Best Foods at Epic Universe & Must-Eat Restaurants

Epic Universe has excellent restaurants and snack spots, with tons of must-eat dishes, drinks & desserts. It’s the new #1 food theme park at Universal Orlando, and maybe better Walt Disney World’s in-park dining, too. This list covers our top eats so far, sharing the best cuisine at Epic Universe.

One of the big selling points for visiting Epic Universe early is the cuisine quality. This was something we discussed at length in Here’s Why You Need 2 Days at Epic Universe. That explains how Universal Orlando’s new theme park has a significantly better food scene than Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida, and even most of the on-site hotel restaurants and CityWalk. The other parks are limited once you get outside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands, with more crowd-pleasing and standard theme park cuisine of varying degrees of edibility.

Epic Universe is a massive departure from this, with both inventive and intriguing options and theme park staples done at a really high level. You can tell that Universal Orlando’s culinary team had a lot of fun creating the menus, and aimed for this to be a foodie park. It’s really nothing like IoA and USF, both of which are well below Walt Disney World. My concern is that this won’t last.

It’s often the case that new restaurants at theme parks open with menus that swing for the fences, only to be dumbed-down over the months and years that follow. This is done to comport with the expectations of average guests, and in the name of operational efficiency and throughput. These issues are already starting to appear to some degree, and the busiest restaurants will probably have to end up simplifying their menus in the months to come.

Visiting earlier gives you a greater opportunity to enjoy the Epic Universe menus in their full glory. Going for two days gives you a chance to do a table service meal or two in addition to counter service and snack stands. The more time to try all of the ambitious and fun foods, the better.

Even after spending multiple days at Epic Universe over the course of the last several months, I’ve still only scratched the surface of what its culinary scene has to offer. I want to be abundantly clear from the outset that this list isn’t comprehensive–not even remotely so.

Nevertheless, I’ve eaten several meals in Epic Universe along with my friends, and wanted to share a rough list of recommendations. What I’ve tried thus far has been largely exceptional, a fantastic mixture of fun, photogenic, delicious, and ambitious. I’m really excited to go back and revisit some of these favorites, along with other restaurants I’ve yet to experience (Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant is high on my list, as is revisiting the Atlantic and all of the Harry Potter dining).

Rather than offering detailed thoughts or even fully-fledged restaurant reviews, this will mostly be food photo forward, with a bit of accompanying text for each location. Anything beyond that feels premature. I’ll continue updating this list with photos and thoughts from my visits to Epic Universe in Winter 2026, and then start dedicated restaurant reviews based on meals in Summer 2026 and beyond–once the park has a full year under its belt and the menus are solidified for the long-term.

With that out of the way, let’s dig into the best food at Epic Universe!

Atlantic Restaurant – Celestial Park

Atlantic Restaurant is a fine dining establishment. It’s arguably one of only two such experiences at Universal Orlando, with the other being the Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant. This means it’s nice and expensive, but also that it’s an experience that’s commensurate with that pricing.

This high-quality is reflected throughout the Atlantic, but especially in the service and overall experience. Atlantic Restaurant is more like Flying Fish at Walt Disney World, or even Tiffins if we’re talking in-park counterparts, than it is Mythos or the other table service options at Universal Orlando. The attentive service reflects that, with servers being warm but professional and focused on delivering an exemplary guest experience.

Atlantic Restaurant is nestled alongside a fountain-filled Neptune lagoon towards the front entrance. It offers big waterfront views out the floor to ceiling windows. The design of Atlantic Restaurant is thoughtful throughout. You enter on the upper level, which overlooks the deeper depths of the main dining room, which is itself tiered.

Down on the ocean (or restaurant) floor, you see colorful fish and bubbly chandeliers above closer to the surface. The brightly-illuminated “Atlantic” marquee hangs from the ceiling out the window, with tall letters beckoning guests from across the park.

The interior of the Atlantic is lovely. It feels like a mix of Yacht Club and Las Vegas in the best way possible. The rich woods and detail work signals that it’s a fancy and classy establishment, while the vibrant glass fixtures and fish soften the atmosphere just enough to make it inviting and unintimidating.

There’s no air of pretension with the Atlantic, and the menu is clearly fine dining–but also offers a lot of range. There’s truly something for everyone here, and if you have multiple days or time to kill in the late afternoon or early evening, we’d highly recommend dinner at the Atlantic. It’ll be an experience and memorable meal worthy of your time and money.

Pizza Moon – Celestial Park

Blast off to Pizza Moon in Celestial Park, an early 1900s Victorian theater converted into a spectacular eatery where the finest pizzas in Universal Epic Universe are prepared. At least, that’s what Universal Orlando claims. I think the creatives actually themed it to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by the Smashing Pumpkins. Regardless, Pizza Moon is cleverly-themed, from the vignettes lining the walls to the oven to the Team Member costumes.

