Allow us to set the scene: It’s summer, Magic Kingdom is packed with people, the sun is beating down on you, and the most protein you’ve had all day was a little beef in your Cheeseburger Spring Roll. It’s time for a break.

So, when you need food, where do you go? After an intense day in Magic Kingdom, you deserve a long, luxurious meal in the air conditioning. How about Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort? It’s a popular sit-down table-service restaurant with good food and a relaxing atmosphere. But after we’ve been to so many winning restaurants lately, is this spot still worth a visit? Come with us to find out as we review Topolino’s Terrace in Disney World!

Let’s be honest: with so many different restaurants to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know where to eat! But we’ve been to every single Disney World restaurant, so we know what’s worth a visit and what you can skip.

Atmosphere

Topolino’s Terrace is located at the top of Disney’s Riviera Resort — just a quick Skyliner ride away from Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. This table-service restaurant serves breakfast and dinner. At breakfast, this location features a character meal where guests can meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy, all dressed up in their most artistic outfits!

Topolino’s Terrace has bright, light European-style decor like the rest of Disney’s Riviera Resort. Look out for some subtle Parisian and Italian details around the restaurant.

Inside, there are several seating areas with a mix of tables and booths. There is also a small terrace where you can take in the stunning views from the top of the hotel. If you’re lucky, you might even catch some fireworks at night. If you’re interested in a unique fireworks view, try to come later in the evening so you can walk out to the terrace when the EPCOT fireworks begin.

Menu

You’ll find a character breakfast and signature dinner here, with some fresh breakfast options served through 12:15PM. Then, the restaurant closes for the afternoon and reopens for dinner from 5PM to 9:30PM. Here’s a look at the dinner menu, starting with the appetizers.

The entree selection includes options like Branzino, Sea Scallops, and Filet Mignon.

There are also a few enhancements you can add to your meal, including Roasted Mushrooms and Grilled Shrimp.

On the kids’ menu, this restaurant offers Grilled Chicken, Rigatoni, and Petit Beef Filet.

You’ll find pasta, seafood, and other entrees at this spot during dinner, along with some desserts and drinks. We visited during the dinner service. Let’s see what we thought!

Eats

As you know, every good meal starts off with some bread. Don’t fall for the bread trap, though — it’s easy to fill up on the fresh, light, and fluffy bread served here, but you’re going to want to save room for the entrees. While this quality bread is a welcome addition to our meal, it is just normal bread that isn’t the most revolutionary menu item you can find. The bread is slightly salty, which is somewhat unique, but the best element here is that it’s fresh and warm.

Now it’s time for the main event! First up, we tried the Roasted Cauliflower Steak, which is made with farro, fava beans, arugula, radish, and green peppercorn dressing. This is a plant-based entree that is available for $36. 

Ah, where to begin? This was wonderful! Even if you’re not solely a plant-based eater, this is an excellent menu item. The presentation is beautiful, and there was lots of flavor in this dish. The cauliflower was charred beautifully (with a nice smoky flavor) and had a nice crispy outside with a soft inside. 

Both the farro and the fava beans here were exceptional, too. The farro had a nutty flavor and a lovely texture, while the fava beans added a textural element as well. The arugula salad on the side was forgettable, but we’re willing to let it slide. Truthfully, this was one of the BEST vegan dishes we’ve ever tried.

Up next, we ordered the Branzino, which came with fingerling potatoes, olives, tomato coulis, scallions, panisse, and fine herbs. This entree was $48. Again, this was quite delicious. The Branzino was light and flaky, with a hint of lemon in the fish. We found that subtle lemon flavor throughout the dish, which was a nice surprise. Even the tomatoes were cooked well with lots of flavor; the tomato coulis was slightly sweet and acidic, which balanced the saltiness of the fish.

The fish was flavorful and the skin was salty and crispy.  Oh, and the potatoes were slightly crispy and soft, with a garlicky, buttery flavor that we adored. Overall, the dish was light and bright and SO well made.

Dessert time! The Make It Pink, Make It Blue Color Changing Mousse is an orange blossom honey mousse transformed by color-changing flavors of citrus accompanied with strawberry curd and almond crumble. That’s right — this thing changes COLOR. It’s not a permanent menu item, but we were able to try it for $16. When it was first brought to our table, it was a pink color…

…but then, after a little spritz of citrus, it turned blue! This was an incredibly light, airy, and bright dessert. It’s fluffy and melts in your mouth with a natural sweetness from the honey.

The cake on the bottom is a bit boring, but it was needed to help with the structure of the mousse. The syrupy flavor is cut with the tart berry compote served on the side. The crown is made from white chocolate with edible gold dust, though honestly, it doesn’t add much in terms of flavor. The chef who brought our dessert out told us that this is the first immersive dessert created at Topolino’s! We’d LOVE to see more inventive dishes like this in the future, and we will totally be telling everyone we know about this FUN dessert.

To drink, we ordered the Pomegranate Paradiso, a specialty cocktail with Figenza Fig Vodka, Lemon, Pomegranate, and Pineapple, for $14.60. This was lovely! We found it to be tart and sweet at the same time. The heaviest flavor was the pineapple, which made it fruity and bright. Like many of Disney’s specialty cocktails, this one is quite sweet, so beware if you’re not interested in fruity drinks.

The Topolino Tramonto is a specialty cocktail with Stolichnaya Vodka, Caravella Limoncello, Aperol, Lemon, Agave, and Butterfly Pea Flower Tea for $16.50. Take a look at it — it’s so pretty! This was a simple drink that tasted like sweet lemonade with a little bit of bitterness from the Aperol on the back end. If you’re looking for a light, lemony drink, we recommend this one!

What’s our final verdict?

Nosh or Not

You should dine at Topolino’s Terrace if…

• You need a break from the theme parks to sit back and relax. Both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are only a Skyliner ride away, making this a great place to escape the hustle and bustle for a signature dining meal.
• You want reliable, quality food with a nice variety to choose from.
• You want the luxury experience of a signature meal at Disney World.

You should skip Topolino’s Terrace if…

• You are on a tight schedule. As a sit-down restaurant and signature dining experience, this meal will likely take you at least an hour and a half. If you’re looking for a faster meal, opt for a quick-service restaurant instead.
• You’re on a budget. This is a signature dining experience, meaning the entrees are pricey, and your bill will likely be over $100 — even just for two.
• You prefer classic American food like burgers and chicken. The menu here is a little more refined than some classic spots like the Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant or even Steakhouse 71.

Overall

Give Grand Topolino’s Terrace a try if you’re looking for some elegant dishes with an upscale twist. From the food to the atmosphere, everything about this restaurant is meant to transport you to Europe. While the food here is not cheap, the ingredients are fresh and high-quality and the entrees are cooked to perfection. Once again, Topolino’s Terrace impressed us, and we can’t stop telling our friends how much we enjoyed that plant-based cauliflower and color-changing dessert.

With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. 

Stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney World restaurant reviews and more news.

10 Disney World Restaurants Every First-Timer Should Have on Their List!

Have you eaten at Topolino’s Terrace? Let us know in the comments!

The post REVIEW: We Can’t Stop Talking About Our Dessert at Topolino’s Terrace in Disney World. Here’s Why. first appeared on the disney food blog.