Villa De Flora Mediterranean Restaurant

Overpriced breakfast buffet… what else can I say… Yes the food was good, but no where near the prices. It bankrupted me to take my family there… for breakfast.

This is, by fair, the best buffet place I have been to. We went for both brunch and dinner. Both were exquisite, but I’ve always enjoyed breakfast or brunch more than any other meal of the day. If you have to choose what time to go, brunch is less expensive vs dinner and very refreshing with a great variety of foods.

I’ve read that this is the best brunch in Orlando… really??? It’s awful! Don’t waste your time or money. My eggs were cold, bacon was drippy, and they ran out of croissants! I could go on and on… but the only thing good was our server Phillip. My recommendation is stick to Kekes.

I’ve been dining here for years now, mostly at the holiday as a family tradition for their ICE! Attraction. This review will be for my most recent visit on January 1^st, 2016.
The restaurant is located inside the atrium of the hotel. If you self park, you will can have parking validated. I only ate lunch and dinner here during my visits. Lunch is the same as dinner overall, just not as expensive. The food layout is gorgeous, easy, organized, convenient, and offers a wide variety of options.
You can start at the cheese/​bread section then move onto the cold offerings/​salads. From here you can create your own entrée from 3 main areas: Chicken, seafood, and beef. Each section has the main protein and 2 side dishes that compliments the protein. For example. the chicken dish will be a specific recipe and the side dishes are vegetables that goes well with the dish. I remember in the past the restaurant had different International cuisine nights with different variations of the main entrees on the buffet. I believe now it is the same food all the time.
They have a create your own pasta station and a craving area of meats. Must try their Tomato Basil soup! Delicious soup. I think the food is satisfying overall and wide selections. The desert area is also well done with tasty treats. The atmosphere is amazingly beautiful.
Our server for New Year’s Day was Matt. He was very attentive, kind, welcoming, and took great care of us. I thought for the price the food was not worth it. $ 55 per person without any champagne or Mimosa for a dinner Brunch, I would’ve expected something more than the usual dinner buffet. Besides that, this restaurant never failed me. I suggest the price is too high for what they serve. I agree that the menu should change again for a fresh new appearance.

Same food. Need to add variety. Tired of the same food choices. Waitress super slow with our service. Had to ask three times for our drinks. For the check, had to wait 10 min to get Bill then another 10 for her to pick it up. Awful.

Awful. Got sick few hours after eating
Think it was from the cold cuts, I ate salami few pieces. This was the only thing I ate different than my husband and he didnt get sick

I went to Villa de Flora for a company dinner. The restaurant is beautifully reminiscent of Italy. It is buffet style with great service. I had the cheese lasagna, salad, artichoke, cheese, meats and bread. It was all delish! I topped it off with dessert. I would recommend Villa de Flora for anyone looking for a romantic date night, family, company gathering.

Ugh, overpriced hotel food. When you are stuck at a convention center hotel they got you and you have to eat what is available and pay their high prices.

We came for Thanksgiving Brunch & Tammy was out server. She was attentive, knowledgable and super friendly! The food was great, but the service really stood out. Although she was working Thanksgiving she remained chipper and we had a great meal! Thank you Tammy for making our thanksgiving so enjoyable! –From the table that ordered a lot of espresso :)

