Disney has a lot to offer in the way of delicious dining opportunities at their many resorts around the world, and they are constantly adding more and more. That’s where “Laughing Plates” comes in. Our new series reviews those new dining offerings and let you know which ones you’ll have to experience during your next Disney trip.
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort just welcomed the addition of the new Gran Destino Tower and with it, a brand new restaurant. Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood offers a wide variety of Spanish flavors in a unique environment at the very top of the new tower.
Located on the 16th floor of the Gran Destino Tower, Toledo transports guests to a Spanish courtyard with a stunning view. The atmosphere of this new restaurant is a perfect mix of formal elegance and playful fun. Don’t worry, you don’t have to dress up. There were plenty of guests in typical theme park attire, while others were dressed for a night out.
The dining area consists of one large open room with a colorful light fixture spanning the majority of the ceiling. While this colorful lighting wasn’t great for pictures (I apologize in advance for the photos), it did make for a nice ambiance.
The best part of the whole venue though is the view. To one side, you can see all of Coronado Springs Resort with Magic Kingdom in the distance. To the other side, you have a great view of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you time your meal just right, you’ll have a great view of the fireworks at either park, depending on your seat.
Our meal started with two of the restaurant’s specialty cocktails, as all the best meals do. We tried the Destino Gin Tonic (at the recommendation of our server) and the Sangria Tinto. The Gin Tonic was delicious. I’m not typically big on gin and tonics, but I trusted the server’s recommendation and I did not regret it. It was a night light orange flavor, making it very refreshing. The sangria was also good, though it’s another beverage that is not my favorite, so it’s hard for me to really judge. Still, I have confidence that the cocktails at Toledo will not disappoint you.
Now, onto the food. We started with a very unique appetizer in the Savory Churros. We thought we were crazy when we jokingly described the flavor as a Cheeto and were then surprised when our server said the same thing. I know that makes it sound unappetizing, but It’s actually pretty good. It was very different from anything else I’ve ever eaten that’s for sure.
For the main course, we tried the Manhattan Filet and the Red Wine-braised Chicken. The filet was delicious and cooked perfectly. However, after eating at Takumi-Tei and trying their wagyu, it just wasn’t the same. Still, I enjoyed it. The potato puree it came with was also pretty good, though it wasn’t exactly the most flavorful side I’ve had.
The chicken however was very flavorful. The red wine flavor came through nicely. It actually reminded me of a chicken marsala, however the rice it was served with put a nice twist on that.
I will say, I was very impressed with the portion sizes. Perhaps this is also skewed by having just eaten at Takumi-Tei, but I found myself very satisfied with the amount of food we got. I definitely did not leave hungry.
On to dessert. When a dessert menu offers an option that features a tasting of five different flavors, you order that dessert. Naturally, we tried The Toledo Tapas Bar, which consisted of a dark chocolate bar topped with small tastes of five different flavors, including Spanish coffee, crunchy chocolate, raspberry mousse, lemon curd and cheesecake.
Obviously, with one dish consisting of five different flavors, you’ll enjoy some and not enjoy others. I think all of these flavors were well done. With that being said, the mix of lemon and chocolate was not my favorite. The raspberry, on the other hand, was fantastic and the other three flavors were all very enjoyable as well. If they offered this dessert with just the raspberry topper, that would be my go-to choice.
Overall, Toledo is worth visiting for the atmosphere and view. The food was very good but not necessarily anything special when compared to other Walt Disney World restaurants. I think the pricing is fair and the serving sizes are generous, but nothing really stood out as one of my new favorite dishes. Still, everything was good and definitely worth trying.
I will certainly be making my way back to the top of Gran Destino Tower for the experience. It just might be the Dahlia Lounge for some drinks and fireworks viewing, because again, that view is amazing.