REVIEW: Go Inside the Hidden Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar In EPCOT With Us!
There are a TON of places you can get a plate of pasta in Disney World, but do you know about the one that’s in a secret cellar?
Do you know where this is?
Okay, well, it’s not really a secret — but a lot of people don’t know about it! Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar in EPCOT is a lounge that also serves a full menu of food (along with wine, of course). We haven’t had a meal here in a while, so come along with us as we check out Tutto Gusto!
Atmosphere
Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar is located in the Italy pavilion right next to Tutto Italia Ristorante. In fact, they’re actually connected!
See Tutto Italia waaay over there?
It’s super cozy inside the wine cellar because, well…it’s a cellar! It’s quaint and there are lovely little alcoves around the space that you can sit in to wine and dine.
Seating area
It’s also pretty cool and dark in here, so it’s a really welcome atmosphere when you’ve been out in the hot, bright sun all day! We really do enjoy this cellar area better than the main dining room in Tutto Italia. This feels way more intimate, special, and comfortable.
We love it in here!
There are standard tables and chairs, along with some half booths. But, there are also high top tables in the middle of the wine cellar. We sat a high top and had a standard cloth napkin with metal silverware, along with a QR code menu we could scan to look at the food options.
Our table!
Almost all of the food ingredients and products used at Tutto Gusto are imported straight from Italy. And, a lot of the food items here are also made from scratch every day, so you know you’re getting fresh food with great quality if you’re eating here.
Just LOOK at that big wheel of cheese!
Speaking of food, let’s take a look at the menu!
Menu
The menu over at Tutto Gusto is actually the exact same as the menu at Tutto Italia right next door. Do note that this menu shown below is the one given through the QR code at the restaurant and it is slightly different than the one listed on Disney’s website! Here’s a look at the Antipasti, or appetizers:
©Patina Group
Next, we have the Pasta options, which include things like Spaghetti and Ravioli.
©Patina Group
After that, there is the Secondi course, which are the entrees.
©Patina Group
And then, we have the Dolci items, or dessert!
©Patina Group
There is also a Kids’ Menu here with things like Mozzarella Sticks and Chicken Tenders.
©Patina Group
Then, we have a small list of wine flights available where you can get 3 samples of different wines for $17.
©Patina Group
But, wait, there’s SO much more! The drink list here is EXTENSIVE. Here’s a look at the cocktails…
©Patina Group
…and the small beer list (which is mostly American beer, but you come here for the wine anyway!).
©Patina Group
Speaking of wine, there is a HUGE list at Tutto Gusto! First up, we have wines by the glass:
©Patina Group
And, continued:
©Patina Group
Next, we have wines by the bottle:
©Patina Group
Here’s a look at the White Wines you can get by the bottle:
©Patina Group
And, continued:
©Patina Group
Here’s a look at the Red Wines you can get by the bottle…
©Patina Group
…and here it is continued…
©Patina Group
…and here is even more!
©Patina Group
Next, are wines you can get by the half bottle, as well as some other spirits:
©Patina Group
And, here it is continued:
©Patina Group
Now, let’s eat!
Eats
We started out with the Under a Tuscan Sun flight for $17. This flight included the Chianti Terre di Bacco 2018, Tageto Donna Olimpia 2016, and the Tre Brancaia 2015.
So pretty!
The flight is served in order of lightest to boldest in terms of flavor so that is the order in which we tasted them. Starting with the Chianti, this wine was very bright and a bit dry. There are not many fruity notes in the wine but it does have some acidity to it. We did enjoy it, but wasn’t our favorite in the flight.
Just a little bit of wine!
We had the Tageto Donna Olympia next, and we immediately liked it better than the Chianti! It’s flavor was much more complex. It is definitely a lot heavier, and it did have a bit of bitterness to it at the end that left our mouth dry. But, you get a dark cherry flavor right away and you can tell that the wine was aged as well.
Another look at our flight!
Finally, we tasted the Tre Brancaia. This wine had a lot of oak and woody flavors and the fruit notes come more on the back end. This one was less sweet than the others but it also doesn’t leave your mouth as dry. It is very full bodied and was our favorite of the three choices!
This is great to try new wines out!
If you want a sweet wine flight, this one is not for you. But, this flight is a good option if you like red wines and want to try some new options! Or, if you’re just indecisive and want three wines instead of one.
Red, red wine
For food, we started with the “Fior Di Latte” Caprese. This dish has fresh mozzarella, vine-ripe tomatoes, basil, Maldon sea salt, Tuscan olive oil, and a balsamic glaze for $17. It’s a classic Caprese salad!
Uh, YUM!
We think this is the perfect appetizer for a hot day in the parks! The mozzarella is super fresh and creamy. The large tomato slices are refreshing as well and have a nice bite to them, they weren’t mushy at all.
Cheese is the best appetizer
The olive oil used in the dish is straight from Italy, which is a big improvement from your typical olive oil you can find at your local grocery store! It has more of an earthiness to it that elevated all of the flavors.
Delish
This dish is a simple Italian staple, but it is a bit pricey for its size at $17. It is a classic, but if you want something more adventurous, maybe go for the Carpaccio di Manzo!
A great bite!
We couldn’t go to the Italy pavilion without getting pasta, right? Of course not! So, next we got the Gnocchi Sorrentina for $29. This has potato dumplings, roasted tomatoes, Pomodoro sauce, and burrata cheese. This gnocchi was very tasty, but beware that it can be more dense than typical pasta and a little heavier since it is made from potatoes.
