We had a wonderful experience at Flora Taverna at the Helios Grand Hotel in Universal. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful, with a bright, modern, Mediterranean vibe that feels upscale but still comfortable. The food was delicious and well prepared, and everything we tried was fresh and flavorful. The service was great, and the staff were attentive and friendly, which really added to the experience. Flora Taverna is a great spot for a nice meal during a Universal trip, especially if you want something a little elevated. We would definitely eat here again. read more

A beautiful beginning to an Epic trip, Flora Taverna does not lean on the view of Epic Universe to do all the ambience lifting. It's open, modern, but welcoming design is super refreshing to see in the theme park world. My server was lovely! My breakfast croissant was SO impressively yummy. A nice herbal pesto, with swiss cheese and a buttery croissant was a great portion for fueling my day. The aperol spritz was just a tad bit on the sweet side and not as balanced as I typically look for in that cocktail. But overall, it's a lovely spot that I look forward to trying again! read more

I finally got the chance to visit Flora Taverna this past Memorial Weekend with a friend of mine. We booked for lunch, and thankfully, it was not packed or super busy upon arrival. The hostess was very kind, as was our waitress. Service, in general, was actually pretty quick. Even when we moved to the bar for additional cocktails, the servers were attentive and very quick. The wait times for a Saturday at noon were pleasantly surprising because they were minimal at best. The overall hotel and restaurant are very nice. Futuristic and modern all in the same breath. It is on theme with the Epic Universe park at Universal, which you have a great view of - where, if you come at the right time (8:30-ish PM), you can see the fireworks show that is performed before the park's closing. We were also given the awesome tip that if we come at nighttime for their dinner hours, to sit outside on their patio for an even better view of the closing show at Epic Universe. All that side, as far as the food goes, it was good. I cannot say it was "epic" (pun intended), but it was good. I ordered their margherita flatbread, which was a standard personal size. However, in comparison to some other restaurants in the area and various parts of Orlando, it was not the best margherita flatbread I had ever had. I must note that it was around $22.00, which can be standard pricing pending the part of town you are in. However, for some, it is indeed on the pricer side (to be expected with resort dining in my opinion). My friend got their waygu burger (per the recommendation of our waitress), and she LOVED it. So, I know the next time I visit Flora Taverna, I'll go with the burger. We ended up splitting a bottle of their prosecco - because we wanted some mimosas. Our waitress graciously provided us with orange juice for our mimosas. And with that, we were able to successfully meet our $50.00 balance to have our parking validated. Speaking of parking, there is ample parking in the garage next door to the Helios Hotel. However, please note that "day pass" guests are required to pay well over $100.00 to park for the day. However, if you meet at least a $50.00 limit in food/drinks at the restaurant, then you can have your parking validated at the valet window. Outside of that, there were really no outright downsides to our visit to Flora Taverna this past weekend. I will definitely go back. I'm curious to try their dinner and breakfast experience! read more

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I had really high hopes for this place because of the reviews, and we visited the bar a couple days before and it was a great experience, but was let down. The hostesses were very lovely and pleasant to talk to. We requested outside and were sat inside, and they were able to move us which we were very grateful for. Our waiter wasn't present, and left us questioning multiple times where he was throughout the night. Things took pretty long to come out, even with no one in the restaurant. Because of this I'm giving the service a 3/5. The outside is beautiful, great viewing of the park and the show at the end of the night which is exactly what we were looking for. It was so peaceful and quiet out there. Highly recommend sitting outside if it's nice. I loved the low lighting and atmosphere. 5/5 The food was very subpar. It wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't terrible. For the price I was hoping it would be mouthwatering, but it lacked seasoning. I wasn't impressed. 3/5 In the end it was great ambiance, with the view, the lighting, the noise. But the food and service were both mid for the price. We paid around $165 for the meal, including one round of drinks, two entrees, an appetizer and a side. Pros: park view, atmosphere Cons: food and service were mediocre, pricey for the quality read more

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Incredible restaurant with an incredible view. The food preparation is superb. The staff are incredibly kind and show great hospitality. We got a salad, a burger and a pizza and it was all amazing. Very healthy and savory choices. This is just off the lobby at the Helios hotel and everything about it is a five star. read more

