It’s coming up on that time where I will soon be making advanced dining reservations for our next trip to Walt Disney World. With so many restaurants now re-opened, I find that my list of preferred restaurants is getting pretty long! We have so many favorites and we try to visit new ones every trip. So narrowing down that list can get really tough!

On our trip, this past May, we decided to try the newest signature dining experience at Walt Disney World for dinner, Topolino’s Terrace - Flavors of the Riviera at the Riviera Resort. We had breakfast here previously and it became my absolute favorite character breakfast in all of Walt Disney World immediately! I knew that dinner could very well be a whole other ball game.

In recent years, we haven’t visited many signature dining locations. Since we were staying at the Riviera Resort though, we decided to give dinner at Topolino’s Terrace a try! I had read some mixed reviews and the cost was definitely a factor in some reviews. The bottom line is that signature dining is going to be high quality and a bit more expensive, so I think if you go into it knowing that you can be better prepared.

I tend to think of signature dining meals as adult only, but that is truly just in my head. They are definitely more formal and the atmosphere reflects that, but there is a children’s menu and you’ll be completely comfortable dining here with kids. My daughters thought it would be fun to dress up for the occasion and loved the idea of having what was in their mind, a fancy grown up meal. So we definitely played up to that idea which made the experience a bit more special for them!

There are some dress code requirements for signature dining experiences and you will definitely want to visit specific restaurants online to determine what their requirement are before dining there. Topolino’s Terrace has a minimum dress requirement. Men must wear khakis, slacks, or dress shorts and a collared shirt. Jeans may be work if in good condition and sports jackets are optional. Women must wear Capri pants, skirts, dresses, or dress shorts. Jeans are permitted if in good shape. Not permitted are tank tops, flip-flops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, hats for gentlemen, cut-offs, torn clothing and t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics. This will be a dinner where you may want to head to the resort to freshen up or change after a day in the parks or at the pool.

Topolinos Terrace - Flavors of the Rivera offers a blended French and Italian cuisine. From handmade pasta, to seafood dishes, to decadent desserts - the menu at this restaurant will definitely make your mouth water!

Breadsticks that were so perfectly baked and designed to go so well with the décor of the restaurant were brought to the table right after we ordered. We decided to try a limited time appetizer that was a chef’s choice that day and not on the menu. It was a delicious white asparagus that my family shared. We probably should have ordered two because we all loved it! I never pass up carbs and handmade pasta was something I knew I had to try so I decided on the Rigatoni, but I may be more adventurous the next time around and try the Lobster Fettucine. The Rigatoni was delicious and definitely one of the best meals I had the entire week we were at the resort. My husband ordered the Filet Mignon and raved about it for days! It was prepared perfectly and was definitely a top contender for one of the best steaks we have had while staying at WDW.

I wasn’t sure I had room for dessert but this was research and how can we truly review a restaurant if we don’t at least sample the desserts - so sampling we did! For the children’s meals, they can select a main course and two sides but one of their side options is gelato so both of my children chose that as their side. They were not passing up an opportunity for gelato! My husband decided to try the Pistachio Mousse and I have to admit I was thrilled with this decision. I really wanted to try the Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake, but if he had selected that, I would have felt like I should have tried something different. I made the better choice. I loved the lemon curd from his dessert, but overall the dessert itself wasn’t something that I would leave talking about. The Warm Valrhona Chocolate Cake on the other hand, had me at the very first bite and I suddenly found more room to finish the entire thing. I let everyone try it but I definitely wasn’t encouraging second bites. I also wasn’t giving up space for the chocolate cake to go back for another taste of my husband’s pistachio mousse.

The restaurant is designed in a modern interpretation of the colors, textures, and designs found along the Riviera coast. The views are beautiful! There is a terrace off the back of the restaurant located on the top floor of this resort, that allows you to look out across the properties of both Riviera Resort and the Caribbean Beach Resort. In one direction you can see Hollywood Studios and in the opposite, Epcot is in view. It is a stunning terrace and a truly beautiful design.

Do you have a favorite Signature Dining experience? Do you plan to try Topolino’s Terrace? Let me know your favorites or if this restaurant is on your travel list.

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