Aquamarine, Waldorf Astoria’s poolside café in Orlando, Florida was one of my favorite places we ate during our time in Florida. The food was exceptionally delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal after taking a wonderful midday swim in the hotel’s spacious, palm-tree encircled pooled. Stepping into the covered stone café was the perfect way to cool off, relax, and enjoy some of the best seafood and drinks we had on our escape to Florida.
Aquamarine
Location: Orlando, Florida
Address: 14200 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane, Orlando, FL 32821
Inside Waldorf Astoria Orlando Hotel
Food Type: Brunch, Seafood
Dining Experience: Poolside or Outdoor Patio
Price: $100+ per Person
Dress Code: Casual
Reservations: Not necessary
Special Diets: Pescatarian, Vegetarian,
Gluten Free (not GF dedicated)
Aquamarine’s Atmosphere & Ambience
Located right next to the Waldorf Astoria Orlando’s pool, the atmosphere was fun, and very relaxed. Some diners were wearing swimsuits and coverups, some, like us had changed before their meals, and others were dining poolside in swimsuits, lounging in the sunshine on a chaise lounge. Overhead fans helped cool us off in the 82º heat, which felt so hot to us after spending so much time in Michigan’s cold winter weather.
The front of the café area was completely open, allowing guests and pool goers to walk right up to the large semi-circular bar, that was particularly well-stocked I might add, and place their orders. This lack of an exterior wall made the transition from café to pool deck seamless, and allowed the beautifully warm breeze to blow into the café area, making our meal that much more refreshing.
Aquamarine’s Menu
Their menu was extensive, and completely digital. By scanning a QR code on the table, we could access the menu that had lots of fresh fish, seafood, and vegetable dishes. They had lots of vegetarian options, as well as numerous options that could be made gluten-free. They even have a kids menu, and while we don’t have children, the kids around us seemed so excited about using their parent’s phones to view a menu meant specifically for them, which was really cute to see. They have a separate menu for their inventive drinks, which you can view here.
Our Meals at Aquamarine
To start, we ordered tuna tacos made with seared tuna, cabbage, cilantro, avocado velvet, piquillo pepper coulis on soft tortillas, as well as their house chips & salsa and their edamame hummus, since we were with our two best friends.
I ordered their Maine Lobster and Golf Shrimp in a spinach wrap, which was absolutely delicious, along with a Caesar salad. This was some of the best lobster and shrimp I’ve ever had, and their Caesar salads were SO great that all four of us ordered them as our sides. They’re seriously the best Caesars we’ve ever had! To drink, I ordered the non-alcoholic strawberry & mint cooler with muddled strawberry and fresh mint leave, topped with Sprite. I hadn’t had any sort of soda in years, so this was a really nice change of pace for me.
Robin ordered their Florida Grouper Sandwich, but they were out of grouper that day, so they substituted it with freshly caught sea bass instead. His sandwich was made with pan-seared sea bass, tarragon remoulade, artisan greens, and pickled red onions on top of a house-made challah knot as the bun. He ordered the Prosecco Popsicle drink (at my behest) because I thought it was such a cute drink, with a little fruit popsicle in the glass of Prosecco, which was delicious. He’s such a good sport, haha.
My best friend Jamie had their Reuben Sandwich, which consisted of shaved corned beef, beer braised sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on toasted Jewish rye bread. As a reuben aficionado, Jamie said that Aquamarine’s reuben was by far the best she’d ever had, and that the textures of all of the ingredients were positively perfect together. To go with her reuben, our server recommended their house Bloody Mary, and Jamie said that was excellent too.
Final Thoughts on Aquamarine Poolside Restaurant
Overall, everything we ordered was absolutely fantastic, from our appetizers to our meals and our drinks. Our service was fast and friendly, our fish and seafood was cooked to perfection and as fresh as could be, plus there’s nowhere I’d rather enjoy a meal in Florida than by a beautiful pool, surrounded by palm trees right before a visit to Disney World!
Stay tuned for more details on our trip to Orlando, FL and Disney World. We had so much fun at the Waldorf, the Disney Parks, the Orlando area and beyond, and I can’t wait to share all of the amazing things we ate, saw, and did with you. Plus, keep an eye out for more details about our move to Greenwich, Connecticut!
Leave a Comment Here