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This is the main restaurant at the Grand Helios hotel at Epic Universal Orlando. The menu includes everything that is on the room service menu plus multiple additional options. The cheese pizza is good, and you have more options here than on service for toppings. The Mesa trio and hummus bowl are both amazing. The bread is warm and fresh. The fries are crispy and tasty, although when you order for room service, it's not quite as hot and fresh as getting it in the restaurant. The turkey club sandwich is a great option, and the cheeseburger is very well prepared. Interestingly, the menu lists the burger with a peppercorn cream sauce, but ours came with thousand island dressing. read more

Flora Taverna - Menu 2/2 - Mediterranean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Food and service were amazing! The hotel lobby restaurant was easy to find and beautifully decorated!

I really enjoyed Flora Taverna for lunch, not so much for breakfast! It's a beautifully designed restaurant and I loved all the special touches like the flower vine ceiling. Our server for lunch Calvin was awesome, he was super friendly and made great suggestions. We learned all about how they get a special authentic spice blend from NYC. I took his suggestion on the Greek Salata and really enjoyed it for lunch. It was fresh and delicious! We also split their pistachio cheesecake for dessert which was quite tasty as well. Breakfast was a different story. They were clearly overrun and it took a long time to even get water. We wanted to order from the menu, but our server was pushing us towards the buffet. We ended up just ordering greek yogurt bowls and cappuccinos. The yogurt bowl was fairly lame, I had high hopes after the beautiful lunch. Yogurt bowls and cappuccinos, and tip for three people was over $100. It seems like the buffer is definitely the way to go here for breakfast. read more

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Flora Taverna is located inside the Helios hotel at Epic Universe and super easy to find. Not only for its location, but its decor--Mediterranean inspired and spacious. A coworker and I met up in the bar area for a coworking session before our lunch. During that time, we had the mezze trio and coffee. The hummus was sincerely fresh and pita was thin and with the perfect combination of crunchy and flaky. Then we switched over to the full service area for our lunch. I went with our server Calvin's recommendation. He was attentive and explained the menu in great detail, but he really sold us the greek salata and pistachio cheesecake. Although they were a bit pricey (reason I knocked it down a star), there was zero feedback. Although simple, the salata was incredibly fresh, was perfectly seasoned, and filling. Having the brittle on top of the pistachio cheesecake was inventive and elevated what people would consider a simple dessert. I plan on coming back to repeat the same simple but wonderful meal again soon! read more

Flora Taverna - Pistachio cheesecake - Mediterranean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Omg, our food here was amazing. We were here at night, but if you are here during the day or before, the sun goes down, you get a really good view of Epic. The fritto misto was fried perfectly and both of our dinners were delicious. We used our Amex Platinum Resy benefit. I was worried it might have an issue because it was billed under Helio hotel, but it went through fine within two days. The parking situation is a bit confusing. They validate parking. You have to let your waiter know they take the paper to a small window to the right of the door after you leave the hotel. It's like a drive through window and easy to miss. Once you get the ticket from them, it's easy to get out of the parking garage without having to pay. I think my husband said day parking was like $100 if you don't get the proper ticket. read more

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Decided to go on a little adventure date night with my husband to explore the new Helios Grand Hotel and eat dinner at Flora Taverna. We pulled up and weren't quite sure where to park but valet told us to self park in the garage and bring the ticket with us to have it validated since we had reservations. After parking it was easy to find our way into the hotel and Flora Taverna was right there to the left when walking in. So we checked in to our reservation and were told it'll be a few minutes since we were early with not knowing where we were going we didn't want to be late. However, time came and went, and lots of people came after us were sat. We ended up not being sat until about 30 minutes after our reservation time. Hopefully now that they've been open for quite sometime they've gotten into a better rotation for being timely. Our server was clearly new and stumbling but sweet and friendly. The food was great, everything from the fried fish and shrimp, to the steak skewers and broccolini. My husband loved the lamb chops and can't wait to come back to have them again. Although we had a rough start, we would still come back in the future as the food was really good. read more

