This was a near perfect experience. When I walked in, I was greeted very kindly and allowed to sit at the bar as I waited for my friend to arrive. I was not happy because I sat at the bar for a long while before the bartender finally came over andacknowledged me. But when I did finally get my dirty martini, it wasn't dirty enough so I had her remake it. When it came back it was perfect. When we went to our table and were seated, the magic began. The server was absolutely fantastic and very kind throughout the meal. Also, the sommelier was very informative and gave great recommendations on wine. They have a Pinot Grigio on the menu I had never experienced, it was absolutely divine and a great value at only $15 per glass. They brought out a pumpkin ginger purée to cleanse the pallet at the beginning of the meal and it was something unique and I had never tasted before. Yummy ! The crab beignets were so so. The main course for me was a yellow tail snapper and it was excellent! The fish was fresh, had a large portion and was very flavorful. I also tried my friends filet mignon, and it was really tasty as well. They were participating in Magical Dining so it was a great value at only $60 for an Entrée, appetizer and dessert. The ambience is very elegant and they do have a dress code at this location. They have an extensive wine selection and full bar for specialty cocktails. Restaurant is located on restaurant row. This is Michelin star restaurant that I Highly recommend and Iwould return. read more

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Apparently this was an Orlando institution that has recently made its recent return I'd say it is a triumphant return for sure The decor is chic af and the service is done with an impeccable and gracious precision Every single impressive bite of the food is perfection, and the drinks are equally fantastic Norman's is so good that we went there twice within the span of two weeks and I can't wait to go back again and again They have a really cool bar opposite the dining room, and they have an awesome patio bar out back The only thing that was surprising to me, was the appearance of the peanut butter, dessert. My husband said it was delicious. But it looks like a bologna sandwich I Love it here and I could make this a regular spot The fixed menu is pricier, but the a la carte menu is quite reasonably priced, complete, and absolutely delicious!! read more

the food was good and service was also great. it was also great for someone who has gluten allergies. so satisfied. i left pregnant with norman's baby. read more

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Atmosphere is nice, great lighting fixtures, cool wall paper definitely has a nice upscale vibe. Service is beyond slow, and for the price tag ridiculously slow. Drinks took forever to refill a wine glass! Thursdays is ladies night with half off drinks but they don't advertise it and you have to ask- it should have been offered upon ordering. They got our order wrong not once but twice- they also took forever to bring out the correct ordered item with little to no apology. With no gesture to comp a simple dessert, just another example of bad service. I want to like this place but has more cons than pros. To be honest better options on sandlake row, I don't think I will be returning. read more

Norman's - Red snapper - Seafood Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Easily one of the most deserving 5 star Yelp ratings I've ever awarded. Everything from the beginning to the conclusion of my first experience at Norman's was seamless and it's undoubtedly become one of my favorite spots to dine when celebrating a special occasion. The interior of the restaurant is downright stunning. It's difficult to think of a more aesthetically pleasing fine dining establishment in Orlando than this one. On a Saturday evening, I was shocked it wasn't busier - but I would still make reservations on opentable just incase it was a one off. The staff at Norman's can be described in two words: First class. My fiancé and I were so impressed by how "on the ball" the restaurant was operated and every single employee we interacted with was delightful and had such a professional demeanor. I can't share enough positive feedback about our server, Pedro, who delivered a "one of a kind" dining experience, going above and beyond describing each menu item he recommended in great detail. It was without a doubt the most involved & elaborate experience I've ever had with a server at any restaurant and that takes quite a lot for me to say! The food. THE FOOD! I have dined at countless fine dining restaurants and I have to admit, I've never experienced anything quite as unique and inventive as what I tried here. I really appreciated the complimentary "amuse bouche" and the extravagant bread service was very memorable. Each dish I tasted seemed to be better than the last. The blue crab beignets were melt in your mouth delicious while the blueberry & peach salad was crisp & fresh. It was a challenge to decide which was my favorite between the two entrées we ordered because they were both 10/10. I knew that they were well known for their yellowtail snapper and after taking my first bite, it became obvious as to why - Downright delectable. My fiance's grouper was perfectly cooked & just as impressive. Despite having no room for dessert, we decided we couldn't conclude our meal without it since everything we had enjoyed up until this point was out of this world. And just as expected, the peach raspberry sherbet we selected did not disappoint. I normally prefer something chocolate-y to finish a meal but I did not miss it one bit here. All in all, I cannot rave about Norman's enough and I have to say that I am extremely perplexed by some of the negative reviews I have read because I cannot find a single critique. Yes, it's pricy - But this should be anticipated and I can say from personal experience now that it was well worth it. *If you're bringing you're own bottle of wine, the corkage fee is $30* read more

