I've only been to Amatista for breakfast meals but it's been a great morning option when staying at Sapphire Falls or Aventura hotel. They have a buffet option, or you can order a standard entree. We usually do the buffet because there's endless options- so you have to come HUNGRY. You can get omelettes made to order, or make your own oatmeal or yogurt bowl. You can grab some sausage & pancakes or a donut or other things. The servers at normally really attentive if you want coffee, orange juice, or just more water. I'd imagine this is the same during other meals throughout the day. It's one of the most impressive hotel breakfast options I've experienced. Now, along with this and being in a Universal hotel comes the classic price tag. That buffet is great but it sure ain't cheap. But again, it can be a great & convenient option when staying here, and you can hop on a boat over to the parks right after, as the cookhouse is right next to the doors outside to the boat dock area. read more

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While staying at Sapphire Falls resort, we decided to eat at Amatista Cookhouse. The night started out nicely. We received the bread service and appetizers. The waiter took our selection for the main. That was the last time we saw the waiter. Apparently the waiter has two tables plus the bar. Not sure who thought this was a great idea. So we were definitely not given the service we deserved. There was a lag between him coming to the table between courses. I had to find someone to place a dessert order to go. And even that took a while to get. While the food was good, the lack of service completely detracted from the entire experience. read more

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I really can't complain about anything at this establishment. We were seated right away on a Saturday night without a reservation. Tash was our waitress and she was personable, knowledgeable and attentive. Our water glasses never emptied. My colleague and I both did the tasting tour which includes an appetizer entrée and dessert for $45. We started with bread service, a tasty raisin bread that reminded me of a cinnamon raisin bagel and a cheddar biscuit reminiscent of red lobster but more gourmet. We both enjoyed the chorizo dip! I would've preferred to order something different so we could each try one others but I wasn't sure she would be into it so I didn't change my order. For the entrées she had the salmon which she very much enjoyed and I had the short rib rigatoni which was also very filling and delicious. For dessert she opted for the chocolate lava cake but was pretty full to finish but I saved room and cleared my plate of the Caribbean rum cake. The ambience is lovely with a lot of natural light coming in in an open kitchen. The chefs know what they're doing back there. I'm going to try to go back again soon. read more

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Located within the Sapphire Falls Loews Universal Hotel on 2nd floor. Tried the 3 course tasting menu for $45. Queso and chips were great. Salmon was fishy/smelly, but vegetables were wonderful. The lava cake was mushy and hot on inside and cold on outside. Presentation was nice. Service was good. Nice atmosphere. read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Salmon - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Located inside the Lowe's Sapphire Falls resort, Amatista cookhouse is a restaurant that delivers fantastic flavors. We did not make any reservations but we were seated immediately (Tuesday evening). The coolest thing about the restaurant, aside from the food, is the descent through a winding staircase reminiscent of some fancy castle, except it's in Orlando but the vibe will almost make you forget. The restaurant itself is bright and beautiful with high ceiling and great natural lighting. They feature Caribbean flavors in their cocktails as well as their food offerings. Neither of us were super hungry so we skipped the appetizers and went straight to the main course. We also ordered some rum-based cocktails which were both excellent. I had the shrimp pasta and my husband ordered half the rotisserie chicken. We both enjoyed our dinner and while half a chicken sounded like it would feed both of us, he was relieved when it came to the table and the serving was actually more manageable than it initially sounded. I really wanted some dessert but we decided against it since we were both very full. My next visit to the theme parks, I will definitely make a point to come back and dine here again. Service was fantastic and our visit was wonderful, overall. read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Shrimp pasta - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

The Queso fundido was flavorful. Do not order the pasta with short ribs unless you like cinnamon all over your pasta. It was bizarre. The menu said pasta with coconut sauce etc. but this was cinnamon and confirmed by our server. The prices are on par with a resort affiliated with Universal. I had the short ribs with brioche toast app and it was . The kids had burgers and they were good. My impression of the restaurant was it was classy. The tables , chairs and bar were beautiful, but I wished I just got Uber Eats and had pizza. I think a couple could have a nice romantic dinner here just as long as they don't order the cinnamon pasta! read more

