A review of the Leaky Cauldron Restaurant located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, Florida.
This London pub, portrayed as a dark, dingy establishment in the Harry Potter books and movies, is also used as access to Diagon Alley. And that is where you'll find it when visiting the theme park, although the restaurant entrance is easily missed.
As you pass through the broken brick wall in to Diagon Alley, look for the lettering above the arched doorway. There's also a black sign protruding from the exterior wall.
The restaurant serves traditional British pub grub. So, we Brits decided to try it for ourselves during our last trip.
The Leaky Cauldron is the only restaurant in this area of the park, making it a popular choice for many guests.
When we arrived, the queue snaked almost to the front of the building. Luckily, the line moved quickly, plus the wait gave us an opportunity to study the menu prior to ordering.
Before long, we were invited forward into the 'bar' to place our order at the wooden topped counters. Drinks are stored in a variety of barrels and bottles which line the shelves, giving the whole area a fun and authentic old pub vibe.
Drinks
In keeping with the immersive experience of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you won't find typical sodas or milkshakes on the beverage menu. However, you do have the opportunity to try Tongue Tying Lemon Squash, Peachtree Fizzing Tea, Pumpkin Juice, and, of course, Butterbeer.
A selection of alcoholic drinks are available for anyone over the age of 21. There's wine by the glass, plus draught beer. Alternatively, you could try the ominous sounding Dragon Scale, or the Wizards Brew.
My husband ordered the Wizards Brew. This is a very dark ale, which he enjoys but admits it's an acquired taste, so may not be to everyone's liking.
The kids loved their extremely sweet Butterbeer. One choose the frozen option, the other opted for the standard version. We also ordered a Gillywater, but were given a complimentary cup of tap water instead. As this is served in a cup bearing the Wizarding World logo, and saved us the rather hefty $5.50 price tag, we were happy to accept it.
The main dining hall is an attraction in itself. Fans of the books and films will love the ornate high beamed ceiling, as well as the chandeliers which cast low level lighting over the tables below. Many of the tables are set out in long rows, with a few smaller ones dotted around the room.
Painted brick walls are adorned with haphazardly hung pictures, some of which display moving images. There's also a staircase and balcony supposedly leading to upstairs rooms.
Directly opposite the huge dining room window is the main focal point - a fireplace housing the huge leaky cauldron itself, which provides a great photo opportunity for diners.
Food
Overall we were pretty impressed with the food. The menu includes a number of British classics such as Fish & Chips, Toad in the Hole, Bangers & Mash, Fish Pie, and Cottage Pie. There's also a Ploughman's Lunch, Mini Pie Combination, and a delicious sounding Beef, Lamb & Guinness Stew.
We chose the Stew, Cottage Pie, Fish & Chips, and Bangers & Mash. The Cottage Pie was supposed to come with a salad, but the Team Members were happy to swap this for a serving of vegetables.
The Cottage Pie received a thumbs up from everyone, however, our favourite dish was the Bangers & Mash. It was spot on. The sausages were good quality, there were plenty of vegetables and creamy mash, plus a generous serving of onion gravy.
We loved the flavours of the Beef, Lamb & Guinness Stew, but would have preferred more of it. The stew is served in a bread bowl which is ideal for soaking up the scrumptious gravy. However, we felt the balance wasn't quite right. Too much bread, not enough stew was our verdict.
The same applied to the Fish & Chips. Both elements were perfectly cooked, but again, there was a large portion of fish, with just a few chips served alongside. We did like that it was accompanied by tartar sauce and wedges of lemon though.
Cost
Entrees cost between $12- $17, and drinks around the $6 mark. Butterbeer and alcoholic beverages are a few dollars extra.
Check out the official Leaky Cauldron Restaurant website for up to date menus and prices.
We deemed the price of our meal was pretty reasonable, considering the quality of food, surroundings and overall experience.
You're obviously paying a premium for theme park dining, but its certainly a restaurant we would return to.
Service
The whole dining process is really well executed, and we received excellent service from all the Team Members.
From the moment we were directed to the shortest food order line, to accommodating our slight menu alteration, and even offering to take a number of photographs. Everyone we encountered was polite, friendly and helped create a truly memorable experience.
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