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Food cooked to perfection, service is attentive and ambiance is upscale and comfortable. I love that the layout and it's great for private parties as well. The new and improved patio is lovely. We got the lamb and the pork chop and they have seasonal menus as well. It is upscale for sure. They have a preset menu option as well and full bar. Maybe the background music could have been a little louder? But it's definitely a date night kind of spot, clean and classy. The bread and olive oil is a yummy start and the house made chocolates with the check were sweet! The pork belly is a meal in its own! Yum! read more

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Matt Ashley, one of the greatest bartenders me and my other half had a great time made the greatest cocktails and also made the greatest old-fashioned and dirty martinis with blue cheese olives highly recommended great ambience you can sit outside and their food is exquisite, would highly recommend this restaurant. It is a hidden gem in the Dr Phiilips area. read more

I visited this restaurant for the first time on Friday night and I was thrilled to have found a gem on restaurant row. The atmosphere, service and coziness makes this a great alternative to the really loud restaurants like Eddie V's or Ocean Prime. Bartenders were outstanding. Love the fact that the mix or shakes are done without the big show and noise the goes without. Now the best part. Start with the pork belly and oysters. Both were outstanding but special mention to pork belly. I'd love to know how they cooked the pork belly so lean. We order a second order right after our first bite of the first order. We had one the very best cooked and tasting filets I have had in a long time. Good enough for me to place it #1 on the row. No knife needed. It was served with this sweet potato and white potato side that was AMAZING. The sweet potato was soft while the white potato was firm. We thought it was dessert. One of us had the salmon. Cooked perfectly, not overly seasoned and nice and fresh without a speck of fishy smelly or taste. Lastly, the bill. I challenge you to find a better high end restaurant on the row with food this good without the ridiculously price. We will be making reservations for the whole family before the end of the week. Do yourself a favor. Drive past all the crowded, loud, overly priced restaurants and go to Norman's. read more

Made a reservation for a Saturday night. Upon arrival, I was seated promptly. The food is good and the service is even better. Our waiter was very attentive and gave excellent recommendations. We started with cocktails and the chilled charred beef tenderloin Tataki which was probably one of my favorite menu items of the night. The beef was extremely tender and the ginger soy dressing gave it the right amount of depth and zest. I never ever order fish at restaurants but after our waiter completely sold me on the dish, stating that it was one of the chefs specials, I ended up ordering the Pan-cooked Filet of Key West Yellowtail Snapper. Long story short, it was delicious. Very fresh piece of fish, well seasoned but not over powering. Flaky in the best way and complemented by a perfectly sweet/tangy citrus butter and the creamiest garlicky mash. I would definitely order again. My bf got the sofrito rubbed bone in rib-eye a la plancha. Also delicious and HUGE. It could probably be shared between two people. Again, very flavorful. I wasn't the biggest fan of the layered potato Torta or the tomatoes brûlée that it came with but I wouldn't say it was bad...just not my cup of tea. Ambiance is 10/10. Very chic, upscale, modern. Beautiful light fixtures and ambient lighting. Definitely a reason to get dressed up. Definitely would recommend overall! read more

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Everything about dinner at Norman's was incredible. The staff was kind and attentive. The food was delicious-every single bite. We had great drinks at the bar before dinner and enjoyed the pre-fixe menu for the magical dining currently going on. We had an incredible night and will absolutely be returning. read more

