Although this is a tapas place, the portions are big! It is also a rum bar, so all the cocktails on the menu are made with different rums. I'm not a fan of rum, but the drink I had (at the recommendation of our server) was actually very good. I can't remember the name unfortunately, but it was one of the "tide" drinks - not the velvet - but it's not on the online menu. For food my friend and I shared the cheesy arepas, which were good but not like usual arepas. She had the empanadas and liked them, I had the la canoa, which is a take on a Puerto Rican dish, it was really good, but different than I expected. For dessert we tried the banana bread pudding. It was huge and tasty, but way too much for two people. I will say, I always get confused and read this dish as bread pudding with bananas, but no it is made with banana bread. So if you don't like that, I'd try something else. Also, shoutout to our great server Freddie. He was very patient and knowledgeable. read more

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Never Made It Inside - Poor Wait Time Management We were really looking forward to trying this place for the first time, but unfortunately never got to eat here. We arrived at 6pm on a Sunday and were told the wait would be 45 minutes to 1 hour. We understood it was busy and put our name down. After waiting 1 hour and 15 minutes, we checked back in, only to be told they had no idea when we'd be seated. We gave it another 10 minutes, but still no timeline or update. I completely understand that restaurants get slammed and wait times can be unpredictable. What was frustrating wasn't the wait itself - it was the lack of honest communication. If it was going to be a 1.5-2 hour wait, just tell us upfront so we can make an informed decision about our evening. Honestly, the host seemed to have forgotten about us as she seemed surprised and scrolled way down the list to find our name even though we were "top of the list". After waiting over 1.5 hours with no end in sight and getting increasingly hungry, we had to leave and grab food elsewhere. With three hosts working, I would have expected better expectation management than what we experienced tonight. I hope this was just an off night, but we left disappointed and hungry. read more

Stayed at Cabana Bay but crossed the street in order to dine at Strong Water Tavern located inside Loews Sapphire Falls. Made a reservation for a party of 5 a few hours in advance. It was not terribly busy on a Wednesday at 6:30. We had a decent view facing the theme parks from our large booth. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. It was challenging to decide since so many items sound delicious. I landed on the Vuelve a la Vida and the Griot. Everything was beautifully presented and full of marvelous flavor. Their espresso martinis are top-notch, as well. It was the perfect place to celebrate a friend's birthday, but we did have to provide the singing. Pretty sure our rendition was better anyway ;) The quality of the food and the classy surroundings make for a very enjoyable experience. read more

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So good we went twice!!! Cheviche, tartare, espresso martinis, Carribean and South American flare...what more could you want? The Fig and goat cheese cake will change your life, and I'm not even joking. read more

Strong Water Tavern - Grilled octopus - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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This is a beautiful restaurant with a nice selection of rum-focused cocktails and small plates foods from rum-producing areas. I enjoyed the view sitting outside. It was easy to get a table during the week, which made it convenient for us as resort guests. Our service left a little to be desired. The food is served tapas style, but everything was brought out all at once. I wish they would have coursed it so we could enjoy dishes without food getting cold. It was surprising how long things took given that the restaurant didn't appear very busy. The food was hit or miss. Our server recommended the lomo saltado, but we found the meat to be a little overcooked. The salmon belly crudo was just ok: not a lot going on, with fish that didn't blow us away in terms of quality. The garlic shrimp was excellent, and the fruity cheesecake with sangria sorbet was a delicious thing to share for a sweet end to the meal. The cocktails were generally great. I'd skip the milk punch if I were to return, but I'd get the tavern grog again in a heartbeat, and I loved the blueberry basil shrub concoction. Beware--if you're used to the weak drinks in amusement parks, this is not that (which is nice for a change). All in all, I'd return if I was staying at the hotel again, especially for cocktails, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come here for food. read more

Strong Water Tavern - Cheesecake - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Best overall in Universal, Orlando. Service was great, food was excellent, and the ambience was calming after a long exciting day. Smaller portions let you choose more than one and we wanted to try multiple menu items. Their kids meals even looked delicious. Thanks, glad we found you close to our hotel. read more

