A foodie tour of Loews hotels at Universal Studios

We tried food from 3 of my favorite hotels in Orlando, and I was floored…

When most people think about staying at an Orlando resort, it’s not as simple as picking one closest to the theme parks. With all of the competition, the hotels in the local area have to take it up a notch to stay on theme. Everyone is trying to create the full “experience.” After spending a day tasting food at three different Loews Hotels during a recent Universal Orlando media event, I can confidently say these resorts fully understand the assignment. The curated food alone is reason enough to visit.

Loews Hotels manages several of Universal Orlando’s on-site resorts, and one thing I immediately noticed is how different each property feels. They each truly embrace their own theme, atmosphere, and dining style. We visited Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, and the new Universal Helios Grand Hotel.

Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

Our first stop was Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and which is GORGEOUS. It’s like you’re transported us to the Italian coast. It’s inspired by the seaside village of Portofino, so it’s full of elegant Italian charm and, of course, great food.

We sampled dishes from Trattoria del Porto, Mama Della’s Ristorante, and a bunch of their special event offerings. The spread had so much like- Snapper Crudo, Tuna Cornett, Smoked Salmon Arancini, Beef Saté, Grilled Focaccia Bites, Ligurian Flatbread, Chicken and Rapini Meatballs, compose-your-own jar salads, a meat and cheese display, and a Portofino Italian 75 cocktail made with gin, lemon, simple syrup, and prosecco. WOW.

Everything was amazing, but there were a few standouts. The bruschetta from Mama Della’s Ristorante was one of my favorite bites of the entire day. Sometimes the simplest dishes are the hardest to perfect, and this one absolutely nailed it. The tomatoes tasted incredibly fresh, the garlic crostini had the perfect crunch, and everything worked together perfectly.

In addition to the appetizers, we had Mushroom Risotto and Fettuccine Alfredo from the Mangia Mangia! pasta experience. Both dishes were outstanding. The risotto was cooked so well and packed with flavor. It had that rich, creamy texture that great risotto should have. I could have happily eaten an entire bowl by myself.

The fettuccine Alfredo was equally impressive. Alfredo sauce can sometimes feel heavy, but this version was balanced and incredibly smooth. The pasta itself was again, cooked perfectly, and the sauce coated every bite without weighing it down. It was easily one of the best fettuccine Alfredo dishes I’ve had in a long time.

As we were leaving, we got a mix of Italian cookies. Every cookie in the collection was excellent, but the rainbow cookie was my favorite. There was also a piece of chocolate with a photo of the hotel printed on it. We ate it so fast before it melted in the heat. Work smarter, not harder.

Hard Rock Hotel

Next, we headed to Hard Rock Hotel, where the atmosphere shifted completely. Hard Rock Hotel brought bold yet classic flavors and an electric energy that matched its music-inspired theme. You just feel cool walking in the lobby. There were guitars, live music, and photos of some of the biggest musicians on the walls. Once again, we were greeted with an impressive spread of food.

Here’s a bit of what we had- a massive 48-ounce Bone-In Tomahawk steak with duck fat fingerling potatoes, a lobster roll from Beachclub, Siberian Sturgeon caviar with house-made potato chips and French onion dip, an Espresso Martini from Velvet Bar, a charcuterie display, a crudité board, and Velvet Butter Poached Tenderloin Sliders.

The lobster roll was my first taste test. The lobster was the star and extremely tasty. The roll itself was soft and buttery. It was the kind of dish you’d eat all summer long.

The Espresso Martini was another standout. Rich, smooth, and perfectly balanced, it was a great way to begin the night. Love that they served them as we arrived- super fancy.

One of the biggest surprises of the stop was something incredibly simple: the house-made potato chips served with the caviar. They were crispy, perfectly seasoned, and impossible to stop eating. All it took was a little twist, and I was hooked.

The charcuterie and crudité displays were also so beautifully done. I’m a snacker, so 9 times out of 10, you’ll find me at the bread and cheese tables.

Universal Helios Grand Hotel

The finale was at the Universal Helios Grand Hotel, where the focus shifted entirely to dessert. (yay!)

We sampled three signature sweets from Bar Helios: Hopeless Romantic, Mount Vesuvius, and A Night at the Opera.

Hopeless Romantic is said to be an interactive tableside dessert experience featuring strawberry entremet, ruby chocolate cremeux, and vanilla mascarpone nitrogen mousse. It was incredibly light and airy, with the mousse taking center stage. The presentation was stunning and made the whole thing feel very high-end. I would have loved more texture, but I am admittedly a HUGE texture person.

Mount Vesuvius had chocolate fondant, olive oil gelato, spicy caramel sauce, and sesame tuile. This dessert was very visually impressive and incredibly well done. Personally, I would have preferred a traditional buttery caramel instead of the spicy version, but that’s purely a matter of taste. I felt like the spice took away from how good it was overall.

My favorite dessert of the day was easily A Night at the Opera. It had pistachio, honey yogurt, lemon curd, and raspberry whipped ganache, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Since I already love pistachio desserts, this one was ,not surprisingly, the winner for me.

Let’s sum it up

By the end of the day, what impressed me most wasn’t any single dish, it was how different each hotel felt from the next. I love a good theme.

If you’re planning a Universal Orlando vacation, don’t overlook the restaurants at the hotels. Even if you’re not staying there, go for the food! Some of the best meals of your trip might just be waiting outside the parks.