My family and I had the absolute pleasure of dining for the very first time in the Italy pavilion at Epcot a few weeks ago. Via Napoli was our restaurant of choice and I have to say I was quite impressed with everything at this dining location.
Being from Chicago where authentic pizza is readily available to me at the push of a button and formerly working at an authentic brick oven pizzeria in Chicago, I went into this dining experience ready to review. I have to be honest; I was not expecting to like it as much as I did.
The ambiance in this restaurant is cozy!! Upon entering you can immediately see where the food is prepared as the kitchen is an open concept. There are three brick ovens where your pizza is prepared…that is if you order pizza. :0) They are cleverly named, Stromboli, Vesuvio and Etna. My kids enjoyed glancing at the ovens as we were taken to our table.
The views from the restaurant are beautiful! I have never been to Italy but what I saw at Via Napoli is exactly what I had visualized for myself should I ever have the chance to visit. Everything is authentic, the waiters, the food, the smells the sounds…it is amazing!
Let’s get to the fun part…the food!!
Before we begin…if you are on the Disney Dining Plan you can use it at Via Napoli. If you chose to order pizza an individual size will take 1 DDP credit and a Large will take 2. In my opinion you can order one and it is plenty for you to eat with some leftovers.
Each pizza is created when ordered. Caputo flour is used to create fabulous dough and is then adorned with San Marzano Tomatoes and fior de latte mozzarella. The menu even says that they use water in the dough that is identical to the water found in well in Naples to give the pizza the exact taste!!
My husband ordered the Funghi pizza. He LOVED it! This pizza had Portobello and crimini mushrooms on it. The one problem that we did notice with the pizza is that it did not have enough mushrooms on it…next time we would ask for extra toppings for sure. However, the flavor was wonderful!
I ordered the very popular Quattro Fromaggi. Man was this luscious! This pizza is a cheese lovers paradise…you must try it if you love cheese! This pizza is called a white pizza which means it does not have a red sauce. It is made with mozzarella, parmesan, fontina and provolone. My husband and I split our pizzas so that we could have a taste of both and both of us agreed that the Quattro Fromaggi was our favorite!
My mom ordered the Margherita Pizza which was heavenly as well. This pizza is made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil. While it is a basic pizza it is truly wonderful! I do have to point out that again, the toppings were minimal. I would be sure to make mention that you would like extra basil on top if you are a basil fan. Overall my mom would order this dish again.
My daughter ordered the Lasagna Verde which is white lasagna (no red sauce) made with spinach, parmesan and Besciamella sauce. If you are not familiar, Besciamella sauce is a white sauce with just a few ingredients but is absolutely heavenly. Rich and creamy in texture it did wonders on this simple yet delicious dish. Another dish packed with cheese…my daughter said she would order this dish again.
My best friend ordered the veal parmesan and let me tell you it was AMAZING! This dish was done just as my Italian grandfather makes it. Thin buttery slices of veal topped with a wonderful red sauce and a little cheese. In addition, potatoes were served on the side. I would highly recommend this dish to anyone that dines at Via Napoli. Yummy!!
Let’s move onto the sweet treats…
The Tiramisu was your average Italian dessert. Creamy yummy and full of flavor! Would order again.
If you are looking for sweet, sweet, sweet look no further than Zeppole di Caterina. These are ricotta cheese fritters served with whip cream and a decadent chocolate sauce. Need I say more?
The Gelato e Sorbetto is vanilla, chocolate, pistachio and lemon sorbet. I did not personally try this but my daughter did and said it was a perfect end to a perfect meal. :0)
The Coppa di Brutti Ma Buoni is by far the best dessert I have had on Disney property! It is Amarena cherry& vanilla gelato sundae which sounds like it is not much but let me tell you there is something special about this. At first I was not too sure what It was, but I think I figured it out. I am a whip cream lover and this has a very creamy whip cream like taste. It is decadent!
Overall we absolutely LOVED Via Napoli! I will say that the portions were a bit smaller than I thought and I assumed that being at an Italian restaurant we would have received bread and oil. At the end of our meal I noticed the table next to us had bread and oil so I asked the waiter about it and he said they serve it upon request which I think is strange…but now we know. I would highly recommend giving this quaint authentic Italian pizza/eatery a try on your next Disney vacation, you will not be disappointed.
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Kelly, her husband, and three children live in the Chicagoland area. Kelly has been traveling to Walt Disney World since the age of two. She considers Walt Disney World to be her primary vacation destination. With 20 plus trips under her belt she still enjoys researching and learning new things about the most magical place on earth! Kelly began Disney Guru in August of 2010 with the vision of sharing fun vacation tips and magic with all fans of Disney World.
We’ve got an adr for via napoli set for our next wdw trip. I’m curious about seating at the eatery. Are there little “tables for two” or “booths” etc.?
Hello, thank you so much for your question. When you enter the restaurant you will see a lot of long tables where groups share a space. We were taken to a separate room where there were regular tables such as round tables and 2 person tables as well as 4 person tables. I did not notice any booths.
Thank you so much on your report re Napoli, have always thought of trying it but never got round to doing it, after reading that I think it’s now a must, you have made me hungry for pizza now lol.
It does make you hungry, doesn’t it! 🙂
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Four things, Guest: 1. Please visit Italy when you get the opportunity to do so. 2. In Italy, especially in Naples, if you order pizza, don’t expect to split it or share it w/your squeeze because each pie is made for one person: you. 3. Pizza in Italy is eaten w/a fork and knife unless you go to the other pizza stands and get one of the Brooklyn-style slices that you fold over to eat. 4. I believe the waiter is correct: the bread and oil are not necessarily brought to your table automatically, and if you’re in Italy, you’ll be expected to pay for these. They’re noted on the bill as covierto (cover charge).