Tutto Italia: A Restaurant Review



The inside of Tutto Italia Restaurant



I recently had the opportunity to eat at Tutto Italia, which is located in Epcot's Italy Pavilion. Being Italian, I was a little apprehensive about eating here, because the food never seems to measure up at Italian restaurants for me. What can I say, I lived in Italy, and my parents were both Italian (my father actually came over from Sicily), so I grew up spoiled on good, authentic food. I'd also taken it as a “last resort” choice, when nothing else that I wanted was available. Still, a good friend had also eaten here recently and raved about it, so I thought I'd give it a try, and am I ever glad I did! 

While my party of four was unable to secure a dinner reservation on New Year's Eve (silly me, I should have made my ADR back in July like everyone else, and not waited until December to look for something), we did get a lunch reservation for 11:30. My father-in-law was initially concerned that this was too early to eat; as it turns out, it was perfect. After checking in, we were seated almost immediately, and because this was the first seating, the few tables dining had the full attention of the kitchen and waitstaff before the restaurant really began to fill up. This meant we were able to get through most of our lunch service with ease.

After being seated, I took notice of the surroundings. I'm still not sure if I think the décor in the restaurant is stylish or tacky. I think it's a little of both, unfortunately. The darker woods and comfortable seating are very inviting, and the high tray ceiling with the wood inlay is a nice touch. However, the carpet is reminiscent of something you would see in a Las Vegas casino, and the murals on the wall, featuring various Italian scenes, looked like something I would find in an Olive Garden. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling gave the impression of a quiet meal, but they also appeared to be of a cheaper quality and reminded me of an old woman's house. Plus, once the restaurant fills up, it's anything BUT quiet. 



Murals like this adorn the walls inside. Tacky?



Regardless of what my impressions of the décor were, I needn't have been concerned about the food. Tutto Italia is run by the same company that operates Via Napoli, the newer Italian pizzeria within the Italy Pavilion located right “next door.” And as anyone who has eaten there can tell you, the food is, in a word, awesome. It should come as no surprise then that our meals were just as good. Our amazing waitress started us off with a big basket of fresh sliced bread and olive oil. She also brought over a couple of small dishes filled with different types of large olives -red, black and green. These were so tasty, and each had such a distinct flavor, that we asked for more. Okay, I asked for more. Twice.

We skipped antipasti (appetizers) and decided to dig right in. For the main course, each member of my party got something different. The presentation is very average, but the quality is there. The gnocchi pasta with prosciutto, ham, peas and a parmesan cream sauce featured a light pasta with a very flavorful cream that wasn't overly dense. I do wish the gnocchi had been bigger though. For people that don't want pasta, the Cotoletta Di Pollo, a breaded chicken cutlet with Pomodoro sauce, mozzarella, potatoes and vegetable was a nice alternative. This isn't your mamma's chicken parmigiana featuring sauce out of a can. The sauce was fresh, the cutlet was generous in size, and the potatoes and vegetables were seasoned perfectly. My father-in-law can be a picky eater, and he ate everything on that plate. I enjoyed the traditional Lasagna al Forno with meat ragu, bechamel and parmesan. Again, both the pasta and sauce were fresh and extremely tasty, but I think the chef may have forgotten to include the bechamel sauce because the dish was a little lacking in the middle. If it was included, then it was very sparse.

Gnocchi pasta in a parmesan cream sauce. Delicious!

Italians love to eat, and no good meal is complete without dessert. Once again, each member of my group decided to try something different, and once again, Tutto Italia did not disappoint. From the gianduja - chocolate torta, a chocolate and hazelnut torte with whipped cream and raspberry sauce, to the mocha tiramisu, featuring mascarpone cheese, espresso coffee, savoiardi biscuits and chocolate, each bite tantalized the taste buds. If you don't like chocolate or cake (and if you don't, what the heck is wrong with you??), the sorbets, offered in a number of flavors including a delicious and refreshing lemon and a sugar free raspberry that was made with such sweet berries, you wouldn't know it was sugar free, are nice alternatives. To top the meal off, the waitstaff surprised my mother-in-law, who was celebrating her birthday, with a small dessert cup filled with fluffy chocolate mousse. They also sang 'Happy Birthday' to her in Italian. And, since all of the waitstaff is actually from Italy, they got the words AND the pronunciation right. 

Chocolate torta with raspberry sauce

This mocha tiramisu didn't disappoint!

Speaking of the waiters and waitresses, I cannot say enough good things. Our waitress was so friendly and outgoing, and very attentive to our every need and request. I saw the same thing at every other table as well. Plus, since I speak a little Italian myself, it was fun to have a little friendly banter back and forth. It also impressed my wife, which is enough of a reason for me to go back.

Tutto Italia is a wonderful restaurant; I almost hate to share how good it is because it's probably going to get even harder to get an ADR now! The food is all fresh, and you can definitely taste that in the cooking. I also liked the fact that despite eating pasta dishes, we didn't leave feeling overly full or bloated. The service is top notch, as I mentioned, and the desserts are so good, had they let me, I would have stayed there most of the day eating more of them.

Some last minute things you should know before you go – ADR's are strongly recommended, so make sure to do that or you may not have any luck just walking in and getting a table. While I'm not much of a drinker, the restaurant does feature an extensive list of fine wines and spirits as well as after dinner drinks, coffees, and espresso. Tutto Italia is on the Disney dining plan, and they also accept the Tables in Wonderland card.

Buon appetito! 

Bob is a Disney travel agent and Central Florida local. You can follow his exploits here and on Facebook.  Email him at Bob@PixieVacations.com or call him at 407-810-2528 for free concierge-level help in planning your next Disney vacation.