Where Orlando's Best Shoppers Buy Gifts

Mall at Milennia's and Florida Mall's Best Kept Secrets

Mall at Milennia's and Florida Mall's Best Stores for Women
David Yurman
Tiffanys
Neiman Marcus
Bloomingdales
Swarovski
Macys (Perfume and Handbags)
Victoria's Secret (area's largest and most upscale)
Nordstrom


Mall at Milennia's and Florida Mall's Best Stores for Men
Tag Heur
Macys
Tommy Bahama
Sunglass Hut
All Saints
Tumi

Mall at Milennia's and Florida Mall's Best Stores for Teen Girls
Sephora
Mac
Guess
Bath and Body Works
Macys (Perfume and Handbags)
Victoria's Secret

Mall at Milennia's and Florida Mall's Best Stores for Teen Guys
Buckle
H & M

Mall at Milennia's and Florida Mall's Best Stores for Techies
The Apple Store
Microsoft Store
GameStop

Mall at Milennia's and Florida Mall's Best Stores for the Home
Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn Home
Bloomingdales
Crate and Barrel
Neiman Marcus

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Cafe Bistro, Florida Mall's best restaurant.

  ***Local Secret***

Don't miss this New American Bistro upstairs at Nordstrom. 

Enjoy a view of the exhibition kitchen in a vibrant cafe that delivers fresh bistro cuisine.

"Nordstrom restaurants are committed to offering a superior dining experience. Our menus
feature fresh, local ingredients to create made from scratch dishes."  Based in the health conscious American Northwest, Nordstrom is committed to using sustainable, natural and organics foods, including cage-free eggs and milk free of BGH.

Menu faves include Roasted Chicken and Goat Cheese Panini, Bistro Flat Iron Steak Frites and Nicoise Salad with Salmon. Or try Grilled Shrimp with Asparagus Risotto or Rustic Vegetables and Three Cheese Pizza if you're feeling creative.

By the glass wine choices are varied and interesting, for example, there's a Pinot Gris from Acrobat and a Red Blend called The Magician.

For the munchkins, there's a Cafe Menu with games and kids meals, including pasta with tomato sauce and a simple chicken breast sandwich. All kids meals come with raisins and a drink in a complimentary kids cafe cup.

Stay Calm and Go to Nordstrom

Nordstrom- A Tranquil Island of Civility in Orlando

Locals were excited to hear that Nordstrom, the retailer famed world-wide for a unique brand of customer service, was coming to town.  Visit the Orlando outpost in the enormous, yet accessible Florida Mall.  You'll be glad you did!

Nordstrom's 5 Best Kept Secrets

At the inside mall entrance to Nordstrom, you'll find 5 ways to RELAX and enjoy yourself.

1. Ebar- A Latte in a Sunny Atrium  ***Local Secret***
Meet Ebar, a great little coffee shop by the entrance to the store. 
Enjoy handcrafted coffee beverages prepared by skilled baristas, house-made smoothies, 
pastries and a variety of grab-and-go sandwiches, salads and snacks that are made fresh daily.  
Coffee s better than Starbucks, staff is friendly and best of all, you can sit at one of the many little tables in the atrium outside the store and RELAX. Get off your feet and enjoy reviewing your purchases so far. ONLY locals know about this!!

 2. Great Shoe Department
Located right inside the store next to the coffee bar. 
HUGE with lots of comfy seats for your guy and your kids to rest or check their phones. Always lots of new styles, but NOT trashy or cheap versions. The real thing. And they're not worn from too many try-ons like they are in some stores that get too much traffic.

3. Love Fragrance? Get a Generous FREE spray samples.
Nordstrom makes a fresh FREE spray sample of any fragrance you'd like!  
On Ebay, you'd pay $5 for a generous sample like this, but at Nordstrom, you can be a diva and enjoy as many as you'd like...  Try brand new FLASH from Jimmy Choo or a newer classic like Chanel Chance. Check out these sexy fragrances that men love- Vince Camuto, Narcisco Rodriquez Eau de Parfum (pink bottle) and Dolce Gabbana THE ONE.

