Lago

Lago has quickly become a favorite of mine and I plan to return often. Delicious food, beautiful space.

I can’t tell you what was better about Lago, the view or the service. I was looking for a new place to have an early dinner and I found Lago. We arrived around dusk, and the view was fantastic. We chose to sit outside so that we could enjoy beautiful Lake Baldwin, which is literally right next to the restaurant.
Our server was fantastic! He got us started with some happy hour martinis right off the bat. They were great and the price was not bad at all compared to what I’ve paid during other happy hours in Winter Park. We also had the calamari and Mediterranean flat bread for starters and the gnocchi for an entreé to split.
Overall, Lago (which means «lake» in Spanish, hence the location) was a great new find. The food was very tasty, but nothing too special. The service was outstanding, and the view of the water made the experience unique. I would definitely recommend the place for a nice dinner or happy hour spot.
Enjoy!

Great spot on the lake and food was quite good.
I was here with the family and we all got something different and we were all happy.
Pastas were really good but the penne vodka left a little to be desired.
The service, music and setting is very nice.

Oh Lago, I really wanted to love you, but you let us down… several times in the same evening.
The good:
— Our food was quite tasty. I had garlic Alfredo with shrimp (fantastic), and my husband had a lamb entrée that he really enjoyed.
— Our server was very polite and nice.
The not so good:
— The music was such a disconnect from the appearance of the restaurant. The place looks very classy and nice, but they had Sirius radio — 80’s rock — playing very loudly, (commercials and all). We felt like we should be head banging when Poison came on (in fact, my husband did, but just for a minute). We didn’t mind the music; it just didn’t fit with the atmosphere.
— Our server was obviously poorly trained. While she was nice, she had almost no beverage or menu knowledge. We asked her about a drink on the menu and she replied with, «I don’t know, I’m only 18 so I don’t drink.» Ummm, okay. Then, my husband asked about their beer selections and she didn’t know that either. She left to ask the bartender for their beer list, and then returned with a hand written list on a piece of scrap paper that she handed to my husband to read. He ended up ordering an imported beer, and I ordered a Grey Goose dirty martini. She came back with a perfectly made martini, but the wrong beer. We just rolled with it because we were there to celebrate our wedding anniversary and didn’t want to spoil the fun.
— After our entrees came, I ordered a second Grey Goose dirty martini, and this time it came back with so much olive juice that it was dark brown and disgusting. I told the server about it and she brought a new martini, this one equally as bad. I felt bad returning it, because I hate to be «that person», but I just couldn’t drink it. Like I said, the first one was perfect, so I knew they could do it.
–When the bill came, we discovered that they had overcharged us by about $ 35 (happy hour prices were wrong, and we were charged for an item we didn’t order or receive). Again, we felt bad for the server because she most likely wasn’t trained properly. She kept explaining how she «must have put things in wrong». She was a nice girl, and if she was trained properly I’m sure she’d do really well.
Overall, I doubt I’d return to Lago. I might go there for take-​out, but the inconsistency with the drinks/​service and the bizarre atmosphere make it not worth the headache.

