The Imperial Kitchen & Wine Bar - Winter Park FL

By Melanie Courcy | December 27, 2022

This is the last New Restaurant Tuesday adventure of 2022, and I'm pretty excited to tell you about The Imperial Kitchen & Wine Bar in Winter Park! We happened upon this restaurant completely by chance. Turns out, Winter Park is a busy place around the Holidays, and it's near impossible to find a place to eat that doesn't have a long wait or booked for a party. We stopped at four other places on Park Ave, before turning down a side street where we found this gem.

The rule of New Restaurant Tuesday is that the place we dine at has to be new to both me and my husband. As soon as we walked in, however, I knew by the decor that this place was familiar. I asked the waiter if they were related to the other Imperials in Sanford and Orlando, and sure enough - this is one of three locations. Typically, this would knock a restaurant out of the running for our Tuesday night out. However, given the difficulty finding a restaurant, and that the other locations are more of a bar than a restaurant where we only had drinks, we decided to go with it.

The Digs

The reason why this place felt so familiar is that all the locations have a common theme - it's a furniture store where you can find exotic pieces from various countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam, China, India, Bali, and Indonesia. Each piece is handcrafted and unlike anything you would find in a traditional furniture store. This particular location serves wine and beer and is also a full-service restaurant. Inside, there are some tables in addition to a large unique looking bar area. There is also an outdoor seating area. They offer entertainment on most Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. And did I mention the furniture? Every item is so unique - it's fun to just walk around and look at the live edge tables, items made of reclaimed wood, and the various artifacts from around the world.

The Service

I mentioned the entertainment starts on Thursday night, but we were plenty entertained by our waiter. He has such a great sense of humor and personality. It was truly a treat to interact with him and watch him bouncing around the restaurant taking care of all the customers. We were seated immediately, and he brought water and menus promptly. He was happy to discuss the evolution of The Imperial and answer our questions even though he was clearly busy. He just had the best energy. We didn't wait long for our food to come out once we'd ordered, and our check was taken care of promptly.

The Tastebud Delights

It wasn't the largest food selection we've seen, but they have many interesting items to choose from. The menu has a selection of meats, cheeses, sandwiches, and a few specialty items. The drink menu has craft beers and a variety of wines to choose from as well. We started off with the Root Vegetable Chips, followed by the Crab Cake, Crab and Corn Chowder, and the Hot Duck Sandwich.

The Root Vegetable Chips had a sweet flavor and a crunchy texture. The chips were thin and reminded me of homemade sweet potato chips. The dish came with Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce which was delicious and (weirdly) paired well with the chips by adding some additional sweet and a bit of tang.

Chef Drew's Imperial Crab Cake was described on the menu as a Jumbo Lump Stuffed Cake - and they weren't kidding - it was large and full of crab! The texture was smooth with just a small amount of crisp to the outside. The seasoning was pleasantly mild (I find many restaurants overdo the seasoning on crab cakes) and on top was a sauce that was creamy with a hint of mustard flavor. The crab cake was paired with salad greens topped with tomatoes, avocado, and cucumber. The flavors in the salad blended together nicely - I could have had just the salad and been amazed by this place!

The Crab and Corn chowder was delicious and was not too rich. There were chunks of crab and corn kernels that added a bit of bulk to the soup. It came with two pieces of bread that were more like the texture of a crouton. It was the perfect warmth for the cold evening.

The Hot Duck Sandwich is one of the more popular items at The Imperial, and I can understand why! The duck was so moist, and the sandwich had a savory yet slightly sweet flavor with French Brie, Caramelized Sweet Onion, and Lingonberry Aioli mixed with the duck. The bread had a perfect crisp to the outside as if it had been fried. The dish is greasy, and napkins are necessary, but it was oh so good!

The Takeaway

I'm so happy we stumbled upon this restaurant. The food is great, the price is reasonable, and the atmosphere is so unique and laid back. The server was very entertaining and lively, he just topped off our very pleasant experience. I would love to come on an evening with live music and enjoy some of their wine offerings. And they have also started offering Sunday Brunch, so yet another experience I'm looking forward to trying! This was a perfect end to the year of New Restaurants we have dined at.

The Restaurant Info

Address: 170 E Morse Blvd, Winter Park FL

Phone: 321-972-9294

Website: https://www.imperialwinebar.com/