There are so many things I’m looking forward to experiencing when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley opens this summer. But one of the things at the top of my list is trying all the amazing food and beverage options that I’ll be able to enjoy throughout the land. I’m a big Harry Potter fan and an even bigger foodie…so the thought of combining food and drink with one of my favorite series is absolutely amazing!
We’ll all have the opportunity to actually step inside places you’ve only seen in the films and read about in the books and actually taste some of the foods and drinks your favorite characters have enjoyed!
First up is the Leaky Cauldron – where I got to take a sneak peek earlier this week. It looks just like it does in the films…all the way down to the huge cauldron that sits in the middle of the restaurant. Here, you’ll be able to enjoy delicious British fare like…
- Bangers and Mash (traditional roasted sausages with creamy mashed potatoes)
- Toad in the Hole (traditional sausage baked into a Yorkshire pudding and served with onion gravy)
- Cottage Pie (a savory combination of meat and vegetables in a potato crust)
- Fisherman’s Pie (salmon, shrimp and cod baked together under a potato crust)
- Beef, Lamb & Guinness Stew (served in a bread bowl)
- Ploughman’s (a feast of English cheeses, crusty bread, cornichon pickles, apple beet salad, Branston pickle and a Scotch egg)
- Split Pea Soup
- Banger Pub Style Sandwich
- Fish and Chips
- And more!
And you can finish off your meal with scrumptious desserts like Chocolate Potted Cream, Cranachan and Sticky Toffee Pudding. There will also be breakfast served at the Leaky Cauldron with two new breakfast items, only available at Diagon Alley: an Apple Oatmeal Flan with Yogurt and Fruit and an Egg, Leek and Mushroom Pasty.
There will also be new beverages for you to enjoy in Diagon Alley like:
- Fishy Green Ale (it’s Fishy Green Ale, use your imagination!)
- Otter’s Fizzy Orange Juice
- Tongue Tying Lemon Squash
- Peachtree Fizzing Tea
- Wizard’s Brew (draught beer)
- Dragon Scale (draught beer)
- Gillywater
- Pumpkin Juice
- Butterbeer (of course!)
Another must-stop during your trip to Diagon Alley will be Eternelle’s Elixir of Refreshment, a cart located in Horizont Alley, where you can enjoy unique elixirs. Here’s how it works: you select from a variety of elixirs like Draught of Peace, Babbling Beverage, Elixir to Induce Euphoria and Fire Protection Potion, and then add the elixir to Gillywater. By mixing them, you’ll see your drink transform before your eyes and experience a delightful flavor surprise. Too cool!
And of course, to top it all off, you have Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour. You may remember Florean Fortescue’s from the first book and film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” when Hagrid bought Harry a chocolate and raspberry ice-cream with chopped nuts. You’ll be able to do the same with unique flavors of ice-cream like…
Granny Smith (pictured)- Earl Grey and Lavender
- Chocolate Chili
- Clotted Cream
- Apple Crumble
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Salted Caramel Blondie
- Chocolate and Raspberry
- Strawberry and Peanut-Butter
- Orange Marmalade
- Butterbeer (that’s right, Butterbeer-flavored ice cream!)
During my time learning about the new food and beverage options in Diagon Alley, I had the opportunity to sit with Ric Florell, the Senior Vice President of Revenue Operations at Universal Orlando Resort, and Executive Chef Steve Jayson to learn all the details. Here’s what they had to say:
Deni: How did you approach developing food or beverage that has only existed in the Harry Potter books and films and people’s imaginations?
Ric: The first thing we did was research. We took a look at the Harry Potter books and the films and determined which foods and beverages we wanted to concoct for our guests. Of course, we had to have the Leaky Cauldron. The tricky part was creating a menu when there was no mention of any of the food items in the books and only one mention in the films to Split Pea Soup. So, we devised a menu with delicious dishes you would find in a British pub.
We also took into consideration what our guests wanted. For example, we received a lot of interest in having a larger beer selection in the Hog’s Head pub in Hogsmeade. We took that feedback and decided to offer more options in the Leaky Cauldron.
Our goal is to give our guests a culinary experience that immerses them in the fun, excitement and wonder of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Deni: Did you work with J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. for the development and creation?
Ric: Yes, we definitely worked closely with our partners to put together the menus and beverages that will be found in Diagon Alley. After we developed our recipes and dishes, we had multiple tastings with Warner Bros.
Deni: Speaking of Butterbeer, it has been so well received along with the rest of the Three Broomsticks menu at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade. How have you continued the culinary progression from Hogsmeade into Diagon Alley?