I wanted to like this place more. It’s so pretty inside and in such a nice setting on the lake outside. But as my boyfriend mentioned, if you’re going to serve inexpensive food like pasta and charge $ 20 for it, it should be really outstanding pasta!
Usually, Italian-​American isn’t too difficult for a vegetarian to manage, but almost everything on the menu had prosciutto or pancetta in it. Even the spinach salad, which I understand often contains bacon, had a bacon fat-​based dressing on it as well. We opted for the caprese and it was very good. The bruschetta was also good, not knock your socks off, but good. All of this seems well enough for me so far.
My boyfriend ordered the lasagna and I ordered the gnocchi florentine sans chicken. The sauce on the lasagna was tasty, but only luke-​warm, like someone hadn’t stirred the sauce pot in a very long time and served us what was on top. The gnocchi was a nice texture; not too heavy, but the experience was murdered by how salty the dish was! Boyfriend said his was salty too, but after eating some gnocchi, I couldn’t detect it. My boyfriend couldn’t even eat more than one bite of mine.
My best guess is that someone in that big, open kitchen over salted the pasta water. Or as my mom would say, someone accidentally knocked the box of salt into it. It made me long for a nice, light florentine with a mushroom and white wine sauce on it and lots more vegetables. I took my dish home hoping to figure out something to save it and make it edible.
One little last pet peeve: it would be nice to knock off at least a couple bucks when a large, more pricey ingredient is left out of the dish. I paid full price to not eat more than a few bites of that dish and I got it without the chicken. Another welcome option is to offer additional veggies or something instead.
I wouldn’t be keen on visiting again to dine; however, the bar looked nice, so I could keep an open mind about having a drink and an appetizer. It looked like a decent place to socialize with well placed bar seating. Nothing bad to say about our waiter either, he was a-​okay.
…Oh yeah, and when we left, a host or maybe even a manager was milling around the entry area and didn’t say a thing to us. No goodbye, thanks for coming, have a nice night… would you like a mint? Maybe they have hoards of Baldwin park devoted customers that flock in and keep the place open so they don’t have to exert effort on newcomers. But I’ve never seen the place anywhere near full…

Executive summary: decent food, good atmosphere, a bit pricey, poor service, overall a bad experience.
Went to The bar at Lago for drinks and a casual dinner on a Saturday night. The restaurant and bar were mostly empty, with only a few tables in main dinning area filled and only 6 or so patrons at the bar.
After sitting down at the bar, The bartender failed to acknowledge our arrival for several minuets, even after passing directly in front of us several times.
After we looked at the menu for a few minutes, I had a question about two of the wines on their list, and the server was unable to offer any help or advise about any of the wines.
While waiting for the food, the two bartenders proceeded to argue about the layout of the bar and the bad working conditions directly in front of us as we were trying to have a nice discussion.
The food arrived, and it was good, so no troubles there.
Then the check arrived, and the wine prices was $ 5 higher than I remembered from the menu. When I asked to look at the menu, I received a annoyed look, and sure enough, I was being billed $ 5 more for the wine than the listed price on the menu. When I presented this, the manager explained that the prices had changed, but they haven’t reprinted the menus yet. Unacceptable. They did correct the charge though.
I will not be returning to Lago, which is a shame because I do like the space and it’s location overlooking Lake Baldwin.

I’m really on the fence about Lago. We hit here a few times a year, between the bar and dinner. The bar area is nice, the dining room has an open, contemporary feel. Our most recent dinner was for our wedding anniversary. We thought the view of the lake would be nice and we enjoy the food. Service is always nice. The dining room even when packed has a nice vibe to it, so we made reservations.
We started off with an order of the mussels and a Caesar salad (Romaine salad). Hubby ordered a beer while I perused the wine list for a bottle. The mussels were awesome, we opted for the white wine and garlic (instead of tomato) and enjoyed the app. The salad was OK, nothing special and a bit pricey ($ 8) for what we got (dressed lettuce and a few pieces of shaved parm). I had to ask for fresh pepper. Would skip that salad in the future.
We opted on a Spanish Cava (Sparkling, like Champagne) since we enjoy these sparklers at home regularly. I ordered the Snapper over arugula and hubby ordered the Stuffed chicken breast (Stuffed with mozzarella and then wrapped in prosciutto, served with a creamy sun dried tomato sauce and pancetta peas). Both entrees were just under $ 30. Hubby also ordered a side of Penne with Alfredo sauce, a nice portion and delicious flavors to the sauce without being too rich. We were both very happy with our choices. However, we were informed after ordering dinner that the Cava wasn’t available. So, I opted for a dryer white wine at a higher price point. (No offer to honor the Cava price.)
Our meals arrived and we were again, informed that the wine selected was not available and we were directed to another choice that was available. The wine arrived and it was fine, but not what I would have picked to accompany our ordered entrees, with the full wine menu in front of me. While our server was nice, she was not trained in wine service or wine selections/​food pairing. For the price points of Lago’s wines, the wine service and education should be bumped up… and when wine selections aren’t available then patrons should be advised prior to ordering both the wine and the entrees.
There was a wedding reception going on in the bar, it was esp. cool to see the bride and groom since it was our own wedding anniversary. However, that experience should not take away from the diners in the main dining rooms evening. Microphone checks, pianist warm ups (repetitive scales) and a loud DJ/​music dimmed our experience for a romantic meal.
We moved outside (to escape!) to finish our bottle of wine and did not order dessert. We would have spent the whole meal outside, but the kids skate boarding withing inches of the tables took away from the ambiance of a nice dinner.
Sadly, each of our experiences at Lago have had similar «It was a nice meal… BUT» feelings. With our bottle of wine, we were well over $ 100 (pre tax and tip) for our meal. At that price point, we both expect better ambiance and better service. So, we are off to find a different spot for a nice evening out. Too bad.