Ended up here for a solo breakfast during our Universal trip! I saw this restaurant when we were walking from our hotel to the water taxis. This looked like the perfect spot because of the options - I wanted something a bit more unique that wasn't just standard American breakfast. I opted NOT to get the breakfast buffet, although it looked delicious! Instead I had the Open faced breakfast arepa (Scrambled eggs, sautéed onions, chorizo, smashed avocado, roasted poblano sauce, heirloom tomato, arugula, queso fresco.) - delicious and sooo flavorful. It was a good sized portion too. The service was phenomenal! I got a cup of black coffee to go. Also - I managed to forget my credit card and they immediately texted me to let me know. Whew! read more

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I hosted a business dinner at Amatista Cookhouse and it was great. They accommodated our large group of 10 at a round table, which was wonderful because everyone could see each other and chat. I had reserved this in advance. I ordered the chicken, yuca, and plantains. Honestly these plantains were the best I've ever had, tasted like bananas foster! Everyone at the table was really happy with their food and drinks. The ceilings were high and this was a great place to entertain! read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Amatista is still one of our favorite restaurants on the property. We always make a point to have at least one meal there when visiting Universal Orlando. This last trip, it didn't quite meet the expectations that had risen so high from previous experiences. The pork chop that we always make a point to order was a little overcooked. And the new addition of the little blue lamps at the tables felt like an odd choice. They don't seem to go very well with the decor and make it rather hard to see your plates. Our waitress was very kind but often missing (I assume running around doing other tasks) so it took a while to get drinks or food ordered. Many tables that arrived after us were waited on promptly and their waiter even made a point to tell us he had let our waitress know and she would be on the way so it was obvious that we had been waiting beyond what is the norm. I'm not sure if they are just understaffed right now or working with a lighter crew during the slower months. Regardless, it was still a good meal and somewhere we would choose to visit again. I hope they're able to get back to where they were instead of moving in the other direction because this really is a great option when dining near the parks. Oh! And they took the chicken flatbread off the menu. It was another favorite we always ordered so I was extremely disappointed to see it was gone. Please bring it back! read more

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The good: The interior is bright, spacious, and modern. The food and cocktails were good. Improvement Opportunity: Out waiter was friendly and placed our order accurately. Every time we need more water, we had to get someone's attention. It also took an hour to get our food. Given that we dined at 8:15pm this was unexpected and not great. read more

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We had a wonderful dinner at Amatista cookhouse, and can't wait to return. First, I was so excited that there was seating available on the patio. Second, the menu calls out dairy and gluten free options clearly--so if you have any allergies, this makes picking options easier. Most dishes can also be adjusted to make them dairy or gluten free. We had the Caribbean chicken wings (these can be made GF on request!) the honey buffalo sauce is so good and is dairy free. We also tried a modified version of the grilled pineapple salad that was also wonderful, it was so bright and refreshing, with a lovely lemon dressing. The mojo marinated rotisserie chicken can also be made dairy free. The chicken was perfectly cooked, and was moist. I had yuca and maduros as my sides, and they were wonderful! All in all, we had a lovely meal. I appreciate the care they took with my allergies and we will definitely be back. read more

The staff here is so Friendly. Our server Nikka was The absolute sweetest and so accommodating. The kitchen was very sweet to us also. We love the food and the drinks here! Never a disappointed read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Coconut curry mussels, DELICIOUS - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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If staying at Sapphire Falls hotel, definitely stop by and have dinner at Amatista. We went on a Monday around 730p. Such a beautiful restaurant with an open kitchen concept. Our waiter was nice and attentive. Queso fundido was a good portion for 3 of us to eat. I ordered the spinach and feta flatbread and it was better than I thought. The drizzle they used on it truly tied all the ingredients together read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Queso fundido - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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I always come here for bfast when staying at Loews Sapphire or Aventura. They have a great bfast buffet and a la carte menu. I would recommend reservations if you're more than 2 people and want a table; they do get rather busy. I always sit at the bar and have had great service. The last time I came here, Carl was my server, and he was awesome. Super nice and attentive. The food here is really good, I always get the avocado toast. Highly recommend this spot. read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Great service , great staff , my wife had a gluten free allergy, they brought out gluten free bread to start with ,

Not worth the money. Family friendly. And polite staff. My better half and I both got steak frittes. Steak was over done and over salted. More Grey than a true medium. For 48 dollars I expected better. The fries were not amazing pretty generic. The salad was also over dressed to the point where I could t finish it. Appetizers and drinks were fine but took a long time. Not something I want to pay good money to go back to. read more