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The location is beautiful and open. The server we had was amazing and very attentive. He really made the meal! I opted for the Rigatoni and it was good, but was really missing salt and a little more depth of flavor then I would have expected. There was a larger portion so had some leftovers to take home, but a little disappointed in the dish based on the price point and no protein. The kids both did the Bucatini and they loved the burrata and the red sauce was light so it was enjoyable. They could have shared the dish for the amount of pasta. We had a good meal, but for the hotel/resort pricing it did not stand out, but it was an enjoyable evening due to the service and spending time with family. read more

Flora Taverna - RIGATONI Cream of Prosecco, pesto, spinach, shaved Reggiano. - Mediterranean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Move over Disney, Universal is stepping up their game! This place is simply incredible, from the atmosphere to the views to the delicious food. The space is so well decorated with a perfect Mediterranean flair, it feels like stepping into Santorini. The service was quick and pleasant. The hummus bowl was the real stunner for me, it's so pretty with all the fresh flowers and vegetables. It was so tasty and fresh! read more

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The place was huge , tall ceiling and vast restaurant area inside Universal Orlando facing the fountain (outside). We went here to try another Kebab. We had Frito Misto ( not much mixed seafood but tasted good) , 2 beef kebab, one chicken gyros. The cube size of the meat was big enough for one order. It was medium but they need to refire as it was still pinkish red inside- they offered pita while we wait and it was great. They offered bday cake for my son during that day. Service was excellent. read more

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Dinner With A View!! If I had to rate this restaurant solely on ambience and location it would easily be a 10/10! This restaurant is so beautiful inside and out! The views are stunning!! Pictures and videos do not do this restaurant justice! The restaurant is located at Universal's Grand Helios hotel. Universal's newest hotel. The hotel is beautiful but small which makes it easy to find the restaurant. The restaurant is located in the back left corner of the hotel easily seen from the entrance. Upon entering the restaurant my breath was taken away. The ceiling is draped with beautiful flowers which makes the restaurant feel warm and intimate. There's foliage and trees spaced through out the restaurant. There's a variety of different seating options to choose from booths, high top tables, low tops, and outdoor seating table seating and outdoor both seating. It was difficult to decide where to seat because the inside of the restaurant was so beautiful but the view from the patio was unbelievable and won me over. It was truly something amazing! Enjoying dinner on the patio was incredible. It was like having dinner and a show. It was so exciting being able to overlook Universal's newest theme park Epic Universe. You could see the roller coasters and hear riders enjoying the exhilarating rides. It was great to see and hear the synchronized water and music show at Epic Universe. For a moment, I forgot that I was in Orlando and felt like I was on the strip in Las Vegas. I haven't been to Epic Universe yet but being able to be so close to the theme park by overlooking it during dinner has made me want to buy tickets to visit the theme park. Now on to dinner. Overall dinner was good but expensive! You are definitely paying for the fact that the restaurant, hotel and theme park are new. You are paying for the fact that you get to over look this brand new theme park. You are literally just a quick walk away. We tried a few different things off the menu. We started with Mezze Trio which was Classic Hummus, Marinated Olives, Red Pepper & Walnut Relish, Pita Bread, House Made Pita Bread. It was good but the pita bread was thin and more like tortillas instead of pitas. Next came the entrees. We ordered the Roasted Heritage Half Chicken which comes with Za'atar Fries, Tomato, Cucumber Salad, Zhug, Garlic Aioli but substituted the fries for mashed potatoes. The chicken was a good portion and priced fairly. The skin was crispy and the chicken was seasoned well. The accompanying sauces paired well with the chicken. The mashed potatoes were good. Also had the Ora King Salmon which comes with Cilantro Pesto, Broccoli, Fennel-Citrus Salad but we substituted the broccoli for spinach. The salmon had a nice seared crispy texture and had a wild taste. It was good and was priced competitively. Lastly, Grilled Prawns Kebab which was prepared with Citrus Harissa, Fine Herbs, Ladolemono, and choice of side. I chose the Taverna Za'atar Fries with Lemon Mayonnaise. The shrimp was delicious and seasoned well but was very tough and veiny. It was 1 shrimp skewer with 3 shrimp (although large) and 1 side of fries and was $45. Also to note, bread is not included. We ordered the bread which was $3 for 3 pieces. Although the food was good it was a little pricey. All the staff from valet, to restaurant host, to the server were all friendly and helpful and some a little funny. All staff ensured that we had a great dinner experience. Self parking is available in the hotel garage. Just make sure that you hold on to your receipt from the restaurant because you will need that to show valet so they can give you a validation ticket to exit the garage and avoid the $100 + parking fee. I love fine dining and know that it comes at a price but the fact that 1 shrimp skewer with 3 shrimp (although large) and 1 side of fries was $45 was pricey. Hopefully as the newest wears off, the restaurant will adjust the prices or portions to be more economical. I could definitely see this restaurant as a great place for tourists staying on property to grab a nice meal with a view, locals wanting to splurge, or date night spot. read more

