Orlando’s Best Bars

It stands to reason that if you’re coming all this way on holiday, you’re going to want a nice drink or two along the way, and it just so happens that we have some top tips for you when it comes to a top tipple.

While Orlando has rightly been lauded in recent years for its growing foodie profile, the beverage part of its appeal isn’t far behind.

From craft breweries and unique distilleries to cocktail mixologists and rooftop bars to enjoy them in, The City Beautiful is most definitely somewhere that can offer a tempting variety of brilliant beverages.

And the good news is that Walt Disney World has been at the forefront of adding buzzing bars and luscious libations to ensure it isn’t hard to find that memorable drink while you’re enjoying the attractions.

Universal Orlando isn’t far behind, though, and the International Drive area as a whole has become a great place for bar hoppers, especially at places like ICON Park and Pointe Orlando. So let’s go area by area and highlight what we think are 15 of the best bars to enhance your holiday enjoyment:

Walt Disney World

Starting with the House of Mouse is always a good idea, and especially as both the Disney resorts and Disney Springs area have opened some cracking bars, and restaurants with bars, in recent years.

Geyser Point Bar & Grill: This is a hard one to find but it’s well worth the effort as the Wilderness Lodge Resort has created a beautiful bar/restaurant hideaway right on the edge of Bay Lake, close to the Magic Kingdom. With its waterfront location, tempting menu and extensive cocktail list, this gets our attention every time. And we heartily endorse trying their Cucumber and Mint Vojito, as well as the Frosé and Sunshine Margarita!

Nomad Lounge: When you’re in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and you need some time off your feet, head straight for the Nomad Lounge (just outside the main entrance to the Pandora section of the park). With both a relaxing outdoor terrace and inviting indoor bar, this is the place to come for a delicious small-plate menu as well as unique cocktails, such as the Spice Trader Classic and Mustang Coffee. The beer selection is excellent, too.

The Boathouse: Head on over to Disney Springs and you’ll find the best waterfront bar behind the Boathouse’s eye-catching restaurant. Here, with plenty to admire as you sip on one of their hand-crafted cocktails, Florida craft beers, extensive selection of wines or champagne, you can watch the Amphicars putter by and soak up the gorgeous lakeside vibe that is especially enjoyable at night.

Stargazers Bar: Also at Disney Springs, this ground floor Planet Hollywood open-air bar offers some of the best value in town with its daily Happy Hour from 4-7pm, with heavily discounted cocktails, craft beers and wines. The vibe is pretty good too, in an ideal spot to people-watch, while the Stargazers Bites menu features soft pretzels and hot dogs when you need a quick snack.

Capa: When you really want to push the boat out for a special occasion or meal, consider heading for the fab Four Seasons Resort on Disney property, but separate from the rest of the House of Mouse. Here, on the 17th floor, the Michelin-rated steakhouse offers a super-chic bar-lounge with an outdoor terrace that also has great views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks at night. The cocktails are equally distinctive, as is the Small Bite menu.

Honourable mentions: Brown Derby Lounge (Disney’s Hollywood Studios), Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar (Disney Springs), Three Bridges Bar & Grill (Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort), Abracadabar (Disney’s Boardwalk Resort) and Enchanted Rose Lounge (Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort).

Universal Orlando

Not to be outdone by their resort neighbors, Universal’s entertainment district of CityWalk is an ideal spot to kick back with a grown-up beverage or two, while the hotels also offer some great choices.

Bar 17 Bistro: With spectacular views over the whole Universal resort area, plus much of International Drive, this rooftop eyrie is a superb choice for dinner or just drinks. You can fill up on urban international flavours like steamed bao buns or classic options such as sliders and salads, and then add custom cocktails to the mix. There’s even a kids menu to keep all the family happy. And you simply can’t beat those views!

Strong Water Tavern: Located inside the chic Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, this smart bar-lounge specialises in a variety of rums, including rare and vintage varieties, as well as rum cocktails and flights. There is a good selection of beers – both draft and bottled – too, and the Bites menu features small-plate specialities from the Caribbean, Mexico and South America.