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Spectacular!! Food and drinks phenomenal and the service even better. Asked for a special rum flight and was immediately accommodated. Some of the best octopus tapas ever had. If you don't try the Sangria sorbet goat cheesecake you don't k ow what you are missing read more

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Yo this place is awesome! I thought the curry goat was a small plate but it was completely the opposite. That meal was huge! But so tasty! My only critique is that maybe there could've been a little less broth, but it didn't detract from the meal completely. The goat was tender and the flavors were everything! Jay was the bartender and she was super cool and knowledgeable. I also came back for the churro bowl and the madudos might have been the best I've ever had. I sat at the bar so I can't say too much about the ambience, but overall it was decent vibes. I highly recommend. read more

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This was my favorite place to part take in during our stay at Loews Sapphire Falls hotel. We stopped by on a Saturday night around 8:30 pm at Strong Water Tavern. The vibe was a tropical Caribbean bar feel from start to finish. Giant rum selection, wood accents, and live Caribbean music was being sung. House-aged vintage and exotics rums, cocktails, wines, beer you name it they got it. Nice balance of drinks if rum isn't your thing. The tapas menu is what you would expect from a Caribbean-inspired place. Foods from little Havana, Jamaica, Mexico, U.S.V.I. and Venezuela to name a few. We ordered a few plates like tuna tartare, beefsteak empanadas, and Lomo Saltado, all came out when they were plated. The portion was plenty full for being a tapas style, enough for dinner. Service was good for our party of three, friendly and beverages were refilled quickly. Live music gave this tavern a fun, social vibe perfect for a Saturday night. Would return if I was staying at this resort at Universal. read more

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Wow, just wow! From Polly who helped a couple of tired travelers, to Marie whose recommendations, and service matched the amazing food. We could not have asked for a better end of the day after 12 hours of travel (should have been 9) from the west coast to the east. Highly recommend sitting at the tapas bar. We left trying to figure out what to order when we come back in a couple of days. Thank you all!! read more

Strong Water Tavern - Tuna tartare - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Very cool place to come and have some drinks. Plenty of space on the inside and they also have an outdoor area with a fire pit. It was pretty crowded so we ordered our drinks at the bar and before going outside by the fire pit. Drinks were good and I look forward to coming back here in the near future. read more

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Whenever I come to Universal I always stop in at Strong Water. They have some of the best food options on property. I just beg you to never get rid of the pork belly tacos and bring back the sliced ahi tuna dish with the melons and plaintain chips. That was my absolute favorite! The new tuna tartar is okay but bring back the old one, it was so good! The ambiance is a lot of fun. It's a very nice bar and they do have live music on the weekends. It's a full service bar but they're known for their rum forward drinks. The service is always great here. I've never had any issues. Christian is one of my favorite bartenders. He makes me the best drinks just knowing the spirits I like. He's very attentive, funny, and makes great recommendations. Highly recommend this spot! read more

Strong Water Tavern - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I booked a stay at Sapphire Falls resort for my husband's birthday. Just one night as we both work too much so I wanted it to be special. Of course it rained on and off all night, leaving us to figure out dinner. Rather then venture out we decided on Stron Water as it was in our resort. A minimal wait, I booked our reservation online but they sat us even earlier. The restaurant is an open floor plan with a wrap around balcony seating area overlooking the water. The bar was popular and they have an amazing drink menu. For guests not looking to be seated they have a take out bar area. The food? Tapas style dishes represented on menu by different countries. Lots of variety to choose from. We chose 3 bites to share. Our first? From the Columbian section of menu we ordered the Lomo Saltaedo. (Which I believe is actually Peruvian). It was delicious. Tender beef and flavorful veggies. Of all our orders I was impressed by the freshness of the produce used. Crispy, juicy and not over cooked. Perfect. From the Puerto Rico section of the menu we chose the chicken skewers. These were fantastic! A flavorful marinated chicken with plantains, onions and peppers. Cooked perfectly. I wanted another order immediately! Our last? The sliders. Simple burgers that tasted b like your dad made them on the grill with a mustard sauce for spreading. Our service? Good. He took our photo and upon noticing my husband's birthday pin brought us a free dessert...one Id been eyeing their cheesecake! Fantastic. Fig sauce and topped with a sorbet. The only small beef with service is he could have checked on us a couple more times (drink refills and just to follow up on food or sell us another plate!). Overall? We both loved this visit! I live locally and based on our experience would drive to this resort simply for this restaurant! We will definitely be back to try more of their menu! Recommend! read more

