When a highly anticipated restaurant opens but the restaurant is on Park Avenue, I usually don't run to dine there. Park Avenue has never been a critical dining spot in the city for me, and other than Prato, its other restaurants have never pulled me in. Seeing the fanfare around the opening of Ava didn't exactly lure me either. The glitzy red carpet champagne swordplay theatrics felt more like Miami, not Orlando, but I still wanted to see if the food was worth the buzz. However, full disclosure, I'm a gal that once had an anniversary dinner at a gas station restaurant, so I'm clearly not their desired demographic.

One thing that cannot be denied is that AVA Mediterraegean is a beautiful restaurant. No matter what you think of the food and service, it undoubtedly has an aesthetic not found in many restaurants locally, so for those who want to see and be seen, this will please them right off the bat. I do appreciate design and ambiance, but I don’t occupy my mind with thoughts of being seen at the “it” establishment of the moment, especially without knowing their business practices or ethics. At the minimum, I really just want the food to be worth the price tag.

To keep things simple I’m laying out the good and the things to make a note of if you are considering dining here.

Seating Pro:

You have the ability to sit outside, which is great for those of us still doing our best to avoid indoor dining at this time.

Seating Note:

If you are a party of two that requests outdoor seating, chances are high you will be sitting at the tables on Park Avenue. The larger four-top tables are on New England Avenue. Park Avenue has a lot of foot traffic, and it is a possibility that people who aren’t paying attention will bump into your table, or perhaps get far too close for comfort. There is also an uneven piece of sidewalk where we watched over 20 people trip. I'm sure you can request to sit on the New England side, but this restaurant is still quite busy right at the opening time, so you may not get your wish.

Service Pro:

Our server, Samir, made the experience extremely comfortable. Servers at high-end restaurants are usually held to much more scrutiny by their patrons and sometimes can be stiff out of fear of being themselves. However, Samir was at ease with us as we were with him, so he made sure we were not just taken care of, but not off-put by being somewhere we may not have felt we ‘belonged”. I can only hope the rest of the staff is as warm and skilled as he was.

Service Note:

There is an 18% service charge automatically applied to your bill, no matter your party size. Something that may ruffle some feathers.

Food Pros:

I saw some mixed reviews online regarding the food, and I had a game plan well before I ever got to the restaurant. First, I wanted maximum fullness while ordering. Second, I tried to steer clear of the dishes that received repeated criticism (meatballs, octopus) or items that I didn’t feel were worth the price point just at a glance, all while trying to stay under a reasonable dollar limit.

We ordered:

Potato Millefeuille $15
Grilled Haloumi Cheese $19
1/2 dozen oysters $22
Half-rack of lamb $48
Truffle Risotto (a new addition to the menu that day)
Chocolate Fondant $12

Truthfully, everything we ate was good. I enjoyed the oysters and specifically appreciated that we were able to have both East and West coast served to us on the platter so we could experience the difference as one is brinier, one more sweet. The Grilled Haloumi Cheese may seem like a tableside gimmick as they flambe it in ouzo in front of you, and maybe it is, but I found the sweetness from the blossom honey on it delightful.

Although served with accompanying sauces, the half-rack of lamb which was cooked medium, didn’t really need anything else (although I did try them both). The unexpected add-on of the brand new Truffle Risotto was a good portion to split and went nicely as a decadent side to the lamb.

The last item we were served from our initial order was the Potato Millefeuille, which I know are just high-end french fries, but the layering effect leaves them airy, crispy, and flaky. I could have eaten a few more servings easily.

While the Chocolate Fondant cake had a picture-perfect ooze, and I enjoyed it, I do think with all the fantastic dessert options in town, it could have been left off our order to lighten the bill or perhaps been larger, so if you are splitting it you get just a few more bites.

Food Note:

Because we had no real food issues, my overall cause for hesitancy in returning would be the price point and the lingering question of whether it was worth the price tag. I’ve eaten at high-end restaurants in other cities, and they’ve left me blown away, where I was talking about the dishes non-stop, living off a “food high” for days, and our bill has never been this high. Of course, cost versus worth is subjective, and I don’t think that the intended audience of wealthy Winter Park diners is scoffing at the prices, but as someone who rarely splurges on dinners like this in Orlando specifically, I guess I was hoping to be blown away, and I wasn’t. I was satisfied, and I can be satisfied if not completely elated at other wonderful restaurants here (The Strand comes to mind) for half the price.

My overall advice if you are planning to go is to read up on reviews, look for consistent trends in items that are missing the mark, and steer clear of them. I wouldn’t advise going here starving because the portions are small, and you will want to keep ordering to feel full. Plan your desired intention before you go. Is it a few small plates and a cocktail or a few entrees and no dessert? Maybe it’s just cocktails which is honestly my recommendation, but whatever you choose, I hope the best for your experience and that it is worth every penny.

AVA will remain in the mix for special occasions, or perhaps a quick cocktail and people watching with a friend.

I was not invited to dine here, all items were paid for personally.