Ordered food and drinks from Splendido on Tuesday afternoon. Not worth going out of your way for, but a fine option when hanging out by the pool.
Quality: Splendido is attached to the pool at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. If you are chilling by the water for a while, you are likely to grab something from this bar. I ended up with both a Frozen Pina Colada and a Frozen Mango Daiquiri. Two decent versions of the classic drinks that worked well on a warm day. I was less enthusiastic about the Chicken Splash Nachos we ordered. While the chopped bacon was a fun addition, I found the sour cream had a strange texture and the cheddar cheese sauce a poor substitute for queso or shredded cheese. I also wouldn't recommend the addition of chicken, it was cold and soggy.
Quantity: Decent sized drinks, but unsurprisingly light on alcohol. The Chicken Splash Nachos are large and can easily be shared between two or three people.
Value: $15 for a Frozen Pina Colada. $15 for a Frozen Mango Daiquiri. $20 for the Chicken Splash Nachos.
Ambiance: Splendido is located in the pool area of Universal's Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. It is located in a small hut, just right of the entrance to the pool. They have a tiny bar and some tables surrounding it. However, they also circulate staff around the pool to take orders and deliver drinks wherever you are relaxing. Anywhere you sit you will get nice views of the well-designed pool area, but there are definitely better spots than the actual dining area.
Crowd: The dining area was empty, and the pool was quiet on Tuesday afternoon. I imagine during summer months and on the weekends, it gets crazy.
Service: Much better than I expected. They had two or three waiters constantly circling the pool to bring out food and drinks. Friendly and fast, they did an excellent job at keeping glasses full.
Parking: Self-Parking at the hotel is $28. read more