Disney4me Posted July 8, 2019 Report Share Posted July 8, 2019 Toledo — Tapas, Steak, and Seafood is Gran Destino Tower’s rooftop table service restaurant, and when we say rooftop, know that it feels every bit of its 15-story height! But if you head up there to the top, you will be rewarded. Toledo — Tapas, Steak, & Seafood Because that altitude serves one spectacular purpose: to provide diners with one-of-a-kind views of Walt Disney World, including (when you time it just right!) glimpses of nighttime spectaculars at not one but TWO Parks! And the interior design and menu aren’t half bad, either. Atmosphere We’re providing you with a first look and photo tour here, but know that we will be dining at Toledo on its opening night (July 9) and bringing you a FULL REVIEW from that dinner service. So keep watching for that! Toledo — Tapas, Steak, and Seafood is an airy, open space designed to maximize its lofty location. Large windows feature an arch design that is echoed throughout the Tower — including on its exteriors, as seen here from the inside looking out. Toledo Dining Room The vaulted ceiling gives the sense of an atrium, and we were told the backlighting of this ceiling can and will change (so it’s not all pink, all the time). (Remind anyone else of Enchanted Garden on the Disney Cruise Line — ayup.) In our full review, we’ll try to capture this effect and its impact on the mood of the dining space. Vaulted Ceiling The ceiling design is a bit of surrealism mixed with mosaic art — similar to the stained glass mosaic that brightens the space in Barcelona Lounge in the lower level of the Tower’s lobby. Vaulted Ceiling Another major design element: two large olive trees that celebrate one of Spain’s greatest treasures: the olive and the oil it produces. Olive Tree The olive trees are so tall that they reach the colorful ceiling, creating almost a canopy effect in the center of the restaurant. Olive Tree meets Ceiling Art Overhead lights in some of the seating areas add shimmer to the space as well as ambient lighting after dark. Lighting Additional uplights in the coffered ceilings create even more play on light and shadow, adding visual interest from ceiling to floor. Lighting Speaking of which, just as we often remind readers to look up for ceiling details, at Toledo, you’ll want to look down, too! Flooring design varies throughout the restaurant, with repeating geometric patterns mixing with Moorish floral tiles. Flooring Designs The flooring design is a reminder that although Toledo offers a lot of glamour and the feeling of being on top of the world, it’s also a playful space. The primary design style is the Spanish modernism seen throughout the Tower, and in this space it works to create juxtapositions between bright colors — as in the ceiling — and graphic neutrals in the floor, as well as interplaying materials like wood, fabric, and metal. Toledo Dining Room Seating at Toledo is variable, which livens the place up a bit! Thick wood table tops rest on metal stands or legs, and padded chairs provide a little added comfort. Seating at Toledo Though some seating is interior, views can be had from any location. Seating in Toledo Of course we imagine many will request a coveted window seat, and the reward for that will be sweeping views. Seating at Toledo Along a wall of wine storage, a series of curved, bright blue banquettes face into the restaurant. Banquette Seating Wait Station Also of note: Toledo has some private dining spaces. We stepped inside the Sunrise Room and found comfortable seating, lush window treatments, and beautiful glass light fixtures. Sunrise Private Dining On our visit, tables were arranged as four-tops, and all of the seating matched within the space. Sunrise Room The decor is fairly nondescript, considering the dynamic space in the main dining room, but the carpeting and chandeliers offer some energy and color. Sunrise Room And, of course, there are views. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in lots of light. Sunrise Room And an accent wall with a mirror design, console, and television make the space practical for meetings or presentations as required. Sunrise Room Eats On our first visit to Toledo during a Media Preview, Toledo’s Chef Robby (of Tiffins fame) came out to speak a bit about the restaurant’s menu. Plated dishes were available to photograph but not to taste. Toledo Plated Dishes The Artisanal Manchego Cheese Vertical offers a taste of several ages of Manchego cheese. Plated Dishes at Toledo Cazuelas are dishes cooked in a pot (or, in this case, served in a pot to replicate that traditional cooking style). The Stuffed Piquillo Pepper is filled with goat cheese. Plated Dishes at Toledo And Charred Octopus gets a lift from chimichurri sauce. Plated Dishes at Toledo The Hanger Steak rests on crushed new potatoes and is vibrant with the greens of charred peppers and salsa verde. Plated Dishes at Toledo The Scallops come with fava hummus and feta powder (as well as some beautifully seared shellfish)! Plated Dishes at Toledo The ‘Toledo Tapas Bar’ is single dessert described as a “progressive dessert” of chocolate, coffee, raspberry, and lemon. Plated Dishes at Toledo The Classic Crema Catalana celebrates the Valencia orange. Plated Dishes at Toledo Also of note: an on-stage Tapas kitchen will produce small plates to order for diners. Tapas Kitchen On display in front of the Tapas kitchen were various meats, cheeses, and breads. Tapas Kitchen Display Some of these items are labeled, much to the delight of foodies, we suspect. Which would you prefer: a piece of 8-Month Manchego or 3-Month Manchego? (Hint: the answer is always both — and you’ll get to try them on that Vertical Cheese plate!) Tapas Kitchen Display Overall Our overall impression of Toledo — Tapas, Steak, & Seafood is that it’s an extraordinary space with thoughtful design elements and a respect for both the dining experience and the other big draw: the World outside the windows. We look forward to trying the restaurant during its first dinner service tomorrow evening, when we’ll bring you a FULL REVIEW and even more photos of the space. Will you try Toledo — Tapas, Steak, & Seafood on your next visit to Walt Disney World? Let us know what you think about the birds’ eye view from this brand new rooftop restaurant! Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited to a media preview of Gran Destino Tower. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ Related posts: 2019 Disney Restaurant ULTIMATE GUIDE: What You Need To Know About EVERY Restaurant Opening In Disney World and Disneyland in 2019! 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