Primo Piatto is a quick service restaurant located in the lower level of Disney’s Riviera Resort. As the quick service dining option at a deluxe resort, Primo Piatto offers some table seating with both bench seating (booths) and table-and-chair arrangements as well as a mobile order option for convenient take-out options.
Despite being at the swanky Riviera Resort, this quick service location is comparable price-wise to the quick service locations at other resorts. We took advantage of the table seating during our most recent visit to Primo Piatto rather than using the mobile order. I’ll talk about that more in the atmosphere section below. First, let’s talk food!
1. Primo Piatto – Food
As a counter service location at Walt Disney World, Primo Piatto has many of the standard food options – chicken tenders, burgers, fries – but this location has as many or more options that are elevated or unique to the Riviera Resort.
For example, Primo Piatto offers several Europe-inspired dishes, including hearth-baked pizzas (Italy), several unique sandwiches (France & Italy), a location-specific dessert (Italy), and one specific specialty side that we order every time we stop at the Riviera Resort.
When we visited with the kids in August of 2022, we enjoyed two meals at Primo Piatto, so we got to sample several entrees along with that No Capes-favorite side. Here’s what we ate and what we thought.
Entree 1: Spicy Italian Sandwich
I love an italian sandwich – the salami, the capicola, the prosciutto. Nom nom nom.
Primo Piatto’s take on the spicy italian sandwich is better than Jimmy John’s and probably not as good as the one you get at the corner deli in your favorite New York burrough. It’s got the pepper “slaw” (I think they call it gardiniera) you need for a spicy italian sandwich and a garlic aioli that punches up all the flavors in the sandwich. The cheese is provolone.
Entree 2: Croque Monsieur
Cheesy.
So. Cheesy.
Bechamel sauce, ham, swiss cheese.
Amber has dreams about this extremely French sandwich. I’ve tried most of the rest of the Primo Piatto menu; Amber orders this sandwich exclusively.
Not your daddy’s hot ham and cheese sandwich.
Entree 3: Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza
I ordered a hearthbaked pizza for lunch on one of our pool days this past August. As an unabashed meat-eater, I went with the pepperoni and sausage variation.
I’m from Chicago, so I think I know a thing about pizza, whether thin or thick. There are three things that make an outstanding pizza: crust; sauce; and toppings. A good pizza wins on 2 out of 3. An okay pizza wins only on the toppings. At Primo Piatto, the pizza wins with the crust (nice chew, good char on the bake) and the toppings (great big chunks of sausage, big pepperoni slices).
That’s not to say the sauce isn’t good, it’s just fairly straight-forward.
Hot take: this is the best quick-service and second-best overall pizza at Disney World.
Entree Four: Bacon Cheddar Burger
A straight forward bacon cheeseburger should still be delicious, and this one checked all the “basics” boxes. The Primo Piatto bacon cheeseburger is cooked on a flat top grill and not flame broiled, which would be my preference. But the patty is a one-third pound brisket-and-chuck burger and the cheddar is actual cheddar (as opposed to processed fake cheddar). The toasted brioche bun is crispy and buttery and delicious.
Our oldest, J, and I (Ethan) each tried this burger at different meals and were not disappointed. Overall, this is a solid burger selection for a quick service location, but also mostly just hits the old faithful, comfort-food vibe.
Our Go-To Menu Selection: Romano and Herbed Fries
Remember my Enchanted Rose review about truffle fries? These fries are *this close* to truffle fries. You can get them with your entree (burger, sandwiches, etc.) or as a standalone menu item. My favorite way to order them is alongside a tasty cocktail at the Bar Riva – more on that location later – which has the same menu as Primo Piatto.
We’ve visited Primo Piatto and Bar Riva at least 10 or 12 times and I think we skipped the fries once – and only because we were going to be late for a dinner reservation otherwise. They’re that good
Food Rating: 8
2. Primo Piatto – Beverages
Quite honestly, the selection of beverages at this specific location is pretty limited. You can get a variety of canned or bottled beverages from the grab-and-go cooler, and there’s a couple of Coke’s Freestyle machines that let you customize your fountain drink to within an inch of it’s life.
NOTE: This is where you’ll come to refill your refillable resort mug if you purchase one (you can get them here too).
The adult beverage options are mostly in the cooler, including some canned beers and canned cocktails. The beers are fine, but nothing to write home home about. You can also order wine by either the glass or the bottle, again with limited options.
I didn’t really expect much in the way of beverages considering this is a quick service location. I’m not a wine guy, and the beer selection wasn’t particularly inspiring. Plus, the Bar Riva bar/lounge is literally right next door, so Primo Piatto doesn’t really need to offer a lot of alcohol options. We did make regular use of the Freestyle machines for both kid- and adult-friendly beverages.
TL;DR = the drink options here are fine for a quick family meal, but certainly nothing to write home about.
Beverage Rating: 3
3. Primo Piatto – Atmosphere
Most of the resort-based quick service locations offer cafeteria-style seating, and Primo Piatto is no different. However, unlike at some of the budget resorts, the dining area here is smaller and feels a little more intimate, as a result.
The dining area here feels bigger than it actually is thanks to large windows along the two outside walls. These windows offer a view of the pool area and the courtyard/green space outside the resort lobby. There’s some table-and-chair seating scattered throughout as well as some tables with booth seats on one side (chairs on the other) along one wall. Even though you’re eating inside, the large windows make this “cafeteria” feel like you’re eating outside on a patio.
With all that said, this is still a dining room meant to seat a large number of people. As a result, we found it preferrable to mobile order our food and take it outside to enjoy by the pool. Or, if the kids are enjoying some time at the pool, you can order most of the Primo Piatto menu at Bar Riva.
All in all, the atmosphere at Primo Piatto, while upscale compared to locations at the larger resorts, is still a dining hall.
Atmosphere Rating: 6
Conclusion
The rating on this one comes in so low because of the beverage options, which you might consider a little unfair. Remember that Bar Riva (one of my favorite resort lounges/pool bars) is literally right next door and serves the same menu, so you can get great drinks along with your delicious food just 15 steps away.
The atmosphere also brings Primo Piatto down a notch, but that has two easy fixes. Bar Riva is the first fix (I know I’m beating that drum pretty hard. What can I say? I love it there!). The Riviera Resort’s outdoor green space and a few tables in the sun overlooking Barefoot Bay are the second fix and punch the dining experience up quite a bit.
The food here is excellent, even if the beverages and atmosphere aren’t stellar. My recommendation is that you either skip the Primo Piatto quick service dining hall for the Bar Riva lounge or mobile order and take your food with you. But don’t skip this quick service spot. The food is too good!
Composite Rating: 17
