I-Drive Restaurants Offer Global Choices Within Minutes of the Convention Center

When the convention day is through, you're bound to have worked up quite an appetite. Whether you're looking for an upscale restaurant to entertain clients or simply grabbing a quick take-out order before heading back to your hotel, you'll find a world of choices on International Drive.

South International Drive/Convention Center area

For upscale dining, you may not even have to step out of your hotel. Atlantis at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld, is one of Orlando's most acclaimed restaurants, offering fresh seafood in elegant and intimate surroundings accentuated with live harp music five days a week.

Just down the street, the Peabody Orlando offers two fine-dining choices: Capriccio Grill, serving seafood, gourmet pasta dishes and prime cuts of steak from Ruprecht's of Chicago, and Dux, a local favorite because its menu changes weekly based on fresh seasonal selections. The state-of-the-art Peabody Wine Cellar, which straddles the two restaurants, was honored with an Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator and offers a wide selection of vintage and contemporary selections.

You'll dine among the stars at Jack's Place at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. Its walls are filled with signed caricatures of celebrities and dignitaries who once frequented New York's Waldorf Astoria. The drawings were created by the hotel owner's father, Jack, who worked at the Waldorf for many years. The colorful ambiance is surpassed only by the fare - aged Midwestern beef and fresh seafood.

Ming Court-The Art of Oriental Cuisine, is much more than your neighborhood Chinese takeout joint. The extensive 50-entrée dinner features dim-sum, sushi, wok and char-grilled cuisine as well as Florida seafood and lobster. The large entrées are served Chinese banquet style so everyone at the table can sample new items yet still indulge in their favorites.

Pointe Orlando

Pointe Orlando, a shopping, dining and entertainment center is currently undergoing an multi-million dollar redevelopment that will turn the Orlando landmark into a picturesque village with old-fashioned store fronts, water features, brick-paved paths and plenty of shaded outdoor seating, not to mention some exciting new retailers and restaurants.

Several new restaurants have opened in recent months including The Capital Grille, an upscale steakhouse specializing in dry aged steaks; Maggiano's Little Italy, serving up family-style Italian dishes; Tommy Bahama Tropical Café and Emporium, specializing in island-inspired cuisine; and The Grape, a wine bar offering small plate gourmet meals. Three more restaurants will make their debut in the coming months including B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill, where you can enjoy live music every night, accompanied by signature dishes like gumbo, ribs and catfish; The Oceanaire Seafood Room, where fresh seafood is flown in daily from around the world; and Taverna Opa, serving up traditional Greek fare and entertainment in a spirited environment.

Central International Drive

Everyone loves Italian food, so Olive Garden Italian Restaurant is a crowd pleaser no matter where you are. A spacious new I-Drive location offers old-world ambiance along with those famous salads, breadsticks, pastas, pizzas and chicken and seafood dishes.

Houlihan's Restaurant serves up uniquely flavored salads, panini sandwiches, burgers, pasta and chicken, seafood, beef and pork entrees. Specialties include chipotle smoked chicken enchiladas and sizzling fajitas.

After you've worked up a king-sized appetite at your meetings, the all-you-can eat seafood buffet at Boston Lobster Feast is calling your name. The incredible smorgasbord offers soups and salads, a raw bar, hot appetizers, side items, desserts, and of course, entrees including whole lobster, snow crab legs, fried shrimp, mussels, salmon, London broil and more.

Next door, Don Pablo's, a Mexican food favorite, offers the spacious feel of a Mexican marketplace, not to mention plentiful chips and salsa, great margaritas and cold beers.

For casual outdoor dining, Bahama Breeze can't be beat. The spicy, savory flavors of the islands are abundant in dishes like the West Indies Patties and Jerk Chicken Pasta. Live steel drum and reggae music make this an ideal place to kick back and relax with a cold tropical drink. Don't miss the Bananas Supreme for dessert!

Café Tu Tu Tango serves up an eclectic dining experience where tapas style entrées are shared among friends as painters, palm readers and belly dancers entertain. The walls of this "Spanish artist's loft" are filled with art for sale, offering a unique memento of your Orlando vacation.

Bergamo's Italian Restaurant not only offers service with a smile - it offers service with a song. Its fine pasta, seafood, veal and certified Angus steaks are served by singing waiters who belt out everything from Broadway show tunes to Italian folk songs.

Amigos on International Drive has been named Orlando's best Mexican restaurant by Orlando Magazine for 10 years in a row. This family-owned Tex-Mex restaurant has been an Orlando institution for nearly 20 years.

The Cricketers Arms pub serves British and American fare for lunch and dinner and features 17 beers on tap. Catch the latest soccer/ U.K. football matches live via satellite on the pub's big screen TV. Next door, The Crab House serves East Coast style seafood and combination dinners for those who can't decide on just one entrée.

North International Drive

Texas De Brazil is an authentic churrascaria, or Brazilian steakhouse, that offers a unique and delicious dining experience. Gaucho-clad carvers roam the restaurant offering seasoned grilled cuts of meat including steak, chicken, pork, veal and sausage from sword-like skewers. A 40-item salad and side-item bar offers everything from gourmet cheeses to sushi.

For a uniquely Florida experience, look no further than Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant at Festival Bay Mall at International Drive (shown left). Although new to Orlando, this down-home seafood restaurant has been a Space Coast institution and a favorite of NASA astronauts for 25 years. Rock shrimp, a tender shrimp that tastes more like lobster, is the specialty of the house and the hushpuppies can't be beat.

Salt Island Chophouse & Fish Market serves fresh seafood caught daily by its own fishmonger, as well as prime and choice aged beef cooked on a wood-fired grill. The extensive surf-and-turf menu offers something for both land lubbers and seafood enthusiasts.

From upscale to casual, from American to Asian, International Drive offers a range of options to please every appetite. For dining reservations, visit the dining reservation desk or kiosks at the Orange County Convention Center or check with your hotel concierge. If you're interested in planning a private or semi-private dinner for a group of 10 or more, let one of our friendly, professional Destination Meeting Services Managers guide you to the perfect location. Simply send us an e-mail with your dining requirements.