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I am at a conference in Orlando being held at the Loews Sapphire hotel. This is my first time staying here. I travel a lot for work, and have been in Orlando 3 times in the past month, so I know what to expect at Disney and I-Drive hotels. I arrived at the hotel around 1 pm and asked the front desk where I could get lunch. They advised Anastasia restaurant. I went downstairs and they said they were only serving brunch. It was $90 per person (it was Mother's Day) I asked for other options. They sent me outside to the pool but after walking past splashing children and never finding where to order, I took an uber to Disney springs for lunch. Due to the rain, I returned to the hotel for dinner. At 8:30 I went to strong water tavern for dinner. It had not been open during the day. The host said it would be a 2 hour wait. There were many open tables so it was because they didn't have staff. I asked if I could order to-go. He directed me to stand in a line at the bar. There were 4 people in front of me, 2 of whom had already ordered and were waiting to pick up food. After 15 minutes in this line the first person received their food. It was 35 minutes before I got to order my food. The bartenders (I think only 2, maybe it was only one) was taking care of the 30 guests at the bar, plus making drinks for the tables. They were working hard. I even got on my phone to see if I could place an order that way on the website, but that wasn't an option. I finally reached the counter and ordered and was told it would be 25-30 minutes. Maybe I'm just tired from a day of travel, and frustrated due to lack of food options, but I honestly am feeling so upset. It is now 9:30 pm and I don't like the feeling of being stranded with no food options in such a big hotel. I am not sure what to do for the remainder of the week. I just assume when I go to a conference the hotel will have food options. I will let the conference planners know this was an issue on the hotel side. I wanted to leave this review in case there was anyone else traveling who needed to know the lack of food options. I took a screenshot and there are options within universal studios park, but not at the hotel. I don't know what to do about breakfast. Or should I just pay for an uber or delivery? I'm sure the conference will take care of other meals. When I finally got desserts for my friend and I they were just okay. I don't typically leave such a long review, but the lack of options really has me upset. I will note my server (bartender) was extremely kind. His name was Christian and he even personally walked the desserts to me while I was waiting in the lobby. read more

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So, so good. Had the grilled octopus and it was tender with great flavor. The ceviche had perfect shrimp and the sauces on the tuna tartare was perfect. The steak special was perfect for 5 of us and the plantains are some of the best I've had. They also make great drinks and the servers like Mikey and Chris really know how to make your experience special. Thank you for a great visit during a work conference. read more

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Came here for an early dinner on a Sunday and it wasn't super busy, so we were seated immediately. The restaurant is quite spacious with large windows. The tables are nice and spaced out. The menu is separated into different sections (ceviche, Cuban, Jamaican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Bahamas, USVI, and Colombian). Everything was sort of tapas style and shareable, so we tried to get a variety of dishes For Cuba, we got the arroz con pollo For Jamaican, griot For Mexican, pork belly tacos USVI, chicken tenders Puerto Rico, chicken skewers Colombia, empanadas Everything was delicious and super sharable. The sauces were so flavorful and everything was fresh. Would come back again to try other dishes. read more

Strong Water Tavern - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

We had Haitian Groit with plantain's, Tapas style. It was all meat, no fatty pieces, and it was huge! Hamburger sliders (not so good, weird kinda smokey), Coconut Rice (extremely tasty!), and for dessert, Coconut yogurt with blueberries and peanut (so good!). It was so good! Delicious. I would give it a 9 out of 10. The service was excellent! Even the outside, a manager asked he could take a picture of me! Sure you can! read more

