The sheer number of exceptional eating establishments that unveiled themselves in 2023 made identifying and ranking the best new restaurants for this annual roundup more difficult than foisting a $15 hot dog onto skeptical Orlando foodies. Re-revisiting these notable hotspots certainly didn't make this somewhat subjective task any easier, and only served to add another 10 pounds to my bay-windowed frame.
Clearly, restricting the selection to just five new restaurants — as we've done every year since the inception of Top Tables in 2012 — was going to be far too limiting, given this banner 12-month period. So, in an effort to accurately reflect this unprecedented year for restaurant openings, the decision was made to expand the selection from five to 10 restaurants, and my brain and belly are all the happier for it. From sophisticated houses of fine dining to frenzied fast-casual sup spots and everything in between, here, then, are the very finest restaurants that opened in 2023 — my top 10 tables, plus a group of notable 2023 openings.