You work hard. You get those assignments done on time. You clean the house/apartment. You take care of kiddos. You’re doing an awesome job. And now that it’s time for you to go on your well-deserved Disney World trip, it’s about time you treat yourself to the ULTIMATE EPCOT fireworks dining experience. Got no idea what we’re talking about? Don’t worry, we’re about to share ALL the details with you.

The way we see it, you have a few options when it comes to watching the Harmonious fireworks in EPCOT. One, you could stake out a spot around World Showcase, plant your feet and position yourself in the perfect location, and then watch the show. Or you could stroll up to Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort, sip your cocktail, and watch the show from high in the air. Of course, there are other ways to enjoy the show, but let’s get back to the Riviera, shall we?

Topolino’s Terrace isn’t any old burgers and fries restaurant (though there’s nothing wrong with those beauties). Topolino’s is a signature dining experience (we’re talking dress code, handmade pasta, and artisanal cheeses). Unless you’ve made a special trip to the Riviera Resort, you might not know much about this nighttime dining experience! And even if you have noticed it, you might have also noticed the price tag that comes with it. It’s pretty expensive, but is this spot worth the cost? During our recent trip to Disney’s Riviera Resort, we went straight to the top of the hotel for a fancy dining experience at Topolino’s Terrace to see how this restaurant holds up.

Atmosphere

There are a couple of things to note about this restaurant. First of all, there are two completely different experiences you can have at Topolino’s. For breakfast, Topolino’s Terrace operates as a lively character meal with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy! The big, open dining room lets in lots of bright light, and there are tons of little dance breaks. It’s a good time!

Then, for dinner, the restaurant transforms (not literally, we’re talking strictly about the vibes) into a classy, modern space with fine dining and fancy drinks.

Oh, and there’s a dress code.

According to the Disney website:

• “Men must wear khakis, slacks or dress shorts and collared shirts. Jeans may be worn if in good condition. Sport coats are optional.
• Women must wear Capri pants, skirts, dresses, or dress shorts. Jeans may be worn if in good condition.
• Not permitted are tank tops, flip-flops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, hats for gentlemen, cut-offs, torn clothing, and t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics.”

Sorry, now is not exactly the time to bust out your popcorn Crocs and tank tops. Save it for the parks!

The dining room is mainly one big, open space with a variety of tables and seating, including some standard tables as well as booths. The decor in here is beautiful, full of golden colors. Simple yet elegant and fun.

There is a small bar with first-come, first-served seating. You can also order a drink at the bar, then take it out to the terrace.

As you’ll come to see, both the food and the atmosphere here are quite elegant at dinnertime. It might even make you want to use your fancy voice, but we promise that this place isn’t stuffy! You are still in Disney World, after all.

At each table, you’ll find a reusable menu and a cloth napkin (embroidered with the logo! We told you this place was FANCY!).

Inside the restaurant you’ll find tables along the windows, giving you some epic views to the outside. There are also some pretty impressive light fixtures to look at.

Of course, we have to talk about the terrace, which is STUNNING! The lights! The view! Come on!

The best part? You can see the Harmonious fireworks from here! Disney even pipes in the music from the show, so you get the full Harmonious experience, but elevated (literally. Get it? ).

Admittedly, this view doesn’t allow you to really see the screens on the water or the cool projections that are part of the show. But we don’t mind! The view of the fireworks themselves more than makes up for it in our opinion!

In general, we think that the atmosphere here is gorgeous. Especially up on the terrace, it feels like you are in your own little world.

If you’re looking for an adult-friendly space that feels a little less “theme park” and a little more “elegant French/Italian dinner,” this is the place for you.

Not looking to do the full sit-down experience? See how you could eat at Topolino’s WITHOUT a reservation!

Menu

The menu has a wide selection of appetizers, entrees, and desserts inspired by French and Italian flavors. (Oh, and plenty of drinks, too)

On the appetizer menu, you can order a plate of gnocchi, ricotta, or olives, or go for something a little more adventurous, like Escargot en Gougères. There are also some salads available.

For your main course, you can choose between a variety of pasta, seafood, and meats. The entrée menu is clearly priced along the lines of a signature dining experience.

