Disney4me Posted 20 hours ago Report Share Posted 20 hours ago We could spend hours upon hours at Universal Orlando Resort’s brand-new theme park, Epic Universe (and in fact, we have)! But, it’s not just the theme park we’re busy exploring, because three brand-new hotels have opened their doors along with the new park. Look at that VIEW! Of course, we’re mostly excited about all the FOOD! We stopped by Flora Taverna at the Universal Helios Grand Hotel to see what they’re serving up for dinner. Let’s dive into everything you need to know! Atmosphere Flora Taverna offers “a full breakfast buffet and Mediterranean comfort foods” as well as “an open kitchen, live cooking, pizza oven, open grills, and a gyros station.” It has a “light and airy atmosphere” and stunning views of Epic Universe. It really feels like you’ve been transported to the Mediterranean when you’re here! Flora Taverna But enough about the restaurant — what’s on the menu here?! Menu During dinner service, Flora Taverna serves up a wide variety of dishes inspired by Mediterranean classics. There are starters like calamari and eggplant, plus salads, wood-fired pizzas, pastas, entrees, and more. Flora Taverna menu You’ll also find plenty of sides, a few desserts, and a wide selection of cocktails, mocktails, beer, and wine. More menu items And now, onto the main event — the food! Eats We kicked things off with the Crispy Pita Salad for $21. This comes with crispy pita chips, chilled baby gem lettuce, shaved onion, avocado, tomato, radish, sumac, and vinaigrette. The first thing we noticed was how good this smelled when it came out — it was really acidic and bright. The sumac reminded us of cinnamon without being too strong. It was a bit odd at first, but it wasn’t bad, and we ended up enjoying the flavors after a while. As far as the crispy pita goes, we could eat an entire bowl full of them. The salad itself was fresh and had good flavors, but we don’t know that it was worth $21. Crispy Pita Salad For our first entree, we ordered the Rigatoni. This is made with cream of prosecco, pesto, spinach, and shaved reggiano for $28. This is definitely going to be a safe option for most people who might not want to be too adventurous with their meal. It was pretty basic, but it was a solid dish. The pasta was cooked well, and the pesto wasn’t too overpowering — the main flavor we got was from the cheese. Rigatoni We ordered the Florida Water Red Snapper Whole Fish, which comes at Market Price, and in our case, was $52. This, along with the other fish option on the menu, comes with house-made sauces to complement your whole fish. You get a choice of two out of: ladolemono (olive oil and lemon juice), chimichurri, zhug, and tahini sauce. We opted for the tahini and ladolemono. This was excellent, and we LOVED the salt crust on the outside of the fish. The salt was a larger kernel, which was rad and made for a fun textural experience. The fish was super fresh but not fishy at all; it was just light and flaky. The skin had a nice texture, and it all pulled apart very easily. The tahini was nutty and creamy, but the ladolemono was bright and fresh. Both were excellent. Florida Snapper We were accidentally served the Mediterranean Branzino Whole Fish, and so we just had to review it, too. Normally, this is also served at Market Price, which was $62 at the time we dined. This was also very flaky. The skin did not pull apart as easily as the snapper’s did, but it was still nice. It wasn’t chewy, and it wasn’t very fishy, which was appreciated. Both fish had the same sauces on the side, and they were both, again, excellent with the branzino. Mediterranean Branzino Next up, we tried the Black Angus Beef Tenderloin Kebab for $43. This comes with gremolata, confit tomato, and a choice of side (we chose the server’s recommended whipped potatoes). The meat was charred really nicely without being bitter or burnt, and there was salt on the outside, which balanced the rest of the spices really well. It was super tender and juicy and pink on the inside, and was a generous portion — definitely enough to share. The gremolata was fresh and herbaceous and paired really well with the charred meat. Angus Beef Kebab We LOVED the potatoes and probably ate way too much. We could have only eaten these and been happy. They were creamy and had a great texture, even when they were cold. Cheesy. Very garlicky. Garlic and herbs on top. 10/10 so good. Order