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Quiet luxury. It is the refuge of well-traveled souls with discerning taste. It was a joy to be reacquainted with a dining experience as solid as memory recalls, but also completely reborn anew with a playful spark of vigor and a stealthy cool flair. Normans is a solid old restaurant friend (locals surely remember Normans at the Ritz Carlton) forging a new standard of quiet luxury dining in a new home on Sand Lake Road's restaurant row. Our recent dinner at Norman's hit the trifecta: a comfortable and well decorated setting, attentive service from friendly professionals and wonderfully fresh and creative food. The magic started the moment Haley - our culinary navigator extraordinaire - introduced herself and described the standout dishes of the evening. Great service is a team effort, and this team is well supported by its friendly and able roaming leader, Jaret. We enjoyed three delicious starters (true culinary gifts) plus the famous chowder. Everything was expertly prepared and beautifully presented. Chef and the kitchen team know how to bring it - for sure. The outrageous standout among starters: beautiful, firm (yet delicate) foie gras stacked neatly on brioche French toast. Say that to yourself again slowly and let it sink in. Never had anything quite like it; can't wait to have it again - a 10+ out of 10. Among our several wonderful entrees: the U-10 scallops were plump with a gorgeous crispy glaze and tasted as if just hauled into the boat, served with mouthwatering sweet potato tortellini (sounds crazy, but this novel treat is flat out cray cray delish) every bite was velvet deliciousness. Norman's signature yellow tail snapper was perfectly seasoned with a beautiful pan seared crust served nestled on a heavenly pillow of garlicky mashed potatoes and greens. The perfect ending to our visit came in the form of passionfruit crème brûlée - another great recommendation from Haley. Bursting with color, each spoonful was a mix of glazed creamy love, crunchy coconutty delight and snappy citrus pop. No BS: one of the most creative and delicious, sweet treats ever to pass our lips. read more

Norman's - Passionfruit crème brûlée with dragonfruit @ coconut crunch. Redic!! - Seafood Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Let me start out by saying Ted and his team are amazing! I was visiting Orlando and had the pleasure of eating at this restaurant. We had a party of over 20 people and had reservations on a Monday evening. The restaurant was actually pretty busy for a Monday. We had a great team of waiters and servers who were all very friendly and accommodating. They always made sure our glasses were filled. The food was delicious and their presentation was excellent! I really enjoyed the yellowtail snapper! I had a chance to walk around a little bit and thought the bar area and outside terrace were very cute with fun decorations. Norman's will definitely be my top places to eat when visiting Orlando. read more