My wife and I visited Lago for dinner last night (9 – 21) and had an amazing time. We chose this spot as it was one of the restaurants that participates in the annual Magical Dining month in Orlando.
The location of the restaurant is gorgeous. Literally steps away from Lake Baldwin, the place has views of the lake from almost anywhere in the dining area. Seriously, the views are awesome. Great bar area and the kitchen is open which gives you more of an intimate feel.
The interior is gorgeous and almost looks like an ultra-​lounge with the wavy furniture and modern light fixtures. Even though it was September, we sat outside and were very comfortable with the breeze coming off the lake.
Service was very prompt and attentive. We were one of only maybe 20 people in the whole place and the waiter said it is usually slower on week nights. Keep that in mind if you want an even more private setting as we had the entire porch to ourselves.
For apps we had the Grilled Shrimp (wrapped in prosciutto served with a beurre blanc sauce) and the Antipasto (Fresh mozzarella, tomato, olives, giardiniera served with assorted meats). Both were extremely fresh and delicious. Presentation was great and the flavors were spot on. They also served us bread with oil and balsamic.
Our main courses were the Shrimp Fettuccine (Fresh pancetta, onion, tomato, & pecorino romano cheese) and the Chicken Breast Saltimbocca (Prosciutto, mushroom in a marsala sauce). These were equally delicious and there was not a scrap left on our plates. I opted out of the tomato sauce and instead switched to Alfredo to go with the shrimp and it was perfect. Food was served in perfect timing and tasted hot off the grill.
Dessert was Tiramisu for both of us. It was very soft and flavorful.
Our entire experience was excellent and combined with the views — this is a place we will come back to enjoy. Baldwin Park is a cool area with lots of options but Lago is something unique and special. Highly recommended!

We used to come here from time to time to see our friends perform by the bar. The bar service is great, the bartender was always friendly. Drinks are insanely expensive though, with mid-​range rums and scotches going for something like $ 14 per drink. The low-​end rum went for $ 6 I think, but even mixed as a rum and coke, it was nearly undrinkable.
The food from the bar menu is generally cheaper than the full menu, which can get quite expensive. Bar menu items are okay, though still a bit expensive for what you get.
All in all, it’s a beautiful restaurant with some nice outdoor seating, but when deciding where to go for dinner on any given night, Lago hasn’t made it into conversation in quite some time.

Food, food, location, location. The 4 reasons i’m giving them 4 stars (Almost 5, i mean JUST missed it by a slice of crusty bread). The décor is modern, really posh, and i LOVE the open kitchen from the dining room. All the food we got was spot on. The little clams in a white wine garlic sauce was fantastic! The only thing I can say is it came with 2 little crusty french bread slices, and i think this dish would be perfect if there were just 2 more. I found myself wanting to dip more bread in the yummy juices. My risotto was amazing. Creamy, tender, curly que split shrimp (still trying to figure out how they made it curly). The lamb was also cooked perfectly. My gf nearly licked the plate clean. I had so much risotto that i had half of my meal left, Leftover King strikes again! Love it. We had a tier two red wine, Reserva something or other. Kinda didn’t taste as fresh as I would have liked. The tirumasu was good, large slice, but nothing that made me say «wow» The view of the lake was awesome, we chose to stay inside since it IS July, and your face WILL melt off. We stayed till the sun came down, beautiful when the sun slowly goes down and then the street lamps around the lake slowly glow to brilliance. With an appetizer, two entrees, two glasses of wine, and then dessert set me back about a bill, but it was worth it. I’ll definitely go back.
Spanish lesson for today: Lago means Lake. Appropriate name indeed.

