Disney Date Night at Topolino’s Terrace

An Adult with the Palate of a 5-year-old Experiments with Disney Fine Dining

Topolino’s Terrace- Flavors of the Riviera, is the newest signature dining venue on property. Located in Disney’s Riviera Resort, it is described as “inspired by the cliffside restaurants of France and Italy.” And with all of the great reviews and hype it has gotten since it’s opening in 2019, I had to try it. Just one problem… this restaurant is a signature dining venue and I, unfortunately, have the palate of a 5 year old. But, I figured that since Topolino takes its name from the Italian name for Mickey Mouse, how grown up could this restaurant really be?

Decisions, decisions

Each time we take a Walt Disney World Vacation, my husband and I eat at one restaurant we have never eaten at before. This trip we were blessed to get several reservations at restaurants we have not dined at before. Topolino’s was at the top of our must-do list. We scored a late seating reservation at 8:55 pm. I am generally not a fan of eating that late, but these reservations are coveted and difficult to obtain. So, we said YES!!

THE RESTAURANT

The restaurant is located at the top floor of Walt Disney’s Riviera Resort has a breathtaking Disney View. We arrived early for our reservation, grabbed a cocktail from the Le Petit Café in the Riviera lobby. It is a Parisian Coffee shop that serve’s sweets, coffee and cocktails (after 4 pm)- We headed to “The Library” where some of Walt Disney’s personal collectibles are housed and enjoyed a quiet cocktail. Let me interject, this is a resort to go check out even if you do not have a reservation here. The quick service restaurant, Primo Piatto, is fantastic and the grounds are beautiful. When our reservation time was near, we headed to the elevator up to Topolino’s Terrace, when you step from the elevator you are greeted by the host, we had a few moments before our table was ready, so we headed out to the terrace to check out the lovely views.

How Do I Get to Topolino's Terrace?

How should I get to Topolino’s Terrace? If you are planning on traveling to Topolino’s via Disney’s SkyLiner, check park closing times. You may need to decide how to get back to your resort after dining. We were planning to take a bus to Hollywood Studios and then Disney’s SkyLiner to the Riviera, however, Hollywood Studios closed too early for us to do that. Uber, Lyft, Taxicab or take a bus to Disney Springs and then a bus to the Riviera. Leave yourself ample time for travel.

The Review

Before we get any further into this blog, I need to elaborate on my dirty little secret. I EAT LIKE A 5-YEAR-OLD!! I am super picky; I am not what my husband’s grandfather would call an “Eager Eater”. One of my FAVORITE MEALS IN DISNEY WORLD IS CHICKIE NUGG NUGGS. There. I said it. I LOVE DISNEY CHICKEN NUGGETS=====OK now that I have confessed, on with the fancy dining review…….

The server was excellent, knowledgeable and very friendly. As soon as we were seated, we were served the most delicious bread with olive oil. I ordered one of their signature cocktails, French Rose, and my husband went old school with a vodka & cranberry. Cocktails were delicious. We ordered the ricotta appetizer- with tomato, aged balsamic, cracked pepper ($14). I dream about this appetizer. It was amazing.

Now the hard part: what to eat for dinner when there are no chicken nuggets on the menu. My husband ordered The Braised Lamb Shank and practically licked his bowl clean (he said it may have been best thing he has ever eaten in Disney World). I ordered the Tomahawk Veal Chop –and let me say I have had friends who rave about this meal. I did not enjoy mine. I found it to be very chewy. Now I did not send it back. WHY? you ask, when it was $52.00 for the plate- WHY – WHY IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT’S SACRED DID YOU NOT SEND BACK THE VEAL (even after you had to spit some in your napkin because it was so chewy)? Well I guess the answer is simple. As a side effect of my immature palate, I had nothing to compare this to. I did not know that veal was not supposed to taste like that. I chalked it up to another ripple effect of my pickiness.

I tried to do my best to enjoy the rest of this fine dining experience (and eat like a grown up). The Potato-Torpedo Onion Gratin that was the side dish for my meal was yummy so I finished that. And, let’s face it, it was late and I was already full from our delicious appetizer and bread. We decided not to partake in dessert as our seating for dinner was so late. We finished with dinner sometime after 10:30 pm. Desert looked delicious but at that hour, we just couldn’t.

ADVICE FOR YOUR DINING PLEASURE

Here is my advice:

Topolino’s Terrace if you are a picky eater like me? Depends. I think I would have raved about it if I’d ordered a different entree. The rest of my meal was delicious. So you should do yourself a favor and order the Filet Mignon. I am kicking myself wondering if the two-dollar difference in entrees was why I chose the veal? The filet mignon was $56.00.

Topolino’s Terrace with children? Totally up to you. It is a premier dining experience (did I mention no chickie nugg nuggs). And it is priced accordingly. IF your children are “Eager Eaters”, this is a must-do and totally worth the money. And when the dining plan returns, this would be a great addition to your itinerary for a 2 credit splurge. They do have a children’s menu (featuring Petite Beef Filet, Grilled Chicken Breast, Rigtoni with Tomato Sauce), and, it’s Disney, so I’m sure the waitstaff would be able to be flexible with younger picky eaters.

Topolino’s Terrace for breakfast? I 100% recommend this! This is a character dining experience for breakfast. Mickey comes out dressed as an artist to greet you while you eat (at this time Covid-19 dining restrictions regarding character meals are in full swing). Also with Mickey are Donald, Daisy and Minnie and their costumes reflect the different arts. Adorable!

Topolino’s Terrace on a budget? NO – this is a Premier Dining Experience. And this is reflected in the price. It can be included on a budget visit. But this would be the SPLURGE meal of the trip. And it would be worth it!

Topolino’s Terrace on a date night or celebration? Absolutely. The location, the atmosphere and the menu are meant for romance. Be sure to check out the terrace for amazing views of the property.

Now I know you are wondering – WILL BETTY EAT AT TOPOLINO’S TERRACE AGAIN?

YES! I will. However, I will not order the veal. I would also love to score a reservation for breakfast because I am also a five year old when it comes to characters- I love them, I want autographs, I want hugs….(soon).

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you have found this information helpful and a little funny at my expense. I love all things Disney and would love to help you plan your next adventure in the World-Land-Sea or Universe………Please leave any feedback down in the comments. I would love to hear about your dining experience at Topolino’s Terrace.