We finally made it over to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort to dine at the top of the Gran Destino Tower at Toledo — Tapas, Steak, & Seafood. We went during Thanksgiving week to try their special themed plant-based dessert. This review will have the full menu at the time with the exception of the usual vegan dessert on the menu here.
This restaurant is located on the top of the Gran Destino Tower, which is the newest addition at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. The views up here feature most of Disney property, which means you may see some fireworks in the distance if you dine here later in the evening. This restaurant is only open for dinner and does not have a dress code. It is a great spot for the whole family.
Since there were three of us dining together we opted to order everything on the menu that was vegan and just dine family style. So we started our meal with the ‘Aceitunas’ Marinated Olives. The olives were about as good as olives usually are. Nothing amazing, but a delicious way to start the meal if you are an olive fan. Plus you got tons of them, which was ideal for us to share.
We also started our meal with the Pan con Tomate. We’d had this one before from Three Bridges, but that one was in a to-go container and not great because of it. The fresh one from the restaurant was very much a redeeming Pan con Tomate for us. The bread was perfectly charred and the crushed tomatoes with the salt was a perfect pair. A great starter for bread and tomato fans, it’s simple and yet so good.
We of course ordered the entree here which is the Brick Oven Cauliflower. This has to be the best cauliflower dish I have ever had at a restaurant. Since many higher end locations or steakhouses have opted for a cauliflower as the vegan entree and fell short, this one honestly reigns supreme in my book.
The cauliflower was charred to perfection giving it a great taste and texture. It came with a carrot romesco, artichoke pistou, cured tomatoes, and a cilantro crema. There were also fresh greens on it to compliment the flavors. It truly is one of the best entrees I’ve ever had at Walt Disney World and I have no problems paying $30 for cauliflower when it tastes like that.
We of course opted for all the plant-based sides here to try. The side portions were a great size for sharing, so I would plan on sharing any of them if you get them. My favorite of them all was the Brussels Sprouts. They were cooked perfectly and were a sweet and tangy flavor from the sauce they’re tossed in. They were nice and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.
The Braised Gigante Beans were a great side as well, especially since our entree was just a vegetable. They were very tasty and brought me back many years to enjoying beans like these at Kouzinna at the BoardWalk (RIP). These beans are so big that you feel like you’re eating potatoes. They were in a garlicky tomato like sauce and absolutely a side I would get again.
Another favorite of the meal was the Roasted Tomato Bomba Rice. I didn’t know a side of rice could shine as much as this one did, but this was some of the most seasoned and flavorful rice I have ever had. I would have happily eaten an entire bowl of this on my own but had to share.
The last side was the Blistered Shishito Peppers. These were the only thing we didn’t really enjoy during our meal. They were pretty bitter and needed some sort of a dipping sauce. If you are going to skip anything in this meal this would be the one I would skip.
The dessert we had was special for Thanksgiving, which was also the only plant-based holiday dessert offered at Disney this year. The dessert is called the Harvest Garden which was a Sweet Potato Panna Cotta with Chai Marshmallow and Orange Ginger Caramel. This dessert was absolutely delicious. I am not even a panna cotta fan and I would eat this regularly if capable. The chai marshmallow flavor with the caramel was perfect and there were little crunchy carrots with candied nuts that added so much flavor and texture to this dish. I really hope they bring it back next year too.
They do have a dessert all the time that is vegan too, we just didn’t opt to get it since we were there for the Thanksgiving one (which we all got our own and did not share this part of the meal!). The dessert here is Chocolate-Avocado Mousse which includes a Strawberry-Basil Sorbet and Coconut Crumble. I’ve heard really good reviews about this one too.
This was one of the best meals I have ever eaten on Disney property (next to Victoria and Albert’s). The view was incredible, the vibes were on point, and the food was top tier. If you’re looking for somewhere new to try on your next Walt Disney World vacation I highly recommend this one.
Price $$$
Review from November 2023.
