Knife & Spoon

Who Should Book Knife & Spoon

Knife & Spoon is the right call for a special-occasion group dinner where steak is the point, not the backdrop. If you are celebrating something — an anniversary, a milestone birthday, a work trip that deserves a proper send-off — and you want a room that earns its $$$$ price tag, this is Orlando's most technically credible steakhouse. First-timers should know going in: this is a place to slow down, order the Exotics section of the menu, let the meal unfold over two or three hours. Arrive expecting a deliberate, course-driven experience rather than a quick chop-house meal.

The Room and the Setting

Knife & Spoon sits inside The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, off the hotel lobby, the room signals its intentions immediately. Gray oak wood lines the walls, a dramatic cloud-like ceiling installation draws the eye upward, jewel-toned accents break the neutral palette. A turquoise stone bar with brass fittings anchors one end of the space. The open kitchen is visible from several seats, the chef's counter positions are worth requesting if you want to watch service in motion. On evenings when the weather cooperates, the terrace offers sunset views, a genuinely strong reason to time your reservation for early evening, since that vantage point is harder to replicate inside. For a first-timer, the visual impact of the room does a lot of the work before the food arrives.

The Proteins and How They Are Built

The beef program at Knife & Spoon is the most specific thing about it. USDA Prime cuts come from 44 Farms, a Cameron, Texas ranch known for grass-fed beef, chef John Tesar dry-ages them on-site, some cuts for as long as 240 days. That aging depth is a meaningful differentiator, most steakhouses in this price tier source from the same small pool of suppliers and age to 28 to 45 days. Reaching 240 days requires controlled conditions and genuine commitment to the process, it shows in the flavor concentration of the beef. The 32-ounce HeartBrand Akaushi bone-in ribeye, listed under the Exotics section, is designed to be shared; a table of two can anchor a full meal around it. The caviar potato pavé is the natural pairing for the 44 Farms bone-in ribeye. Order the kimchi creamed spinach alongside the butter-poached Asian chili lobster, which is finished with white soy and sriracha. These pairings are not incidental, they are the architecture of the meal, first-timers should follow the logic rather than building their own order from scratch.

Beyond the Steak

The menu is wider than its steakhouse label suggests, which matters if you are booking for a group with different preferences. A whole fish course, sourced from local anglers and served with Thai salad and lemongrass chimichurri, gives the table a seafood anchor. Vegetarian options are present and considered: heirloom tomato salad with Persian cucumber and herb vinaigrette, beets with mascarpone and coffee-cardamom soil, avocado fries, wild mushroom sides. The Johnny mac and cheese functions as a standalone dish rather than a filler side. The lobster preparation adds an Asian-inflected lane to the menu that separates it from the format of a conventional steakhouse. For a group of four or more, the range means everyone can build a satisfying plate without defaulting to beef.

Drinks and the Wine Program

Wine Director Jessica Dukes oversees a list of 255 selections with 750 bottles in inventory. The list leans California at its core, with pricing in the $$$ tier, meaning many bottles cross the $100 mark. The by-the-glass selection spans rare pours to sake, which gives the table flexibility without committing to a full bottle. Corkage is $50 for guests who bring their own. For cocktails, the Seared Citrus Old Fashioned, made with The Ritz-Carlton's barrel-select 1792 bourbon and seared orange cordial, is the opening move most worth making, it works as a closing drink too. The bar itself is a functional pre-dinner option if your table is not yet ready.

Credentials and Trust Signals

Chef John Tesar holds multiple James Beard Award semifinalist nominations and has a documented track record at his Texas restaurants, as well as appearances on Leading Chef and a winning run on Food Network's Extreme Chef. Knife & Spoon carries a Michelin Plate designation for both 2024 and 2025, recognition that confirms consistent quality without claiming a star. For a first-timer assessing whether the $$$$ spend is defensible: the Michelin Plate at two consecutive years, the sourcing specificity of 44 Farms and the 240-day dry age, Tesar's James Beard history collectively make the case. For reference, restaurants at a comparable price and ambition level nationally, Le Bernardin in New York City, The French Laundry in Napa, or Alinea in Chicago, carry more star weight, but Knife & Spoon is operating in a different category: it is the strongest steakhouse-format dining room in Orlando, not a tasting-menu destination competing on those terms.

Booking and Logistics

Book at least three weeks ahead; same-week availability at The Ritz-Carlton is rarely workable for a destination dinner of this type. Valet parking is available on-site. Dress code is business casual, the room looks the part and underdressing will feel off. The amenities list includes gluten-free options and vegetarian options, reservations are strongly recommended. There is no published phone number in the current record; book through the hotel's reservation system or OpenTable. For international steakhouse comparisons, A Cut in Taipei and Born and Bred in Busan offer a useful benchmark for what serious beef programs look like globally. Knife & Spoon holds its own in that context at the sourcing and aging level.

Pearl Picks, Also Consider in Orlando

• Capa, The other $$$$ steakhouse worth comparing directly; a different room experience at the top of the Four Seasons.
• Sorekara, Japanese, $$$$, strong alternative if the group wants precision without steak.
• Camille, Vietnamese, $$$$, worth knowing if anyone in your party is looking for something outside the steakhouse format at the same price tier.
• Kadence, Japanese omakase, for those who want a tasting-menu progression rather than an à la carte build.
• Sear + Sea, Seafood-forward alternative worth considering if the lobster course at Knife & Spoon appeals more than the beef.

For a wider view of the city's dining scene, see our full Orlando restaurants guide. For where to stay, our full Orlando hotels guide covers the options. Planning more of the trip: bars, wineries, and experiences guides are all available.