As for the cuisine, the highlight of what I’ve tried thus far is without a doubt the Pizza Lunare ($18.99) topped with roasted garlic béchamel, fromage de lune, ricotta, pancetta, garlic confit, and ube pizza crust. This is the “purple pizza” and is deserving of the hype, with a chewy crust and rich flavor. This is a personal-sized pizza, although those with smaller appetites will find it shareable.

The biggest difficulty for me is going to be ordering anything but the Pizza Lunare on subsequent visits because it’s that good. I also like the Brownie Eclipse, but it’s more of a guilty pleasure–rich, gooey, and definitely shareable. Pizza Moon prepares its pies in a fired-oven, and the quality is miles above any other counter service pizza at Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando. Pizza Moon approaches the quality of Via Napoli, a table service pizzeria at EPCOT. It isn’t quite that good, but believe the hype: Pizza Moon is a must-do.

Frosty Moon – Celestial Park

Tucked away among the greenery of Celestial Park is the Frosty Moon ice cream stand, featuring a fuchsia ice cream cone ringed with gold orbits atop the kiosk, hinting at the snowy treats inside.

Look, Frosty Moon is but a humble ice cream kiosk and isn’t worthy of much discussion but for a couple of factors:

1. It’s open after park closing on many (most?) dates, making for a great late night snack while watching the fountains
2. The Cookie Butter, Cheesecake, and Strawberry Yum flavors–especially when piled high with toppings–are actually quite tasty

In the long run, we expect to “dine at” Frosty Moon more than any other location in Epic Universe. Given that and the above, it feels worthy of a recommendation.

Das Stakehouse – Dark Universe

Shrouded in mystery, Das Stakehaus is an old inn and dining hall built over the ruins of ancient catacombs in the village of Darkmoor. Here you can enjoy a meal surrounded by vampire artwork and artifacts. In fact, the restaurant is run by vampires’ “familiars”, or servants. Just don’t venture down to the catacombs below, or you might find yourself on the vampires’ menu.

From a design perspective, Das Stakehouse is a lot of fun, with clever details and moody atmosphere. Das Stakehouse is also the only Epic Universe restaurant to be parodied on Saturday Night Live, so that alone makes it a must-do.

I ordered the Carved Staked Steak served with charred green onion mashed potatoes, roasted baby carrots, acorn squash, crispy maitake mushrooms with a bloody jus was very good. But it was also $24. You see that portion size, right?! Not only is it a really small (and thin) cut of meat, but the vegetables in the description are plural, and I got one of each.

The rest of my friends all ordered the Bird on a Stake, and none of them were impressed with the chicken. (They’re not bloggers, so they’re not subject to the #1 rule that everyone must order something different.) I’d definitely do Das Stakehouse again–and would recommend it for the novelty alone. But be careful. It might be your last.

Burning Blade Tavern – Dark Universe

The Burning Blade Tavern is the old mill which Darkmoor Village’s monster hunters have transformed into their hangout. Here guests will discover stories of some of the countryside’s most accomplished creature capturers along with a menu of burgers, wings, bratwursts, pretzels and beverages.

Burning Blade Tavern is more of a bar than it is a restaurant, with the food ordering oddly located outside at the walk-up window (something that it would’ve been nice to know before lining up inside). The inside is foreboding and nails the gothic tavern theme, with lots of exposed beams and taxidermy trophies from the monster hunts.

I loved the Burning Cheddar Bites, which are crispy fried poppers with sriracha ranch. They’re the perfect bar food, with great flavor and a bit of kick even before being dipped. The Hunter’s Garlic Stake pretzel is not recommended.

Café L’air De La Sirène – Ministry of Magic

The streets of wizarding Paris are home to delightful cafes, including Café L’air De La Sirène. Dine inside or outside as you enjoy French baked goods, sandwiches, plats du jour and desserts. You can quench your thirst with Butterbeer along with a variety of non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks including beer, cocktails and French wines.

Out of the restaurants I’ve tried thus far in Epic Universe, Café L’air De La Sirène in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic is the best. Everything from the interior design to the thoughtful and diverse menu is exceptional. The only downside is that it was also far and away the busiest place we ate in Epic Universe, and part of our order took 45 minutes to arrive.

Regardless, I would absolutely eat at Café L’air De La Sirène again (and again). It’s good enough to overcome that ridiculous delay. (I’d dine here before the lunch rush next time.) Café L’air De La Sirène is one of the Epic Universe restaurants that I can’t wait to revisit. The cuisine quality at this counter service restaurant is somewhere between the original lunch menu at Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom and the current Chefs de France in EPCOT.

Literally everything we tried at Café L’air De La Sirène was excellent, so I’ll simply draw your attention to the Baguette Ratatouille Provençale, which punches way above its weight for a plant-based sandwich. And of course, there’s the Bierauberre Crêpe. This dessert has a massive Butterbeer tax ($19.99!), but it’s fantastic.

