Downtown Orlando's most storied dining address may finally be waking up. The space at 55 W. Church St. — which housed beloved restaurants The Rusty Spoon and Elize over the past 15 years — has sat empty since Elize closed in the summer of 2020 amid the economic fallout of the pandemic. Now, owners Mandy and Gagan Singh are bringing a brand-new Indian restaurant concept called Tamara Heritage to the sun-filled room before the end of the year.
Tamara Heritage is a sister to the Singhs' existing Tamara Modern Indian Cuisine locations on Visitors Circle and in Lake Mary, but the couple says it will be an entirely different kind of dining experience. Gagan Singh describes the new restaurant as a "highly sophisticated" affair, with plans for curated tasting and set menus and a stated goal of reaching a "Michelin-star caliber standard" — elevating not just the food but the ambience and service as well.
Renovations on the Church Street space are currently underway. The restaurant's Instagram account, @tamara_heritage, is the place to watch for updates as the opening approaches.
Orlando has a notable history of ambitious Indian dining — American Gymkhana pushed creative boundaries in its time — and the arrival of Tamara Heritage could represent a significant new chapter for that tradition in the city. The Church Street location gives it a high-profile platform in the heart of downtown.
This report originally appeared in Orlando Weekly.