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Great food/experience Host stand (Barrel) not very friendly for the hostesses. Too short. Purse hooks specially for tall table read more

This is my first time here. Myself and some friends were out celebrating a friend's birthday and we had a wonderful time. Our waiter Angel was super sweet and very attentive. I am Cuban and order the arroz con pollo, it's not the Cuban style that I am use to but it was good. I wish I I would have taken pictures. One of the girls ordered the tiramisu and I only had a bite and it was a different take on tiramisu that I am use to but it was good. The girls all ordered different things off the menu and praised it. read more

Strong Water Tavern - Guava mascarpone tiramisu - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

If you're in the area and you're looking for a place to have tapas from many different places, (countries) look no further than the Strongwater Tavern. We received great service and this place has a wonderful vibe and it is welcoming. The food while everything is pretty small portions as they are tapas were all very tasty. They have an OK wine selection, lots of libation offers and obviously a decent beer selection. Cheers read more

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Dropped in for a late meal after the park, around 9:45. Cool inside vibes with dark leather and booths. Offerings include tapas, kids meals, a full bar with a strong rum focus. Live music in the eve which was really good. The good: Super friendly hosts and server. The food that was good, was really good. Drinks was great, loved the vibe as mentioned. Offer an outside deck as well with good views. The bad: We waited for an extended time for our food. I know we were hungry so I made sure it wasn't in my mind, but about 40 minutes for tapas (outside of one) was too long and 20 for my drink from the bar. It wasn't crowded inside, just a few tables at most. My daughter's tapa (tostados) was really good (per her) but really small- 4 small chips which was a bit too small for the price.. She ordered a kids meal to add on (she's 12). My son had the kids chicken tenders and fries, which surprisingly took the longest of all things. He enjoyed. My daughters had the chicken and cheese quesadillas, which were average good per them. My husband and I had the pork belly tacos, good size and amount, 2 full ones and delicious. We also ordered the chicken skewers with coconut risotto cakes (we were deterred from ordering the shrimp and steak as they are pre portioned so many times the steak is undercooked and shrimp overcooked). The chicken skewers looked great until we bit into them- 40 minute for cold ( it lukewarm) skewers. Definitely disappointed and we didn't eat them, and they removed from the bill as we didn't want to wait any longer with it being after 11 and technically the kitchen closing. 3.25 We had preordered dessert- churro ice cream and a pineapple upside down cake with bacon. Both were good, just didn't think the bacon complimented the pineapple cake at all and we didn't eat that part after first try. I would say, there is so much potential to be better, and maybe it was just an off night, but definitely left disappointed and snacking on my son's extra fries. read more

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First of all, the service was amazing! Our server was very knowledgeable about the drink and food menu. The Tavern is known for their selection of various rums and shareable style foods. We ordered the beef steak empanadas and the surf and turf. The empanadas were fantastic! They did a great job with them! The surf and turf however was not the best. Their surf and turf is a steak and shrimp skewer with vegetables. The skewer overall was over cooked and charred. The steak was too fatty and hard to cut. The chimichurri flavor was not present. The Tavern itself was right up my alley. The atmosphere overall had a chill and loungey feel. I know, "loungey" is not a word. Although, the surf and turf was not good, I would not let it deter me from trying it again. The drinks, empanadas, atmosphere, and most importantly the service is enough to go back. read more

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The bar service was "ok". Very overwhelmed. I had the seafood stew... the serving was good but the amount of seafood was minimal. The main issue was the presentation...to me a stew is a thick dish. This was more a thin soup with pasta and seafood swimming in broth Taste-good Presentation-bad Pee menu-very bad Value-lacking read more

Love the food. Do not love the automatic gratuity added without notification when I'm a party of ONE. And do not love that they are stingy with the ceviche chips and when I asked for more the kitchen would not provide. Love the drinks too, so kind of on the fence about whether I will go back. Probably will to give it another try. read more