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I took my parents out to Norman's for their 45th Anniversary several weeks ago, and honestly? It was everything I wished for in a single restaurant. I did not have a chance to go to Norman's pre-pandemic at the Ritz Carlton, however, it was on my go-to list for years. I'm so glad Norman found a stand-alone location to separate himself from the traditional corporate heavy hitting restaurants in Orlando. This is hands down THE BEST OF THE BEST in Orlando. I was blown away at the meticulousness for every attention to detail. Kindly, do yourself a favor and put a reservation in ASAP. Norman's atmosphere is pristine, modernized and built to perfection. The interior speaks for itself as much as the food, the drinks, and the unparalleled service. At first I was thinking to take my folks on a Saturday, but I found out they had plans already so I asked them, "can I take you both out tonight?" They agreed. I booked a super last-minute reservation for 8:30 pm on a Friday night (did so at 6:45 pm). I added notes to the OpenTable reservation "would like a booth, somewhere cozy and away from crowds. Also for my parents' anniversary." Almost every time I put a reservation on OpenTable, the front of the house at any given restaurant ignores my notes and then they'll say, "well we didn't see it, sorry, you'll have to wait for that seating arrangement." This is the first restaurant to GET IT RIGHT WITHOUT ANY PHONE CONTACT. Hint hint to restaurants featured on OpenTable: ALWAYS read the notes. I'm not in the restaurant industry myself (flower industry), but I always have clients writing special instructions on their orders, and we care about these details to make them feel at ease. Every establishment should adhere to these standardized practices. It's a game changer and it doesn't kill any vibes or first impressions. If Norman's can do it, I think all others can, too. WELL DONE! Our server Jaret made our experience amazing to the point where I felt so spoiled! I kept thinking, "I could get used to this kind of service every time I dine out. I wish it were like this everywhere." If you do go to Norman's, request for Jaret! He will make the whole experience worth every minute of your time! He is amicable, conversational, attentive, always checks in to see how things are. So the drinks are phenomenal. I had the "Fields of Grass", which had floral notes, the right amount of acidity and overall refreshing as well as the "Amores Perros" - definitely on the sweeter side, and loved the tropical fruits but still fantastic! For apps I ordered the table the "Blue Crab Beignets", the "Pressed Pork Belly" and the "Local Heirloom Tomato Salad." I devoured that pork belly like no tomorrow. The celery root mash, chicarrones, watermelon radish paired perfectly together in flavor and textures. If you have a voracious appetite, the blue crab was definitely on the heavier side - as in it was luxurious and creamy, but it was utterly delicious! The amount on that plate was just enough to serve four. For the main courses, my mother and I ordered the classic Norman's Pan-Cooked Fillet of Key West Yellowtail Snapper dish. That whole dish clearly tells you why it's a classic. I wish there were a little more of that citrus butter because I would happily bathe in it -- well, except I'm not really into Paula Deen, y'all (if you catch the joke...). The snapper was tender, the Swiss chard was braised to perfection and had a great bite to it. I even tried my dad's Mexican Adobe Lamb Chops from Colorado - all the spices melded beautifully together and the temperature was spot on. Jaret brought out complimentary flutes of champagne to celebrate my parents - it was such a classy touch for their anniversary. Obviously, I had no room to finish my main course and boxed that up to go. However, there was no way we would leave without a dessert for celebratory reasons, of course. I knew we would get something chocolate based considering my dad is the biggest chocoholic to exist. The Dedo de Chocolate was too pretty to eat. I was so full that even after one bite would have been overkill for me, albeit tasted like pure decadence and it was SO GOOD. I have already come back here on several occasions after my parents' anniversary dinner. It helps that we live nearby Norman's. I definitely want to check out the terrace when they have a live DJ set. The terrace is beautifully laid out and designed. I HIGHLY recommend Norman's. I personally couldn't care less how much food costs, as long as the food, service and atmosphere are hitting all the notes, I will happily pay any amount. They are worth IT. read more

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Came here for a girls night and sat at the booths by the bar. My friends and I had a great time here! The cocktails were carefully curated and you can taste the effort and care in them. The appetizers were delicious and enough to share among 3 people and we still had space for the entree. My fish entree was perfectly cooked. I will definitely come back here and enjoy more of their outdoor lounge area. The servers were kind enough to let us go outside after and take photos even though the outdoor area was closed for the night. Overall great experience. I will definitely return. read more

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We went to the Sinatra Christmas event at Norman's. We arrived on time, 6:00, based on the tickets. It took the staff over 15 minutes to see us only because I was able to flag them down. The food we ordered was comical. The sliders for example were actually 1 slider cut in half, the bread dry almost stale feeling. Thank goodness the sommeliér was there, he recommended a delicious champagne to literally wash them down. A staff member came up to us and told us that we had to be out by 6:45....so the show was only 45 mins? $110 for 2 tix! Needless to say, it wasn't a fun evening for spending over $200. I'd rather have spent that on a good bottle of wine and listened to Bocelli on YouTube. read more

We were really looking forward to trying Norman for the first time on our anniversary. It was somewhat of a disappointment based on what we had expected per Norman's reputation. The service was spotty, we were sat near right the very loud bar, which kept pumping out loud music, and the food was average. We had the filet and the grouper as well as two of their feature appetizers. It was good but nothing really special. This is not a nice, cozy romantic place... just a large dining room. We may try their bar and happy hour one night, since it looked pretty busy. Just not a "special occasion" place for us. read more

Foods were amazing, service was top notch... if you haven't been here yet , definitely need to come . You will not disappointed... read more

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Went this restaurant for Foie Gras, I go try this dish in every French restaurant. And my friend tried their seasonal menu, I think the dessert was the best. Definitely the atmosphere and service were also great. read more

Service and ambiance were spectacular! The lobster mac and cheese and red snapper were both delicious!