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My husband and I went here for dinner with some friends for a birthday and had an incredible experience. Him and I shared the ribeye and bucatini, which were both delicious! The service was incredible, and they even let my friend pick her favorite dessert from the menu instead of bringing out a generic one, which we thought was a nice touch. We also love that you can go outside on the patio and soak in the views of Epic Universe. So cool! read more

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Made a same-day reservation for a large party and they were able to accommodate us. We arrived early and they were able to seat us right away. Food was delicious, but the highlight was our server, Julio. He was knowledgeable, friendly, overall incredible, and went above and beyond in every way - he also chased after us because we forgot our card at the table! read more

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I think the overall experience was good. Everything was wonderful except the dishes that were chicken at our table..all of the chicken was dry and there was no amount of sauce to cure that. One family member said the lamb burger was outstanding. The server was extremely knowledgable of the food prep and allergies. It's very relaxing and beautiful in there. I would 1000% go again but not order anything chicken. read more

I'm a sucker for a fake bougainvillea. I don't originate from a tropical locale and I don't have faith in myself to grow these at home. That being said, I came to Flora Taverna a) to admire the artistry of fake bougainvillea covered ceilings (such fine work A++) and b) to tide myself over on my arrival day before heading out to the parks. The food is Mediterranean and so delicious. We ordered the beef gyro (so nicely spiced), the Greek salada (more like chopped up tomatoes and cucumbers with feta - no lettuce) and the bread service (dip in a special hint of balsamic in the greek olive oil - I could drink this all day). The food was delicious and the Libra in me applauded eating on the perfectly themed blue plates and magical setting (olive trees, flowers, golden uplighting, need I say more). read more

Flora Taverna - Beautiful bougainvillea - Mediterranean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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The food was pleasantly surprising. I had the swordfish on a skewer and it was very filling. With rice and some olive oil it truly brought out the flavor. I ate outside and I had the view of the park. We had the perfect view of the light show. The service was great as well and wasn't rushed at all. Definitely will be going back, very descent for hotel food. read more

10/10 The food was incredible and the service was great. Highly recommend the scallops. read more

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This place was expensive but otherwise really great. We were at Epic all day and trying to find a place we could meet someone who didn't have a park ticket for a quick dinner and to take the younger kids back early. This place fit the bill as it is accessible to both the public as well as park goers. As Epic is a trek from CityWalk and other public spaces this was by far the best option. The food was good and atmosphere was really nice. Service was good and quick. We had a reservation and we were seated on time. The prices are high, although if you're at Epic you're already spending a ton of money. Beware of the "bread service" - the bread is delicious but comes at an additional cost. If you do come here take a moment to go up to the bar on the top floor. There's a great view of the park.Kids are allowed and you can pop in just to check out the view even if you aren't planning to stay. read more

Incredibly flavorless food with incredibly small portions and incredibly high theme park resort prices. The bread service is an absolute joke - $3 per person for 3 tiny pieces of average focaccia. The gyro is a very basic tiny wrap. The pizza was oddly small and also flavorless. Eating there is a good way to see the resort but that's about the only reason to on. read more