Great location along with delicious food and wine gets my stamp of approval.
We stopped by this waterfront restaurant for an early Sunday dinner and ended up being the first customers of the day. The interior was modern and upscale with gorgeous views of Lake Baldwin. Our server was very attentive and not overbearing considering we were his only table.
I ordered the roasted chicken while my partner in crime had the risotto. Both dishes were absolutely delicious (some of the best risotto I’ve ever tasted!). We wrapped up with a piece of tiramisu and left very, very happy.
Prices range from $ 10-​$ 15 for starters and $ 18 and up for entrees. They also had an exensive (and a bit pricey) wine selection if you are a fan of the vino.
While it’s probably the most expensive choice in downtown Baldwin Park, the food, ambiance and location make this a great choice for a nice night out. I will be back.

Fellow Unilocalers,
This day we were planning to go eat at the Food Truck Heaven event but my amazing girlfriend and I were sorely disappointed with the offerings at this event. The flyer advertised for 1,000,000 trucks… okay I exaggerated, there were 15 – 16 trucks, but only .0023 trucks showed up… okay I exaggerated again, there were about 5 – 6 trucks. The crowd wasn’t that great either so we were very turned off because we are quite the snobby couple.
Therefore we decided to leave and go somewhere for dinner. She threw out a lot of options (followed by estrogen induced opinions) using the best restaurant rating website in the world and of course I am talking about Unilocal (captain obvious). She then stumbled upon Lago and said she had been there before and liked it. Trusting her keen senses I agreed to her suggestion and we headed to Baldwin Park.
Upon entering I was impressed by the interior, very nice décor (see my photos) and ambiance. We were not sure as to whether we wanted to eat indoors or outdoors. Naturally when the host posed the question to us we were about as indecisive as a bride to be shopping for her wedding dress.
However, we decided to sit inside after some back and forth. We had a great view of the lake and I had a great view of my beautiful girlfriend. We were served by Ellen DeGenerous, or someone who looked a lot like her.
We started off with a delicious appetizer, a giant meatball that goes by the name of Polpetta Napoletana (see my photos). It was filled with ham, peas and cheese and the rustic tomato sauce was just the right consistency for this non tomato sauce eating snob (yes, me).
My girlfriend ordered the Risotto (see my photos) dish, after her love affair with the Risotto at dragon fly (read my review) she has gone risotto crazy. I’m jealous of Risotto now. If I see Risotto at a bar, I’m starting a fight, bottles will be crushed over its head and chairs will be broken over its back. All anger aside, the Risotto was pretty damn good. It was a hearty portion with some shrimp that was also quite tasty.
I ordered the Duck Breast (see my photos) because I’m a man who enjoys a good duck every now and then and breasts all the time (you see what I did here?). The sides that accompanied the Duck were delicious, the Polenta was just right, the Cremini Mushrooms were good and the diced butternut squash was yummy. However, I did not enjoy the Cherry Red Wine reduction sauce on the Duck. It really took away from the Duck’s flavor and overpowered it. My advice: If you order this dish, ask them to go easy on the sauce or not use it at all.
Overall, the dinner was quite good and the atmosphere was also nice. I loved being the only couple sitting inside the restaurant, we could talk and stare at each other awkwardly and take pictures of our dishes for Unilocal without anyone judging. As if we care anyway!
See you later homies!