Chef Jayson: We wanted to expand the dining from Hogsmeade into Diagon Alley by re-creating another beloved restaurant found in the Harry Potter books and films that delivers a completely different experience than the Three Broomsticks – yet, has the same magical feel. In the Leaky Cauldron, you actually feel as if you’re walking into a pub with dishes that are true to the British culture. We even imported certain ingredients like English cheeses to add to our dishes.
With Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour, you can order flavors of ice-cream that were inspired by flavors associated with England, like Clotted Cream and Earl Grey and Lavender. You will also encounter fun flavors you would expect to only find in the wizarding world like Butterbeer.
Plus, there are a few surprises we’re leaving for our guests to discover. We challenged ourselves to bring the food and drink of Harry Potter’s world to life, and I feel our guests will leave here saying we were successful.
Deni: How does the food and beverage in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley fit into the overall picture of Universal Orlando’s culinary experience?
Ric: When our guests dine with us in our restaurants, we want them to be fully immersed in the theme, so they feel as if they’re in that world. With The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we want our guests to feel as if they’re a part of the adventures that their favorite characters experienced. As they dine in the Leaky Cauldron, we want them to feel the authenticity of British cuisine as well as the magic of being in Diagon Alley.
We’re bringing to life our guests’ favorite stories and giving them a chance to experience them firsthand – and we want our food and beverages to enhance that experience.
Deni: And now for the best question: what are your favorite dishes or drinks coming to Diagon Alley?
Ric: I really love the Bangers and Mash that will be served in the Leaky Cauldron. And I’ll have to say the Ploughman’s, because it’s a plate the whole table can enjoy.
Chef Jayson: For me, I’m especially proud to be a part of the team that created Butterbeer, so that’s definitely a favorite. As for new dishes, I really enjoy our pies. Our classic Shepherd’s Pie is always delicious, and our new Fisherman’s Pie is especially tasty.
What are you looking forward to trying in Diagon Alley this summer? Tell us by commenting below.
66 Comments
Oh that menu looks AWESOME!!!! Real british fare. Cannot wait to come and try it so excited!!!
We were there (Johnny and me) in early fall for the first year opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and now have a vacation booked for late fall for the first year opening of the extension of our beloved Harry Potter books and movies. We “grew up” with Harry Potter alongside our grandchildren. Looking so forward to riding Hogwarts Express, Gringotts and feasting at The Leaky Cauldron 🙂 🙂 A Butterbeer for me please!!
I love what Universal is doing with all the food and drink options. So many unique flavors make me so exited. I won’t be only able to see and feel the world of Harry Potter but also smell and taste it! The food looks really good and the drinks are interesting. I’m sure to try many when I’m visiting.
The only disappointment are the plastic plates. It’s great they are black but still it’s breaking the illusion. I’m hope Universal is recycling all that plastic waist because you guys are doing a great job preserving energy and separate waist for recycling but I just thing the food and guests needs a bit more, you know, real stuff. But in the end it’s a theme park and I guess it’s part of making this possible and meet demand. Great job and keep the news about Diagon coming.
I am looking forward to bangers & mash & butterbeer ice cream.
Both are delicious! You’re going to love it. 🙂
Although everything mentioned looks yummy, no mention was made of what will be available on the children’s menu. Also, as usual, there are no items that could be eaten if a guest is on a soft diet. Our daughter can’t chew, but Mac & Cheese slides down really well, she loves it, and we are able to get that at the Three Broomsticks. There are already such few choices for her available that we end up eating at the same places over and over. We would LOVE to try the other restaurants withing the parks, and especially this new one, but when there is nothing for our daughter, well, we find we have to leave the park and eat elsewhere. When something so simple can work for children and those on soft diets, I just don’t understand why it’s not available in more establishments. We can find it all over Disney World, without even having to contact anyone in advance. Why does this continue to be the one negative about our visits, considering I have spoken to so many others in the past? I also know that those on Gluten free or vegetarians/vegans are also finding it difficult to eat because they can’t find out in advance where they can find foods in their special diets, especially at counter service restaurants and choices are few. I think this is something that Universal really needs to begin making available for their guests and is truly needed.
Hi iamdollie,
Macaroni and cheese will be available on the children’s menu at the Leaky Cauldron along with options like a mini pie or fish and chips. If your daughter enjoyed Three Broomsticks, she’ll love the Leaky Cauldron!
