The all-new TODAY Cafe restaurant opened to regular park guests today at Universal Studios Florida. The new restaurant is open for breakfast until 11:00 AM, and is serving lunch/dinner after.

A sign out front tells guests that TODAY Cafe is technically in “previews,” which means certain menu items may not be available and hours may fluctuate until the dining location has officially opened. An official opening date has not yet been announced. We visited the new cafe this morning to try some of their current breakfast dishes and grab some photos. See our reviews and photo report below, and stay tuned for more theme park news and updates. UPDATED with new menu items below: May 6, 2019

The new restaurant replaced the Beverly Hills Boulangerie, which closed earlier this year. The former location also served breakfast, lunch, pastries and desserts, but the TODAY Cafe’s menu is entirely new, and features some different options. Guests can still find coffee at the new eatery, as well as grab and go snacks and unique desserts.

Let’s start with a quick look at the outside of the newly refreshed location. Much has changed about the look and feel of the little corner coffee shop. (Click here to see what this dining location used to look like before.) Now, guests can feel like they’ve stepped into Studio 1A at Rockefeller Center, where TODAY Show is filmed.





The outdoor seating area looks great, with a nice metal fence around the space. It’ll be great to sit out here and enjoy a meal or snack under an umbrella while enjoying the live band that plays across the street every hour throughout the day!

Now that the work walls are finally down, cabby has returned!

Lets take a look inside the new cafe!

The inside is much more lively and vibrant than the old restaurant. Everything has clean lines, and a simple color palette that matches the television show. If you look up you’ll even see studio lighting hanging from the ceiling.





Really neat looking orange LED entry way.

There is more seating inside than the previous incarnation, with orange chair seating on one side, and a more comfortable couch area on the other.

Large monitors show clips from the TODAY Show. If you’re dining in for breakfast you can even watch the show as it is airing live. There are speakers throughout the restaurant so you can actually hear the program as well.

Little touches around the cafe make it feel like a television studio.

Coffees ordered to be enjoyed in-house are served in TODAY mugs. You return them near the tray return when you’re done with your meal, or a host or hostess will take them from your table as they walk by.

When ordering in, you’re given a number to bring with you back to your table. Hot food is brought out to you when it is ready.

The glass food cases have a clean and modern look, much better than the old Boulangerie cases. There is an assortment of hand-made pastries, desserts and snacks you can order from the cases without having to wait. These are great for grabbing to-go if you’re in a hurry.





A look at some of the dessert options currently available from the case.

One of the biggest departures from the location’s previous menu, is that now instead of cheesecake slices, they offer cheesecake on a stick. It is available in either blueberry or strawberry flavors.

Here are the current lunch options. These are prepared to order, but there are display versions in the case for you to see before ordering.





Since we arrived prior to 11:00 AM, while breakfast was being served, we ordered all three of the current breakfast sandwich offerings to give them a try. (And a dessert too, because why not?)

Everything we tried was really good, and a big improvement over the previous restaurant’s fresh food. The breakfast sandwich dishes currently cost 8.99 each, and are served with fruit.

The Bagel Toast is a toasted bagel with almond butter, Nutella cream cheese, fruit, seeds, toasted almonds and chocolate chips. It was really amazing! I’m not usually a big Nutella fan, but the combination of everything really works.

The Egg White Florentine, which is made with cheddar, roasted tomato, and spinach on ciabatta was my favorite dish so far. It’s good, hot, and pretty filling. Might be my new go to option when I want breakfast at the parks.

The Ham, Egg and Cheese is pretty good, but basic. Filling, hot, and a great way to start the day, but the Florentine was a more interesting dish overall.

We also tried the Chocolate Raspberry Bombe for dessert. It was REALLY sweet, and extremely fluffy. It’s filled with raspberry mousse and sponge cake, covered in chocolate, with a white chocolate twist on top.

All in all, this seems like a wonderful addition to the park. I’m very happy to see additional seating inside. The floor to ceiling windows make it even easier to people watch while dining. And all of the food we’ve tried so far has been top notch. Can’t wait to try the lunch dishes next time!





UPDATE: New menu item added! Al’s Avocado Toast has shown up at the TODAY Cafe! This new menu item is available at both breakfast and lunch time. Here’s a look at the updated menus.

Al’s Avocado Toast is really flavorful with sliced cherry tomatoes, marinated artichokes, roasted red onions, tomato aioli, and nice seasoning. It’s a really satisfying bite. Plus, it comes with bread and butter pickles on the side, which is a nice touch, and compliments the dish.

While there on my second visit, I also tried the cappuccino and another dessert. The cappuccino is pretty good, and has the TODAY Cafe logo in cinnamon dust on top. I know I’ll be having a cup of coffee at the start of my day here often now.

I also tried another dessert while I was there, the Lemon Meringue Tart. The tart is a great, and pretty big, dessert. The lemon filling is pretty sour, but it works well with the meringue and the crust. And it’s topped with a white chocolate disc with the cafe’s logo.

One more thing that I love about the TODAY Cafe, is that you can get anything to-go! I was able to order a few desserts to take out with me. They even have plastic containers and bags to make it easy to grab and go. This is perfect for vacationers looking to bring a sandwich or pastry back to their hotel room after a trip to the park.

Remember, TODAY Cafe is technically in previews now, and operating hours may fluctuate. We expect to hear an official opening date very soon, so stay tuned for more details as they happen! UPDATE: The TODAY Cafe will be officially grand opening May 16th!

For help booking your next trip to Universal Orlando request your free quote from Elizabeth at Destinations in Florida today! She’ll help you plan the perfect vacation with the best rates on ticket packages and on-site hotels, and her services are totally FREE to you.

Stay tuned for continuing theme park news and updates. Subscribe to the news feed or enter your email below to never miss an update. Photos: Alicia Stella

Subscribe to Receive Email Updates

Consider supporting us on Patreon for as little as $1/month. All patrons receive behind the scenes posts and exclusive podcasts. Learn More

Share Facebook

Twitter

Reddit

Email