Went for Easter brunch. Neither their website nor their Unilocal hours lists that they’re open for Sunday brunch, so perhaps this is a new addition to their retinue? I wouldn’t have known they were open for brunch at all, had another Unilocaler not referenced it. Service was attentive and the view of the lake is gorgeous (will bring my dog next time as there seems to be plenty of room at the outdoor tables for her to hang out). I enjoyed a mimosa and eggs benedict, and the side of breakfast potatoes was my absolute favorite… tater tots (it was unexpectedly awesome to be presented with tots given the relatively highfalutin atmosphere). Will definitely return.

This beautiful restaurant, whose location and ambiance are only second to the flavor of the food, is located lakeside in the Baldwin Park village.
After drinking the worst margarita I’ve ever been served at their neighbor Colibri (
) we came over here hoping not to be disappointed again. At first we were a little uncertain if we were dressed too casually, as the venue has a very elegant, upscale atmosphere. The host assured us that we were not, and we were promptly seated at one of the outdoor tables overlooking the lake (see the picture I uploaded).
Just to make sure my palette wasn’t out of whack after that thing we were served at Colibri, I ordered a margarita. It was fantastic! Feeling more confident in my ability to taste, we then ordered the scallop and corn salad starter, one of the evening’s specials (I uploaded a picture of this too). The scallop was perfectly seasoned and cooked, the corn salad had just the right amount of zest, and the entire presentation was inspired.
Unfortunately we were unable stay for an entrée. However, I am confident that it would have been equally flavorful.
Overall Lago made for a picturesque evening. I definitely recommend coming here, and we will surely be back.

I came here the first time with a group of friends who were considering having their company holiday party here. They ended up booking the resturant. It was worth it!
I love the atmosphere of this place. It is very contemporary but still inviting. The restaurant faces the lake which really enhances the ambiance especially if you sit outside.
When I went they had a party going on so we sat in the bar — which was comfortably busy. The servers in the bar where very attentive. Our server was very familiar with the beer and wine menu, he was able to provide detailed descriptions of each of the wines/​beers we were considering. They have a good selection of wines and there is a decent selection of beer. They have the mainstays beers and a few seasonal and micro brews. We ordered a few apps to share. The calamari was really good. It tasted so fresh and they give you this lemony dipping sauce — Amazing! Everything we ordered was tasty. I was really happy with the entire meal. Now I really want to try their brunch.
Check this place out — It is worth it.

Excellent place! Came down to Lago this Sunday for brunch with a few friends who live in Baldwin Park. Sat outside by the sun lit lake and sampled the corn beef hash swiftly followed by 2 Bloody Marys. Can’t recommend this restaurant highly enough. The food was exquisite and the service magnificent. The brunch menu was extensive and the prices really reasonable — $ 10 for all you can drink at the Bloody Mary bar!!! Wow! I will certainly be coming back to this lovely establishment located on the edge of Lake Baldwin! Go now and tell them I sent you!!!
PS — if you partake in the Bloody Mary Bar, the waitress will simply serve you with a glass half full with pure vodka and ice. It’s up to you to go to the bar and mix your own Bloody Mary from the lovely ingredients on offer. DON’T mistake this for plain water and gulp it like I did! I almost collasped into a coma!

My boyfriend and I came here for dinner on a Thursday night for a celebration.
C’s lived in Baldwin Park for a year now and he’s just discovered the existence of this place — which is really a pity because it’s got a great location, amazing ambiance, and a very friendly staff. All we had to figure out is how good the food is.
To start with, we got the grilled (seared?) scallops that was recommended by our server. I would give this an A– because it’s a little overcooked for my liking since it’s a bit charred on the outside but I love the tender meat and the sauce.
Like the risotto fan that I am, I ordered the only risotto on the menu which has shrimp, spinach, sweet potatoes and such.
C got the duck breast and the meat was so tender that it literally melted in my mouth. I enjoyed the berry-​plum sauce that came with it and the mushrooms are very well done.
We debated on the dessert and ended up getting the bread pudding. I think it was relatively delicious but I would try something else next time.