We appreciate your feedback. We’re constantly looking to improve our guests’ experiences at our destination. Our restaurant menus can be found on our main website http://www.universalorlando.com.
Thank you for taking the time to comment! 🙂
Just wondering along these same lines whether Universal will be making ingredient lists available for those of us who have kids with allergies? We visited Hogsmeade last summer and even with spending over an hour on the phone with the staff in advance, we were unable to confirm which of the Harry Potter-themed foods, beverages and treats would be safe for our fervent Harry Potter fan. She is already so excited about our trip this August to Diagon Alley and is hoping she’ll be able to try some of these new treats (Fortescue’s especially) and I’m hoping that perhaps this time it will be possible to learn ahead of time whether she can eat anything safely.
We love Universal; we have annual passes and have already been to the parks twice in the past year (no small feat when we live in NY). I hate to compare Universal to the Mouse, but we have never had an issue with finding out ingredients at the Disney parks. I don’t at all mind doing the legwork in advance if needed by calling and sitting on hold again as I did last summer, but it would be nice if it was the same level of service available at Disney where we are able to find such things out without any difficulty.
Can’t wait to visit Diagon Alley in August!!
hi don’t know if it helps you at all but if the fish pie and cottage pie are anything like the proper english dishes they should be quite easy for someone who finds chewing hard, they should be small pieces of fish or mince in a sauce topped with smooth mashed potato. it’s the sort of food that we think suitable over here to give to babies as a first food, good for all the family 🙂
The Three Broomsticks has a Gluten-Free menu that they will show those who ask. We were there with two of our friends who require gluten-free foods, and the kind folks at Three Broomsticks pulled out a special menu just for them.
FLOREAN FORTESCUES’S
…and FLOREAN FORTESCUES’S
…and more FLOREAN FORTESCUES’S
And even more Florean Fortescue’s!!!! 🙂
I was surprised that Treacle Tart was not offered at The Three Broomsticks and is not on the upcoming Leaky Cauldron menu.
After all, it is Harry’s favorite dessert – and awfully delicious!
I believe i saw that particular treat somewhere in the menus of diagon alley…maybe the ice cream parlor?
You’ll definitely be able to find Treacle Fudge in Diagon Alley. It will be available in Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour.
Now the question is: Will the new drinks like Gillywater and Fishy Green Ale be sold at the Hog’s Head, or will they be Diagon Alley exclusives?
Where are the Vegetarian options for Wizards?
This! Universal (and CityWalk) does an incredibly poor job at catering to plant-based diets, vegans, vegetarians, etc. Definitely makes me visit the park less and spend less money.
You don’t win friends with salad…
I come from the Northeast states at least once a year, usually in the fall season…. I loved having english breakfast each morning in Harry Potter and never pass up a butter beer each day that I am there… Cannot wait to come back this fall to see the new section and sample all the new food specialties!
We are going in October, just booked today. Cannot wait for the Earl Grey & Lavender and also the Clotted Cream ice cream! Mmmm!
The Earl Grey & Lavender smells like febreeze, but tastes delicious! My favorite was the Salted-Caramel Blondie Ice Cream!
I’m looking forward to trying the Bangers and Mash and the Apple Crumble and Butterbeer ice creams.
Hmmmmm.
That beef & lamb Guiness Stew sounds tasty.
May have to swill down with a granny smith ice cream. Yum Yum. Roll on October.
I for one am extremely excited about the new fare. As an employee for 6+ years, Universal never ceases to amaze me with their culinary creativity. Sure not all diets can be taken into consideration as it must go through a relatively long process to be approved, but being on vacation, a little splurge is worth it. I can’t wait till opening!
My sisters first visit was last year and she commented that the best food she had all the holiday was in the Hogs Head in Hogsmead, I have to say I agree wholeheartedly with her.
I have always found the food choices very limited (and fatty) in the parks and this was a welcome change.
next year we are returning (albeit a rather larger group due to the extension and Diagon Alley, one sister hasnt been since 1999, gonna be a bit different for her )
I should imagine we will get most of the items on the menu and just dig in ) although I do love a good ploughmans or fishermans pie,,,,,, hmmm might have to dine a few times, but im sure Adie and Maralyn will make short work of the ice creams.
im a little bit excited )))
Yes the food at Hogs Head is really very good. If you like a different choice in IOA you could try the amazing Mythos.
The food is beyond amazing and worthy for any good quality restaurant. Above that the décor is stunning.
It would be nice if the Scotch Eggs (Dragon Eggs???) could be gotten on their own for a quick snack.
