Hannibal's on the Square

Fellow Yelpers,

Being in the mood for French cuisine for me is like waking up in the morning with a high libido; it happens every day.  Therefore, this is one offer I seldom turn down and was more than pleased (all libido puns aside) to have been invited to dinner at this charming establishment that I have strolled past on sundry occasions, but never wandered in.  

From the outside looking in, Hannibal's is very reminiscent of an attractive little European, or more appropriately, French restaurant.  It sort of architecturally reeks of pompousness and its interior is reflective of what could only be apropos for its type of cuisine; pretentious decor.  Not to be misunderstood, these are two things which I thoroughly enjoy and it isn't at all in my opinion negative traits, but rather in accordance with my expectations hence my loving of it all.

The restaurant is adjoined by Chez Vincent which its decor is a far cry from Hannibal's Lounge.  It is analogous to having a [very clean] 1990s Kia dealership sharing a connected hotel room with a 2000s BMW dealership.  I don't know about you, but that seemed like an accurate comparison at the time.  The Lounge offers a beautiful bar that is inviting of great conversations and cocktails.  However, since it is so far from the main drag at Park Avenue, it lacks a bit in human traffic which could be a plus for some.  At first glance, it seemed like most of its clientele were return customers or friends of the Chef.  The available seating ranges from regular chairs, to therapist like love chairs and interesting chairs that forces one to maintain good posture due to the lacking proximity of any back cushion.  All extremely charming.

So aside from expecting to have my order taken by a therapist while I lied down and vented my day's frustrations, we were greeted by a nice hostess who proceeded to tells us about the specials and hand us the cocktail and wine lists.  Also, bread is served with a small variety of special butters that are made in house.

Service was extremely prompt and courteous.  No issues were had there, there were two gentlemen providing covers of famous 90s songs which was a nice surprise.  Although at times it seemed to be a bit loud for the rather confined area of the restaurant, it was fine overall and actually entertaining.  

Right away glasses of wine were ordered and the mention of a foie gras appetizer immediately caught my attention.  In other words, it was ordered in haste.  It arrived beautifully set up (and in good timing) as it can be seen in my photo of it.  The foie gras tasted great and the texture was very good as well, not extremely fatty either which was nice.  Coupled with the apples and the reduction sauce it made for a marvelous intro to what came next.

My main entrée was also another special, after mentally wrestling with wanting Venison, the Veal Chop was the clear winner when the tummy bell rang.  It was a nice piece covered by a peppercorn cognac sauce accompanied by mashed potatoes and some vegetables (see my photo).  Overall, a very great dish.

I would definitely recommend this place for a nice romantic date or business dinner and drinks.  Far away enough from the crowds on Park Avenue, it makes for a good place to actually chat without having to scream over other patrons and the bar is just so darn gorgeous that it's worth a visit.  So make your way down and venture out of the main area of Winter Park and stroll down NE Ave. for a nice quiet and tastefully loud surprise!

Au revoir!

We only stopped in for pre-dinner cocktails, so I'll stick to speaking about the ambiance and alcohol (there's a motto in the making!)

The interior of Hannibal's is cozy cozy cozy. Soft lighting, a bar, tables, a sprinkling of couches and chairs, all contributing to a relaxed yet classy room. We snapped up the couch and chairs with our friends and ordered a couple rounds of drinks before toddling off for our dinner reservation.

My love affair with the ambiance was interrupted by the slow service and iffy drinks. They were all mediocre at best - with the exception of the coffee martini, which was very tasty but had the benefit of coffee to mask bad mixing. The margarita didn't come in its matching glassware, nor did it have a speck of salt on the rim. The old fashioned was pretty darn bitter. They subbed out one of the main ingredients of my drink because they were out - without asking if I'd like to pick something else.

Maybe the answer is go for the atmosphere and order wine or booze neat, or perhaps a round of straight shots?

This is one of my favorite places in Winter Park!  Been coming here for a little over three years.  We usually go late on Friday or Saturday (9-10pm) because that is when the place is jumping! Entertainment by Michael Lamy  and other guest musicians or vocalists is always fun and if Eddie (sounds like Old Blue Eyes and I'm not joking either) or Cathy (classically trained so occasionally she will do something from a Broadway musical) are around,  they are usually asked to hit a few notes then you are in for a real treat. If you can sing (no Karaoke PLEASE) then you can ask Michael for the mike and he will accompany you on piano! Get a lot of terrific and unexpected surprises sometimes and some are just  flat out hysterical!! The food is always very good and if you don't like something Vincent and the staff are exceptionally accommodating.  I love the staff, always warm and friendly and welcoming as well as the owner Vincent!  We usually sit at the bar and have Will make us one of his "specials" and I have not been disappointed yet! Real drinks for grown folks is what they serve at this place so if you're NOT a drinker go somewhere else! Antoine always comes over to say Hi for a second no matter what he's doing and if Vincent can, he comes out to say hello to the regulars with hugs and kisses! Its such a nice experience. We have either brought friends or recommended friends to this place over the years and have not had a complaint yet. Coming from Atlanta we had very specific ideas for upscale but laid back entertainment and good food and drinks and we have not been disappointed with Hannibal's!!