Jimmy and Raquel at Amatista provided wonderful service and brought great personalities to the table. The buffet was fantastic, and the food was absolutely delicious! read more

Perfectly made old fashioned. Efficient service. Friendly bartender. Conveniently located right before you walk outside to get on the boat to go to Universal. Can't wait to come back! read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Just left and has to write a review right away. Everything was delicious. Must husband had ribeye and I had a chimechurra steak. - both delicious, cooked perfectly. Fries and arugula on side for me, husband had asparagus and plantains. Drinks were great. Had appetizer too which was so good. Price was right too and great waitress. If you are staying at Saffire falls resort, check it out. read more

We didn't have to wait at all for a table which was nice so we just dropped in before heading out to the parks. And our server was the sweetest! A+ on service and the food was pretty good too! Highly recommend the open faced breakfast arepa, it was delicious! read more

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YUMMM. Came here for an event but was able to try their rotisserie roasted chicken with cilantro sauce, curry with broccoli and chick peas served over rice, salad with candied pecans and bleu cheese, and Chicken empanadas. The setting and the food were both excellent and the service team was very gracious and accommodating. Cannot say enough about the great experience I had here. The food and atmosphere were fantastic. Don't forget, if you spend $25 or more, get your parking validated for the parking cost. Ask when you're paying for dinner. read more

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Traveling on business so sat at the bar. Ordered meat lovers flat bread pizza. Think "thick crust frozen pizza with extra cheese" ; $5.99 Trader Joe's for $20. Eight small slices of pepperoni and the ham cubes found on some salad bars. Maybe the other foods are better but I should have just hit fast food. read more

The atmosphere is nice, family friendly and clean. The staff were super friendly and service was good EXCEPT that I ordered the pork chop and they neglected to tell me that it comes well-done. The pork chop was very dry and I almost choked on it! The steak frites was delicious and the Caldoso was okay. read more

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Hotel dining at its finest. First, the architecture and dr or is drop dead gorgeous! The kitchen is an open concept and highly entertaining. The service is based on the popular team concept, so you don't need to ask for a refill or more of anything. The food...this is where I became suspicious about the experience being too perfect. The empanadas are gluten free and amazing. My salmon entree was perfectly balanced in flavor and portion. My wife loved her chimichurri steak. Just go and enjoy it! read more

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Made a reservation through Resy and was seated and served super quickly! We got the chicken noodle soups and the ribeye- both were super good. The burgundy butter on the ribeye was yummy and the fingerling potatoes were great! They even gave us a free dessert for our anniversary which was nice! Definitely a good option spot if you're looking to dine at Universal read more

OMG!! Breakfast buffet here was freaking amazing! The wait staff is the friendliest and most hospitable! They bake all their biscuits and pastries fresh, in house so forget the low carb diet if you eat here because when pastries are this good, you MUST treat yourself! The bacon, SAUSAGE, eggs, and pancakes were all cooked to perfection and the orange and the grapefruit juices are fresh squeezed! I loved this experience- at the end of our meal, one of the managers was visiting all the tables- a very caring touch! read more

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Staying at this hotel, we were hungry for dinner and we stopped in here for late night dinner and the food here is really good. We had the chicken and the Caesar salad the bread that they serve at the table is really good. Service was an A+ super friendly service nice quiet, clean place to eat dinner, we would definitely eat here again nice full bar lots of good drink choices really good drink menu. We like the selection on the menu. Had a lot of good. Tasty food to choose from but definitely eat her again. read more

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Most beautiful view to have breakfast before a full day in the parks. This is a fairly standard buffet, though I would say as hotel buffets go, it's above average in quality. They have all your typical items, breakfast pastries, fruit, eggs, pancakes, an omelette station. You can also order several items a la carte (ex: waffles) free of charge that will be delivered to you. Our server was great - no complaints and we would come back again if we were staying longer than the one night we stayed this trip. read more

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Amatista Cookhouse is the 2nd restaurant located in the Sapphire Falls Resort. We made reservations the day before and was seated right away. The restaurant is nicely decorated, very spacious, tons of different styles of seating, bar area, open kitchen (behind glass) and is also Caribbean inspired menu. I started off with the Queso Fundido, ordered the Coconut Jerk Shrimp Pasta and for dessert, the Caribbean Rum Cake. Service was great and so was the food. read more

