"Orlando's most ambitious omakase counter, in the 2025 Michelin Guide — book the chef's seats for a proposal you want remembered."
About Nami
Fourteen seats face the pass at Nami's chef's counter, where the tasting runs $225 a person and stretches to roughly 18 courses. The restaurant opened in 2023 inside the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, on the southeast edge of Orlando, and earned a spot in the 2025 Florida MICHELIN Guide two years later. Executive chef Jason Beliveau runs the counter; Freddy Money is culinary director. The cooking is Japanese in technique and American in its swagger — see where it lands among the city's best in the Orlando dining guide.
The Kitchen
Jason Beliveau leads the kitchen as executive chef, with Michelin-experienced Freddy Money as culinary director, and the counter is where they show their hand. The format is omakase in spirit but not orthodox sushi: citrus-cured buri arrives under yuzu-cured flying-fish roe, and the kitchen's running joke is a corndog rebuilt with caviar and a triple-cream Brie béchamel. Across about 18 courses the $225 menu moves between raw fish, hot plates and a few dishes that read more European than Tokyo. A wine pairing adds $155. The 2025 MICHELIN Guide inspectors flagged exactly this push-and-pull between Japanese precision and American excess when they added Nami to the Florida selection. It is not a purist's sushi counter, and it does not pretend to be; for that, Orlando has Soseki and Kadence. Nami is the bigger, louder room, and the one with the showpieces. Browse more Japanese restaurants worldwide.
The Room
The Wave Hotel's design carries into the room: dark, low-lit, more nightclub-adjacent than temple-quiet, with the counter spotlit against a darker dining room behind it. The chef's counter seats about fourteen, close enough that the pass becomes the entertainment; the main room spaces tables more generously, and a cocktail bar runs late on weekends. Sound builds as the night goes on, conversation-easy early and livelier by the second seating. Dress is smart; no shorts at the counter. Reserve the counter on Tock and the room fills around you rather than over you.
Best for a Proposal
Book the chef's counter for a proposal because the night is built to peak: fourteen seats, a chef working an arm's length away, and roughly 18 courses that give you three hours of shared theatre. Tell the team in advance and they will pace the room for it. The caviar corndog and the citrus-cured buri are the moments people photograph, and the dark Wave Hotel room flatters the candlelight. Ask for the corner of the counter, where two seats sit slightly apart from the rest. For other rooms built for the question, see the best proposal restaurants.
Not for
Not for a quiet traditional sushi night — Nami is a loud, maximalist Japanese-American counter, and the second seating gets noisy.
Frequently Asked
Is Nami worth it?
Yes, if you want Orlando's most ambitious Japanese-American counter rather than a traditional sushi bar. The 2025 MICHELIN Guide added Nami to its Florida selection, and the $225 chef's counter delivers about 18 courses, including the caviar corndog and citrus-cured buri. Purists after straight nigiri will prefer Soseki; Nami is the showpiece room.
How hard is it to book Nami?
The chef's counter is the hard ticket and books weeks ahead on Tock, especially weekend seatings; the fourteen seats go fast. The main dining room and the bar take same-week reservations and walk-ins are possible at the bar. Nami sits inside the Lake Nona Wave Hotel at 6004 Artist Avenue, a 20-minute drive from the airport.
What is the average price at Nami?
The chef's counter tasting is $225 a person for roughly 18 courses, with an optional wine pairing at $155. The main dining room runs à la carte and lands lower, depending on how many plates you order. Expect a counter dinner with pairing to clear $400 a head before tax and tip.
What should I order at Nami?
At the counter you eat the chef's menu, so the decisions are made for you across about 18 courses. The signatures to watch for are the citrus-cured buri with yuzu-cured roe and the caviar corndog with triple-cream Brie béchamel. In the main room, order à la carte around the raw bar and the hot plates, and add the wine pairing if you are at the counter.
Is Nami good for a proposal?
Yes. The fourteen-seat chef's counter gives a proposal three hours of shared theatre, and the dark Lake Nona room flatters candlelight. Tell the team ahead and they will pace the meal and place you at the quieter corner of the counter. For more options, see the best Orlando proposal restaurants.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Nami
Reserve the chef's counter on Tock weeks ahead; the main room and bar take same-week tables.
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Practical Information
Address6004 Artist Ave, Lake Nona, Orlando, FL 32827
NeighbourhoodLake Nona
CuisineJapanese-American
Price$225 chef's counter tasting; à la carte in the main room
Dress CodeSmart — no shorts at the counter
SeatingChef's counter, main dining room and bar
ReservationTock / OpenTable; counter books weeks out