You’ll be able to order Scotch Eggs as a separate dish in the Leaky Cauldron. They’re quite tasty for a snack!
Bangers & Mash and Butterbeer ice cream!
Cannot wait for the Toad in a Hole! Ever since Rose & Crown took the Sunday roast off their menu, I’ve been missing my Yorkshire puddings in Orlando. No more!!
Looking forward to Toad in the Hole! We used to make this and popovers when I was a kid – hoping to be there opening day just like I was for The Wizarding World!
Sounds like this Is a sit down restaurant? How will u be able to make reservations? Or is it first come first serve?
I don’t know about the Leaky Cauldron, but in Hogsmeade the Three Broomsticks just has a line. You wait and go around then you order at one of the counters and go to the according line to pick up your food. They have tables both indoors and outdoors. I would assume the Leaky Cauldron would be the same!
I was wondering if there are peanut free options at Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlour. Sometimes all items are processed in the same plant.
Looks great! I may have to do some googling though. Even with the descriptions I’m lost on a few… Black pudding?? Toad in a hole -don’t know what yorkshire pudding is-
Is fishey green ale alcoholic?? Having a debate about this on a forum…
Will their be any dairy free options at florean fortescues ice cream parlor? My son has dairy issues, and a scoop of ice cream would likely put him in the bathroom for rest of day. But he would love to try something like this! Gotta hope!
Take a look at themeparkinsider.com. Many of your questions are answered there and they do great write-ups!!
they need to add cornish pasties on the menu too!
The food options sound fantastic! I just hope that Universal has been kind to all the allergic young wizards this time around, and that maybe one of the flavours at Fortescue’s is at least nut/peanut free and safe?
I also couldn’t agree more with the previous commenter that asked if allergy information would be readily available. We are also really hoping for easier access to the food ingredient information we need to keep our kids safe. On previous trips it has sometimes been difficult for our family to eat at Universal safely. We love Universal, and we love Harry Potter!! Please help us out! Something as simple as ingredient binders available for allergic customers at all “quick service” locations would go a long way towards making life easier for allergic customers and your staff.
How about revealing some vegetarian and vegan options for people? Life is not all about meat and eggs. So how about revealing what will be actually available for vegetarians to eat besides a limp salad in both WWOHP and WWOHP – Diagon Alley.
Thanks
Would love to see some vegan options for myself and vegetarian options for my kids. I found a few things to eat that were vegan at Three Broomsticks a few years ago, but heading back with my family (including children), would be great if they had something to eat. I’m sure they will want to visit the new ice cream shop. Any chance you can include a vegan option there as well? Thanks!
It’s kind of hard to cater to every need at such a huge park so they might not have everything you are expecting, like vegan ice cream.
The Treacle Torte always sounded so intriguing!! And, any of the deserts (or “puddings”) mentioned in the books would be great!
Oh my Goodness!!!!! Love it!!!!!! Can’t wait until it opens! Love the menu!
I’m going to start saving up everything to try all that delicious food, nixing the rest.
Including the Disney World savings.
It’ll be worth it.
My children are avid Harry Potter fans. They are also allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. They are really looking forward to visiting the Wizarding World of HP, and of course, trying many of the edible treats including Butterbeer and Butterbeer Ice Cream. With the increasing awareness of food allergies especially in children, and public support for providing safe food choices for people with allergies, it would be great for Universal Studios to accommodate all of their fans and provide ingredient lists for all of their locations that serve food. I would love to be able to say to my children that Universal contacted me and told me the Butterbeer and Butterbeer Ice Cream are safe for them to eat! I look forward to hearing from you!
Hi, Nora! Here is the page on our website with information about dining here with allergies, including menus. If you have further questions, the page also has a phone number for you to contact Guest Services, who can handle all your questions.
https://www.universalorlando.com/Resort-Information/Food-Allergies.aspx
We certainly want you and your kids to have the best vacation possible while you’re here.
Hello,
My question is, does one have to make reservations beforehand to dine in any of the establishments mentioned above? If so, how can I do them?
Thank you.
Nope, just head on in and enjoy!
Would someone be able to tell me if you can get a scoop of each of the clotted cream and the lavender and Earl Grey in one cup and also what kind of hot tea do they serve at the Leaky Cauldron (assuming it’s the same for the Three Broomsticks)? Thanks!
Hey, Bernadette! I was out at Florean’s this weekend and you can definitely get two different scoops. Enjoy!
Is their anywhere in either Harry Potter resort areas and eateries that have gluten free foods? We have celiac disease so it’s really important we eat and stay GF.