Topolino’s Terrace also serves two enhancement options: Shrimp and Black Perigod Truffle (spelled Black Perigord Truffle online by some sources). The Black Perigod/Perigord Truffle is a special type of truffle and one of the most expensive ones. Each enhancement option is close to $20.

Of course, we can’t forget about dessert! Guests can choose from a variety of options from a fruity mousse to a rich chocolate cake, or they can go for a savory cheese board!

Traveling with kiddos? They can come to enjoy the signature meal with you. The menu has several options for kids, and the Grilled Chicken Breast is probably the plainest option for picky eaters.

Topolino’s terrace also has non-alcoholic beverages available so you can end your meal with some espresso or a Spritzer.

Here’s a look at the cocktail menu. The prices range from $14 to $21 for a specialty drink.

Topolino’s Terrace also has a wide selection of wines, beer, and hard cider. Alright, now let’s get into our meal!!

Eats & Drinks

First, let’s talk drinks. We ordered the Modern Fashioned for $17 (right) and French Rose (left) for $15.

The Modern Fashioned is made with Knob Creek Rye Whiskey, Appleton Estate Reserve Blend Rum, Vanilla Bean, and Bitters. As the name implies, it’s basically an elevated old fashioned cocktail (what’s not to love?!). We could really taste the alcohol, but the flavor wasn’t as overwhelming as other ones we’ve had.

The drink had a slightly sweet flavor that balanced out the bourbon quite nicely. Plus check out that adorable Riviera Resort ice cube! Overall, the drink is a good version of an Old Fashioned — nothing dramatically special, but still good.

The French Rose is made with Grey Goose Le Citron Vodka, Combier Crème de Pamplemousse Rose Liqueur, Raspberry, Agave, Lemon, and Soda Water. This drink was sweet and tart, but didn’t have an overwhelmingly artificial sweet taste (which was good!). It reminded us of a boozy lemonade, but (this is the word of the day) elevated. Overall, it was refreshing and crisp.

If you like sweet drinks, the French Rose is the perfect balance of an elegant cocktail that isn’t too fancy.

We also sipped on a Champagne Cocktail for $21 during part of our meal. This is a cocktail made of Moët and Chandon Impérial Brut, Aperol, and Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth.

This was a bubbly, slightly sweet yet also bitter cocktail. We picked up on a hint of bitterness from the Aperol, which was nice. This isn’t as sweet as an Aperol Spritz, but it was an elevated and special drink to pair with your dessert or meal. If you like bubbles but want to change things up, this could be a good pick!

During our meal, we also grabbed the Press Pot Riveria Resort Blend. We got it for 2 so it was priced at $9. This coffee features “Artisanal Roasted Joffrey’s Coffee” which is a “blend of 100% Arabica Beans from Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, and Kenya.”

This was VERY tasty! It was nice and rich and dark. So if you like to end your meals with some coffee or are just in need of a bit of caffeine, you might want to give this a try!

Now let’s talk BREAD. Once we were seated, our server started us off with several pieces of French Epi bread inspired by wheat stalks. The bread pulls apart quite easily and comes with imported olive oil for dipping. Our bread was the perfect balance of crunchy yet soft — perfect for soaking up that fancy oil!

That olive oil added a wonderful flavor and depth to the bread. We also like that the bread came in little chunks that were easy to rip. It’s the type of starter that’s perfect for munching on while you chat with your dinner companions. Just don’t fill up too much on that bread before the main meal comes!

Bring on the food! To start out our meal, we got the Olives Marinées for $9, the Ricotta for $14, and the Gnocchi for $16.

Y’all — get READY for some delicious food! Our Gnocchi, which is made with Duck Confit, Pesto Bianco, Garden Kale, and Pine Nuts, was something TRULY special! You know when you can just tell that an item is truly made with the good stuff. This was IT. The gnocchi is a beautifully pillowy pasta — the kind you dream about as a foodie. That pasta is dusted with crunchy pine nuts and a creamy and rich (yet not too heavy) sauce.

This was to DIE for. Our only complaint is that this dish is served as a very small portion. This is fairly typical of signature dining experiences and it is pretty rich, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting more. Our tip? Don’t try and scoop up a lot at a time; savor each bite!

