Restaurant Review: Via Napoli

On my most recent trip to the World, I had the pleasure of dining with my girlfriend, Kelly, at Via Napoli in the Italy Pavilion in Epcot.  I had heard great things about it and was particularly inspired by a WDW Radio Live Review of Via Napoli (WDW Radio Episode #320).  Acting on such inspiration, I booked dinner reservations on our arrival date a few weeks prior to our trip.  Upon on arrival, we made a quick stop at Living with the Land (strong opening play for any WDW vacation, I know!), and then we were ready to eat.

The restaurant itself is located in the far back portion of the Italy Pavilion and is somewhat difficult to notice for the casual passerby.  Despite the seclusion, the restaurant has stayed busy since its late 2010 opening.  We arrived on time and waited about 10-15 minutes.  The entry room to the restaurant was somewhat small, but the air conditioning was a welcomed luxury.

The restaurant has a very inviting yet active atmosphere to it.  It's marked by soft colors and bright lighting, but it's also very loud with servers scuttling about, giving the restaurant a feel akin to a large Italian family get-together dinner.  While this atmosphere is exciting and inviting, it is not terribly intimate, so those looking for a romantic date spot should look elsewhere (or at least the slightly quieter side room where we ate).

Kelly and I both ordered drinks; she ordered a glass of house white wine (which she enjoyed), and I ordered the Strawberry Aqua Frescas (the signature house drink which also comes in blood orange).  The Aqua Frescas was enjoyable, but little more than pureed strawberry in water, and at $6.00 per glass, not worth the price.  It'd rather pay a few extra dollars for a glass of sangria. 

After scouring the menu (found here), we decided to split an appetizer and a individual pizza.  We opted for the Arancini (fried risotto balls filled with mozzarella and meat ragu, $11) and the Prosciutto E Melone Pizza (white pizza, fontina, mozzarella, prosciutto, canteloupe, arugula, $19).  Together, these items were sufficient for collective appetites.  

The before shot- three to an order,
aesthetically pleasant

 The Arancini was a little bit of a let-down after having the dish hyped to me by the WDW Radio Podcast, but was still an enjoyable dish.  Having never tried risotto before, I had no baseline comparison, but I'm assuming it was well cooked (if Hell's Kitchen has taught me anything, it's that any chef should know how to cook risotto).  Regardless, each ball had a thick, crispy outside which was contrasted by the soft risotto and mozerralla on the inside.  The highlight of the dish, however, was the ragu.  Kelly and I made sure none of it went to waste.  While I would not order this dish again, it was enjoyable, and, at the very least, tipped us off that we should work ragu pasta dishes into our future orders.

An inside shot- illustrating the thickness
of the fried layer and the contents

 The pizza, on the other hand, was FANTASTIC!  The primary draw of this pizza was the thinly sliced cantaloupe and prosciutto.  Having never tried the combination, I was pleasantly surprised (they also offer the combo as an appetizer sans pizza).  Contrary to my suspicions, the melon did not overpower the other flavors on the pizza.  Combined with the arugala, all the ingredients gave the pizza a very well-balanced, light flavor.  Kelly was particularly a fan of the crust which was thin and crispy.

Overall, the meal left us both very satisfied without being heavy, perfect for people who still have lots to do and see in Epcot before Illuminations!  Splitting an appetizer and an entree seemed like the appropriate amount of food and helped keep the bill down.  I would happily recommend Via Napoli for lunch or dinner for anyone going to Epcot looking for a casual, sit-down meal.  Hope to see you all there in future trips!