I’m a lover of brunch. It’s the epitome of chilling. Lazily eating succulent foods for breakfast, and drinking cocktails. Delish.

I googled “best brunch in Orlando” on my anniversary last month—for kicks—and decided to try all the top picks. Most I’d been to already. Some suggestions were so misleading! Don’t waste time tragically eating at a lame place.

Best Orlando Brunch Restaurants:

#1 Briarpatch

Best Orlando Brunch Restaurant – Winter Park, FL

I’m just a big fan. They consistently serve delicious food. I take friends from out of town here, and it’s always impressive. French toast, lemon creme pancakes…yum. Their coffee is good. The creative pesto and brie cheese omelette is amazing. They have delicious pancakes. They have the best ambiance—directly looking at Park Ave on the street. It’s just an overall pleasant, and relaxed experience. You can take kids there and not have to dress up. It’s not a gross crowded waiting room experience. (Sit on a park bench nearby and read the news on your ipad instead.)

It’s also got a Southern menu, which is nice, since you feel like they’re influenced by local culture.

Pros: Consistently Great
Cons: Not super swank (if you want super swanky)
Tips: Ask for outside seating. Their deserts are also killer…so you can come back in the evening for cake & coffee

Hours: Monday – Saturday 7:00am – 5:00pm & Sunday 8:00am – 5:00pm

#2 Cask & Larder
Winter Park – Delicious Brunch Restaurant near Orlando

The best brunch winner! The food is fantastic.

Stick with the chicken & waffles!!! Whenever I try rabbit here, or something else, I ALWAYS see the guy next to me order the chicken & waffles and feel the pangs of regret.

Cask & Larder is a posh, locally owned, pricy experience. The food is carefully created by the chefs, and it’s really a pleasure to sink your teeth into a biscuit out of their oven. OH MY, MOUTH WATERING.

Their drinks are phenomenal. And you really only need one, because they pack a punch and are perfectly mixed. They have beautiful combinations of Fernet Branca and Campari and other beautiful liquors. The bartenders are not intimidated if you ask for “some drink I had last year in New Orleans that tasted kinda like…” They thoughtfully listen and try to help find you the perfect think.

Sure, you’ll drop like $60 for 2 people here, but it will be an experience you’ll remember, savor, and just enjoy.

When they give you coffee, they bring you your own POT of this delicious coffee. It’s just so yummy.

Pros: Food & Cocktails Rock
Cons: Not cheap. (You get what you pay for.) Some of the “creative” game meat dishes can be a bit exotic for some people.
Tips: DO order cocktails, and biscuits, and coffee … and everything.

Hours: Sunday Brunch 10:30-3:00
***ONLY SUNDAY for BRUNCH***

#3  First Watch
Maitland, Longwood, Orlando,

This non-glitzy place is just delicious & a solid pick. You never go and feel like “WHY DID I COME HERE?!” Sure, I wish they served cocktails. Sure, I wish they had the potatoes that Keke’s has (read on), but overall, it’s a nice place. Not big on local flare or uniqueness, but locals love it.

They have great coffee while you wait—offered generously. (No real half-&-half.) They have carrot cake pancakes that are awesome. They have a great Greek omelette. The specials are interesting. It’s not “fancy” per-se. But it’s enjoyable.

I took a group on 20 people here after we ran a half-marathon (in our workout clothes), and they were happy to have us. It’s that kind of place. It’s a chain, and they over-charge for juice, but it’s a nice experience overall.

Brunch at First Watch — Delicious!

Pros: A delicious, non-fancy pick, modest prices
Cons: No cocktails
Tips: Try specials, they’re often really good

Hours: 7am – 2:30pm

#4 Keke’s Breakfast Cafe
Winter Park, Winter Springs, Orlando & other areas

A great choice. It’s a chain, so please excuse this going on my blog—but it’s pretty delicious. The Belgian waffles are great. The pancakes are perfect. There is a loud, busy atmosphere there; but it’s not intolerable. The wait isn’t terrible, usually 10 – 30 minutes max. They’ll give you coffee as you wait IF you request it, rather begrudgingly.

They rock it on the potatoes. They have delicious red skinned, sliced potatoes with sautéed onion.