Next up, and a little less expensive, is the Olives Marinées. Our olives were covered in Lemon, Garlic, Marjoram, and then topped with a bay leaf for extra-fanciness (and flavor). According to Britannica, marjoram is an herb that is used to season many foods. It is said to impart a “warm, aromatic, slightly sharp, and bitterish flavor.”

To state the obvious, you need to love olives to order this starter! The olives themselves were big, salty, juicy, nicely seasoned, and had a great touch of a citrus flavor. You could easily pop a whole bunch of these in your mouth throughout the entire night for a delightful flavor experience.

To finish off our appetizers, we grabbed the Ricotta, which is made with Tomato, Aged Balsamic, Cracked Pepper, Basil, and Epi (that’s the French bread we saw served at the beginning as part of the bread service).

Oh YES — this was another winner. The ricotta (and bread) are made in-house, and boy does that make all the difference. That ricotta was sooo creamy, and the tomato gave it a little sweetness, while the balsamic gave it a little acidity. The portion was HUGE (especially compared to the other starters). This was one of our favorite eats of the night. It’s THAT good.

Now, on to the main event! We’ve got two incredible entrees to show you — one for our pasta nuts, and one for our meat eaters. Further back in the photo you’ll see the Rigatoni, which was $32, and closer to the front is the Filet Mignon for $54.

First up is the Filet Mignon, which came with a delightful potato purée, soubise, pickled scallions, onion jus, and guanciale shallot jam. There are a lot of fancy words in there, we know, but don’t let those mysterious words like soubise and guanciale scare you away! (For the record, soubise is a French sauce with onions, and guanciale is an Italian cured meat product).

If you love steak, you can probably tell from the photo alone that this was a beautifully cooked filet with a lovely char on the outside and a juicy center. It was the kind of heavenly steak that is so tender you could cut it with a fork!

Those potatoes were also fantastically creamy and buttery (we’re still dreaming about them ) and the onion jus went perfectly with the dish. Was it the best steak we’ve had in Disney World? Probably not. We’d say that there are better ones on property, but it was still an EXCELLENT steak!

For those that love steak, we think you’ll really enjoy this dish. This is, however, one of the safer options on the menu, and steak is a pretty common option in Disney World’s signature restaurants. If you’re looking for something more special, you might want to opt for something else, like a more unique pasta dish.

Alright, it’s CARB time! We’re suckers for carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes…they’re the BEST!), so we just had to try the Rigatoni for $32. This dish is made with braised chicken sugo, rapini, wild mushrooms, and is topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Before we dig in, let’s go over some of those fancy terms.

A quick search online reveals that sugo means sauce in Italian. The rapini is that green stuff buried under the cheese — it’s pretty much just a leafy green vegetable that’s also known as broccoli rabe, according to the Food Network.

Can food be referred to as fabulous? Yes? Okay good, because this. was. FABULOUS! That (house-made) pasta was cooked to absolute perfection and you can really tell that it is made in house and is fresh. The mushrooms and cheese were (predictably) stellar. This dish was light and creamy all at once. When you’re eating pasta, it can feel heavy, but despite the thick rigatoni pasta and addition of cheese, we didn’t really feel weighed down by this dish at all!

Of course, we can’t ignore the price. $32 is a lot for a pasta dish, even by Disney’s standards. But the high-quality ingredients and elegant flavor profile made it worth it (to us, anyway). We’ve ordered this dish MULTIPLE times and it’s a solid, consistent, and delicious choice.

Now it’s time for dessert! We went for the Cheese Board for $18, which came with a variety of international cheese selections, honeycomb, figs, mushroom conserva (here we go again with the fancy words), and Marcona almonds. We’ll let you in on a little cheese board secret, though: you don’t really need to know what’s what — just embrace the board and try everything!

For those of you who simply must know, conserva is Italian for preserves (shout-out to Google Translate), so think of it like some tasty mushroom preserves.

Our cheese board came with housemade lavash crackers, which were made with rosemary, garlic, and flax seed.