If you're looking for fine dining in Orlando than you must visit Norman's. Norman's easily surpassed all other fine dining restaurants I've visited in the Orlando area. The food was incredible (highly recommend trying the tasting menu!) and the service was outstanding. This is the perfect spot for a girls night, date night, or celebration. I can't wait to go back! read more

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Norman's was everything I imagined it would be. The hostesses, servers and bus people were all very professional and accommodating. This is a very elegant restaurant and a great place for date night or celebrations. When we were seated the servers came over and introduced themselves to us and tgen brought over bread rolls with butter and olive oil with rosemary dips, delicious. We ordered house salads and Brazilian style shrimp & mussels chowder as appetizers and snapper, rhum & pepper painted grouper and seared diver harvested sea scallops for our entrees. The presentation of the meals were appealing to the eye and the taste was outstanding. My only negative was the house salad, the dressing did not have much flavor to it and was a bit bland all the others selections did not disappoint. Great place to go if you're looking for a good time and good food. read more

Our daughter and son booked our 50 th wedding anniversary this past weekend at Norman's . The service attention to details was exquisite. The food was phenomenal. Thank you to the entire staff that made our day a beautiful experience. read more

CHEF'S KISS!! One of the best meals I've had in a very long time. Customer experience was impeccable from the moment I pulled in. Very impressed with attention to detail. read more

Have followed Norman over the years. Went here again on Wednesday night 6/12. Enjoyed once more. Server Becca was terrific as were all the others. I very much enjoyed the Blue Crab Beignets, but caution, portions are good size and can be filling for just two if ordering other items, perfect if sharing with four. The fried green tomatoes have a little too much crust, better with less. The side dish of layered potato pavé was terrific, and definitely the foie gras. read more

The restaurant is pretentious and the staff is rude. When we arrived at the restaurant our server immediately told us they had ran out of the chicken ( which were one of the dishes we really wanted). So, we ordered the snapper and the banana Leaf Fish Gumbo along with the ceviche and the tuna tartare. After we placed our order the server came back to let us know they were out of the snapper. I do not eat meat or scallops so there were no other main plate dishes for me to order so I opted for two salads. After our appetizers arrived we were told that they were out of the banana leaf gumbo. At that point, we asked to speak with a manager who was extremely rude. When we explained to him that everything we ordered they were out of and we were not told right away but almost 45 minutes after we arrived. The manager said to us " what do you want me to do about it" which we found to be very rude and inappropriate so we walked out but not before trying the tuna tartar. The tuna tartar was not very good. The raw tuna was in a fried pastry dough ( similar to a cannoli shell). The tuna had no flavor and when I had asked our server to explain the dish prior to ordering she was unable to describe the dish. On the menu, the tuna tartar has a carrot salad, Nuoc Cham and avocado purée. The server had no idea what Nuoc Chan was. This was not a good experience. read more

We stopped in for Happy Hour on 2/13, 5:15pm.... We were so looking forward to visit Normans as we are great fans of Norman Van Aiken. We finished up our golf game early so we can get there for 5pm... All seemed to be going well . Bartender gave us menus, took our drink order. Brought out drinks (great drink) , BUT then came by as we were going to put a food order in. "I'm sorry but there is not going to be a Happy Hour tonight, your drinks are still covered under our happy hour, but that is what we can do for tonight , due to how much volume we will tonight." It was 5:30pm very few people in the restaurant! We were not expecting that from Norman's. To be fair they did not charge us for the 2 drinks. BUT, what a disappointment. I spoke to the manager (rude as hell) . He said there is nothing he can do, there will be no happy hour tonight. He stated there was a mis-communication. Their own staff did not even know that the Happy Hour was cancelled ! Norman's looks like a beautiful place. I'll never know as i did not get to taste any of the food.. Not sure i will ever go back... read more