Italian food in America is usually on the level of Olive Garden and that fact is even more true in Orlando FL. However Lago, with its head Chef Giovanni (who also owns a self named restaurant in Jacksonville, FL) remains true to authentic Italian cooking. I can claim to know «real» Italian food since my wife and my in-​laws are all from Florence, Italy. In fact, Giovanni used to work as a chef in Tuscany very close to where my wife used to vacation (small world).
When my wife and I go to Lago, we make sure we always sit at the chef’s table so my wife can speak in Italian to Giovanni. This also enables him to give us specially made dishes while he is cooking. While I love just about everything on the menu, desserts included, I am a big fan of the pasta and vongole (pasta and clams). It is really special and just like the real thing in Tuscany. Don’t miss out on the pizza’s too, especially the pizza with arugula and tomatoes. They make pizza they way it should be, with a thin crust and crispy. I would also recommend the salt fish. Very few places know how to cook the fish in a thick covering of salt that enables the fish to literally cook in its own juices. The fish does not come out salty at all, btw. I think it is my favorite way to eat fish. And like the real Italians, they de-​bone the fish right at the table.
Now that the weather is getting warm, take advantage of the beautiful view of Lake Baldwin that Lago has for a dinner with a view. They are also serving brunch on Sunday’s which are equally good. Buon Appetito!

Came in for the Magical Dining Menu, and left full and happy! I wouldn’t call Lago a Mediterranean place, but definitely Italian. I started with an antipasto plate with freshly made mozzarella, pickled peppers, carrots and cauliflower, olives and several slices of meat. I dug the salumi over the prosciutto and mortadella.
Dinner was tortellini alla panna. Aka. divine. The cream sauce was rich, the peas tasted garden fresh, the pasta was cooked perfectly. That sauce though… still dreaming about it.
My friend ordered the bucatini marinara and was a bit disappointed. My dish definitely won that round.
Dessert was the chef’s special of the day a triple chocolate cake flavored with what tasted like an orange liqueur. The server said it was a Cognac. It was really good. The gelato was a bit of a disappointment… it was very artificial vanilla tasting.
The prices are a bit high on the regular menu, but, I think you get a very nice meal, a great view (of the lake) and a really well designed space that is both fancy and comfortable. Service was outstanding as well.
Definitely one to come back to!

Took by boyfriend to Lago last night for dinner before he left to fly back to California. Yes, it’s still FIVE stars for me, and now for him as well. It was a little slow (as in not busy — not the service), but with the economy and the fact we were out on a Monday, it was to be expected.
For a starter I ordered the Zuppe de Cozze in the pomodoro sauce for us. I love mussels, especially in a pomodoro. Well, we were served Zuppe di Vongole (clams). So yes, I would typically be upset and consider deducting a star, but they were absolutely delicious and I was actually happy with the ‘mistake’ because it was a great first try for clams, which I had never experienced. We sopped up the sauce with the bread the waiter brought us.
For an entrée, my SO ordered the snapper. He absolutely loved the preparation. I tried his snapper (and one of the shrimp) and it was very tasty. I ordered the Bucatina (which is not what my mom ordered as mentioned in my previous review). It was served in a pork ragu with peas and topped with ricotta. It was sooo good; I would easily order that again.
For dessert we ordered the Sicilian Chocolate Almond Cake. I have to admit, it is not something I would typically gravitate towards, but I’m really glad he ordered that. It was delicious. The chocolate was not overwhelming and more of an accent than an actual part of the cake. Between the layers there was a thin layer of almond paste and apricot preserves. Very interesting flavors that worked well with one another.
We actually had Tony (again) as a server and Giovanni was in the kitchen. He did come out at the end of our dinner and it was nice to say hello and see how things at the restaurant had been. I did mention I noticed one or two things were different on the menu and he did say they were still playing with it to see what works best.
So even if you’ve been, I recommend you take a trip back to Baldwin Park and pay a visit to Lago. It could be a whole new experience.
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