooms, asparagus, yukon mash, red wine sauce
Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon
Norwegian salmon, French green beans, marble potatoes, dill mustard sauce
Caramelized Grilled Sea Scallops
roasted asparagus, mascarpone risotto
DESSERT
Choice of Seasons 52 Mini Indulgence:
Key Lime Pie
graham cracker, toasted meringue
Pecan Pie
vanilla bean mousse, whipped cream, candied pecan
Belgian Chocolate Smore’s
chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, white chocolate chips, chocolate dipped graham cracker, toasted marshmallow
Turtle Cheesecake
graham cracker, caramel sauce, chocolate
Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cannoli
mascarpone, ricotta, raspberry puree, chocolate chips, cinnamon dusted cannoli shell
5. Sharks Underwater Grill
Located inside Seaworld
What? A Magical Dining Option inside a theme park?! Guess what, you don’t need park admission to visit for Magical Dining if you have a reservation, and even better? You get to stay in the park until park closure after you have finished with your meal.
If that weren’t enough to make you book your reservation, the restaurant is literally overlooking their shark enclosure tank. Imagine reef sharks, hammerheads, and more just casually swimming past your table as you dine on honestly, some really delicious seafood.
This restaurant is always a favorite when my family visits SeaWorld, and it may become yours too. Stay in the park to enjoy the many aquariums, thrill rides, and even Sesame Street Land.
APPETIZERS
Grilled Lamb Chops
roasted potatoes, rosemary, Greek tzatziki sauce
Cold Water Lobster Bisque
poached lobster, sherry cream
Coconut Chicken Tenders
spicy Florida citrus marmalade
MAIN COURSE
Filet Mignon
8oz grilled beef, cabernet demi sauce, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables
Claxton Family Farms Chicken
rosemary roasted chicken breast, confit potatoes, pancetta, braised greens, shiitake mushrooms sauce
Miso Roasted Atlantic Salmon
miso ginger glaze, furikake, nori, daikon, jasmine rice
DESSERT
Chocolate Cake Confusion
brownie and chocolate cake filled with fudge and enrobed in chocolate ganache; garnished with pieces of brownie and white chocolate chips
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
white chocolate raspberry cheesecake
Cannoli Cake
four layers of yellow cake filled with orange cream cream cheese and chocolate chips; iced with cream cheese and garnished with a filled cannoli
6. The Taproom at Dubsdread
549 West Par Street, Orlando, FL 32804
This local standby has long been an institution for College Park weddings, work banquets, golf luncheons and happy hours for the locals. For Magical Dining, their approachable and delicious menu of offerings is quite the value.
Enjoy their blue cheese chips to start and their classic prime rib in an elegant but casual atmosphere befitting of a golf club tap room. Kids are always welcome, and veranda seating is a great way to enjoy the ambiance without having to worry about children’s noise levels. The always family-oriented restaurant is a great pick for all.
APPETIZERS
Meatballs Marinara
house made, smothered in mozzarella with toast points
Tap Room Bleu Cheese Chips
home style chips topped with bleu cheese fondue, balsamic glaze and scallions
Buffalo Shrimp
lightly breaded, celery and bleu cheese dressing
MAIN COURSE
10oz Queen Cut Herb Encrusted Prime Rib
with au jus, creamy horseradish and mashed potatoes
Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna Mignon
sesame or peppercorn encrusted with yellow rice
Bone In Lollipop Center Cut Pork Chop 10oz
served with mashed potatoes
Tequila Citrus Chicken
marinated thighs, monterey jack, black beans, yellow rice, fresh cilantro
DESSERT
Brownie Sundae
Ghirardelli brownie, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a cherry
Key Lime Pie
graham cracker crust topped with whipped cream
Cheesecake
topped with strawberry purée
7. Mama Della’s
Loews Portofino Bay, Universal Resort
Mama Della’s is an adorable Italian restaurant tucked away in the harbor of the Portofino Bay hotel at Universal. With white linens and the occasional roving opera singer or accordion player, family style plates fill hungry bellies with lasagna, calamari and other familiar favorites.
Although you can park directly at the hotel, I recommend parking at the CityWalk lot and strolling through to the smooth boat ride, which connects CityWalk to the hotel pier.
After dinner, pretend you’re in Italy and walk the riverfront sidewalk back toward your car, enjoying a touch of romance while the little ones run wild after having their gelato for dessert.
APPETIZERS
Calamari Fritti
crispy capers, marinara
Classico Caprese
fresh mozzarella log, vine-ripened tomato, olive oil, balsamic glaze, fresh basil
Pasta e Fagioli
white bean soup, ditalini pasta, pancetta base, spinach
MAIN COURSE
Lasagna
mama’s famous recipe – braised beef, bechamel and marinara sauces
Pollo alla Parmigiano
breaded chicken, fresh mozzarella, spaghetti
Loup de Mer
pan-seared branzino, eggplant caponata, brussels sprouts, creamer potato, fresh puttanesca
DESSERT
Mama’s Classic Gelato
vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, dulce de leche
Mama’s Selection of Sorbetto
lemon, coconut, raspberry
Chocolate Dipped Cannoli
ricotta chocolate chip filling
8. Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen + Bar
1234 North Orange Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789
This dimly lit but lively fish camp restaurant combines Winter Park class with Florida swamp charms. Its creative menu includes everything from fried seafood to oysters, catch of the day and more, and they have a wonderful happy hour.
Kids get treated like royalty and get wikki stix to play with, in addition to coloring pages and oodles of attention and love from their wonderful wait staff. A meal here is comfortable and family-friendly, not to mention delicious!