Absolutely terrible service. We have people in our party with sprained ankle and could not make it to the restaurant. We called in for a togo order and the girl was very rude and said she could not accommodate our request for a togo order despite disabled customers. Not very inclusive restaurant, very disappointed read more

We joined a couple at Norman's to try their Happy Hour menu a few nights ago. I had looked at the menu on their website and saw that they offered Pulled Pork Tacos. However, when we got seated and handed the menu, there were none to be found. My wife and I chose the Fish and Chips and the Chicken Bits. I ordered a side salad to go with the Tapas. Unfortunately, we were very disappointed in the taste of the food and the small number of menu items to choose from. While I "get" that this is a Happy Hour/Bar menu, I would have thought a restaurant like Norman's would provide more options. Why not try to entice the happy hour folks with some Tapas from the main menu? They may come back for more. Finally, I was surprised to be informed at the end of the meal that, while the fee included a 20% gratuity for the "back of house" staff, there was a separate gratuity for the Server. The amount would be at your discretion. I do not mind giving a gratuity, and I did so. However, two gratuities were over the top for a Happy Hour/Bar seating, IMO. read more

I went there for happy hour at terrace. So we did not have full dinner but only appetizers. We ordered cheese board, beef tartare and shrimp ceviche. Food was slightly disappointing. Beef tartare was brownish color. I still ate but not the best and my friends did not want to touch it because they were scared of the brownish color. Shrimp dish was not good either. Of course Cheese is just cheese. The terrace was beautiful though. It was perfect weather. I hear they have band and music on weekends. So I will definitely go back there to enjoy music and breeze on weekends. But not sure for dinner. Service! It was to me but too much. We just ordered a few appetizers and waiters with full suits and ties carried one small plate per waiter.... I mean if this is your thing, you would like it. But to me it was bit too much of nice service. Yet it's just personal preference. read more

I came to Norman's on Friday, June 16 with a very well-traveled close friend who has deep experience with fine dining across the globe. I trust his recommendations implicitly, and the fact that this is the third iteration of Norman's he chooses to frequent speaks volumes... Every dish we ordered was fabulous, and our server, sommelier, and supporting staff were simply perfect, with multiple visits from the chef himself. We had Blue Crab Beignet, Braised Pork Belly, Gulf Shrimp Ceviche, Tamarind Glazed Octopus, Tuna Crudo, Brazilian Styled Shrimp & Mussel Chowder (OMG!!), Rhum & Pepper Painted Grouper, Sofrito Rubbed Filet Mignon, Vanilla Flancocho Cake, Chocolate Creme Brulee, and Churro Cheesecake as a table. Quite a sampling, and literally everything was incredible!! Artful presentation combined with clever and complex but never overwhelming flavor combinations have ensured that Norman's has been added to my "personal favorites by city" list of fine dining establishments. Thank you all for a truly superlative experience - VERY well done! read more

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In town for a large conference, I took some customers here for a business dinner. The service alone is worth the trip; Pedro was impeccable as a representative of Norman and took great care of the entire table. My business guest said it was one of the best meals they've had specifically a snapper dish that was ordered was "best fish I've ever had". Great wine list, good cocktails and a upbeat but not loud vibe made it a perfect choice for work dinner. read more

Came here for our anniversary, we wanted to love it. The food and drinks were amazing. We just had a little service mishap. My husband got the tasting menu (5 courses) & I ordered off the regular menu. Our reservation was at 8pm, at 945pm my husband had to ask the manager where my food was, I had been sitting there watching him eat his first courses for almost an hour. They need to ask when you'd like your food brought out instead of assuming and bringing it out almost 2 hours after we arrived. We were pretty irritated and it honestly ruined the experience. read more

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Amazing food. Great service. Our waiter was so kind. Celebrated a birthday here and it felt perfectly intimate.

Expensive and good food but not amazing ! But overall I would go again for the service and environment .