Many thanks
Catherine tapia
I’m curious about Florean Fortescues and its ice cream. Are the majority of the offerings gluten free there? My dad is GF and I hope to bring him show him Diagon Alley in the fall.
Good questions, Catherine and Jennifer. Here is the page on our website with information about dining here with allergies, including menus.
https://www.universalorlando.com/Resort-Information/Food-Allergies.aspx
If you have further questions, the page also has a phone number for you to contact Guest Services, who can handle all your questions. Enjoy your trip!
That website you posted is a joke https://www.universalorlando.com/Resort-Information/Food-Allergies.aspx
It does NOT lead to ANY information for parents with kids that have food allergies. It leads you to menus of restaurants that do NOT have ANY food allergy information. Only someone who has no idea what kids and parents of kids with food allergies go through would think that would suffice. As for bringing your own food option? How about you get invited to a party and have to bring your own food and see how you feel as everyone else is receiving their plates from the kitchen. It is insulting.
Hey, Ben. I’m sorry you didn’t find the information you were looking for. If you call Guest Services at 407-224-3463, they will be happy to help you find exactly what you need to know.
I would really like to have almost all of those dishes with a fake meat version. I would be so happy if they offered the shepherds pie but used gardein faux beef chunks. And they can use field roast sausages for the faux sausage in the bangers and mash and in the Yorkshire pudding and in the scotch egg. If they are unwilling to use faux meat for some crazy reason, then the least they could do is give us a mushroom version. They could do Cornish pasties at the very least! I’m jus beyond sad that as a vegetarian, my Harry potter dreams are stomped on for savory dishes. They literally put meat in every dish! And they have tons of dishes! Please, please make faux meat versions of everything. Even if we have to pay extra. Just let us have something yummy to eat. Btw, where are the pumpkin pasties? I am super psyched about the pastries and icecream. I can’t wait for the treacle pastries, the butterbeer ice cream, the sticky toffee everything, clotted cream, etc. I’ve been wishing they would add that stuff so kudos for doing it! Just please help the vegetarians out with savory options…..please NO SALADS. Just the same exact dishes but with fake meat or mushrooms. And I wonder if they will bring the yummy new stuff to Hollywood or if they will bring us the first round of sub oat stuff that was first brought to Orlando…..And then bring the good stuff years later. That would suck. They need to bring the goodies at the first unveiling.
Hi!
It would be wonderful to have a dairy-free ice cream for those with dairy allergies, lactose intolerance, and vegans.
The web based information privided by staff is truly useless to a person with a life threatening food allergy.
Universal surely can do VASTLY better than this…
Suggestion: Post the ingredients lists for every menu item (broken down shop by shop – yes items will be redundantly listed) in every shop on a spreadsheet style form with columns for the menu item name, the full ingredient list, then one column each for the major allergens with a checkmark if it is on the ingredient list, then a final column indicating any known special concerns such as known cross contamination (manufactured in the same facility as xyz, manufactured on the same equipment as xyz). Obviously each page will contain the lawyer garbage to protect your liability, also.
Better yet, build an simple interactive dining app.
Adam, I agree. Also, after eight months with no staff getting back to me before my vacation on the food options available, I found out there is no organic food in the park around Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, or pretty much anywhere else. I do not eat GMO’s, farm raised fish or grain fed beef or pork. It is terribly damaging to the body, and unfortunately Universal pretty much only serves these unhealthy options. I would love to be able to eat the food, but could not and was very disappointed. If people checked what they were actually eating, they would discover why cancer is thriving and people are having so many health problems. It is the food source. Anyway, I brought healthy food with me, thank goodness, and still enjoyed the wonderful Harrry Potter experience.
Wow! This looks like fun. How can I find out which options are vegan? Hoping that the split pea soup is. Are there any dairy-free ice creams? Thanks.
I can not wait until this exists in California !
I know this post is old, but does anyone know if the butterbeer at Universal is vegan?
I am so sad about the lack of vegetarian options at Harry Potter (and the parks in general)! We went to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch looking for something that would warm up our bellies (it’s cold in Orlando when you come from Miami ha!). We got the Ploughman’s platter (the only thing on the menu we could eat? I think) and it was so disappointing. The eggs were even wrapped in sausage bread…ew. I am so disheartened that the theme park worlds have not caught up to the rest of Orlando in terms of providing options.
If I’m hungry I’m going to citywalk
I have food. Allergies to 13 commonly. Used spices. WE are going obe at the park in. 1 month. What are the ingredients of butter beer?