While staying at Loews Sapphire Resort I had the pleasure of spending a couple of evenings at Strong Tavern. They serve tapas style food from South America and the Caribbean. The short ribs were the best I had there but all the food I tried was good. The service was good as well. All the servers were attentive and friendly. Great atmosphere. I was there for a conference Abe the place was packed w professionals and families. This was a good venue and I will come back. read more

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This place has such a cool vibe. They even had live music right in front of a waterfront view. The menu plus the location (right in my hotel lobby) felt almost too good to be true! Sadly, the service was so tremendously slow that I wound up canceling most of my order and taking dessert to go. Swing and a miss. read more

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This restaurant and bar are located in the Sapphire Falls Hotel. The restaurant serves Latin, Caribbean tapas with a variety of options from Civeche to Empanadas. It has a warm, well decorated interior with windows facing the water. They offer live music on most nights. It's a nice touch to have some Latin jazz. The bar specializes in rum but has a full bar to your liking. We ordered 5 different tapas from tuna to short ribs. Everything was delicious. Service was very attentive and friendly with Angel our waiter. We loved everything we tasted and it was not greasy but very flavorful. read more

Strong Water Tavern - Tuna - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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I went to the strong water tavern to celebrate a friend's birthday and had a good time. The ambiance of the place was definitely my favorite part. The patio overlooks the theme parks and there's pretty big fire pit you can sit by. I didn't order food but the drinks were pretty good. A little on the pricey side, but it's universal so that's expected. The service wasn't impressive, not sure if we just had a bad experience. It took a long time to even get a drink order in. We were definitely ready to leave about 30 minutes before our check finally arrived. Overall, beautiful restaurant and location & drinks are yummy. read more

Strong Water Tavern - The last typhoon - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I come to Orlando a couple times a year for work, and usually stay at the Aventura. However, this restaurant is always good enough to walk over to. The best thing on the menu, by far, is the Curry Goat. It's savory, filling, and just spicy enough to want to quench your thirst with some rum. As for drinks, they always have a local beer option on tap, and I also really like the milk punch. Prices are a bit high, but that's resort life! read more

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Food is good service is good. Nice views and good drink selections Very family friendly

We love staying at my family's favorite hotel the Sapphire Falls and every time we go to the Tavern. Great selection of drinks and rum. The menu is pretty good, too. Selection is great. Our server Maggie is super nice and very knowledgeable. She helped us with the sampler and the different drinks we ordered. So if you are staying at the Sapphire Falls, grab a chair on the deck or one of the big comfy seats and have some fun with your friends and family. read more

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The ambiance was great. Specially their patio area. The food was overall good. The service wasn't bad but wasn't Ethel greatest. We would return for sure. read more

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I absolutely love this restaurant! I've been twice and both times I've celebrated something special. Our server, Angel, has waited on us both times and he's be an absolute ANGEL!! Food is delicious, drinks are great, and the atmosphere is perfect for a chill night after spending an entire day at the parks. 10/10 recommend. read more

Tapas were wonderful we had 4 different kinds chicken tenders, beef empanadas, chicken skewers and arepas then the Best Creme Brûlée I have ever tasted! read more

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Nice nice! Tapas? What I got a couple of dishes and ofcourse a rum cocktail - Caribbean Ceviche - this was overall very good, I like the bottom layer of mofongo that was warm. Complimented the ceviche. I was surprised that the mofongo had meat in it which was not pointed out on the menu - Curry Goat - quite an interesting take on the jamaican curry goat I know. Very flavorful and meat falls off the bone. But the meat quality was not as fresh as I expected. The rice in this was also quite interesting, lots of coconut and more sweet... - Jackfruit Ropa Vieja - This was okay. I expected the jackfruit to be more stringy but less jackfruit flavor. There was a bit more jackfruit sour - Jerk Chicken - this was also great. Surprised that it also came with rice. Could lose the rice since it was tapas... maybe add plantain strips. - Last typhoon Rum Cocktail - I love that they use the fruit as sweetener which I could taste, but the amount of alcohol was almost not tasted. Environment Located in the Loewe's hotel, this could be fancy evening dining experience but there was also a lot of more casual, maybe cause of the hotel and also the resort being near. The seating were more on the lounge experience side. Niceness of the staff Very very nice waitress. Made sure I had everything I needed. Explained the concept, I was sold on the cocktail and definitely appreciated it Dollar It was definitely on the more expensive side. The drink was 15$. The goat was 25$ and all other "tapas" were at least 13-15$ per. Can add up pretty quickly Yes Very good environment but I am not sure...Would give them another chance if the opportunity arises but I don't see anything exciting that I would want to return read more

