Ranking WDW Italian Restaurants * April '22

Walt Disney World Dining
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Which restaurant does Italian food the best?

Disclaimer, as a local, there are very few WDW property restaurants I would suggest for a night out in Orlando … but if you want to stay inside the Disney bubble, which is the best of Italian?

We’ve been to (5) in recent weeks, so I’ll limit my thoughts to those (5), and watch the comments and replies for what others think.

#5 for us is Wolfgang Puck Grill, Disney Springs. Certainly has the best meatballs, but we didn’t enjoy the pizza style, and the pasta was good, but didn’t really stand out. This one does get a huge PLUS for having an actual interesting dessert menu, rather than just the typical cannoli or tiramisu or cheesecake.

#4 Mama Melrose at Hollywood Studios. As park food goes, this is a decent good meal, not the best Italian, or at least not to our liking.

#4 and 5 were “one and done” for us. Good, but no real urgency to go back.

#3 Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante at Disney Springs. Certainly the most visually appealing restaurant on the list. We went here for Valentine’s day, It was good. We would go back to try a few different dishes that also look appealing. Perhaps our selection from the Valentines menu were simply not the best choices they offer. We will be giving this one another try.

#2 Via Napoli Ristorante / Tutto Italia Ristorante in the Italy Pavilion at Epcot. If we are in Epcot for a table service meal, these are restaurants we would (and do) go back to.

#1 for our tastes and interests the best choice of the list is Trattoria al Forno on the Boardwalk… Their breakfast offering is one of the better breakfasts at a resort (I would give a slight nod to Ale & Compass or Topolino’s Terrace for best breakfast). We appreciate how Trattoria’s dinner is a bit adventurous, and steers more towards authentic Italian. Just a well run restaurant where we enjoy their food, and haven’t left disappointed.

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I haven’t been to any of the DS restaurants, but Tutto Italia is probably my favorite with Trattoria al Forno a close second. Via Napoli is fine, but I’m in no hurry to go back to Mama Melrose at all.

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I haven’t done much Italian in WDW for some reason. The only one on your list that we’ve hit is Mama Melrose’s, which was serviceable. I will have to try Trattoria al Forno next time we are there, or maybe Via Napoli.

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What perfect timing! My family love Italian and I was just yesterday looking at the menus of all the restaurants you mention. Thanks for your thoughts and I look forward to others.

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Interesting, we are considering Boardwalk as part of split stay next year. Good to know Trattoria al Forno is so well liked. We’ve been to Via Napoli 3 times and 2 of those times have been fantastic, the other visit had some very poor service, but service is a coin flip anyways, so Via Napoli is our favorite. Isn’t there another Trattoria at Disney Springs? My wife and daughter went there last year for lunch and raved about it.

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We really like Il Mulino and Trattoria Al Forno. I know Mama Melrose gets a lot of love, and we have been there plenty but that’s only because it’s always easy to get a reservation and the kid will eat pasta of any sort. It’s definitely not my favorite.

It took a while, but I finally got DH to write off Tony’s.

And we have done Maria & Enzo’s and had a terrible experience. But I will caveat that by saying it was right after they opened, so it may have just been issues associated with that. After waiting over an hour for our meals in a nearly empty restaurant, I had to leave because I wasn’t feeling well (turns out I had pneumonia and had no idea) and DH and DS waited another 20 minutes, they ended up comping the meal. So I really should give it another try.

I would put Il Mulino at the top for us.

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Haha… Tony’s.
Didn’t even consider that one when I was thinking about Italian, its so bad. Italian food out of a can.

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I can get down with your ordering. Tutto Italia is better than Trattoria al Forno for straight up Italian dinner by far. I have never eaten at Via Napoli though. But I agree at Mama Melrose’s just being like an Olive Garden basically and same with Tony’s in MK. The pizza at Tony’s is awful but the pasta is passable.

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My service was poor at MM and I felt like they just took Italian to mean garlicky af which makes me sick. Tony’s is on my list next month as I’ve never been and feel like I need to just cross it off my list of places I’ve never tried.

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Order simply like spaghetti or chicken parm. It’s salty but edible.

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I had the chicken parm with spaghetti :rofl::rofl::rofl:

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Also, I do like the atmosphere there, especially on the porch so if it’s not hot, try to get an outside table

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That’s my plan.

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The atmosphere really is the best part of Tony’s.

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I would not equate Tutto Italia and Via Napoli. Tutto is a million times better than Mama Melrose. Pre-covid it was a must do and my family always repeated it.

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Has anyone tried Terralina Crafted Italian Dinner (In DS)?
I have been trying to book dining very late in the game, and we are trying to visit some available places we have not been to. Comments?