After months of anticipation... I finally made it to Alfie's…read more It was exactly what I was hoping it would be: a slice of culture. Real people. Real life. Real youth. Real energy. Real good vibes. Orlando obviously has no shortage of places to eat, drink, and gather, but Alfie's belongs to that rare category of venues that feel equally at home in a major metropolis. It's the kind of spot that would fit seamlessly into Los Angeles's best neighborhoods: think Gold Line in Highland Park or the Vinyl Room at the Hollywood Palladium. Not because they're carbon copies, but because they share that intangible quality of genuine discovery and cultural curiosity. The crowd ( age range 25 - 35 mostly ) was genuinely engaged with one another. People were actually talking, actually present, not hunched over their phones. That alone felt invigorating. There was an undeniable spark in the room. Alfie's wasn't chasing trends; it was simply allowing them to emerge naturally. What impressed me most was how they brought it all together .. Retro stereo equipment and vinyl players from the 50s mixed with a bar area that's super sleek and modern. Conversations, music, the lounge itself .... all came together in a way that felt alive and IN THE MOMENT. When my LA friends visit, Alfie's is on the list. Go after 9 or 10 PM and plan to stay for at least two hours. That's when you really see the scene develop and come alive. Bring your ID: they card at the door. Even at my age, I still get carded. No complaining about that ! lol

We entered around 8 pm on a Wednesday. We considered getting a drink since it was cold inside and…read morethe music was good. However, we initially entered to get a picture in the photobooth for our friends birthday. There was no one at the door checking IDs. After we all piled into the photobooth, someone walked up and asked for our IDs. He wanted us to exit the booth to get them. Eventually said ok because we had already paid and on a timer. But he was very impatient. Let me add that there was not a single person in the entire place. NO ONE. Let me also add that almost our entire group is almost 40. So we're obv not underage. With the way he approached us and was completely impatient, we were a little turned off and left. Which lost them money on our entire group. He followed us out the door as we left. It was a weird experience especially when there was literally no one else in there. The music was good but I doubt and of us will to back based on that experience alone.

Otto High Dive was our next stop on my Magical Dining tour, and wow, what an experience!…read more My sister and brother-in-law were visiting, so we made reservations (definitely recommend). Parking was easy with free spots in the back and additional street parking. We were a little unsure where the entrance was at first, but a staff member outside noticed and guided us right in small detail, big impact. Once inside, we were greeted warmly and seated immediately. The restaurant was lively and busy in the best way. It's an intimate space, but beautifully styled very much giving South Beach energy. Our waiter, Louis, truly elevated the experience. He introduced himself, explained the menu thoroughly, and made great recommendations. We opted for the Magical Dining $40 three-course menu along with the $30 drink pairing, which included a drink for each course such a great value. My meal: * Appetizer: Fresh ceviche with tuna, avocado, and watermelon light, flavorful, and unique * Drink: Floridian Slip refreshing and perfectly balanced * Entrée: Ropa Vieja - rich, tender, and paired perfectly with rice, beans, and Cuban bread * Drink: Funky - fruity with a nice kick * Dessert: Maduro Bread Pudding - sweet, warm, and indulgent * Drink: Coquito - smooth and the perfect ending Every single course was thoughtfully prepared, and the drink pairings complemented each dish beautifully. Overall, everything from service to ambiance to food was amazing. I'm already planning a return visit to try their happy hour menu!

I'm really glad we tried this place, but probably won't be in a rush to come back anytime soon…read more The parking is a tight shared lot, so you might get lucky and find a spot, or park across the street and walk over like we did. Our reservation was at 7pm and we didn't get seated until almost 7:30pm. The place itself isn't very big, it's cozy, cute and I liked the vibes but when the other couple we were meeting with showed up it did feel a little crowded by the host stand. The host was nice enough to give us a menu to browse while we waited and someone came to ask us what drink we would like to sip on (i really thought they were offering us a free drink for the wait, but later saw we were charged for them, no biggie but would have been nice considering we waited so long) Drinks were all so so good! No complaints there. We started with the smoked fish dip and ceviche which was different than your typical one, but refreshing! I had the skirt steak - it was flavorful but definitely heavy on the salt. I still really enjoyed it as well as the rice & beans. Hubby got the ropa veija which he enjoyed. Our friend got the osso buco which he liked, but said the chicharron was not good at all. We then had some pastelitos for dessert! They added a 18% gratuity to the check, which was fine and I appreciated them telling us as well as circling it. Overall I think it was really good but nothing out of the world, you can find similar food for much less at your other local Cuban spots - what sets the place apart is the drinks and vibes so if you're looking for the whole experience then it's your place.