APPETIZERS
Seafood Fritters
four savory puppies, stuffed with lobster, shrimp, scallops, clams, grouper, onions, corn, poblanos, with a zesty tartar sauce
Spinach & Artichoke Dip
served with seasoned flat breads
Deviled Eggs BLT
cornmeal-fried oysters on deliciously dressed deviled egg halves, on tomato bacon jam, topped with micro arugula
House Ceviche
red grouper marinated in lemon, lime & orange juice, serrano peppers & red onions, tossed with cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, served with fried wontons
MAIN COURSE
Broiled Seafood Platter
fresh atlantic cod, Florida shrimp, scallops, topped with light panko breading and garlic butter, parsley new potatoes, smothered tomatoes & okra.
Grilled Red Rainbow Trout
butterflied & filleted, cooked on a char grill, served with fresh vegetables & new potatoes sautéed in herb-infused olive oil
Pecan & Red Pepper Crusted Redfish Escabeche
a fusion of southern & caribbean flavors, served on creamy cheese grits, topped with a medley of marinated onions & peppers
Burrata Bowl
fresh mozzarella ball stuffed with stracciatella and cream, spring mix lettuce, vine-ripened seasonal berries, campari tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, house-made sherry vinegar glaze
DESSERT
Mike’s Famous Carrot Cake
house-baked, infused with pineapple & coconut, served warm, with cream cheese frosting
Carey’s Coconut Cake
house-baked, family recipe, rich & creamy, served with love
Chocolate Brownie
served warm, with chocolate sauce
9. Taverna Opa
Located at Pointe Orlando
Belly dancers, napkin swinging, and outright boisterous fun await at Taverna Opa. Expect Greek fare and an upbeat atmosphere at this Pointe Orlando staple.
Pointe Orlando is an exciting place to walk around and there are multiple entertainment spots for kids including Monkey Joe’s one of our favorite indoor places for kids.
APPETIZERS
Falafel
chickpea croquettes, tzatziki
Saganaki
vlahotiri cheese flamed tableside with brandy
Horiatiki Traditional Greek Salad
cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, peppers, feta, olive oil, oregano *traditional greek salad does not contain lettuce
MAIN COURSE
Lamb Chops
36-hour marinated with garlic & herbs, lemon potatoes, yiayia’s vegetables
Filet Mignon
10oz black angus filet medallions, lemon potatoes, vegetables
Lavraki Bronzino
lemon, olive oil, wild greens, spinach rice
DESSERT
Baklava
phyllo, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, honey
Opa Ekmek
shredded phyllo, custard, whipped topping, walnuts
Loukoumades
greek style donuts, honey syrup, walnuts
10. The Nauti Lobstah
311 S Forest Ave, Apopka, FL 32703
This New England eatery had somehow missed my radar before Magical Dining, and I’m born and bred in Massachusetts. Drool worthy plates of steamed Maine lobster, chowdah served in mugs (as it should be), and fried seafood delicacies are just some of the many reasons to get your family in line over at the Nauti Lobstah immediately.
The decor musters up only the happiest nostalgic memories for those from the northeast, with basic wooden and rustic surroundings. This isn’t a place for opulence, it’s a place for claw-cracking, lemon squeezing goodness, and you ‘betcha the kiddos are welcome.
APPETIZERS
(6) Shrimp Cocktail
served with fresh homemade cocktail sauce and lemon
Bowl of New England Lobstah Bisque
with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a splash of sherry wine
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
served with hollandaise sauce drizzle
Fresh East Coast Oystahs on the Half Shell
(6) freshly shucked, raw or steamed James River Blue Point Virginia oysters with lemon, homemade cocktail sauce and saltine crackers
MAIN COURSE
Boiled Maine Lobstah
one pound boiled Maine lobster with drawn butter, lemon and choice of two sides *Upgrade to 1.5 pound fisherman’s style fresh Maine lobster, baked and stuffed with shrimp and scallops
Filet Mignon
6-oz. Filet Mignon topped with gorgonzola butter, grilled tomato, hollandaise sauce and served with choice of two sides
Connecticut Lobstah Roll
warm fresh Maine lobster piled on crisp bibb lettuce on toasted New England brioche roll, served with warm butter, homemade potato chips and choice of one side
New England Lobstah Roll
chilled fresh Maine lobster tossed in herbed mayonnaise with chopped celery, piled on crisp bibb lettuce on toasted New England brioche roll, served with homemade crispy potato chips and choice of one side
Ritz Cracker Crusted Cod
cod fillet topped with buttery ritz crackers seasoned with fresh butter and white wine (can be prepared gluten free upon request), served with choice of two sides
DESSERT
Homemade Key Lime Pie Jar
“deconstructed” and served in a mason jar with raspberry sauce, homemade whipped cream and graham crackers
Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Jar
“deconstructed” and served in a mason jar, topped with peanuts, chocolate sauce, homemade whipped cream and peanut butter cookies
Strawberry Mousse
topped with strawberry compote and biscoff cookies
More kid-friendly restaurants with Magical Dining:
- The Monroe at Creative Village on the edge of Downtown Orlando has a delightful atmosphere, and a park across the street
- Jaleo: located at Disney Springs, this upmarket and social tapas restaurant is a great pick for variety. Kids will love the small portions!
- Bosphorus Turkish Cuisine: This delicious upscale restaurant is full of flavorful treasures. Kids will get a kick out of their lavash bread, a massive puff of air-filled pita.
- Shogun Japanese Steakhouse: A more subdued version of Benihana, with an excellent first course sushi option.
Spoil the littles with amazing foodie dishes including scallops, salmon, and more. Let the little princesses and princes get dolled up. With interactive dining options, scrumptious and unique plates, and even entertainment on offer, there’s something for everyone at these family friendly choices of Magical Dining Restaurants.
