Disney’s Toledo-Tapas, Steak, & Seafood Review

Toledo -Tapas, Steak, and Seafood is a rooftop restaurant on the top floor of Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. We think it’s worth mentioning that the restaurant has received a mention in Florida’s Michelin Guide, which is a pretty big deal.

Surprisingly, Toledo is classified as a table service restaurant. One would think, especially with the Michelin mention, that the restaurant would be considered signature dining. But even the guide mentions, “Though certainly not inexpensive, Toledo packs less of a punch to the wallet than other Disney restaurants.”

Overall, Toledo has many positives that make it worthy of a reservation. If you’re staying at the resort, it’s a no-brainer. Additionally, some might like to go out of the way to visit the resort for a meal. It’s not often (if ever) we say that about a moderate resort restaurant. In this review, we’ll share why we think it’s worth the extra effort.

Gran Destino Tower is an interior access hotel at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Guests visiting the resort for dining will likely need to take a car service or a Disney bus to get to the resort.

If you take the bus over, you’ll want to exit at Gran Destino Tower’s bus stop. Typically, it’s the last stop before the bus leaves the resort. You’ll enter the main lobby and find the elevators on the far left side. Note, the elevators are unique. You’ll select the top floor first, and a screen will assign you an elevator. When it arrives, it will take you to the top floor. I mention this because there are no buttons inside the elevator. Once you exit, you’ll see Toledo on one side and Dahlia Lounge on the opposite. A restroom sits in this breezeway, accommodating both dining establishments.

Another door leads to an exterior observation deck, similar to the California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary. From the deck, you can take in views of Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Magic Kingdom sits in the distance but is pretty difficult to see. Toledo-Tapas, Steak, & Seafood has a gorgeous interior and pleasant ambiance. Trees are planted in various places inside the restaurant, adding an organic touch.

Here’s another view of the center of the restaurant.

At night, the lighting in the restaurant is dim. However, the ceiling lights up with a romantic vibe. The red-to-orange shades enhance the space as darkness falls. A significant lightning storm added a touch of anxiousness and excitement to our meal. It felt a bit eerie since each side of the restaurant is primarily a wall of windows.

Most of the seating arrangements are intended to face those views.

Those who are fortunate might get a table with a view. If you are willing to wait, I’m sure you could make that request when you check in for your meal.

It would likely be worth the wait.

Toledo specializes in Spanish cuisine. The menu is broken down into tapas and starters, entrees, sides, and desserts. A chef’s dinner for two is also an option. As with most tapas-style restaurants, you’ll want to pace yourself. This is the kind of restaurant that will take up the majority of your evening. So allow plenty of time for a meal, and don’t be in a rush to get elsewhere.

We started our meal with a few tapas. The first item brought to the table was the Flight of Four Pintxos. This menu item is described as Chilled Mussels ‘Escabèche’, Olive Oil-poached Tuna with Lemon, ‘Tortilla Española’ Spanish Potato Omelet, Valdeón Blue Cheese with Fig and Honey.

We were pleased with the variety of this dish and felt it was a positive start to the meal.

For our appetizer, we went with the Tronchon Cheese Gratinado. This dish was composed of three types of cheese melted over toasted bread. It was drizzled in honey and sprinkled with Marcona almonds. On paper, this sounded like a home run. But, unfortunately, it was a disappointment. When this item was brought to the table, the server warned that the dish was extremely hot.

But after taking photos and then going in for a bite, it wasn’t even warm. The cheese had hardened, and the dish felt generic. It was reminiscent of putting a slice of goat’s milk cheese on a piece of bakery bread at home for a snack. It’s not what you would expect at a tapas restaurant.

Our luck improved with our entree selections. First, the Hangar Steak comes with potatoes, salsa verde, greens, and blistered Shishito peppers. It was a delicious entree that felt like the kind of item that the masses would enjoy. The salsa verde provided the right amount of acid.

Kristen ordered the sustainable fish, which turned out to be Golden Tilefish. She let me sample a bite, and we thought the dish was excellent. Before this meal, I had never eaten Tilefish. It reminded me of Halibut, which I love. It was a lovely white fish complemented by cauliflower, fennel, and orange glaze. I would order this on a return trip. This dish came with a few potatoes and a piece of cauliflower.

Because I apparently don’t know what plant-based means and was craving seafood, I went with the “plant-based seafood” after reading the description. To my delight, it was terrific and one of the most memorable dishes I’ve ever enjoyed. You would have difficulty convincing me that it wasn’t seafood I had for dinner that evening. Look at it!

I was a bit annoyed by the sauce splatter on the plate, though. It looked like the chef had murdered the veggies. Looking at the photo now, it’s reminiscent of a dirty plate. Thankfully, this dish was well executed. It was comprised of faux crab cake, scallops, and calamari. Again, the entire dish was made from plants and mushrooms!

Our desserts were another treat. I went with the chocolate avocado mousse. The menu promises bites of strawberry, basil, and coconut crumbles. It comes with a side of strawberry basil sorbet.

This dish delivered on all accounts. In fact, it’s hard to remember a time when I was so pleasantly surprised by the combination of flavor and texture. The swirl of chocolate avocado had a smooth, creamy texture. That texture contrasted nicely with the cookie-like crumbs sprinkled around it. My dish was topped with raspberries and edible flowers, probably from Living with the Land, if I had my guess.

Our next dessert dish is the Classic Crema Catalana. This dish is a play on a creme brulee and another intriguing option for dessert. The dessert game is strong at Toledo. The Catalana comes together with flavors of Valencia orange and chocolate tuile. The flavors were simple yet pleasing. I took a bite of this dish before trying mine and wondered if I had made the right choice.

Our third dessert this evening was the Toledo Tapas Bar. It’s a dish described as a progressive dessert tasting with the flavors of dessert tasting the flavors of Spanish Coffee, crunchy Chocolate, Raspberry Mousse, and Lemon Curd. It was another extremely well-received dessert at our table. If you are a fan of dark chocolate in any way, you can’t go wrong with this option.

We’ll hop over to Dahlia Lounge next door.

If you have some time to spare before or after dinner, you might want to pick up a cocktail here. Or, if you don’t have reservations for Toledo, you can always dine here at Dahlia.

Here is a look inside the lounge. While it does look somewhat formal, you’re not expected to dress up. Since Coronado Springs has a convention center, you might run into a few suit-and-tie travelers. But for the most part, you are still at Disney, where the average person dresses in casual attire.

I would elect to sit outside if something is available. However, this has become a fairly popular location. You can see fireworks from this area.

We had the chicken wings one evening during our last stay.

Final Thoughts

Would I dine at Toledo again? Yes, by all means. We walked away pleased with the experience. Hopefully, these observations can guide you in the right direction regarding the menu. I would have difficulty not ordering that vegan dish or the avocado mousse again. For more information about the resort, you might enjoy the following:

• Gran Destino Tower Review
• Coronado Springs Resort Review
• Review of Chronos Club at Gran Destino Tower
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Restaurants Guide

Or you might also like our Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Guide.

In the Comments

What do you think about Toledo? Were you surprised to hear it has received a mention in Florida’s Michelin Guide? Do any of the items we tried look appealing? We appreciate you taking the time to share your comments below.