This event was hosted by Arundel Estate. I was invited to enjoy the experience and share my honest opinion.

It's not every day that my husband and I get to enjoy a date night away from home, much less a romantic date night! Being the foodies that we are, we're always searching for a unique dining experience in Orlando or Central Florida. We're always up for an adventure, so anything that turns dinner into an experience is right up our alley!

When a friend told me about Arundel Estate's Dream Dates, I immediately did my research. I've always wanted to surprise my husband with a romantic dinner in Orlando (or in a surrounding area) but I just didn't know where to start, nor did I have the time or money to plan something elaborate! I realized that I'm not the only one with this problem, so I reached out to Arundel Estate's for this story.

What is Arundel Estate's Dream Dates?

Arundel Estate is a beautiful venue with acres of southern land, oaks, and canopies. It's a perfect wedding and party location. If I could turn back time, I'd totally get married there!

Their newly launched Dream Dates experience is literally what dreams are made of. Located among the trees, spacious land, and other photo-worthy locations on the property, is an Orlando date night like no other. The friendly and welcoming folks at Arundel Estate are ready to make your dream date and reality but setting up an outdoor table for two or a picnic. There are 4 different locations: Poolside Terrace, Front Lawn, under The Oaks Canopy, and in the Gazebo. Each area has a special theme! You choose the location/theme of your choice and then choose whether you'd like a romantic picnic or a table for two.

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If you choose a Table For Two, an award-winning chef will cook a gourmet meal of your choice (from the limited menu) and pair it with a bottle of wine. These are the dinner choices:

• Filet Mignon Tenderloin Medallions served in a Sweet mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce
• Chicken Arundel – Chicken Medallions smothered in a Creamy Gorganzola and Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
• Roasted Salmon (cooked medium) in a Creamy Piccata Sauce with Capers and Wilted Spinach
•  Vegan & Vegetarian – Roasted & Grilled Seasonal Vegetables w/Penne in a light EVOO & Garlic Sauce  

If you choose a picnic, you'll receive a lovely charcuterie board with a yummy dessert and wine!

Description from the site: At Arundel Estate, we believe that the essence of love is time. Our designs create more than a stop at the local restaurant. Whether you’re looking for a unique way to spend time, celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or looking for the perfect way to propose. Or … for an occasion where ordinary just won’t do. From a romantic Picnic to an elegant Table for Two, pick the theme or the location and we will do the rest. We invite you to choose the best one to celebrate that special moment together.

My Experience at Arundel Estate's Dream Dates

I immediately knew that my Dream Date location of choice would be under the Oak canopy because how gorgeous is that? This theme is Crystal Elegance which includes a gorgeous Crystal Chandelier overhead, roses, and a very poetic table setting.

Our date time was 6:00pm, which we'd already reserved. The sun was setting when we arrived, which made for a beautiful sunset. Unfortunately, I didn't get many photos because of the low-light outdoors but I can promise that these photos don't do the setting any sort of justice. It was absolutely beautiful and something out of a romantic movie.

We were greeting at the front of the Estate and escorted to our date. I was surprised at how secluded and private our date location was. In fact, each dating location is very private. It was a bit of a walk through the land to get to our specific location, so I was happy that I didn't wear heels that day or I would have been stuck in the grass!

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The hostess seated us, turned on the overhead light, and helped up with the outdoor lantern (it was a rare, cold Florida evening). Our glasses were filled with ice and a bottle of water was chilling in an ice bucket, waiting for us.

The table was set with wine glasses, plates, roses, and fun romantic props. A nice addition was the bluetooth speaker at the table, which allowed us to really set the mood with any music of our choice played from our smartphones.

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It felt really nice to be wined and dined like this! The server brought us bread and wine to hold us over until dinner. I was a little disappointed that the bread wasn't fresh, but it was tasty. The wine was okay. I guess I expected it to be a more expensive wine because of the price of the experience and the glamour of the experience. We did get to choose red or white so that was nice.

The hostess explained that the date is meant to be a very private experience so they would be giving us time to ourselves. I definitely appreciated that because these days, we can't ever get private time.

My husband and I both chose the filet mignon tenderloin because we couldn't pass on a good steak dinner! The meal arrived to our table after about 30-45 minutes of arriving. This gave us enough time to chat, listen to music, and just enjoy the scenery. The hostess did give us a game of Dominoes to play, should we choose to partake. That was a cute touch that I didn't expect.

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Our dinner arrived and we immediately dug right in! The filet mignon with mixed veggies was absolutely delicious! I've never had filet mignon so tender before. The mixed veggies were full of flavor and cooked just right. I really appreciated the portion size because it was just enough to fill you up but left room for dessert.

The dessert was a cheesecake with strawberries on the side. I could tell it was frozen prior to serving but it was still good. I think it would have been nice to have dessert options and maybe something unique/homemade. Either way, I enjoyed it.

Overall, we had a really enjoyable dining experience at Arundel Estate's Dream Dates. If I were to experience it again, I'd choose the Gazebo because it looked beautiful! I also think the picnic would be fun!

Arundel Estate's Dream Dates pricing, availability, and my final thoughts

The Arundel Estate's Dream Dates offers the most romantic and unique dining experience in Orlando and Central Florida, but it comes at a price. The Table for Two is $300 and the Picnic is $250. That being said, I think this isn't something you'd want to experience every week. I think it's meant for very special occasions, like an anniversary, birthday, proposal, or Valentine's Day! I even like the idea of enjoying an afternoon picnic with some girlfriends or for a bachelorette weekend. The weather was nice this January but I'd be concerned with the heat in the summer time, since this is an outdoor date night.

Right now, there are select dates available for a Dream Date at Arundel Estates. You can book a Valentine's Day experience before the special day:

• Friday, February 8 at 12pm for picnic or 6pm for Table for Two
• Saturday, February 9 at 12pm for picnic or 6pm for Table for Two

You can book your reservation on the site right now or you can email them to request a special date!