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With a hurricane on the way, we decided to just stay at the hotel to eat instead of city walk. If you need to be anywhere quickly, this is not the place to go. Everything from water to food delivery was slooooowwww. The people working there are very nice. Especially our waitress Siham was so sweet and friendly! But even she couldn't help with the slowness of everything. We had a variety of dinners from soup to a burger and fish. Everything was fresh and flavorful and the lava cake cookie was fantastic! If you've got time for a leisurely meal, this is your place. read more

We went for breakfast and had the breakfast buffet. The food was fresh and delicious. The breakfast potatoes were absolutely amazing...best breakfast potatoes that I have had. We had Jimmy as our server and he was very attentive and friendly. He was quick with our drinks and kept an eye on our table at all times for refills or to answer any questions that we had. The restaurant was clean and looked fairly upscale. We definitely plan to go back! read more

Magical Dining at Amatista Cookhouse was 10/10!! Great food & drinks + beautiful scenery! Perfect for date night or a girls night! I had the queso fundido, steak and the passion fruit sorbet. I enjoyed each course! I also had the sangria which was very good. I'd love to try their brunch as well. Overall I enjoyed the vibe and food and I will definitely be back! read more

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Amatista Cookhouse is located inside the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, and they are currently participating in Visit Orlando's Magical Dining. I was originally captivated by the bright, modern interior and the Caribbean-inspired menu sounded delish, so the hubs and I decided to make a date night out of it. Let me start off by saying the portions are HUGE! You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck at this place. We left with four, YES FOUR, to-go boxes of food and had enough leftovers for two meals the next day. We realized that just one of us could have ordered off the Magical Dining menu and it would have been plenty of food. We started off with some refreshing cocktails -- the Beach Chair and the Sapphire Margarita. For our starters, we opted for the ancho chile chicken empanadas and the queso fundido served with blue corn chips. The queso came in a very large cast iron skillet with Mexican chorizo sausage, artichokes, mozzarella and provolone cheeses, and roasted poblano peppers. It was tasty but definitely couldn't eat too much of it without spoiling your appetite. They also bring complimentary cheesy bread rolls to your table to start. Mains: Char-grilled Ribeye topped with mushrooms and served with garlic mashed potatoes, roasted garlic butter, and broccolini. The steak had great flavor, but it was slightly overcooked. I really loved the mashed potatoes and the mushrooms! My husband got the Mojo Marinated Rotisserie Chicken which comes with your choice of 3 sides (maduros, black beans & rice, and a fresh fruit medley). This meal alone could feed two people. The side items each came in large individual bowls with a half rotisserie chicken accompanied by a spicy cilantro sauce. Now onto dessert... the star of the show for me really was the Caribbean Rum Cake (vanilla cake soaked with spiced rum and coffee, crispy pecan crunch, house churned vanilla bean ice cream). The caramelized pecans were incredible and this whole dessert was heaven -- so glad I saved room for this! We also got the Mango Mint Sorbet which was light and refreshing. The service was wonderful and we left absolutely stuffed. Glad we finally got to check out this beautiful hotel restaurant! read more