Duff Brewery: One of the signature spots in the Springfield area of the Universal Studios park, this outdoor bar serves up Homer Simpson’s favourite brew – a choice of Duff, Duff Lite and Duff Dry – and adds a selection of frozen cocktails, while you can also grab something to eat from the neighbouring Fast Food Boulevard. The cool lagoon-side location, garden area and fun Springfield icons add to the eye appeal, and you will definitely want to stop for a few selfies here!

Antojitos: Get ready for a margarita extravaganza as you enter this huge Mexican-themed CityWalk restaurant that boasts a neat bar area just inside the main entrance. The tequila cocktails are hard to ignore here, along with other unique cocktails and mocktails, like the super-sweet Spiked Churro. PS: We heartily recommend the Pineapple Fire & Ice margarita!

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium: Head upstairs at this richly-themed CityWalk restaurant and you’ll find a cool bar area that specialises in well-crafted cocktails in a nicely grown-up setting. It’s a great place to be when you want to stay in the excitement but be just on the edge, and the resident mixologist will mix up something tasty if the extensive drinks menu doesn’t meet your taste.

Honourable mentions: Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville (CityWalk), Backwater Bar (Islands of Adventure), Pat O’Brien’s (CityWalk), Velvet Bar (Hard Rock Hotel), Finnegan’s Bar & Grill (Universal Studios).

International Drive

Arguably the heart of tourist Orlando, I-Drive also boasts a growing number of smart bars and brew-pubs that are ultra-inviting and just fun to spend time in. We have some real favourites here, too.

The Yard House: Talking of brew-pubs, this is one of the best in town. Situated right at the entrance to ICON Park, it has a lively interior with a long bar on one side while also offering an extensive outdoor patio for those perfect Orlando evenings. With more than 100 beers on tap (yes, that’s three figures!) and 20-plus TVs, this has great pub style and is ideal for big sports events. The imaginative menu is impressive, too.

JoJo’s ShakeBAR: Milkshakes plus alcoholic additives? Sign us up! We raved about JoJo’s when it opened at Pointe Orlando last year, and we’ve been back regularly to sample their heady mix of fun, party-style venue, restaurant, dessert bar and luscious libations. Their magnificent Biggie Shakes are well worth coming in for on their own, but the cocktails and classic diner menu are equally attractive.

Vault 5421: If you want to be like the cool kids, head for Gods & Monsters comic-book and collectible store in the Orlando Crossings Plaza on north I-Drive. Here, tucked WAY to the back of the store is the mind-blowing Vault 5421 bar, a super-creative hideaway that is designed like one of the haunted houses at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. They call it a post-apocalyptic, cosplay-friendly, retro-gaming lounge and speakeasy, and that just about sums it up!

Lucky Leprechaun Irish Pub: For a simple, no-nonsense, honest-to-goodness British pub atmosphere, this is about as close as it gets. It’s been here (opposite the Magical Midway amusement park) seemingly forever and delivers a great late-night drinking spot until 2am most nights (1am Sun and Mon), with classic pub food.

Ole Red: For a more expansive style, head to this fab live entertainment bar-restaurant right in ICON Park. Pioneered by Country star Blake Shelton, it boasts multiple bars on different levels, indoor and outdoor seating, fab comfort food and outrageous cocktails. Add in the chance to try your hand at line dancing nightly from 5pm (8pm Fri and Sat) and Mechanical Bull Riding (Fri nights), and you have a straight-up fab night out.

Honourable mentions: Tin Roof and Sloppy Joe’s (ICON Park), The Hampton Social and The Pub (Pointe Orlando), ’39 Poolside Bar & Grill (Rosen Plaza Hotel), The Whiskey (Sand Lake Road).

Well that’s 15 solid gold choices for a great beer or two, along with plenty of other possibilities. We could easily have made it a LOT more, though, so get out there and find your own favourite!

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