ll Mulino at the Swan?

[BEASLYBOO]

To be honest, more and more I prefer to spend my hard earned cash on resort restaurants rather than theme park restaurants!

Bluezoo, Il Mulino, Yachtmen, are among our favorites!

We love appetizers, and Il Mulino delivers! They have a carpacio of beef and tuna that is to die for! It took us a while to try it, we always chose Bluezoo, simply because we have good Italian at home but for good quality Italian cuisine at DW, Il Mulino is tops!

[Miumiu4me]

Horrible! This is our least favorite place in the area. It is extremely pricey for what you get. We went in October of 2010 and have not been back since. This place is nothing like the il Mulinos in Vegas and NYC. Both my husband and I were extremely disappointed in our entrees. My gnocchi was stuck together and dry. My husband's meat sauce was watery. We may have just gone on an off night, but I looked at tripadvisor after our review and other reviewers (from that time period) had similar issues.

[jwfla422]

Originally Posted by DisneyMom2Boyz

Thankyou for the review. Great job on your review website. I think its so great that people take the time to do this! And so helpful to someone like me!

Thanks for the compliment and thanks for checking it out. I know the site is a little "dated" looking but I just want to make it easy to read the reviews and look at the photos at the same time. (so many sites have photos after or picture viewers). Just trying to keep it simple but HELPFUL. My dd helps me with the reviews which makes it fun. I actually have more photos and reviews to put up but just have to find the time. SO make sure to check back.

[jwfla422]

Originally Posted by Miumiu4me

Horrible! This is our least favorite place in the area. It is extremely pricey for what you get. We went in October of 2010 and have not been back since. This place is nothing like the il Mulinos in Vegas and NYC. Both my husband and I were extremely disappointed in our entrees. My gnocchi was stuck together and dry. My husband's meat sauce was watery. We may have just gone on an off night, but I looked at tripadvisor after our review and other reviewers (from that time period) had similar issues.

Sorry you had a bad experience. Very possible they were still working out some kinks during that time period, we went after that time and had a great experience with food and service. Also this was the only Il Mulino we've been to and sometimes when you dine at other locations it does give you something to compare it to and you would probably have high expectations if your experiences were positive. I know this happens with WDW restaurants that we have visited more than once during return trips and when it doesn't seem to compare to the last visit it can be quite disappointing.

[Miumiu4me]

Originally Posted by jwfla422

Sorry you had a bad experience. Very possible they were still working out some kinks during that time period, we went after that time and had a great experience with food and service. Also this was the only Il Mulino we've been to and sometimes when you dine at other locations it does give you something to compare it to and you would probably have high expectations if your experiences were positive. I know this happens with WDW restaurants that we have visited more than once during return trips and when it doesn't seem to compare to the last visit it can be quite disappointing.

We actually tried the Vegas location in May 2011. It was great!

Like I said, my issue might have been an off night or the time period (maybe they had a bad chef). There were a lot of bad reviews on tripadvisor then. I personally wouldn't chance it again, but that's me. I'm glad to see so many others have had better experiences since then.

[parkhopping]

I've never been to Il Mulino, but since you mentioned Portobello I wanted to add that I quite enjoyed it. The food was great and the atmosphere was pleasant - we were seated outside by the water. If you don't mind two Italian dinners in one trip, I would definitely recommend checking it out.

[JimmyV]

Originally Posted by jwfla422

Very possible they were still working out some kinks during that time period...

An off night, perhaps. But definitely not "kinks". My first visit to Il Mulino was in March, 2007, so it had been open for at least three years by 2010. No restaurant can attribute poor performance to "getting the kinks out" for three years. Not even at WDW.

Restaurant kitchen staffing is always changing. While that is not an excuse for a restaurant at the level of Il Mulino, it does provide some context. Off nights (and weeks, and even months) have been known to happen.

For what it's worth, I have never found the Il Mulino at WDW to be anything like the one in NYC, and I don't think it really tries to be. I'm not talking about from a "one is better than the other" standpoint. Rather, from the menu to the service to the atmosphere to the price, they are just very different. WDW is much more welcoming, casual and less expensive. The NYC original tries (IMHO), to be a bit too much like Rao's. They make you feel privileged just for getting in the door, and if you are not recognized as a "regular", your dining experience is very different from that of the regular customers. I have only been with "regulars" and I see that we are treated very differently, from table selection, to server attention, to special "off the menu" courses. I dislike the two-tier approach to dining, though I understand it. But for this reason, I do not ever suggest Il Mulino in NYC as a dining option and only go if others have made the plans. I have had no such experiences at WDW, even when dining with a very regular "regular". Yes, we were greeted warmly and treated nicely. But I did not see anyone else in the restaurant receiving substandard service the way I have witnessed it in NYC. (Have not been to Miami or Las Vegas outposts, and don't intend to.) Bottom line is that I go out of my way to avoid the NYC original, but dine at the WDW location often, and look forward to it every time.

[Kimosabe]

We just made a reservation for Il Mulino (in July) based on lots of reviews I have seen and heard. I have also seen and heard several not-so-great reviews, but have come to accept that not every place is for every person, and every place or person is likely to have a bad night from time to time for one reason or another. I will take my chances (but again love that most of the comments here are good ones).

I have heard that it can be pretty loud, but with Trattoria in the name, it is not necessarily intended to be a quiet, romantic fine dining experience. I was reminded of the difference recently on the Fantasy ship while dining at Palo -- I asked about their pizzas as an appetizer (not on dinner menu but had seen great reviews) and was quickly told (albeit in a nice way) that pizza is not considered "fine dining" and was made only for their brunch menu, which is served in more of a trattoria atmosphere. Touche!

Love the idea of half-portion pastas (works well with young kids who have adult palates, as well as for adults who like variety!). Have also seen that they make their pastas in-house, which is what really got me interested in the first place. Can anyone confirm or refute this?