The location is awesome. We came right at opening and had…read morethe whole place to ourselves. Love the decor and the feel of the place. I will say that the drinks were really good , for sure a go too. I won't say at that the service was bad at all ... but would have had more drinks but it took forrrr ever to make them ... The gentleman that did help us was very sweet and asking if we needed recommendations Overall , yes will come back

This place was so chill and a nice vibe. The DJ was playing R&B music and he did sooo well!! I…read moredefinitely recommend this place

I introduced another friend to this unique restaurant and bar. We arrived a little after 6 PM and…read morewere seated promptly by Mel. We chose a little corner table against the wall. We looked over the happy hour menu (good all day on Monday nights and Tuesday through Friday 5-7pm). We ask Mel about the "Bartender's Choice" selection under happy hour drinks. She said the bartender will mix a drink of their preference. The customer cannot choose the alcohol or any mixers as the bartender makes the decisions all by him or herself. Mel asked if we had any allergies or any other issues that might affect the drinks the bartender would like to make. We said we did not and we decided to take on this "choice" experience. Serena was the bartender of the evening and she did an amazing job. She mixed up various concoctions for us throughout the night (we ordered a second round after the first one) and we enjoyed every drink she prepared. The presentation of the drinks were also well done. Serena's cocktails consisted of bourbon, rum, and various ingredients which could include bitters, lemon, agave or other cocktail mixers. She was the bartender extraordinaire of the evening. For food, we ordered the half dozen chicken wings (2 orders since they were so good) and the pizza empanadas to start. The two empanadas had mozzarella cheese stuffed inside and were served with a warm marinara. From the main menu, we ordered the Faroe Island Salmon, which was served on a bad of risotto and tomato butter, with capers. The portion of the salmon was somewhat small for the price of $28, but it and the risotto were cooked perfectly. We ended the night with their signature drink, "Death in the Afternoon" which contains absinthe and is one of my favorite drinks here in Orlando. It was another five star experience and my friend found a new restaurant she now loves. All in all, a great night thanks to the attentiveness and easy-going attitude of Mel, our server, and the exceptional cocktails from the bartender, Serena. Thank you both for a job very well done!

Went to Death in the Afternoon for Happy Hour and it was sooo worth it…read more Got the Raspberry Tom Collin's And a mystery Bar tenders choice! I will definitely come back to try other options on the menu! Great service and gives speakeasy vibes.

Luminescent has a vool.concet where they are a coffee house and switch over to being a cocktail…read morelounge after six o'clock in the evening. The ambiance is pleasant enough and the service was friendly. With it being on East Colonial Drive (State Road 50), it is a convenient enough stop and they have off-street parking. Overall, i would recommend here.

This one is an enigma for me. This in on Colonial just past Alafaya so sort of USF territory. I…read morewas greeted as soon as I walked in and the space it really nice. I was immediately thinking that this place would not be out of place on Mills ave or downtown. I saw the coffee prices posted and they seemed about average or even maybe a bit of a bargain compared to some of the coffee chain prices. I was given a menu that highlighted some of their rotating seasonal drinks. I was surprised to see drink prices at $15 & $16. I know downtown that would not be unusual, but I assumed since this was pretty far out east it might be a few dollars cheaper. Still, I understand you get what you pay for an they bar seemed to have many top shelf brands and a good selection to boot. There were a few tables with people, and I noticed a few more seemed to be working on their laptops so great idea if you would rather work with a beer or glass of wine instead of a coffee.

This was our second visit to the Monroe and it was enjoyable. This time the service was slightly…read moreslow, we had drinks that we didn't like and it took about 20 minutes for our server to return to the table to get orders for new drinks. We ordered the buffalo chicken egg rolls and the deviled eggs (with no bacon) as appetizers. For our new drinks we got margaritas, I got a regular margarita and my partner got a passion fruit margarita. For entrees, I had the famous fried chicken and my hubby had the meatloaf. The ambiance of the restaurant was nice, relaxed, they keep the shades lowered during the day to reduce that sun intake and it's lovely. It feels nice and relaxed in here no matter the weather outside. Again, we enjoyed the experience but the service was fairly slow. We had to pretty much know what we wanted by the next time we saw our server or flag her down to get her attention. She was waiting about 4 tables on our area. We were party of two.

Delicious food!! My husband made reservations and surprised me for dinner. First time here and we…read moregot LOVED IT!! The vibe was immaculate. The drinks were great and the food was soo good that we still talk about it days later. He loved the bone marrow. Steak was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. The cake was not my favorite at all. It took way too long to come out and it came out very cold. Not much chocolate flavor, too much salt. It was missing something. We will skip dessert next time.

I had a wonderful experience with my friends at The Moderne. The interior is beautiful and there is…read morea nice couch waiting area. My favorites were the Salmon Sunshine and Korean Vodka Pasta. The Salmon Sunshine was very refreshing with salmon and mandarin. The Korean Vodka Pasta was extremely flavorful and had a nice spicy kick. I ordered the Woman in White drink, which had a beautiful presentation of a fog bubble on top of the drink. There were notes of lychee; however, the drink is quite strong.

Very tasty dishes Service excellent…read more Great upbeat atmosphere The drink menu changes monthly Also the appetizers vary often Giving you the open idea of keep trying new things.

I'd somehow walked through East End Market countless times before realizing there was a bar tucked…read moreupstairs--and now I'm wondering what took me so long! The Neighbors is a cozy little hideaway that's perfect for grabbing a drink after exploring the market. We had already eaten downstairs, so we just stopped in for a couple of cocktails, and it was the perfect way to wind down. The service was warm, friendly, and attentive, making us feel welcome from the moment we walked in. Just a heads-up: seating is pretty limited, so I'd recommend arriving a little earlier if you're visiting during peak hours. Whether you're looking for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap after browsing East End Market, this spot is definitely worth checking out.

Upstairs at East End with a menu that changes from time to time…read more My first visit was in October 2024 and going back I keep finding Great service and great atmosphere. They seem to be doing even more events and promoting them too.