Amare Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in Bay Lake

Two days before our reservation, I visited the restaurant to speak with a chef about their gluten free food offerings. I tried to ask wether they can prepare gluten free food on dedicated equipment so that there’s no cross contamination. I had to ask several times to get a real answer as he basically kept saying ‘we will do our best to meet your needs’ every time I tried to ask. He ended up saying that they “wipe clean” pans after each use (which obviously does not prevent cross contamination). I thanked him for his time, but he appeared to be offended that I didn’t want anything.

When my family and I visited two days later, I was not planning to eat anything because I didn’t trust them to prepare gluten free food given the chef’s prior answer. My family was a group of 17 people, and we had hoped to either sit together, or right next to each other as anyone would. The hostess informed us that they could not sit us together or even near each other. Then the manager came over. She was very rude and told us that it would cost $1200 to put two tables together that were next to another long table. Her reasoning was very unclear and none of us really understood her answer. So, half my family sat on one side of the restaurant, half on the other. The closer tables weren’t even used while we were there.

That wasn’t the only issue with the manager. Next, the manager must have overhead me speaking to a family member about my encounter two days prior. The manager sent the chef to seemingly pressure me into eating. It was so ridiculous that it was almost amusing. The chef, who was not the same one I had met before, spoke with me for five minutes about how he would accommodate me. He was nice, but it’s wrong to pressure someone with celiac into eating at a restaurant they don’t trust. I kept saying that I didn’t want anything. He claimed that he would get a new pan for me, and that I would be fine. It’s possible I would have been fine, but after everything I’d experienced there was no chance that I would eat anything. Besides, I had already made my own food in advance after my conversation with the other chef.

Lastly, the food. While I did not eat the food, my brother did not like the pizza. The bottom was literally charred burned. My cousins claimed that the food was bland. It was also extremely expensive for the...

What a wonderful experience we had dinng at the Amare. We were there on Friday evening. My son and his wife were celebrating ananniversary and their two teenage girls were with us. The 5 of us were looking for dinner and stopped in without a reservation, but were quickly seated. I have to say here, my expectations were not high. I have eaten at plenty of hotel restaurants, and quite a few in and around the resorts.... some are terrible, some are "nice"..... But our experience at the Amare was amazing. Robert was our waiter, and I consider him our culinary guide. Very attentive, and knowledgeable about the preparation of the food. The appetizers were delightful. The Polpetti was absolutely remarkable, and enhanced by the tasty little potato cubes. The entre`s made me take notice.... We all remarked how fresh everything tasted.... Mahi Mahi is a personal favorite of mine, but the caper emulsion was new to me.... and was a revelation. The Romesco Chicken was very tastfully executed, as were the roasted vegetables that really set the dinners apart. Souvlaki is a common dish, but not here. It was blissfully perfect.... especially the beef. As we sat there delighted and full, Robert announced that the sous-chef had made us dessert. We were so full, we weren't sure we could eat a dessert. When he brought it out we were floored. We were so amazed I can't remember the chef's name.... but he is brilliant. Your desserts are not even on your menu, so I am not sure what they all were. The chocolate flourless cake was decadent. That term is often used but seldom so appropriate. The cannoli is the best I've tasted by far.... and the little marinated lemon/mandarin slices with hazelnuts made my head explode. I am very picky about cheesecake. I love New-York (heavy) cheesecake, and am offended at the whipped cream confections called cheesecake. But yours... was like none I have ever had. I am ruined... and everyone in our party remarked at how wonderful it looked and tasted. We were too full for dessert, but when we were done, we were licking the dessert stand. That evening was one of the most memorable dinners I have enjoyed, and was an incredible culinary experience for the anniversary celebration. Thank you seems trite, but we are all overwhelmed with gratitude for the memorable evening you...

We enjoyed sampling Amare for the first time through the Magical Dining options. To start, my companion and I ordered our separate appetizers. I was pleasantly surprised to see the full size appetizers with the Magical Dining option whereas they could have done individual sizes. The calamari with an aioli and also a tomato sauce was exquisite - perfectly tender and yet with the right amount of crunch for the breading. The other appetizer was their salad option that was also quite tasty! Ordered separate was their hummus appetizer which was superb as well.

For entrees, she had the chicken kebab and while it looked good, she was not happy with the texture of the thighs. I had swordfish which was also tasty, though cooked a bit long and it ended up dry. I preferred it without the accompanying sides.

The two cocktails - found that the back of the wine menu - were superb. The first was a Rose cocktail of sorts with Campari, Grapefruit and a Rose liqueur. It was well balanced, heavy on the citrus and not bitter at all. Rose hints were very subtle. If you're going for floral, then the Viola is for you! I absolutely loved the Viola with gin, Violet liquor and the cucumber elixir. If you don't like floral, you will not like this drink! I do, and I would return for drinks anytime!

On to desserts, the chocolate tahini tart was reportedly good. There is a raspberry filling in the center that is not pictured. Their olive cake is the start of the show! Think of it like a pineapple upside down cake with the right balance of light, and the flavor profile of pineapple and cake without being too rich. Add some dole whip at the park and you wouldn't ever leave!

What keeps Amare from being spectacular is the service. It took awhile to get waters, to place our orders and then service was slow in between courses as well. We noticed an air of indifference with our server that isn't what you come to expect when enjoying a meal at an on-property restaurant. Maybe they had an off day or someone called in sick. At then least the food was almost spot on and the...