ORLANDO, Fla. – Yelp has released its annual list of top 100 places to eat in the U.S. and only four restaurants in Florida secured a spot.
To create this list, Yelp has a data science team which combed through ratings and reviews made by customers, as well as community managers and trend experts who go through potential candidate restaurants to curate the final selection, according to its website.
One Orlando spot which made the list is Kaya, a casual fine dining restaurant in the Mills 50 District at 601 N. Thornton Avenue. It serves Filipino food and offers menu items at different price points from a multicourse experience to bar snacks, per its website.
Kaya placed tenth on the list and it’s the first time it has made it to Yelp’s Top 100.
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The owners of the spot, Jamilyn Bailey and Lordfer “Lo” Lalicon, spoke on Florida Foodie and shared how they want people to feel comfortable in the space while enjoying high-quality food.
“You know, there’s no pretension or having to feel intimidated by the restaurant experience. There’s not a white tablecloth, but it’s fine dining because of the attention to detail and the intention in our sourcing and our ingredients and in our service that is at the level of fine dining,” Baliey previously told News 6.
This is not the first time Kaya has been recognized for its greatness. It was nominated in 2024 for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant and is part of the Michelin Guide, earning a Green Star for its sustainable practices.
Meanwhile, the highest-ranking Florida restaurant on the list — Amy’s French Bakery & Bistro in Pompano Beach — placed ninth. This spot is known for its all-day breakfast and serves menu items such as croissants, crepes and made-to-order omelets. It made it on Yelp’s top 100 restaurants in the U.S. list last year, coming in at No. 34, as previously reported.
The other Sunshine State restaurants on the list include:
- Twice Removed, a cocktail bar in Fort Lauderdale, landing at No.52
- Wafaa & Mike’s Cafe, a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurant in Jacksonville, landing at No. 86
To check out the full list, click here.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below: