Il Mulino...Honest Opinions

[Wonders10]

Hi everyone,

My fiancé and I are planning on our wedding dinner to be at Il Mulino in the Swan hotel. Neither one of us have eaten there and will have a test run in May before booking anything. His dad frequents the Il Mulino in NYC and they expect it to be really really good food. I'm not picky, I've heard great reviews, but I would love to hear opinions from others if you've eaten there!

Thank you!

 

[Lisann]

Haven't eaten there, but Pete Werner who owns this website and Dreams Unlimited Travel, states that Il Mulino is his favorite restaurant. He definitely sings its praises any chance he gets!

 

[Pygoplites]

WDW's Il Mulino is an "Il Mulino Trattoria" and therefore much less upscale than the flagship Il Mulino in Greenwich Village. There is a similar IM Trattoria on 20th Street in NYC, so you may want to let your future FIL know that in case he's expecting Orlando's to be like the "real" Il Mulino. I think it's one of the better WDW restaurants, but you will probably get a wide range of responses from others (I noticed someone called it a "travesty" today).

 

[Kimosabe]

It is probably in my top three restaurants at WDW, with a fair argument for top choice altogether. Plenty upscale for a wedding dinner without being pretentious.

 

[JimmyV]

As noted above, the Disney outpost is very different from the original. That said, I actually like it better. The original in NYC seems too "clubby" for me. If you aren't a long-time regular, you don't get the same experience as those who are recognized. Fortunately, I have always gone with the latter, but I feel guilty knowing that we are getting special treatment. At WDW, everyone is treated equally. The pasta dishes are excellent and priced very reasonably. Most are around or under $20. Service is professional though far less formal than in NY. Tables are not set with linen. Dark wood and deep colors frame the design. I think you will enjoy it as long as you are not expecting an uprooted version of the original.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Our Ratings of Il Mulino: (*rev 2/21/2014*)
. . . food price value: B
. . . food quality: A
. . . food quantity per serving: B
. . . food prep speed: B
. . . food selection: B
. . . seating quantity: B
. . . seating comfort: A
. . . eatery atmosphere: B
. . . eatery convenience: B
. . . staff friendliness: B
. . . staff attentiveness: A
. . . character interaction: n/a

NOTE: This is one of five sit-down eateries we patronize at WDW. The service is always
exquisite and the food very good to excellent. I want to feel important at fine dining,
and IL Mulino does this, so the price-to-food/service ratio is an excellent value. We had
two servers. They even kept our glasses full and our needs always met. It's good to be
pampered. We enjoy the Prosciutto & Melone (appy), the Saltimbocca, the Dentice, and
the Vitello Parmigiana (entrees).

 

[MarieA]

WDW's Il Mulino is an "Il Mulino Trattoria" and therefore much less upscale than the flagship Il Mulino in Greenwich Village. There is a similar IM Trattoria on 20th Street in NYC, so you may want to let your future FIL know that in case he's expecting Orlando's to be like the "real" Il Mulino. I think it's one of the better WDW restaurants, but you will probably get a wide range of responses from others (I noticed someone called it a "travesty" today).

Totally agree. We have dined at the Greenwich Village location as well as the one in WDW and the menus are very different. We really enjoyed Il Mulino in WDW and have a reservation there again this trip. I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

[ElizabethB]

We really enjoy Il Mulino. Since you are having a wedding dinner with a group (presumably), I would ask for one of the side rooms and, hopefully, you will be able to have it to yourselves.

I love their minestrone soup -- which is really fresh vegetables in a light broth. I also like their tortellini soup. We also like their pastas (and I like that I can order a 1/2 order). Desserts are good, too. I would not bother with the parmesan reggiano appetizer -- the parmesan reggiano at Tutto Gusto is much better.

We think they have cut down on their wine list so it was hard to find something we wanted last time in a price range that wouldn't break the bank. Next time, we may bring our own and pay the corkage.

 

[wezee]

We agree with Rusty. It's very good.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

There's no way I'm going to call it a "travesty" because it's really good, but I'm going to say that I only order pastas and pizza. Hooray for half orders of pasta!

 

[Kimosabe]

Hooray for half orders of pasta!

Not sure how they would approach a larger wedding party, but the option of getting a half order of pasta at a typical sit-down here is a huge plus in my book. I tend to be more adventurous in my dining than the rest of my family, so they rarely want to share what I'm getting, but I always want a bite of what they get. Half order options gives me a chance to try more than one thing without breaking the bank...and on the Il Mulino menu, I definitely want to try more than one thing!

 

[Wonders10]

Thank you everyone's! We are really looking forward to trying it.

The plan is to have one of their private rooms and use a group dining, prix-fixed menu.

 

[yankeepenny]

Rusty had it spot on.


AND, the one in Vega$ is just as good. This was the first ressie I made for my end of Sept stay.

 

[vicb]

I think as a wedding group you might have a different experience than I did as a diner. I will say the food and service were very good the night we ate there. However, it was very noisy. Perhaps due to the large private party that had taken over much of the bar area and an outside area. I think they were conventioneers. We were a party of two hoping for a quiet dinner, not so much. Many of the tables for two were in odd locations, ours was sort of in an aisle by a big pole in the main room. We did not complain because we saw other parties of two seated along a wall in what seemed to be the hall to the rest rooms, no atmosphere at all!

I would say for small parties dining there atmosphere would depend on where you are seated. Otherwise no complaints about the food or service.

Best wishes.

 

[Wonders10]

Just wanted to say thank you again for all of your responses.

I'm not toooo concerned about service as 1) I'm not picky and 2) my fiance's father is good friend's with the maitre'd at the NYC Il Mulino who is already planning a quick phone call if we book it. I usually think that stuff is pretentious but it is our wedding day so I will take all the pixie dust I can get.

Really looking forward to trying it out in a couple weeks!

 

[gatordoc]

So I'm the one who called it a travesty in another thread. Not so much about the food - it's perfectly mediocre and on par with most of the other Italian choices at WDW (though even more overpriced, if that's even possible). No, the travesty is in the comparison to the original in New York, which is one of the finest Italian restaurants in the country in terms of food quality (though I will admit that the service can be a bit stuffy). When last I ate up there, I chatted for a few moments with the maître d’ about the Orlando location. He pretty clearly indicated that it had little connection with the original in terms of food choices, quality, or preparation, although the owners clearly are making a pretty penny off the (mis)use of the name.

 

[redzinner]

So I'm the one who called it a travesty in another thread. Not so much about the food - it's perfectly mediocre and on par with most of the other Italian choices at WDW (though even more overpriced, if that's even possible). No, the travesty is in the comparison to the original in New York, which is one of the finest Italian restaurants in the country in terms of food quality (though I will admit that the service can be a bit stuffy). When last I ate up there, I chatted for a few moments with the maître d’ about the Orlando location. He pretty clearly indicated that it had little connection with the original in terms of food choices, quality, or preparation, although the owners clearly are making a pretty penny off the (mis)use of the name.

All of us add our own perspective to these threads and facts should be true, although everyone has different interpretations of those facts.

I have dined at TRATTORIA Il Mulino in LBV several times. We have been there when the 'suits' from the Mother Company are in the restaurant. They have asked our opinion on seasonal cocktails from the bar menu. The Il Mulino Company is very much involved with the restaurant in Lake Buena Vista. The menu/recipes are dictated by headquarters. No ifs ands or buts. The owners are making a pretty penny because they are from one and the same company. No misuse of the name. Apples and oranges. These are my thoughts after talking with several managers and suits from Il Mulino in LBV, NYC and Las Vegas. Just a different perspective, to each his own.

 

[Nancyg56]

I don't want to high-jack, but I have a quick question. I am going to WDW for teh F&W Festival with a friend. WE are joining others at several meals. Now my friend cannot eat heavily in the evening, but has said she is happy if there is soup and salad. I know that most WDW restaurants have no problem splitting meals, and I am prepared for us to split at times so she can have some entree, supplement with soup or salad, and not need to buy a meal she clearly will have to throw away. How is Il Mulino when it comes to this practice. I do not want to be embarrassed if we ask.

 

[gatordoc]

All of us add our own perspective to these threads and facts should be true, although everyone has different interpretations of those facts. I have dined at TRATTORIA Il Mulino in LBV several times. We have been there when the 'suits' from the Mother Company are in the restaurant. They have asked our opinion on seasonal cocktails from the bar menu. The Il Mulino Company is very much involved with the restaurant in Lake Buena Vista. The menu/recipes are dictated by headquarters. No ifs ands or buts. The owners are making a pretty penny because they are from one and the same company. No misuse of the name. Apples and oranges. These are my thoughts after talking with several managers and suits from Il Mulino in LBV, NYC and Las Vegas. Just a different perspective, to each his own.

I would not presume to dispute any of your facts. But the fact is that I have eaten at both restaurants on multiple occasions, and ordered dishes which should be identical. But they are not. Recipes may be dictated by headquarters, but execution cannot be, and there is no way that suits from the mother ship can ensure this. To be honest, I wouldn't expect them to be identical if for no other reason than the scale of the operation. But just because it's not possible for the food to be identical doesn't excuse the comparatively poor quality of what is generally served in Orlando. Again, it's not that it's bad. It's just that it's so disappointing compared to what is served in New York.

 

[redzinner]

Thank you everyone's! We are really looking forward to trying it.

The plan is to have one of their private rooms and use a group dining, prix-fixed menu.

Wonders10, have you booked already? I have a name if you need help but I would prefer not to post it publicly.