There were four kinds of cheese: Valençay, a creamy French goat cheese; Comté, a shaved Italian cows milk cheese; French Roquefort Blue Cheese; and Taleggio Italian Cheese.

Also on the board was Florida wildflower honeycomb, Marconi spiced almond, mushroom compote, and fig jam.

Okay, so this isn’t any old grocery store cheese. THIS IS FANCY LIVING FOLKS! The blue cheese was strong, but not overwhelming; while the French goat surprised us with a stronger flavor than we expected. Both of the Italian cheeses tasted more mild and paired well with the accompaniments.

The almonds had a little heat to them due to the spices they were seasoned with, which was quite nice. Overall, it was a nice portion size and we loved having all of those accompaniments. If you have enough room in your stomach for a plate full of cheese after your meal, we recommend it! If you want something more sweet instead though this restaurant has plenty of options.

For a more traditional and sweet dessert, we picked the Vanilla and Citrus Crème Brûlée for $14. This crème brûlée was made for Disney’s 50th Anniversary celebration and contains morello cherry compote, strawberry foam, sugared beignets, chocolate meringues, and a 50th Anniversary chocolate stamp.

Oooh yes! This was SO good! It was light and citrusy, making it the perfect end to a very filling meal. The little beignets were surprisingly dense and actually tasted more like donut holes. The crème brûlée itself had that signature caramelized top that worked so well with the citrus. We would DEFINITELY eat this again.

And that’s it for our meal. So is this place worth the pretty substantial cost?

Nosh or Not?

Make a point to visit Topolino’s Terrace if…

• You’re celebrating a special occasion and don’t mind splurging — Topolino’s Terrace is an amazing signature dining experience, so high-quality dishes are basically a given. As you would also expect, though, high-quality dishes can be pricey! If you’re looking to celebrate during your vacation and want an amazing meal, give this restaurant a try!
• You consider yourself a foodie who lives to try delicious foods — For those who go to Disney not to ride the rides or watch the shows, but instead to EAT, this is the place to be! There are so many things to try and ways to enjoy the restaurant. You could back again and again and enjoy something new and different. But even if you get the same thing over and over again, you’re sure to enjoy the house-made feel to those items and just how fresh they taste.
• You LOVE cheese (and carbs) — It’s no secret that we LOVE cheese, and if you’re anything like us, you’ll appreciate the wide variety of cheeses available at this restaurant. From the entrees to the desserts, allllll the cheese was great. And we highly recommend this restaurant to those who love to indulge in a carb-y dish — from the bread to the pastas, there’s a lot to satisfy that craving for carbs!

Skip Topolino’s Terrace if…

• You’re ballin’ on a budget — No matter how delicious the food may be, expensive is expensive. Luckily, Disney offers TONS of other dining locations with quality dinners for a much lower price tag.
• You want a quick meal — This is a table-service option, and it’s not the kind of place you can buzz in and out off quickly. If you’re not interested in a long, drawn-out meal, you’ll want to look elsewhere!
• You aren’t interested in the fanciness of the Riviera — As we’ve said, this is a fancier, expensive restaurant with some unique foods and drinks. If you’re just looking for a casual dinner, you might not like the atmosphere of Topolino’s Terrace.

Overall

Overall, we had another AMAZING dining experience at Topolino’s Terrace (we’ve had many a great time here in the past). There aren’t too many places in Disney World that offer signature dining with fireworks views, so this is a special place with a special menu.

Our server was helpful and prompt, and the dining room is intimate and calm. Dare we say it — we may have ended up enjoying our food here more than the food from California Grill or Yachtsman Steakhouse?! We truly find the food here to be TOP notch.

We seriously enjoyed everything that we ate! The steak was excellent, the pasta was a dream, and all the cheeses and desserts were so good! The prices are a bit high (especially some of those starters and the pasta), but the quality of the food and the environment balances the price (at least in our opinion). Especially when you can get an EPIC fireworks view.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments! As always, keep an eye on DFB for the latest Disney World food reviews and more.

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Will you consider visiting Topolino’s Terrace on your next vacation? Let us know in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Dinner AND an EPCOT Fireworks View in Disney World? Yes, Please! first appeared on the disney food blog.