By Kate Cohen
Everglades Restaurant and Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining event have several things in common.
They both take immense pride in Orlando hospitality and care deeply about supporting the local Orlando community.
And their culinary collaboration turns 20 years old in 2025.
The delicious relationship between Everglades Restaurant Magical Dining has been thriving for two decades.
Here’s a look at these two Orlando legacies and the partnership that is celebrating two decades of success.
Everglades Restaurant
Located in the lobby of Rosen Centre, Everglades Restaurant is a hidden gem of International Drive.
Walking into the restaurant, you’ll feel like you’re setting foot in the mysterious Florida wetlands, surrounded by figures of native creatures and colorful murals.
Overhead, a manatee and her calf swim suspended midair. A curious alligator suns itself on a banister beside a mossy cypress tree spotted with wading birds.
If it weren’t for the white table linens and wine glasses set on the tables throughout the space, you may not recognize that you were standing in an upscale dining room.
The restaurant is a love letter to the Florida Everglades, whose northernmost headwaters, Shingle Creek, are located nearby.
The interior design isn’t the only Floridian influence at Everglades Restaurant.
Head chef Fred Vlachos has created an innovative menu blending Florida ingredients and flavors with contemporary style.
Chef Vlachos has been the head chef at Everglades since 2006, and his creative influence has made the restaurant the culinary destination it is today.
On the menu, you’ll find dishes like our signature Alligator Bay Chowder, a creamy soup made with Florida farm-raised alligator meat and applewood smoked bacon.
Fresh Florida seafood, char-grilled steaks, seasonal ingredients, and exceptional service all come together to create a truly unique dining experience at Everglades Restaurant.
Magical Dining
Visit Orlando is a non-profit organization with a passion for Orlando tourism and community.
For the past 20 years, they’ve coordinated the Magical Dining event in partnership with restaurants throughout Central Florida.
Today, restaurants offer three-course prix-fixe dinners showcasing their menu highlights for either $40 or $60.
At the end of the six-week fundraising event, $1 from every $40 menu and $2 from every $60 menu is donated to the year’s selected charity.
Previous charities have included The Mustard Seed of Central Florida Furniture & Clothing Bank, The National Alliance on Mental Illness, Base Camp Children’s Cancer Foundation, and Feed the Need Florida.
Visit Orlando will be announcing the select charity for 2025 soon.
A 20 Year Partnership
Everglades has been a featured restaurant with the Magical Dining event since its very first year in 2005.
For the past two decades, Everglades has hosted guests from around the world, showcasing a specialized three-course menu and giving back to the greater Orlando community.
Each year, Magical Dining participants can customize their menu and choose from three items per course.
In 2024, the first course included the options of creamy Alligator Bay Chowder, a classic Caesar Salad, or a rich and refreshing Burrata Salad with prosciutto and basil.
For the main course, diners could savor a Grilled Angus Filet with a Pinot Noir demi sauce, or Floridian seafood like the Chilean Sea Bass or Red Snapper with pink pineapple tequila sauce.
Each dessert option in 2024 was deliciously decadent, including a bright and tangy Key Lime Pie, a double chocolate cake known as the Chocolate Marquis, or the special Espresso Panna Cotta Martini.
While the 2025 Everglades Magical Dining menu has not yet been released, you can expect another year of flavorful favorites and culinary classics with an innovative twist.
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Everglades Restaurant and Magical Dining
The 20th year of Magical Dining begins in August 2025, and Everglades Restaurant will once again be ready with a memorable menu.
Stay tuned for all the delicious details to be released in the near future.
Make your Magical Dining reservations at Everglades for this year’s event and enjoy a phenomenal meal while supporting an important Orlando charity and celebrating 20 years of culinary camaraderie.