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The food was less pricy than expected, but still cost a good penny .. for all good reason because it was delicious! One thing I will mention that they don't tell you, to add chicken to a dish such as the pasta, is a $12 up charge. They will offer, but not disclose the price. We added chicken to one of our pastas and it was a delicious add-on, but we also had it without the chicken and it was still really good. The steaks were cooked incredibly as well, we got extra sides just to try and nothing disappointed. The food taste very much like "clean eating" yet flavorful and left us satisfied. The workers were very knowledgeable on the menu and never gave a negative attitude, which was nice in such a relaxing and beautiful atmosphere I definitely recommend this place, we ended up coming back the next weekend! Don't forget to try the gelato in the lobby! read more

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I had an overall great experience at Flora Taverna! I made a reservation for 8:30pm and was sat a few minutes later. This restaurant is very open and beautiful! It's a bit dark at night, but makes for a romantic sort of atmosphere with Epic Universe lights visible from within the restaurant. My waitress Alessandra showed up just a minute or two after I sat down and I put in a drink and appetizer order. The food came out incredibly quick. The cocktail came out a few minutes after the appetizer. The food and cocktails were incredible! Cocktails I tried: SPICY MELONE - This one was great with a nice melon flavor and a spicy tequila finish. I highly recommend it. ESPRESSO OLD FASHIONED - This one was surprising. At first sip it tasted like a regular old fashioned but all of a sudden you get this kick from the strong espresso taste. I loved it. Food- Freshly baked focaccia - Nice soft bread went great with the oil. MEZZE TRIO - I really liked this app. Whenever I go to a new mediterranean place, I have to try the hummus. I'll say the hummus and the red pepper relish did not disappoint. I needed maybe 2-3 more pitas to finish everything but this was delicious! BLACK ANGUS BEEF TENDERLOIN KEBAB - I loved this dish! The beef was so easy to cut and almost melted in my mouth. It comes with a side as well, I picked the TAVERNA ZA'ATAR FRIES. The fries were cooked perfectly with a nice crunch and a moist inside. Highly recommend this combination. The sauces it comes with were really good too. I had some left over hummus and red pepper relish from my appetizer that I dipped the meat and fries in which was delicious. Overall, if you're staying at Helios or need a nice date spot, I highly recommend giving this place a try. The prices are a bit high, but the quality of ingredients really stands out. Bonus points for Alessandra as she was a very kind and attentive waitress! Great service! read more

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We had both dinner and breakfast at Flora Taverna, and overall it was a wonderful experience. Breakfast - Absolutely 10/10! They truly have something for everyone, and our family enjoyed it thoroughly. Dinner - The highlight was the service. Victoria and Ella were fantastic--warm, attentive, and they took the time to answer our questions while sharing the background of the restaurant and the park, which made the evening feel even more special. Anies served us during dinner and did an amazing job making sure everything went smoothly. The cocktails are great, and while the pasta could use a little more flavor (the sauce would be better if simmered down to be thicker and richer), the Half Baked Chicken is hands-down the best dish on the menu--highly recommended! A special shout-out to Calvin as well. His knowledge of both the menu and the park is outstanding and added a lot of value to our visit. Overall, we had a very good experience and are looking forward to dining here again. Big thanks to Victoria, Ella, Calvin, and Anies for making our meals memorable! read more

Great service! Friendly staff and great environment, however the food was horrible. Son couldn't eat his chicken fingers. My burger actually made me sick in the middle of the night and my wife barely touch her halved chicken. To much salt in the chicken as well as other spices. Chicken tenders had a fishy taste. The burger was fine, actually kinda of boring, but made me sick where I was hugging a toilet. I don't think I,d recommend this. Heard good things about the pizza though read more

We had a great experience here! Sydney provided amazing service and made my aunt feel special on her birthday. Highly recommend!

Service was poor. Waygu burgers were terrible and over cooked. Seek better options when staying at Helios. read more

When the bartender says an off handed "I love my job" you know you're in a great spot! Everything here is amazing but the service is like nothing I've ever experienced. If you can, ask for Casey as your server - he is incredible! Every entree and drink I've had here is great you can't go wrong. Highly recommend!! read more