Delicious, beautiful and creative food at honestly reasonable prices. We had a lovely, seafood-centric dinner last week. Service was friendly and highly professional. Ambiance is cozy and warmly lit. My entree was the scallops with tortellini (which were hand made and light, akin to folded won tons. Orlando proper isn't a place I frankly associate with exciting dining, but this experience was a welcome surprise. I would definitely eat at Norman's again. read more

My wife gave me the surprise to Celebrate my BD at this restaurant. The ambience and decor are really nice, even though it was Monday.. The service was superb. Archer, our waiter treat us as royalty. The wine selection is great. We opened one of my favorite wine, Darioush. The appetizer were blue crab beignets and shrimp filled with cassava. Our favorite was the beignets. They looks like "buñuelos" but puffy...really a beignets! Yummy! My wife ate filet mignon and I ate the bbq veal chop. They were beyond our expectation. My favorite veal chop ever! The filet was outstanding as well. Our desert were dulce de leche and lemon pie. My desert and a glasses of champagne were a gift from the house. Details make the difference! Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I am really happy to celebrate my birthday at great restaurant! read more

Food was presented well! Service was exceptional without being intrusive. Ambiance was warm and inviting!

The service was impeccable Asher was our server and was beyond that sanding. Everything that we had was perfect. My wife had the meso grouper which was outstanding and I had to tomahawk pork chop, which was to die for the shrimp soup was also one of the best highway recommend read more

So many wonderful things to say about this restaurant. I was delighted to be able to celebrate a milestone birthday at Norman's recently and was the experience was wonderful. It was a private event and Laura was very easy to coordinate with. They generated an excellent menu with quite a variety of choices for our budget and everything turned out just perfectly. The ambiance was very swanky and stylish, but bright enough that everyone could see each other and converse easily. Starting with the bar, the drinks were obviously on point. I guess what really matters at the bar is selection of liquor, and theirs had many high end choices with appropriate accoutrements. The wait staff was very attentive and always seemed to be around when people were looking for hors d'oeuvres. Not to mention they were very professional and had exquisite manners. I haven't really been to many restaurants where I can remark on the mannerisms of the staff, but I thought the service really set the restaurant apart. But a restaurant wouldn't get a 5-star review without some pretty impressive food. Everyone was able to choose from lovely looking dishes from snapper, ribeye, chicken, and a vegetarian paella and each choice was a feast for the eyes. There wasn't a piece of overcooked food that I could see, and each dish was uniformly presented. I personally had a seasonal salad, the ribeye, and their duo of desserts which were a key lime tart and chocolate truffle. I wouldn't say the dishes were edgy, but rather dishes everyone knows and which are great when done well. And this was no exception. The salad was not overly saturated with dressing and the ingredients were fresh. The ribeye was probably the most perfect medium rare I've ever seen. And finally, their take on a Bundt cake -- they had a fancy name for it -- was truly beautiful, thick, and delicious. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a high-end restaurant in this category on restaurant row because the competition is so fierce. But honestly I think Norman's beats it's competitors (at least that I've tried) in terms of refinement and preparation of food. So if you're looking for an experience that's a little "extra", try them! read more

Two things were evident after our dining experience tonight. Firstly, Norman's has been sorely missed from the Orlando culinary scene for far too long. And secondly, they returned with a passionate vengeance. What a wonderful, refreshing evening full of great food and wine! My wife loved the crab hush puppies while I'll rave about the shrimp and mussel chowder to anyone who will listen. The snapper is generous while remaining light and the lamb was a great, unique take on a classic protein. We could not have been happier. Our server, Haley, was simply exceptional. She was friendly and attentive. She highlighted several wonderful dishes without being overbearing and checked on us promptly as each course was served. Haley was definitely a bright spot on an already bright evening. We would ask for her every time. Ambiance was classy but not stuffy. Customer dress ranged from casual to business casual to formal depending on how you feel - and your occasion. (Servers wear jackets and ties however so I wouldn't recommend shorts and a T-shirt, but you do you) We are thrilled Norman's has found a new home i the Sand Lake area. Can't wait to return! read more