Kaya
Covers Orlando's restaurants, bars and local plates, with menu prices checked on the date shown.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices or seasonal dates checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book anything.
Kaya is a Filipino restaurant in a small bungalow at 618 N Thornton Ave in Mills 50, open Tuesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. The menu dated September 12, 2026 runs from a $10 shrimp toast to a $45 Bicol express made with Ibérico pork, and a 20% service charge goes on every check. Budget roughly $80 to $110 a person with a drink.
One correction to a lot of travel copy: Kaya does not hold a Michelin star. It holds the Michelin Green Star for sustainable cooking, retained in the 2026 Florida guide, and it is listed in the guide. The Michelin inspectors note that about 90% of its produce comes from Central Florida farms. None of that changes the verdict. It is the dinner we would send a visitor to first.
At a glance
- Price
- Snacks $10 to $21, mains $23 to $45 on the menu dated September 12, 2026. A 20% service charge is added to every check
- Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday from 5 p.m. Last kitchen orders 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 8:45 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday
- Reservations
- Resy, up to seven guests. A few seats are held for walk-ins; you can text the host from an hour before opening
- Michelin
- Green Star (sustainability) and listed in the 2026 Florida guide. It does not hold a regular Michelin star
- Getting there
- Mills 50, just northeast of downtown Orlando. You need a car or rideshare from the Disney and Universal areas
In this guide
What to order
The menu changes a little every day, but the anchors stay. Order these for two people:
- Hot pandesal ($14 for four): Filipino bread rolls with pecorino and miso honey butter.
- Tuna adobo ($21): bluefin sashimi in a soy-vinegar dressing with banana heart.
- Oxtail kare kare ($44): the dish to photograph and the one to share. Braised oxtail in peanut stew, served with shrimp bagoong on the side.
- Sinangag ($5): garlic rice. You need it for the kare kare.
Vegetarians do well here. Mushroom sisig ($26) and adobo risotto ($23) are proper mains, not afterthoughts, and most dishes marked (v) can be made vegan.
What the bill looks like
Prices on the menu are before the 20% service charge, which the restaurant adds to pay staff a fair wage. There is still a tip line, but the restaurant says extra is not expected. Do not tip 20% on top of 20% by mistake.
Cocktails run $16 to $18, wine by the glass $15 to $17. Desserts from pastry chef Clarice Lam are $14 to $15; the Milo halo halo is the one to share. Happy hour is posted as 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday and 9 p.m. to close Friday and Saturday, though another line on the same site says 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Ask when you sit down.
How to get a table
Kaya books on Resy for parties of up to seven. If your date shows nothing, hit Notify and Resy alerts you when a table opens. Weekends fill first. The restaurant also keeps a few seats for walk-ins, and you can text the host from an hour before the 5 p.m. opening to ask about same-day space.
Tuesday to Thursday at opening is the easiest window. It also lines up with happy hour at the bar.
Make an evening of Mills 50
Mills 50 is Orlando's Vietnamese and pan-Asian strip, a short hop from downtown and Thornton Park. Before dinner, walk the Lake Eola loop. After, Wally's is a short drive away and the opposite of Kaya in every way. For a cheaper Mills 50 meal on another night, Hawkers is a few blocks away.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kaya have a Michelin star?
No. Kaya holds a Michelin Green Star for sustainability and is listed in the 2026 Michelin Guide Florida, but it does not hold a regular one-star rating. The starred Orlando restaurants in 2026 are Sorekara (two stars), Camille, Kadence, Ômo by Jônt, Soseki and Victoria & Albert's.
How much does dinner at Kaya cost?
Mains ran $23 to $45 on the September 12, 2026 menu, snacks $10 to $21, and a 20% service charge is added. Two people sharing three or four plates with a drink each should expect about $160 to $220 all in.
Is Kaya a tasting menu?
No. Kaya's dinner is à la carte. The restaurant also runs a separate Chef's Supper Club, sold through its website, which is a different event.
Is Kaya open on Monday?
No. It is closed Monday and opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.
Can vegetarians eat well at Kaya?
Yes. Several mains are vegetarian as listed, including mushroom sisig and adobo risotto, and dishes marked (v) can be made vegetarian or vegan on request.
Further reading
Official sources
- Kaya - menus (official) – Menu dated September 12, 2026 with prices, 20% service charge, hours, happy hour; checked September 22, 2026
- Kaya - reservations (official) – Resy for up to seven, walk-in policy, text-the-host tip; checked September 22, 2026
- MICHELIN Guide - Kaya – Green Star, address, 90% Central Florida produce; checked September 22, 2026
- Visit Orlando - 2026 MICHELIN Florida Guide press release – Kaya listed with Green Star; full 2026 Orlando star list (announced May 28, 2026)
- Orlando Weekly - 2026 Michelin Guide Florida results – Confirms which Orlando restaurants hold stars in 2026