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Great vegetarian selections. We split a delicious, fresh, and huge pear salad, a vegetarian curry, and sweet plantains that were crisped to perfect. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was relaxed with a fun view of the kitchen. We went to many of the Universal Loews hotel restaurants when we visited recently and this was one of the best. read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Pear salad, vegetarian curry, plantains - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Dinner was spectacular ! We had Casey as our server and he was spot on, checking on us and making sure our food was up to par. the ambiance of the water and watching the boats and the roller coasters in the background made it that much better! I ordered the pork chop & green beans and can barely wait to get back and have another plate read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Over priced and bland is about all I got. Ordered a fish sandwich and I can not explain the lack thereof for flavor!!! Like how? The item in the pic was ok only need one I can not even remember the name of it. The chicken tenders and fries were good The Caesar salad with added blackened fish was not blackened and they couldn't even perform it not sure why the waitress said it was possible. Needless to say the salad was just that, lettuce nothing Caesar about it. Service was decent. The restaurant is usually pretty booked and it would be in your best interest to make a reservation. It took us 45mins to be seated as soon as they opened for dinner. read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Chicken empanadas - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Two stars, mostly because the hostess was nice and the cheese biscuits were amazing. We've previously been to Amatista for brunch several times and thought it was fabulous and decided to try dinner. Unfortunately, our server Guillermo wasn't giving the best energy or service for us and we're not sure why. We denied appetizers mostly because we had been snacking all day by the pool and my daughter wanted desert so we all agreed we'd be too full if we attempted an appetizer, plate and desert. We'd have to call him over pretty much every time we needed something. My iced tea needed a refill but he never got me one. When he cleared the plates he left my husbands there. The "jerk spice" chicken pasta was completely underwhelming. Not a sign of jerk to be had which was just did to us considering the amazing jerk wings we had from Dhrum club by the pool. So me and my daughter were left filled but not thrilled to say the least. We said oh well you can't mess up chocolate fudge cake, we'll ask for a scoop of ice cream and assumed the fudge cake would be warm. We'll, again we assumed wrong. The fudge cake was cold, not even room temperature. And when I asked for the ice cream scoop our server told me they didn't have any ice cream, but ice cream comes with the rum cake. So I pointed it out and that's when he said oh yeah I forgot and gave us the ice cream. To add insult to injury I stated we were there celebrating our anniversary and of course it's Father's Day weekend. I know our daughter was with us but sheesh. Not on person acknowledged it despite having put it on our reservation that we were celebrating. So we went upstairs to Strongwater Tavern to have a night cap outside on the balcony. Our server was the sweetest and told her boss Walheed about our experience. He was amazing and decided to bring us some of their amazing Tres Leches on the house. I didn't take pictures of the food at amatista but I'm going to attach our photos of us and the amazing slice at Stillwater Tavern to encourage you to eat and drink there. To my knowledge the breakfast/brunch is still amazing here so I guess take my review with a grain of salt and just avoid dinner. read more

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we were staying at this hotel and just got back from Universal Studios and thought we get a bite to eat. The service was very nice. We had a margarita flatbread which was good and also an apple pecan salad. Also very good. The cost of the soda was quite expensive five dollars a glass. They did give you refills and even if you wanted soda water they charge five dollars, OK we are in a hotel the food that was coming out. Also look very good. I would recommend if you're staying at this hotel and don't want to go in CityWalk. It has quality food and good considering we are in a hotel with 1000 rooms. read more

We arrived with a reservation on a weekday and were led to our table immediately. The hostess at the door was immediately personable, and she was quick to strike up a conversation as she walked us to our table. As we'd arrived quite early for dinner, the restaurant was still quite empty, so she was able to seat us by the far window, which had a great view of the resort's miniature waterfall. The restaurant's spaciousness was emphasized by its high ceilings and windows, and service was prompt and polite. The complimentary bread was a great start. One was warm and cheesy, and though it was clearly kept hot by heat lamps in the kitchen (which were visible on the side), they tasted rich and were perfect after a long day of walking around Universal. I, on the other hand, was absolutely taken by the cranberry walnut bread they had as the other option. Yes free bread, but count me in. For appetizers, we got the Empanadas and the Queso Fundido. The Empanadas were delightfully crispy, and the Queso was rich and cheesy. The True North Salmon was tender and well-cooked, and the rice was flavorful with the sauce. The 8oz. NY Strip steak arrived with an array of mushrooms, potatoes, and green beans around it, as well as a touch of pink butter that made it feel fancy even though I couldn't place the taste. The Caribbean Rum Cake was warm and sweet, which was a great close to the dinner. Unfortunately we were more than full by the time the Dark Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry arrived, so it felt heavier than comfortable, but still decadent. Overall, I'd definitely come again, though I'd probably stick with a single dessert, if any. The service team is great, so don't be afraid to ask for a window seat--or extra bread to go. read more

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Was looking for a spot to enjoy dinner and this restaurant fit the bill! It's located downstairs overlooking the water and the variety of seating is nice from community tables to booths. Casey our server was mega courteous and helpful. A bread basket appeared with some delicious walnut cranberry bread but I couldn't stomach the other kind - it was very greasy and oily in texture plus felt like raw dough. I wasn't feeling 100% so was delighted to see chicken noodle soup on the menu while my sister got a risotto dish. I liked the sound of the pear salad and found it to be quite refreshing. Also ordered some chamomile tea which was the Harney & Sons brand, found it very soothing as well. Overall nice menu variety and found service to be quick! read more

Amatista Cookhouse - Salad, chicken noodle soup, and chamomile tea - Caribbean Near Me - Orlando, Florida