Only at Universal Orlando can you soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, and help Shrek save Princess Fiona in Shrek 4-D...
But did you know that you can also sample some of the best fine dining options that the Orlando region has to offer?
So, after a day of thrills and spills, grab your glad-rags and take your taste buds for a real treat. Here are some of our favourite fine dining options at Universal Orlando...
A gourmet adventure:
Mythos Restaurant
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Location: Islands of Adventure
Hours: Lunch daily
Service type: Full service
Price range: Entrees range from $13.99 - $19.99
As you approach the towering rock formations, cascading waterfalls and ancient figures carved into the side of Mythos Restaurant, you know you're in for a unique dining experience. Nestled in a craggy grotto on The Lost Continent, the restaurant’s cavernous interior looks as if it’s been carved from the bare rock.
Mythos has been named the ‘World's Best Theme Park Restaurant’ the last six years in a row, and it’s easy to see why with one look at the menu. Highlights include crispy spanakopita with cucumber and red onion salad, olive tapenade and tzatziki sauce; pan seared mahi mahi with creamy potato tart, sautéed spinach, roasted red cabbage and horseradish orange beurre blanc; and Mythos pad Thai, made with rice noodles, mixes vegetables, chicken and shrimp tossed in a sweet and sour peanut sauce.
A full children’s menu is available for the wee ones, and if you really want a treat, check out the outdoor dining area, which offers spectacular view of the park’s inland sea and colourful islands.
Creole-inspired sensations:
Emeril’s Restaurant Orlando
Location: Universal City Walk
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily
Service type: Full service
Price range: Entrees range from $21 to $42
Turn up the culinary heat with the cuisine of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, star of the Food Network’s hit show Emeril Live.
The focal point of this restaurant is its bustling, open kitchen, where you can see the chefs busy at work. The cuisine can best be described as "New" New Orleans. The Creole-inspired dishes combine the traditional flavours of "The Big Easy" with a contemporary attitude and flair.
Menu highlights include fresh Louisiana crawfish flatbread with capicola ham, aged gruyer, rapini and spiced creole tomato glaze; and grilled Angus filet mignon au poivre with garlic creamed Yukon potatoes, roasted cremini mushrooms and a Burgundy herb reduction.
If you get thirsty, there is a 12,000-bottle wine gallery, and if you crave a smoke, there is a cigar bar with a wall-sized humidor.
Steaks with style:
The Palm
Location: Hard Rock Hotel
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily
Service type: Full service
Price range: Steaks range from $45 to $99
Bringing the legacy of its famous New York steakhouse to Universal Orlando, The Palm restaurant is the perfect place for a hearty meal in a classic New York Style atmosphere.
World-renowned for its prime cuts of meat and succulent Nova Scotia lobsters, along with classic American fare and Italian specialties, the Palm’s legendary menu and exceptional wine list is sure to leave you satisfied.
Menu highlights include the 36-ounce prime double cut New York strip, which is sliced tableside for two to three people; the jumbo lump crab cakes with chipotle tartar sauce and mango salsa; and the veal Martini with shallots, mushrooms, fresh and sun dried tomatoes, white wine, masala wine and basil.
The cartoon caricatures of celebrities drawn on the walls hark back to the original Palm restaurant's roots in the newspaper district of Manhattan, where famous cartoonists would often exchange drawings for their dinner!
Private dining is available and resort or business casual attire is recommended.
San Francisco-style seafood:
Lombard’s Seafood Grille
Location: Universal Studios
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily
Service type: Full service
Price range: Entrees range from $9.99 to $21.99
You can almost hear the foghorns at Lombard’s Seafood Grille, a casually elegant eatery located at Universal Studios’ recreation of San Francisco’s Fishermans Wharf.
Lombard’s is Universal Studios Florida’s flagship restaurant, and it has been serving up speciality seafood dishes in its Victorian-style surroundings since the theme park first opened.
Menu highlights include the Fisherman’s Basket of fresh cod, shrimp and oysters lightly fried in a tempura batter and served with French fries, vegetable slaw and creamy tartar sauce; the San Francisco stir fry of teriyaki glazed grilled chicken, crispy Asian vegetables and lo mein noodles served with a shrimp and pork spring roll; and the lobster macaroni and cheese, made from chunks of lobster meat, pasta shells, cheddar, Boursin and Grana Padano Parmesan cheeses and served with sweet potato fries.
A full children’s menu is also available.
Just like Mama used To make:
Bice Restaurant
Location: Portofino Bay Hotel
Hours: Dinner daily
Service type: Full service
Price range: Main courses range from $28 - $48
Blending old world elegance and modern day chic, Bice offers an exquisite Italian culinary voyage in the Portofino Bay Hotel.
The network of Bice restaurants spanning the world today began back in 1926 in Milan. Beatrice Ruggeri – known as Bice to her friends – was known for her extraordinary hospitality. For years she was encouraged to open her "cucina" to the public. In 1926 she agreed. With Bice in the kitchen and her brothers and sisters serving in the dining room, il Ristorante Da Gino e Bice – or Bice as it would later be known – oozed a warm family feeling. Bice’s sons, Remo and Roberto, then extended the family eatery across the globe.
Menu highlights include grilled swordfish served with Sicilian caponata and white wine, tomato, capers and black olive sauce; braised veal shank “Ossobuco” with saffron risotto; and linguine with clams, flavoured with parley and fresh tomato concasse.
The pasta is rolled daily and delicious desserts are handcrafted by the pastry chef. The restaurant has a full kids’ menu for children under the age of 12, and private dining options are available for up to 66 guests. Resort or business casual attire is recommended.
South Sea charm:
Emeril’s Tchoup Chop
Location: Royal Pacific Resort
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily
Service type: Full service
Price range: Composed dishes range from $24 - $30
The second restaurant by Emeril Lagasse at Universal Orlando, is called Emeril's Tchoup Chop. The name hints a sign of respect to New Orleans' famous Tchoupitoulas Street, where Emeril's first restaurant is located.
The food reflects Asian and Polynesian influences, while the decor blends wonderfully with the Royal Pacific Resort, with bamboo, waterfalls, sculpted gardens and giant woks in full view.
Menu highlights include sesame ahi tuna with quinoa tropical fruit tabouleh and wasabi ogo vinaigrette; "KFC” Korean fried chicken with kim chee spring onion smashed potatoes and garlicky spinach; and Sichimi spice mahi with crispy calamari, coconut spinach “luau” risorro and lomi tomatoes.
Four private dining rooms are available for groups from 10 to 65 guests; and a five course chef's tasting menus are also offered. Business casual attire is recommended.