I just had the time to finally post our experience here. We went here for a dual celebration of two relatives (a birthday and a graduation) with some guests even coming from Canada. Given the significance of the celebration and the overall stress of having a large group, I was looking forward to a happy, if not welcoming, atmosphere, and of course excited to have a buffet.
In retrospect, it was here that I realize how much the attitude of the servers would affect our enjoyment of the meal. Coming in, the place was a bit disorganized. There were no hosts or greeters to show us the table to our party or just to show us where to sit. And this was a day when the place was not even packed. There were more than a few tables empty. I say this because it was surprising that the organizer/​graduate gal even had to get into an argument with the head server (Mauricio if I remember correctly) just to have some extra seats put in for our table. And it was not one of those short and quiet tones argument. The head server raised his voice several times and the organizer had to raise her voice to be heard too. Frankly, it was embarrassing.
I’m not sure if it was his usual temperament or if he was having a bad day or what. But then, the head server began banging plates and utensils when he was placing it on the table, and would rudely nudge the people to ask something. I guess it’s really bad when my usually dense sister also wondered if he was mad or something.
When the cakes were brought out, I guess the head server tried to make up for it by making sure the candles were lit and by taking a picture. But at that point, the damage was done. I just had the uncomfortable feeling that he was just trying to be nice to get a high tip.
Maybe it’s just our bad luck to have him as the head server because everyone else had been friendly. I would also like to commend the server taking our drinks because that is how I would expect the head server to act. He was always smiling and courteous. I think what endeared him to me was how he was attentive even to the kids. My nieces were thrilled to have him ask them directly instead of usually referring to the adult beside them.
Other than the service, the food was good albeit with a more limited option than what I remembered.
I hope the management would show more supervision. A training on customer service would also not go amiss.
Food 3.5 stars
Service 1.5 stars

Really good food. don’t have any complaints. Stayed during the beginning if the off season with an awesome deal where kids eat free.
No waits, walked right in. Food was fresh & delicious. Can’t wait to stay again to go back.
FYI ask for Sophia. She was great.

Far from great, but if your goal was to eat and leave with a full belly… check. Lighter wallet… check. This is a place where I was half a thought from adding in a negative tip to take back a few percent and make a point. But the point would stick the wrong people. A lower rating on Unilocal is more appropriate. Your milage may vary.
Though staying off-​property this trip we’re very familiar with and have enjoyed other Gaylord experiences in Texas and Tennessee. We ventured to Villa De Flora with hopeful expectations. Gaylord properties are lovely places with lovely possibilities. They’re also overpriced, understaffed to poorly staffed, poorly trained (or just not motivated,) and are struggling to redefine themselves. Maybe. Orlando is no different.
Villa De Flora… beautiful place. Clean place. It’s a buffet? Ok. I like buffet. Serve yourself at your leisure. Oh. But, they didn’t prepare for our reservation. Hmm. And six people is considered a large party. Really? Ok. That includes an automatic gratuity. Hmm. Whatever. We’re hungry and with a small child. There are 100+ peeps at a wedding dinner for a separate party (I’m not paying that tip!) Staff attention is clearly focused there. They can probably keep the checks straight. And I could probably notice.
The food is good to ok, but at more than $ 30 US per plate it could have been exquisite. It rates as fair cruise ship or casino food. Ok. We’re tourists today sailing Tourist Class. Check. Wine flights included bad pours from too long opened bottles and had to be returned thanks to unskilled bar staff. A beer list was delivered after the fourth request arriving late at the end of the meal. Too late.
Note to Gaylord: You need to clearly identify your target guest at each establishment and market effectively. You’re losing the shrinking family guest and confusing the rest… but you know that, so do something about it.
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BEST RESTAURANT IN ORLANDO! This place is such a hidden treasure. Food is always awesome, great service, and such a wonderful ambience/​atmosphere. Also, unlike so many other restaurants in Orlando you can actually hear the dinner conversation from your own table without raising your voice.

Great place to enjoy Sunday Brunch. If your in the area between 12pm and 3 pm stop by and try their Sunday Brunch. You will not be disappointed!!!

We love great experiences and this place is def worth it! Great atmosphere with good food and since it is buffet, chefs that work the stations are very accommodating with those with diff food allergies.

Glorified sizzler– I was so disappointed. In the quality of the food. There are 6 – 7 stations of mediocre food that you will probably not enjoy. The cost is $ 40 per person when it should be closer to $ 10. My recommendation is leave the hotel and eat anywhere outside of the hotel for lunch.
WHAT A BAD EXPERIENCE — After spending $ 300 to get my family the Vip experience at ice (fantastic) this almost ruined are day

Best Buffet in Orlando! Located inside the Gaylord Palms Hotel! Chefs cook the foods placed on the Buffet Table! The PRIME RIB is tender and good but. Not as good as how my daddy would cook his!
Holidays gatherings it is PACKED AND BOOKED HERE so make sure you make reservations or if the place is booked you can patiently wait and you will be seated if reserved seats are no shows!
Orange juice served here is freshly squeeze and you can taste it because they use this to serve the Mimosas! TRY THEIR FAMOUS SANGRIA!
If you dine here sit outside atrium area! Gorgeous ambience and you feel you are outdoors but you are literally indoors!
Upon entering they will ask you if you have reservations and you can request your seating area whether indoor or outdoor atrium. Then they will send you to a chef that will explain the array of stations filled with gourmet style foods!
The highlight to me were the Prime Rib, Smashed Cauliflower with Gruyère, Huge Cocktail Shrimps, and the dessert table! The thing was I ate breakfast prior so for me to eat every station was hard! Next time I will skip breakfast and starve to fully enjoy the whole array of foods in every station!
Drink service was slow at times due to the place was busy packed!
The price here is very pricey on a Holiday Day but regular days the price is lower.
This is def an experience and Will def go back! Might throw my bday event here next year!

Today, my family & I got together to celebrate a special occasion at Villa de Flora. Having been to the buffet for dinner service previously, I had no objections. The last time I was there was probably 3 years ago and I would have given them a 5 star review.
We came in for brunch service and were seated promptly. My aunt had made reservations earlier in the week for 14 people but they were unable to access that information because their computers were down. Despite the rush of people rolling through the doors and our reservation hiccup, the staff members were very happy and quick to accommodate us.
There are 6 stations consisting of breads, cheeses, dessert, salads, seafood, meats, and pasta. The meat station is kind of cool because you can choose your choice of meat and they will slice it, add any sides or sauces you might want, and serve you. And at the pasta station, you can order your choice of pasta, sauce, and meat fresh to order.
Okay, so why the 2 star review? Once upon a time this food used to be good (when they first opened). Today— there were looks of disappointment all across the table :/​unfortunately their food is made for quantity and not quality. Everything tasted like it was pulled out of the freezer and defrosted. Definitely not worth the $ 40 per person price. What a waste. Our table had ordered a few Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas which were also disgusting too (c’mon who’s bartending back there???). At the end of the meal I couldn’t believe they were charging $ 12 for one Mimosa. Seriously? The only pleasant part of our dining experience was our service. Our servers were absolutely helpful, sweet, and attentive to our needs.
My suggestion is you take your appetite elsewhere. International Drive is right down the road and packed with so many great dining options. I am never coming here again.

I stopped in here for breakfast two mornings in a row. They have a fairly extensive set of breakfast offerings. Both mornings I opted for an omelette — with onions, mushrooms, spinach, and jalapeños, and cheddar cheese — plus sides of smoked salmon and Applewood smoked bacon. And a glass of tomato juice and water to go with it. Both mornings my Omelette was excellent!
But they also offer pretty much everything else you can think of: pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, sausage gravy and biscuits, toast, English muffins, Bagels, fruit, cereals, oatmeal, yogurt, and a lot more!
Service was excellent! Prices are steep — hence my docking them a star. $ 26.00 and change each morning for my breakfast.

Villa de Flora is a self-​serve AYCE (all-​you-​can-​eat) buffet with 5 – 6 stations of freshly-​thawed food. It’s food for the masses with quality that falls well below the price. Of course, you don’t have many great choices at Gaylord Palms, so, if you want a buffet, this is it.
Pasta is the dish to get for dinner. Not only is it freshly prepared to your taste, but it is done so by a jovial pasta ninja behind the counter. After sampling the pasta during my first «buffet run» and then trying all the other pre-​made options, it was an easy choice when going back which station to hit a second time.
Options included Flank Steak, Ham, Chicken, Beef, Salmon, Salads, Breads, Cheeses, and Desserts. It’s all pretty standard looking fare. The worst of the bunch was thin (but soggy) Pizza and flavorless Hummus with hard Pita.
For a gut-​bustin’ feast at Gaylord Palms, Villa de Flora probably is the best option for stuffing yourself silly, but it is the epitome of 2-​star food despite the friendly team working the dinner shift.