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Delicious and authentic food. Chris from Baltimore took amazingly good care of us, thank you Chris!!

As locals, my husband and I decided to spend the day exploring the different Universal Orlando hotels. Each one conveniently has a water taxi that takes you to CityWalk where you can hop on the different connecting boats to each resort... definitely makes for a fun date day! We decided to park at the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort which is where we started and ended our journey. Strong Water Tavern is located inside the resort, just off the main lobby. I agree that this is one of the best dining options on the entire Universal property (just look at the reviews of other restaurants... yikes). We ended our day just in time for sunset and requested to sit on their outdoor patio overlooking the water. They have comfortable lounge seating as well as a few tables and and great view. At first we were only planning on having drinks (they are known for their extensive rum selection), but we decided to order a few tapas and dessert which ended up being our dinner. The rum old fashioned is excellent. We also ordered the garlic shrimp (camarones al ajillo) in a white wine sauce which was super tasty. Get some extra bread for dipping because you don't want that sauce to go to waste. We also ordered the short rib huarache which was very large and filling (definitely shareable). While it was loaded up with ingredients, I expected the short rib to have a bit more flavor. For the $25 price, it was just ok. The tapas in general are pretty pricey, but that's to be expected in the theme park realm. Now the real star of the show was the dessert! We had the banana bread pudding (made in-house) served with rum raisin ice cream. Omg, my husband & I both agreed that this was probably one of the best bread puddings we've ever had. It was a very generous portion and super moist all the way through. The ice cream on top paired perfectly. I would come back just for dessert alone! They also validated our parking for dining in which was a pleasant way to end our adventure. read more

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This is the best restaurant on property! We've gone out of our way to eat here, and even picked sapphire falls to stay at because we wanted to be closer to this restaurant. The staff are amazing, and with such an extensive menu, they're surprisingly well versed in both the food and 100+ rums available. The food is out of this world. It's small plates, great for sharing, so you can try out dishes you might not normally order. The tequeños are the best, but we try a new dish every time we go. Even if you aren't a rum drinker, the bar tenders will put together a flight for you that matches your taste. We notice a lot of the same staff seem to stick around - shoutout to Kasey who served us last year, and Angel this year. Definitely don't miss this spot read more

Discovering this hidden gem on Universal property was a delightful surprise! A quick ferry ride from CityWalk transports you to Sapphire Falls resort, where a menu brimming with delectable concoctions and mouthwatering small plates awaits. Whether you're looking for refreshing drinks or flavorful bites, this tiki bar/restaurant is the perfect retreat during your Universal Orlando adventure. Cheers to a fantastic find! So far, I've tried the Mai Tai and Tavern Grog, which were both very good. For food I had the Fried Buttermilk Chicken Tenders and the Beef Sliders. I'm excited to return to try more delicious cocktails and small bites! read more

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Hidden inside a hotel, this intimate and classy tapas-style restaurant is the perfect spot for date night after a day at universal. First, pork belly tacos were phenomenal. 2 massive tacos in an order, pork belly melted in my mouth. Next we got this flatbread special they were offering that night (so not sure it's still available). It was chorizo, chihuahua cheese, pesto on roti and I can confidently say it's one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. They should consider making it a permanent item on their menu. Lastly, we shared the griot -- pork and sweet plantains hit the spot. Highly recommend this spot!!! read more

Strong Water Tavern - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida