Solo lunch and dinner recommendations in the hotels and CityWalk?

[Schneewittchen37]

Hi everyone, my first trip to Universal Studios is next week.

I'm heading down early in the week for a conference in Orlando. Planning to do an Epcot/HS day with a colleague on Monday and then conference like crazy for a few days. My family (DH, DS11, DD9) is joining me in Florida on Thursday and we'll head over to Universal.

My current plan is to leave the conference when it ends around 11 am/12 pm on Thursday and head over to our Universal hotel - Royal Pacific. Either I'll get an early check-in or try to dump my bags with concierge. Either way, I'll be on my own until at least 10:30 pm. So I've got to figure out lunch and dinner. If the weather is fine, maybe I'll get some afternoon pool time, but I'd like to explore CityWalk and the premier hotels without the kids too.

Anyway, I have a late evening dinner reservation for one at Trattoria del Porto in Portofino Bay. I'm not committed to it and will happily cancel.

So tell me, what are your solo dining recommendations for lunch and dinner around the premier resorts and CityWalk? I prefer table service. Waiters and glasses of funky Orlando ice water make me happy.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

For fun, good, informal dining, we really enjoy the options at Cowfish on Citywalk.

 

[jennyq87]

Second the Cowfish recommendation. We also really like Toothsome. They have really fun adult beverages and unique food options. We often just go sit at the bar.

 

[Grumpy92]

I would choose a restaurant with outdoor dining so I could people watch and enjoy the atmosphere. I would suggest NBC Grill, Cowfish or the porch at Margaritaville.

 

[disneyguy07]

My favorite restaurant on property right now is Big Fire at Citywalk. The food is delicious and prices are reasonable (given its on-property and for the quality). If you're solo, you can sit at the bar and the bartenders will take great care of you. Highly recommend their Smoked, Smoked Maple Old Fashioned. Its pricey but its fantastic and has a great presentation.

 

[Ross Kratter]

Vivo is good solo. Onstage kitchen.

 

[nkereina]

We always stop at the bar at Antojitos for drinks and guacamole, but would definitely eat a meal there too. The bartenders are always lively and friendly, and the bar is essentially part of the dining room so feels like one space. Its easy to get a seat when they open at 4pm, but if you go a little later, there's usually a mariachi band that does Top 40/popular songs and they're fun to watch.

We also love Bubba Gump! I know its a kitschy chain, but we stopped at the bar on a whim one day and were pleasantly surprised by the tasty drinks. The drinks are the same price as many other restaurants at City Walk, but most of the drinks include the cup you can take home too. There are two bars there - one on the far left end of the restaurant, and one straight ahead when you walk in. We go to the one on the left that's usually less busy, and last time, we had a great bartender that played Forest Gump trivia with the whole bar which was fun.

We would feel fine solo at either of these.