Norman's Orlando

This meal was excellent from start to finish. Our waiter, Chris was wonderful! My boyfriend I came here for our anniversary. Everything was amazing from start to finish. We started with a complimentary halibut cake. It was delicious. After the cake, our waiter mentioned "bread service." Now this is not your typical bread in the basket. Bread was brought out fresh and hot! We had fresh butter and freshly seasoned olive oil that was prepared in front of us with fresh herbs and cracked pepper. It was so good! I definitely accepted seconds when it was offered. For an appetizer we shared crab cake beignets. They were so yummy and perfect. Delicious flavor in every bite. I chose the yellowtail snapper for my entree. It was delicious! It came with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli rabe. So good!! Everything about this dish as a perfect marriage! My boyfriend had the lamb chops and he really enjoyed them. For side dishes we shared lobster Mac and cheese and Parmesan fries. SO GOOD! For dessert we shared cocoa flan. During dessert our waiter brought out champagne for us to toast for our anniversary. Very thoughtful. We also ended the night with a cappuccino. We learned from another waiter at a table nearby that Chef Norman never went to culinary school, and he is self-taught. From all the food we tried, it's safe to say that Chef Norman is incredibly talented! Everything was so delicious and we literally scrapped our plates clean! 5+* for the food and for our waiter Chris!

Our experience at Norman's was a mix of good and bad, and while we had an alright time, I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone.The food was overall good to great. We enjoyed the charcuterie and cheese, as well as oysters to start. The seasonal salad and octopus made a solid second course, but we didn't care for the octopuses set. Entree-wise, we enjoyed the filet and the risotto garnished with black truffle. Filet was excellent, the risotto was only alright.We were impressed by the selection on the wine list, but baffled by some of the pricing. There were some good value unique options available (sake in particular was a bright spot) however, some of the more "common" higher end wine was all over the place price wise. Some below and some above Michelin star options in the area. Ambience was excellent, with dim lighting and light ambient music. Service is where the meal fell apart somewhat. Despite having a reservation, the hostess attempted to sit us at a bar high top, then a table directly by the kitchen door. I needed to specifically request a two-top in a decent location. We were greeted by the manager, and introduced to our waiter. The waiter rushed us significantly throughout the meal, pushing for a full food order and wine selection before our cocktails had even arrived. He didn't know the items on the charcuterie board, and gave an incorrect explanation of some of the cheese and accompaniments. Further, he took every opportunity to push "upcharge" items wherever possible, including a $200 an ounce desert wine pour. When desert time came, he described my selection of sherry as a "feminine pour". Very odd.

During our annual trip to Orlando, we like to try new restaurants in the Sand Lake Road area. This year we found Norman's, highly rated, James Bear award, in a strip mall. Service was very good. Wine was good. Food was very good. We started with fried green tomatoes which had a nice spin to it with a great topping. My wife wasn't feeling great and only had the mushroom risotto. I tried a poor dish that was fantastic (see picture below). We finished the meal with a chocolate desert. I'd go back to this restaurant.

The food was pretty good. The service was excellent and nice upscale ambience. Drinks were tasty. Would try them again.

Stopped in for Happy Hour and it did not disappoint! The decor is very beautiful, the drinks are amazing as well as the food. They have a lot of options for food, and the portion sizes are excellent for happy hour. I did prefer the fish and chips over the beef tartare. While the beef tartare was good I didn't really like the mojo ketchup on it. I thought it was very overpowering for the dish.It is in a good location in Via Delliago so you can easily do a very fun happy hour crawl. We did Normans and then we went over to Dragonfly .

WOW - I don't have enough words to describe how delicious it was. The palette opener was a little too fancy for my taste. The bread service was so fresh and lovely. Not pictured are the blue crab beignets which were so good. The snapper just melted in your mouth - YUM. Filet was salter perfectly. Our server was an expert on the meny and very professional, meeting the standard of the restaurant. It's nice and intimate so come dressed nice!

This restaurant is really beautiful. I came here to celebrate my friend's birthday dinner and it was a wonderful experience. The staff were excellent and very attentive. We came during Magical Dining month and I have to say I was blown away by the food, the flavor and everything we were able to sample.To start our waiter brought us bread and butter along with an amuse bouche. The bread was freshly baked and butter was creamy and whipped. The amuse bouche was tasty and served as a palate cleanser in anticipation for our meals. My appetizer was the beef tataki which bold in flavor and very tasty. I even asked our waiter if it was something that was on the menu as a full dish because it was that tasty. My main course was the filet mignon with seasonal vegetables. The filet was cooked to perfection and melted like butter. To finish, I ordered the panacotta dessert and it was very good. I have to say I was blown away by the extra attention we got since it was my friend's birthday. Not only did we enjoy the food we ordered but we were also given amazing decadent chocolate and champagne to celebrate her birthday!Thank you Norman's for an amazing dining experience! I will definitely be back.

I wasn't expecting to be wowed by Norman's based on previous restaurants, so we put off visiting for more than a year, but absolutely loved our experience here. The interior is beautiful, and just what I am looking for in a fine dining experience: classy, not noisy, and not brightly lit.The food really stood out for us, too. The dishes seemed more cohesive than those we've had in his past restaurants, with a perfect melding of complex flavors. We opted for six small plates so we could sample many things. Standouts were:House salad: this was startlingly good! Mixed greens with a light but complex vinaigrette, pepitas, dried fruits, and some crumbled blue cheese. Rarely has a simple salad been so memorable.Shrimp Ceviche: not really a ceviche, but more of a cooked, creamy combination with some tomato in the sauce and a dollop of avocado crema.Octopus: absolutely tender and flavorful, so hard to find prepared this well.French Toast Foie Gras: I had read about this dish, and it did not disappoint! The perfect combination of sweet brioche and lightly seared foie.Pumpkin Cheesecake: I would call this a pumpkin s'more caramel taco!Service was impeccable--professional, friendly, and attentive.I wasn't a fan of the Norman's at the Ritz Carlton (mostly due to the coffee shop atmosphere) or his Mount Dora effort (LOUD!) but this one absolutely nails it, with a classy, romantic interior, great acoustics, and subdued lighting. Highly recommended.

We went here for my friends' birthday dinner and it was great! The service was done well and quick. It was packed but not overally loud. The food was delicious! I had the four peppercorn roasted filet mignon w/ carrot and truffles layered potato pavé and I loved it. Even the palate cleanser was a huge hit at our table.The only downside was that the AC above the table kept dripping on my silverware and plates but the staff quickly brought out new ones for me. I can't wait to go back and try some of the restaurants other dishes.

We visited Norman's on a Saturday evening. We had a reservation and were seated immediately. This place has off the charts service. The entire team was awesome and took great care of us.We got an amuse buche to start which was lovely, then got the charred octopus. I don't say this lightly; all other octopus is ruined for me forever. This place has perfected the formula of the most amazing octopus. I couldn't have been happier with it.For mains, I went with the lamb chops since I love lamb and don't get it often. It looks like this dish's sauce and sides might changes seasonally; I got it with a lovely chimichurri, rainbow carrots, and a purée (I don't remember what of) the entire thing worked beautifully and was delicious.For dessert, we ordered a deconstructed creme brûlée. It consisted of some creme that was bruleed on top with a brioche on the side. There was chocolate and caramel popcorn around it. Overall it was really good, but the proportions were a little off. I wish there had been less of the brioche since it was so dense.Overall, I'd absolutely love to return to Norman's it's worth every penny.