Beware! The chicken (if you get an omelette with chicken) tastes like frozen Perdue chicken. Avoid that.

Pros: Crowd pleaser, inexpensive
Cons:  No cocktails, Midddle-America-Chain-Vibe
Tips: The Florida Waffle is really good, comes covered in local fruit.

Hours: 7am – 2pm

MID-RANGE, OK, BUT NOT FABULOUS:

#5  Beans, Bikes & Bordeaux
Audubon Park Garden District – Near Leu Gardens

This place has some yummy food, and it’s got a nice local vibe, and they use good ingredients. But it just feels like there is no room to breath. The cafe is too crowded. It’s a good place to grab a take-out breakfast; not so great for a nice brunch. If the words “seasonal vegetable soup” and “creative local salad” excite you, drop in for a lunch bite. Their coffee is nice, not off-the-charts-awesome though.

I tried to go there to study for an afternoon, and it felt like everyone’s conversations bounced off the walls on each other, and there were no private “nooks” to sit and concentrate. (I eventually went across the street to Stardust Coffee.)

My favorite time to come is actually at night, with my own group of friends, for a wine or a chat.

Pros: Cute local spot. Good ingredients.
Cons: Crowded feeling.
Tips: Try their soups.

#6 Peach Valley Cafe
Lake Mary, Orlando, Dr. Phillips

Everyone else loves this place, so I keep going. The scenery is pretty. It overlooks the bike trail and a horse farm type thing. It’s just kind of busy, and the food is okay, but it’s not what I’d call impressive. Yes, the chicken and waffles is good (slightly over cooked), and the lox & bagels is decent, but I never walk away feeling impressed. It’s not bad.

Pros: Nice view.
Cons: Food does not “wow”
Tips: Sit outside.

#7 White Wolf Cafe
Lake Ivanhoe (between Winter Park & Orlando)

I love the cool decor. I love the vintage lamps. But to get real about the food—it’s kinda pricey and not that sensational. Sorry White Wolf, I want to love you more for all the aesthetic reasons. Your beer on tap is great!

But you get ranked mid-range. I would still eat here, but I’ve been less than wow’ed. The live music at night can be quite cool!

If you want to sit amongst cool antiques, a hip crowd, a neat wrought iron fence—go for atmosphere. But keep expectations low for food. (There servers act like you’re a total burden on their existence too.) Honestly, I’ll probably go back…because I’m a sucker for ambiance.

Pros: Cool decor.
Cons: Food is kinda bland.
Tips: Ask for a sampling of latest beers. They carry interesting stuff on tap. Cocktails are good.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 8AM-9PM, Sunday 8AM-3PM

#8 Park Plaza Gardens
Winter Park (on Park Ave)

The food is very mid-range & bland. Not terrible, but just not at all special. Skip this place for brunch.

DO stop by when they have a live 3-piece cello band at night and get a Sazerac  or Negroni. Or, if your idea of brunch is just a cocktail sitting on a street people watching… well you might like this place.

Pros: Good bartender. (Ambiance at NIGHT is nice.)
Cons: Food is very average… you cook better at home.
Tips: Don’t come for brunch. (Instead, ask when they have gypsie jazz bands on the schedule & come back at night.)

Hours: Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Café and Atrium hours may vary

AVOID LIST:

#9 Dexter’s
Winter Park

People who put them on a “top 10 list” are crazy. We went to Dexter’s for brunch (Winter Park location) last month, and it was awful. The cocktails are honestly better at Chili’s. They informed me they don’t have a full bar there, and I might be happier somewhere with a better variety of liquors.

I never send back food, but I was served this fish wrap (suggested by the waitress) that tasted so clearly of aluminum I was afraid I’d get metal poisoning. The next thing she brought was an eggs benedict on toast deal that was soaking wet, apparently water was on it? AVOID. My husband had a roast beef sandwich which was tolerable. (How can you mess up roast beef, melted cheese, and toasted white bread?) The coffee wasn’t good. Just a sad experience in general. (And no, the cute street scenery didn’t really make up for it.)

Pros: Cute street setting.
Cons: AWFUL FOOD.
Tips: Don’t go.