There's been a spike in restaurants housing hidden concepts from within their walls. Hokey? Perhaps. But setting aside the snoot and stumbling into some of these "speakeasies" can actually be a lot of fun. Just ask the folks who sit in the Louis XV chairs inside Voodoo Bayou before being spun around into Roka Hula, an Asian tiki bar. Or the diners at Talay who make their way to the bathroom only to find themselves walking through a door leading into Noir, a dark and moody bar. Or those looking to indulge in Nola's ice cream but happen upon Hinabe, a stunning space where wagyu hotpot, beer, sake and booze flow. Corny or not, these hidden subconcepts provide an added revenue stream for restaurants and, at the very least, added intrigue for patrons.
Best of Orlando 2025: Food + Dining
1st Place: The Glass Knife, theglassknife.com
2nd Place: Kōri Bakery and Dessert, koridessert.com
3rd Place: Charlie's Bakery and Creamery, charliesbakery.com
1st Place: Tori Tori, toritoripub.com
2nd Place: Murphy's Pub Orlando, instagram.com/murphyspuborlando
3rd Place: High Tide Harry's, hightideharrys.com
1st Place: 4 Rivers Smokehouse, 4rsmokehouse.com
2nd Place: Smokemade Meats and Eats, smokemade.com
3rd Place: Pig Floyd's Urban BBQ, pigfloyds.com
1st Place: Las Carretas Mexican Restaurant, lascarretasmexicanrest.com
2nd Place: Agave Azul Cocina Mexicana, agaveazulcocinamex.com
3rd Place: Quesa Loco, quesaloco.com
1st Place: Kōri Bakery and Dessert, koridessert.com
2nd Place: Royal Tea, royalteaus.com
3rd Place: Chewy Boba, chewyboba.com/florida-info
1st Place: Se7en Bites, se7enbites.com
2nd Place: Briarpatch Restaurant, thebriarpatchrestaurant.com
3rd Place: First Watch, firstwatch.com
1st Place: Maxine's on Shine, maxinesonshine.com
2nd Place: Briarpatch Restaurant, thebriarpatchrestaurant.com
3rd Place: The Glass Knife, theglassknife.com
1st Place: Mooyah, mooyah.com
2nd Place: The Tap Room at Dubsdread, historicaldubsdread.com
3rd Place: Maxtro's, instagram.com/maxtros.fl
1st Place: Taito Sushi Food Truck, instagram.com/taito_sushiorlando
2nd Place: Crocante Restaurant, crocantekitchen.com
3rd Place: Four Flamingos, A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen, fourflamingosorlando.com