Let’s dig in!
The Pomodoro sauce was really fresh and there is a great brightness of acidity from the tomatoes. There are also pieces of basil throughout the sauce that add another layer of flavor, and you can taste some garlic and oregano as well.
All of that cheeeese!
The fresh burrata on top was delicious and it was melty since it was placed on top of the hot pasta. Our server added some freshly grated parmesan on top, too, because the more cheese, the better! Our only critique of this pasta was that we wish we had even MORE burrata, but that is probably just our cheese-obsessed hearts talking.
Simple, but good!
This is a hearty dish that will definitely hold you over in the parks. It’s a simple pasta, but it is reliable! However, if you want something with more bold flavors, there are probably better options for you on the menu.
Potato pasta
For our entree (because pasta wasn’t enough, obviously!), we got the Bistecca for $40. This is a 12 oz. grilled NY strip steak served with crispy rosemary potatoes and green beans.
Steak time!
You can tell there is some melted butter on top of this steak because of that amazing *glisten* going on. And when you take a bite, it tastes like this steak was grilled on a real wood grill instead of just cooked in a pan or a broiler. There is a strong smoky flavor to it.
A lovely char
But, this wasn’t the most tender steak we’ve had on Disney World property! That would probably belong to a restaurant like Jiko or Le Cellier. However, that is to be expected since this is NY strip steak instead of something like a filet (we still think it could’ve been a little more tender, though!).
A look inside
The green beans are lightly sautéed so they still have a nice crunch to them and they’re well seasoned with simple salt and pepper.
Eat your greens!
The potatoes are only seasoned with salt and pepper as well it seemed like, but they were really crispy and were a nice contrast to the steak. They also soaked up some of the juices from the meat which we enjoyed!
It’s hard to dislike potatoes!
If you’re craving a big meal that’s tasty and focused heavily on meat, we would absolutely recommend this. But, if you’re looking for something that’s a bit more authentically Italian, probably pick something else. You can get steak in a LOT of places, even just at Disney World! Basically, we wouldn’t tell you to go here just for the steak, but it’s also not a bad option.
Another look!
For dessert, we ordered the Torta di Ricotta al Limone for $13. This is lemon ricotta cheesecake infused with macerated berries.
This looks good!
It was very light in texture and wasn’t heavy at all like a regular cheesecake usually is! This one had a nice airiness to it and it was easy to eat after such a big and heavy meal, so it’s a great option if you just ate a big bowl of pasta but still want something sweet.
A bit small
The berries were good, because they’re berries with sugar, so it’s hard for that to be bad. But, we would’ve liked a more complex flavor, especially in the sauce. The sauce could have been a bit sweeter, since the cheesecake itself wasn’t very sweet. But, it was still delicious!
It’s a pretty color, though!
However, we don’t know if $13 for the size of this thing is necessarily worth it. It’s not very big, so it would be hard to share it (at least for us it would be). It seemed more like the size of a dessert you would get at an EPCOT festival booth, and those are almost half of the price usually!
Just a little dessert
And, even though we didn’t order it this time, we do want to give a special shout out to the espresso martinis here! The quality of espresso used it outstanding and it’s not overly sweet, so they’re absolutely delicious.
Nosh or Not
Head on into the wine cellar if:
- You’re looking to get out of the sun, relax, and enjoy a big meal while sipping on wine. This is also arguably the best place to grab a glass of wine in EPCOT!
- You want a full, satisfying meal instead of eating little bites at the festival booths around the world.
- You love classic Italian food and need to get your Italian fix while in the park. If you can’t get a reservation at Tutto Italia, this is a great option, because it’s practically the same menu and since it’s a lounge, it’s first come, first serve, so you might have a better chance grabbing a table here.
Travel to another country if:
- You want to just casually hang out and sip on some drinks while sharing a few appetizers. A Cast Member did inform us that Tutto Gusto is operating as a full service restaurant now, meaning you have to order a meal to eat here.
- You’re looking for something quick and/or light. Pasta, steak, and a flight of wine aren’t exactly things you can take on the go or eat quickly! And, they’re also going to fill you up and weigh you down, so you don’t want to eat a full meal here if you also want to keep snacking around the world.
- You want food that’s adventurous and that you can’t find in many other places. Italian food is pretty common (you can grab some fresh mozzarella and tomatoes from the grocery store and throw together a Caprese salad) and it’s not the most adventurous. If you want something more unique, head to Spice Road Table in Morocco or La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico.
Overall
Overall, we really enjoyed our experience at Tutto Gusto! Our server made sure we knew details about all of the food and really let us take our time trying everything. She was also very knowledgable about all of the wines and gave great, in-depth explanations about them.
If you don’t want to eat at the festival booths in EPCOT and want a full meal instead, we definitely think this is a good option. It’s especially great if you can’t get the dining reservations you wanted since this is first come, first serve. BUT, do know that even thought this is a lounge, you can’t just hang out here and drink wine and order an appetizer. Since this in now operating as a full service restaurant, Cast Members told us that you have to order a meal in order to dine here. But, we’ll be on the lookout to see if anything changes!
We also want to point out that even though Tutto Gusto has “basic” Italian food, it is 10 times better than somewhere like Tony’s Town Square in Magic Kingdom due to the quality of ingredients. The flavors are way more elevated here! It is a little pricy, though, so it might not be the best budget-friendly option for you. But hey, better ingredients cost more money, so it could be worth it. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World food news and reviews!
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Have you ever tried out Tutto Gusto? Let us know in the comments!
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