Ambiance was gorgeous! The service was great! We had Anais and she was a gem of a server. The food here is gorgeous, but the taste wasn't as balanced as we hoped. They still feel fairly new, so that's probably why. The main issue we faced was that everything was pretty heavy-handed on the oil. I understand it's Mediterranean and they love their olive oil, but some more acidity and salt would have helped to balance things more. Focaccia was soft and fluffy, calamari was fried well, on the salty side and could have benefit from a marinara sauce versus the aioli (might just be preference). Octopus was cooked well, but the sauce was rich. The lamb chops were cooked wonderfully, but the chimichurri felt like straight oil. We couldn't finish the chops because we wished there was some type of vinaigrette or something to cut through the fat. The Greek salata was swimming in oil. read more

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Made reservations for my son's birthday. They ran out of cake for dessert so he wasn't able to order any cake for his birthday dinner, kinda disappointing for him. Ambiance is nice with a good view of the fountains. Food is small portions and really overpriced, $72 for a piece of salmon w side of rice, and a foccaia bread read more

Miguel was fantastic and the vibe, food and relative value (resorts are expensive) was wonderful.

We sat at the bar and had the pleasure of Annette being our bartender. She was attentive and fun to chat with. For drinks we got the Mykonos Spritz and Anthens Sour- both were to our liking. We then split the Fritto Misto and the Burger, both were really good especially the burger! We would dine here anytime! read more

Flora Taverna - Athens Sour and Mykonos Spritz - Mediterranean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Terrific food and ambiance! The gyros and salads we had were delicious. Great service from the staff! Thank you to Adil and everyone there. It has a great layout, great location in the middle of Epic Universe, and the prices were very good, too! We will definitely come again! read more

I completely understand that it's a new hotel and the staff may still be getting acclimated. However, my party of four was seated at a table by the bar while we waited for the rain to pass. Despite the restaurant being relatively empty, we waited thirty minutes without any service. About twenty minutes in, I asked if our table could be attended to, and the host staff assured me that someone would assist us shortly. Unfortunately, we continued to wait, and a table that was even seated after/next to us not only received service but had already paid their bill before we were even acknowledged. At that point, we decided to leave. read more

My wife and I went to Flora Taverna for lunch. Nice relaxed atmosphere, wide open spaces and views of Epic Universe. We got the Italian sausage pizza and the beef gyro. The pizza was excellent with a crisp crust on the bottom but still soft on top. Lots of cheese and enough sausage for every bite. Skip Pizza Moon and get your pizza here. The beef gyro was also excellent, the beef was seasoned really well and the tzatziki sauce, cucumber, tomato and red onion combined to make this the best gyro I've had in a long time. Adrienne was our waitress and was very personable and attentive, making sure we were happy with the food and that our cups were always full during the meal. Highly recommend Flora Taverna. read more

Great service and ambiance. The pricing is high but obviously you pay for being at a theme park read more

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This review is specifically for the breakfast buffet. The interior of the restaurant in the morning is surprisingly serene despite hotel guests franticly lining up to get into Epic Universe early entry nearby. Unfortunately, the outside dining area overlooking Epic is unbearable, as they play loud techno music out there, which besides being obnoxious and headache-inducing first thing in the morning, bleeds into the loud Epic Universe music playing inside the park ten feet away. We immediately asked to be moved inside and though the restaurant was almost empty, the hostess was nasty and rude about our request. As for the food, they price the entrees so highly that it didn't seem to make sense not to pick the buffet (entrees cost $24-$29 each plus $6-$8 extra for juice or coffee vs. the $36 buffet which includes non-alcoholic beverages). The buffet was surprisingly small, most breakfast items were not fresh or replenished frequently, and some of the selections were just odd choices for a breakfast (as opposed to a brunch) buffet, like garlic shrimp at 8 am?!? Most problematically, given how much Universal has upped its attention to food allergies in recent years, I did not feel that they did a very good job addressing my daughter's allergies. In other Universal hotel restaurants (shout out to the Kitchen at the Hard Rock), they bent over backwards to make sure my daughter was safe and happy, offering to make her food in the back to avoid cross-contamination. At Flora, we got more of a shrug and the not-too-reassuring comment "she should be fine, but I wouldn't even go near the pastries!" Overall, I would not go back to Flora, especially for breakfast, which is a shame given how limited the dining options at the Helios Grand are. read more

Food was good, service was good and the ambiance is comforting. Regardless its expensive