the potatoes. No regrets. On the side For dessert, we picked up the Baklava, which is served with a Labneh & Apricot Gelato for $14. This was very crunchy and tough, but SO good. Very nutty. We enjoyed the honey coming through, and it was sweet but not overly so. It was a good balance. The ice cream was made with labneh, a yogurt, and it reminded me more of a cream cheese ice cream, if that makes sense. Baklava We also tried the Olive Oil Cake for $14, which comes with mascarpone cream, lemon sorbet, basil coulis, and citrus salad. This was our favorite of the desserts we tried for dinner. The olive oil was not super in your face — it was incredibly light. It was a really good balance — bright and lemony, and then with the lemon sorbet, it was really good. The cake was soft and fluffy. A little dense since it’s olive oil, but super easy to eat. We loved it. Olive Oil Cake Last, but certainly not least, we grabbed the Pistachio & Raspberry Cheesecake with crushed nuts for $14. This was a pretty traditional cheesecake with a great texture. It held up well on our fork without losing any structural integrity. The raspberry was mild and not overly tart, and also very nutty with the pistachio and crushed nuts. We liked the crunchy layer on top, which was also really pretty. Pistachio & Raspberry Cheesecake That’s a lot of food! Now, onto the drinks. Drinks To drink, we had the Basil Bees Knees for $17. This is made with Hendrick’s Gin, lemon juice, honey syrup, basil, and orange bitters. WOO! This was very strong. It’s VERY good when you get a whiff of the basil with the drink. We enjoyed it once we smooshed up the basil in the drink. It mellowed out and made it more balanced. It was very acidic originally, so the smashed basil helped balance things out. It was sweet, tart, and herby. Basil Bee’s Knees The Athens Sour is made with Angel’s Envy Helios Barrel Selection, lemon juice, grapefruit, and pinot noir cordial, egg white, and orange bitters for $17. This was very citrus-forward. It had a dried orange slice and lemon peel on top, so you got a ton of that on the nose as you tasted it. That citrus-forward taste continued with a lemon, grapefruit, and Pinot Noir cordial that is a house-made syrup for this drink. There were some orange bitters there as well, so you’re getting the picture — a whole citrus explosion here with the bourbon and then egg white for some slip. This was pretty sweet for a bourbon drink, but not overly sweet. Athens Sour We also grabbed the Uvo Anana for $18. This comes with Grey Goose Vodka, Cointreau, lemon and pineapple cordial, and white grape juice. This was a very mild drink. Great for those who don’t like the taste of alcohol or are new to drinking. The pineapple tasted very fresh and sweet — not artificial pineapple at all. The pineapple’s sweetness cut the alcohol taste — it almost reminded us of DOLE Whip. It was sweet but not too sweet, and had a bit of tartness from the lemon and Cointreau. Uvo Anana Flora Taverna, you’ve done it again. Nosh or Not This Epic Universe restaurant is a must-visit if… You’re looking for an elevated meal served in a gorgeous atmosphere. You enjoy Mediterranean flavors or are interested in branching out. You’re a seafood fan or just a fan of really excellent dishes. You should skip this Epic Universe spot if… You’re looking for something quick and simple. You have picky eaters in your group. You don’t want to spend a whole lot of money. Flora Taverna Overall Well, we’re certainly not surprised considering how much we enjoyed breakfast and lunch at Flora Taverna, but dinner was no different. The cocktails were standouts, and the food here is so fresh and of such good quality that it’s hard to not enjoy everything that’s served to you. Our favorites were the snapper and kebab, but those whipped potatoes will be dancing around our dreams forever. In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Epic Universe, Universal Orlando, and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest theme park news and more! See Our Flora Taverna Lunch Review HERE Read more: DFB's complete guide to Universal’s Epic Universe >> Will you be checking out this new restaurant? Tell us in the comments!The post REVIEW: We Tried Flora Taverna for Dinner at Universal's Helios Grand Hotel first appeared on the disney food blog.View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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