Le Gobelet Noir – Ministry of Magic

Sticking with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, we have Le Gobelet Noir, where Dark magic is always on the menu. A mysterious time worn auberge (small inn) sits in the shadowy corners of Paris’s Place Cachée. Here, away from the prying eyes of the Paris Ministry, Dark witches and wizards have gathered for centuries to share a hearty meal, a drink and hushed conversations.

I didn’t dine at Le Gobelet Noir with the rest of my crew, but they all praised the counter service restaurant. Le Gobelet Noir serves up heartier and more comforting cuisine, exactly what you’d expect from a small tavern tucked away into a dark back alley. (Photo credit to Wesley Smoker.)

Toadstool Cafe – Super Nintendo World

Fuel up at Toadstool Cafe, where you can watch Chef Toad cooking up some of his favorite recipes and see playful scenes of the Mushroom Kingdom through the windows. Enjoy tasty creations prepared daily, including soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as delicious entrees and delectable desserts.

I have extensive experience with Toadstool Cafe at both Universal Studios Japan and Universal Studios Hollywood. I’ve tried almost everything on the menu in both locations. Toadstool Cafe is a decent to good restaurant by the standards of those two parks, which are much lower than Epic Universe.

Toadstool Cafe is a place to go for theme park Italian food if there are no other crowd-pleasing options suitable for your party, or if you really want the Nintendo atmosphere. And it’s a fun atmosphere! I’m just not sure it’s worth one of your meals. What I might recommend instead is going for the Princess Peach’s Birthday Cake. It’s $23, but it’s gorgeous, delicious and shareable. Getting that dessert to split for a taste of the atmosphere is probably the smartest move.

Super Nintendo World Snacks

There are a couple of snack options worth calling your attention to in Super Nintendo World. Yoshi’s Snack Island is a cozy burrow tunneled into the base of Mount Beanpole. Here you can enjoy a variety of juices and fruit-based specialty beverages, inspired by Yoshi’s favorite food: fruit! The smoothies here are good, and the calzones are more or less what you’d expect–a fun guilty pleasure with a high price tag.

Then there’s the Bubbly Barrel, where you can enjoy a refreshment beneath the thatched roof in the heart of Donkey Kong Country. Currently, the only thing being served here is the DK Crush Float for $18.99. This expensive dessert does come in a souvenir Donkey Kong barrel cup, so at least there’s that. This drink is made with Dole Whip Banana Cream, chocolate pieces, and caramel popcorn in a waffle bowl served on top of Pineapple Fanta Soda. If you can get past the price, it’s a fantastic dessert perfect for banana lovers.

Spit Fyre Grill – Isle of Berk

Spit Fyre Grill is located in a bustling trader’s market offering delectable Viking fare from all across the sea. New Viking arrivals can drop anchor to find a hearty meal at this quick-serve eatery featuring delicious helpings of greens, grains or rice topped with a variety of meats flame-seared by a helpful (unseen) dragon fry cook.

This is a great walk-up window that serves both build-your-own bowls and the delicious cones that are primarily found at the next entry. I’m a big fan of the bowls, which are deceptively filling and a good healthy-ish counter to all of the snacking and unhealthy eating (such as the next entry) you’ll do around Epic Universe.

Sit Fyre Grill has an outdoor seating area that overlooks Fyre Drill, which is nice. However, we strongly prefer taking our food over to the nearby Mead Hall, especially on a hot day. Especially if you do an early or late lunch (or dinner) when that restaurant is less full, it’s a nice decompressing option!

Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel – Isle of Berk

Last but not least, we have Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel in How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. No dragon rider’s day is complete without a tasty bite from the festive racing-themed food stand, Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel. After cheering on their champions, Vikings can enjoy Mac & Cheese cones in a variety of styles.

Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel has already become the viral hit of the Epic Universe food scene, and for good reason. I was a bit apprehensive given the high price–as I pictured something on par with the Cars Land Cozy Cones or Disney’s Handwiches. This is the same idea, but it’s colossal by comparison–and much tastier.

While the fillings are good, it’s the cone itself where Universal wins over Disney. The texture and taste are excellent–soft, buttery, slightly-chewy and seasoned to perfection. I’ll soon be ordering one of everything on the menu at Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel–for research, of course.

Need trip planning tips and comprehensive advice for your visit to Central Florida? Make sure to read our Universal Orlando Planning Guide for everything about Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Also check out our Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide for everything about those parks, resorts, restaurants, and so much more.

YOUR THOUGHTS

Will you be attending Epic Universe this year or in 2026, or will you skip it until the new park settles into a groove? If you do visit, are you planning on spending multiple days at Epic Universe to appreciate the new park in its full glory–or give yourself more of a safety net to experience more of the park and endure downtime and delays? Concerned about unreliable rides, how hot the park gets, or anything else? Agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions? We love hearing from readers, so please share any other thoughts or questions you have in the comments below!