4. Little Boutique with fine chocolates
Go straight into the store. Behind the escalator on the right, you'll see a new little "boutique" within a store. It's charming and there is a fine chocolate case there as well. Lots of great take-home souvenirs to be found here, from picture frames to duvet covers... 

5.  REST ROOMS
Definitely the nicest in this mall and very clean. There's one on the first floor BEHIND the boutique by the door and a much larger one upstairs. If you like a quiet spotless quiet restroom (who doesn't?), GO UPSTAIRS. 


Okay, back to the story....You'll love Nordstrom. 
It's uniquely American, yet has a European ambiance due the the service.  Nordstrom is a quieter style of shopping than Macys. 

Although the prices are similar to Macys, Nordstrom carries UNIQUE and SPECIAL items as well as all your favorite American Designers and cosmetics.  Good examples are UGGS for kids in the newly redesigned and adorable childrens department. And a whole department of women's hair accessories that you won't find anywhere else.

Nordstrom buys it's merchandise by the store. So this store has a focus on top quality American designers like Mark Jacobs and Michael Kors for it's visitors from around the world.

 Did I mention SERVICE?   The staff is very helpful, yet not overbearing in any way like some boutiques. It is also ridiculously easy to return things to Nordstrom, they are famous for a "no questions asked" policy that has not time limits. Amazing.
In Orlando, Nordstrom is the place to go when you have a wardrobe challenge and limited time. The staff knows their merchandise which is unusual in Orlando's huge department stores due to the fast movement of inventory. At Nordstrom, it's part of the job!  

If you want full-scale styling, they'll bring you things from other parts of the store. Do you need a dress for a daytime wedding, plus a belt shoes to match?  Or a tank top to go with your new mini skirt? 

PARKING TIP 
Park in between Macys and Nordstrom on the back side of the mall. 
You'll see Macys on the left and Nordstrom on your right. If you you park near Sears or Penney's or the Food Court which are the first things you see when you drive into the mall lots,  you could literally walk a mile back to the car with bags and a coffee in hand... Trust me, you'll be really sorry!

SANITY TIP
Say NO to Macys in the Florida mall!  
The store's a MESS and service is poor. Go to the larger Macys at Mall of Milennia, which has better management and a whole additional floors of childrens wear and home, plus the largest luggage department in town. It's worth a trip just for Michael Kors and Juniors. Plus Mall of Milennia has all the upscale brands, like Tiffany and GUCCI and Neiman Marcus.

Don't miss Florida Mall!

Florida Mall is great fun for a day trip.  Here are some highlights, and there are many more!

Adrenalina-  Huge surf shop with "indoor surf experience" (wave tank). If you are lucky, you can watch the resident hot guys surf (think Abercrombie guy on a board).

Build A Bear workshop- Younger children and tween girls love making custom bears and other stuffed animals like bunnies and raccoons. There's a great selection of accessories to personalize the toys, so the result can be unique as a cheerleader soccer bear with a cell phone.

M & M store-  Huge store devoted to the ubiquitous candy. Something for everyone including clothes, toys and race-themed items. Plus an M & M buffet where you pay by the pound.

Sephora- Cult favorite cosmetic, hair and skin care brands including Makeup Forever, Fekkai and Perricone and many more, plus the latest fragrances for men and women. Great assortment of makeup brushes and cases. Always something new. Find great gifts in any price range. Grab something new to slip into your suitcase.

Teavana- High quality loose tea of all kinds plus tea accessories, including teapots and strainers.  Always has cold and hot teas too sample.

Saks Fifth Avenue- Orlando's only Saks.  Great for cosmetics, costume jewelry, womens status accessories and purses.  Don't miss Armani makeup counter by the mall entrance, staffed by talented makeup artists. Pure genius and very low pressure.

Nordstrom coffee shop- between Nordstrom and the mall, a quick serve coffee shop with friendly service, good quality coffee drinks, some cute coffee-themed gifts and snacks.

Nordstrom- Perfume, shoes and accessories departments. All three are located right by the mall entrance, great if your feet are already tired.  Kudos to the Nordstrom buyers manage to find shoes, jewelry and hair accessories that are unique and stylish, yet affordable. You can get a large custom sample of any perfume even the very latest exclusives.