FULL DINNER REVIEW: Flora Taverna at Helios Grand Hotel at Epic Universe

Planning a trip to Epic Universe and not sure where you should eat while you’re there? We can help!

We’re on a mission to try ALL the restaurants in this new park and at the surrounding hotels, so you know where to eat and which spots you may want to avoid. We headed over to Helios Grand Hotel for dinner at Flora Taverna, one of three meals offered throughout the day here, to see if it’s worth a stop!

Background

Flora Taverna offers Mediterranean comfort foods for both lunch and dinner. Whether dining indoors or al fresco, guests have amazing views of Universal Epic Universe.

But are those beautiful views and the food worth taking time out of your park day to eat here? Let’s find out!

Atmosphere

Flora Taverna is light and airy with blue accents and florals, making this place live up to its name. The restaurant is open daily for all three meals:

• BREAKFAST: 7 AM to 11 AM
• LUNCH: 11:30 AM to 2 PM
• DINNER: 5 PM to 10 PM

The decor inside the restaurant is stunning and elegant, and there’s plenty of both indoor and outdoor seating. You really feel like you’ve been transported to the Mediterranean when you’re dining here, and the large, open kitchen makes for great entertainment, IF you get a seat nearby!

But enough about that, what are we eating?!

Food & Drinks

We grabbed a LOT of items to try here to make this a truly comprehensive review, so get ready!

We tried the Crispy Pita for $21, which is Chilled Baby Gem, Shaved onion, avocado, tomato, radish, sumac Vinaigrette. This salad smells delicious and is very acidic and bright. We were thrown off by the cinnamon on it at first, but it kinda worked, but in a weird way. It’s a traditional Greek salad, just with the addition of cinnamon — not bad at all, but it wasn’t our favorite!

The Rigatoni is $28 and made with Cream of Prosecco, Pesto, Spinach, and Shaved Reggiano. We won’t lie — this was pretty basic pasta. However, that means it’s a pretty safe dish for pickier eaters and tastes more like a comfort dish. We didn’t mind it, but it wasn’t anything special.

Then we tried the Florida Water Red Snapper Whole Fish at $52, which is the market price for this fish. We loved the salt on top of this! The salt was in a larger kernel form, which was great, and the fish was super fresh but not very fishy, which we loved. The skin had a nice texture, and it all pulled apart very easily — we recommend!

The Black Angus Beef Tenderloin Kebab was next at $43 and is Gremolata, Confit Tomato with your choice of side (we chose the server’s recommended whipped potatoes). This was charred really nicely. It was not bitter or burnt, and there was salt on the outside, which balanced really well. It was super tender and juicy and pink and beautiful on the inside, so consider us impressed!

We also grabbed the Mediterranean Branzino Whole Fish for $62 (again, market price). This was very flaky, and while the skin did not pull apart as easily as the snapper, it was still nice. It wasn’t chewy and wasn’t very fishy, which we appreciated. Both fish had the same sauces on the side, and we found we loved the tahini the best!

The Whipped Potatoes on the side were incredible! They were creamy and had a great texture, even when they cooled off a bit. They’re cheesy, very garlicky, and we recommend these 1000%.

Our first dessert was the Olive Oil Cake at $14, which is Mascarpone Cream, Lemon Sorbet, Basil Coulis, and Citrus Salad. This was our favorite of the desserts! The olive oil flavor wasn’t too in your face, it was a really good balance between being bright and lemony, and then the hit of olive oil. The cake itself was soft and fluffy, though a little dense due to the olive oil, but we didn’t mind it. A winner, for sure!

Then we tried the Baklava for $14, which is served with Labneh & Apricot Gelato. This was very crunchy and tough like traditional Baklava, and it reminded us of a Nature Valley crunchy bar. It was very nutty, and we enjoyed the honey coming through, as it added a sweetness that wasn’t overpowering. The gelato on the side wasn’t our favorite, but we still think this is a solid dessert overall.

Our final dessert was the Pistachio & Raspberry Cheesecake for $14, which does come with Crushed Nuts. This was pretty traditional cheesecake with a great texture. The raspberry was mild and not overly tart, and this dish was also very nutty with the pistachio and crushed nuts. We enjoyed the different textures here, so we’d say this is a winner as well!

We also grabbed a few drinks, like the Athens Sour for $17. This is Angel’s Envy Helios Barrel Selection, Lemon Juice, Grapefruit & Pinot Noir Cordial, Egg White, and Orange Bitters. This was very citrus forward, and you do have to really like bourbon to enjoy it, but our reporter loved it! It was very well balanced, extremely smooth, and was overall very impressive — we recommend!

The Uvo Anana is $18 and made with Grey Goose Vodka, Cointreau, Lemon & Pineapple Cordial, and White Grape Juice. This is a very mild drink. It’s 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 at all, and that sweetness cut the alcohol taste. It reminded us of DOLE Whip in the best way!

Finally, we got the Basil Bee’s Knees for $17, which is Hendrick’s Gin, Lemon Juice, Honey Syrup, Basil, and Orange Bitters.

This was very strong and 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. Originally, it was very acidic, so we were thankful for the basil to restore that balance!

Magic or Tragic?

This Epic Universe restaurant is a must-visit if…

• You’re looking for a menu with a lot of options
• You’re looking for a sit-down restaurant to take your time in and admire Epic Universe
• You’re staying at Helios Grand Hotel

You should skip this Disney World spot if…

• You’re looking for a quick service meal
• You, or someone in your party, is a picky eater
• You’re not staying at Helios Grand Hotel

Overall, this restaurant continues to impress us, especially thanks to the well-trained and helpful staff. We think it’s a great spot to go for those looking for an upscale meal at Helios Grand Hotel, and especially a good spot for special occasions.

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Epic Universe and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Universal news and more!

Why Is Nobody Talking About THIS At Epic Universe?!

Are you planning to eat here? Tell us in the comments.

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