Welcome to Celebration!
I love my little town of Celebration, Florida. I really lucked out when moving here. When you think of a charming Florida town, you think of Celebration. People are constantly outside walking the lush streets, there are tons of families, and a main street complete with quaint restaurants and twinkle lights.
The coolest thing about this town is that it was founded by the Walt Disney Company in 1994. It’s first residents moved in in the summer of 1996 and since then this community has built schools, medical centers, and a thriving real estate market. Everyone wants to live in Celebration. When I first moved here I remember telling another Disney intern what town I was living in and her eyes got wide. She said “Celebration is a place you visit, not a place you live.” It’s gorgeous homes and perfectly manicured streets are like a dream.
Now that I’ve lived here for almost a full year, I’m excited to give you my list of favorite spots in this perfect town.
The Celebration Town Tavern
On any given weekend evening you’ll find me at the Tavern. This is truly “where the locals go.” You can sit outside at the bar, my personal preference, or you can get a table inside to enjoy Boston favorites. They have a great happy hour with $3.50 well cocktails and $5 sangria. As for the menu, you cannot go wrong. I recommend starting with the onion rings – these are not for the faint of heart. You’ll need at least 3 people to finish them off, but they’re worth every calorie! If you have room for a little something after those I recommend the Clam Chowder, a real Boston favorite!
The Grand Bohemian Hotel
While I don’t have the budget to stay here, I do have room in my budget for 2/$10 Moscow Mules. I love this as a happy hour spot because just off the lounge is a deck overlooking the pond. You get a great view with great drinks. Take your time here and really soak it all in. From the deck you can see downtown Celebration, and the deck is decorated with white and red awnings and palm trees. This is the perfect spot to watch the sun go down.
Market Street Cafe
This is an upscale vintage diner. You get the checkered floors and bar stools, but you also get some cool light fixtures and subway tile. I love going here to write, read, or get inspiration. I don’t mind going here by myself and sitting in a booth for a couple hours with a cappuccino. My favorite dish is definitely the eggs benedict. I’m a sucker for eggs benedict and this one with a side of home fries is a home run. Did I mention this restaurant also has an outdoor patio, and views of the pond.
Le Macaron
I feel like I was born to be French sometimes. Of course this is just based off my love of red lipstick, couture, and croissants. Either way, when I found this little gem in downtown Celebration I was beyond thrilled. Macarons are among my favorite desserts of all time. I think they’re so whimsical and fun. Le Macaron has so many flavors of macarons and other french desserts. My favorite flavor is definitely the bubblegum. (The one with sprinkles.)
Avocado Mexican Grille
For a girl who craves Mexican food at least once a week having Avocado only a couple minutes from my apartment is definitely a plus. Their house margarita’s are made with orange instead of the traditional lime, and you can get a pitcher for $20 and between 3 people you get about 3 margarita’s each. The food is very good – especially the quesadillas. My favorite is the shrimp quesadilla. Top it with some guac and dig in.
There are so many other good spots – but these are where I frequent the most. If you’re looking for pizza stop by upper crust, a full Italian dinner hit up Cafe D’Antonio. There’s even a place with the best sushi I’ve ever eaten called Ari. Celebration has everything you could ever want.
