Restaurant Review:Via Napoli

Welcome back my friends to another Muting and The Mouse. When planning a trip, there is one thing we cannot escape, and that is food! I mean, a day in the parks is not complete without indulging into the many food options Disney has to offer. But where to go? That is the question. We are going to spell out another option below. You have to decide what is best for you. As we are walking around Epcot, you have many food options to go to. All of the countries have a restaurant and each is unique and authentic. During your journey around the countries you find yourself in the Italy Pavilion. As you walk into the Italy Pavilion you get to the back of the pavilion and find Via Napoli. This is a sit down restaurant with a fun, decorated inside and delicious menu. The cast members working there are very fun and authentic to a big family dinner. They are so friendly and really help you dive into Italian cuisine. This happens to be one of my favorites and I continue to dream about the pizza from here. The menu is pretty big, but each time I have dined here, I always have gotten the pizzas. They do not disappoint. So if you are looking for a pizza place, you will for sure want to pay attention below!

THE RESTAURANT

You arrive at the back of the Italy Pavilion and you are in the Renaissance. The theming and the attention to detail is stunning. The restaurant stands out and it provides a nice backdrop for a picture. Something to note, you will want to make a reservation, as it is a popular restaurant.  As seen above, we have taken a selfie or two from that very spot. As you get inside, the dining area is large. There are a couple different rooms, but the main room is one that is stunning. As you are dining to eat, you can see the kitchen and the ovens. Via Napoli has three wood fire ovens that they cook out of. The ovens are fun and are themed to look like guys with their mouths open. That is where the pizza is cooked! Inside the mouth of a stone man. These three ovens have names. The names are actually a homage to the three active volcanoes in Italy. See if you can name them yourself. Okay, if you got them, awesome! If not, they are named Etna, Vesuvius, and Stromboli. These ovens are massive and a really cool and fun touch to the restaurant. Make sure to make a pass by and you can see the pizza making in action!

THE PIZZA

When ordering the pizza at Via Napoli, make sure you take a look at all of the options. The pizza’s are all delicious and I have tried most of them over the years. They are broken down into three sizes on the menu. They have the individual size, large, and mezzo metro (half meter). They all have their perks to ordering, but if you are in a large group, I highly recommend the mezzo metro. You can see that photo below.

If you are dining with a smaller party, the large works nicely. The large is photographed above.  Now, I know what you are thinking. That looks huge! The pizza is so good, you will find yourself diving into it. Something to note, on the large and the mezzo metro, you can ask for a half and half. These are the two sizes you can ask for that and not everyone thinks to ask or even knows to ask. I always have asked for half and half and that way, you get to try two of the topping combinations they have to offer. All of the pizzas we have tried are above. We have tried the Quatro Formaggi which is a four cheese white pizza. The four cheeses include: mozzarella, parmesan, fontina, provolone. We have also tried the Piccante. This one has spicy Italian sausage with mozzarella cheese. The sausage is not super spicy so do not be scared by that. Also, photographed above is the third one we have recently tried. That is simply pepperoni. The pepperoni is cupping pepperoni and really gets nice crispy edges. Each one of these pizzas are fresh and really taste authentic. A key component that helps make the pizzas taste so authentic is the water in the dough. Yes, you read correctly, water. The water the chefs use is actually shipped in from Pennsylvania. The water they ship in actually has a lot of qualities of the water found in Naples. It is the little things like this that makes the food taste great.

After indulging in the ginormous pizza’s Via Napoli has to offer, if you have room for dessert, they have really good options. One that we tried was the best ice cream sundae ever imagined. The Coppa di Brutti Ma Buoni sundae is one that might look a bit messy, but tastes amazing. Consisting of Amarena cherry, chocolate, gelato, and an Italian style cookie the dish really has some depth of flavors. Do not forget to save the cherry for last. They are some of the best cherries and straight from Italy. The flavors all mesh together and really have the creamy and sharp flavors.

Also photographed above is the dessert they surprised me with on my birthday. The staff came out and sang and clapped and provided me with a ricotta cookie. The cookie was cake like and the whipped topping added a nice touch. It was a really nice treat to try and a wonderful way to add to the magic of Disney.

If there is one thing that could be a downfall here is the price. At first glance it might look like it is expensive, but if you really think about it, pizzas are about the same price no matter where you go. The atmosphere and the quality of food really is worth the price. The servers, the cooks, the ovens all add to the ambiance. When looking to dine, I highly recommend heading to Via Napoli for some pizza. I am excited to get back and try some other options they have. I do know some people that have tried other menu items and the reviews have come back outstanding. Have you eaten at Via Napoli? What is your favorite item on the menu there? Drop comments down below! This dining experience will not disappoint and it will leave a lasting impression on you. I continuously dream of the pizza and have said many times, that it is the best pizza I have had. Hope this helps if you are on the fence about Via Napoli and as always friends, continue to escape into the magic, no matter how far.