REVIEW: Dine In A Fish Tank at Atlantic, Epic Universe’s In-Park Table Service Restaurant

The Atlantic Restaurant is located near the front of Celestial Park, near Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets.

The Atlantic Restaurant is a large angular building with multiple stories of glass windows, surrounded by fountains. It creates a very unique environment reminsicent of being inside a fish tank or aquarium.

The views from inside are phenomenal, not to mention the decor is great. The fish and other sealife suspended from the ceiling light up and move around on a track, which really puts the interior design over the edge.

Stay tuned for our full restaurant tour to see more.

Appetizers

• Ahi Tuna Tartare – $18
• King Oyster Mushroom Ceviche (Vegan) – $15
• Sweet & Spicy Shrimp – $16

Soups & Salads

• Sweet Corn Chowder (Vegan) – $11

Entrées

• Sea Bass – $44
• Romesco Romanesco (Vegan) – $25
• Captain Fernando’s Half-Pound Lobster Roll – $48

Desserts

• Passion Fruit “Caviar” – $
• Landlubber’s Snickerdoodle Loot – $

Beverages

• Northern Lights – $17
• Melon and Herb Highball – $17
• Fountain of Youth – $18
• Florida Sand Dollar – $16.25

Ahi Tuna Tartare – $18

Watermelon, avocado, cucumber, sesame seeds, and truffle yuzu sauce

The chunks of tuna are larger than expected, and the truffle yuzu sauce brings in light citrus without being overpowering. The tuna is absolutely perfect and the fresh vegetables round out the dish. The chips are perfect accompaniment — crisp and salty. We wish it was served with a few more. This is phenomenal.

Rating out of 7: 7

King Oyster Mushroom Ceviche (Vegan) – $15

Tomato, cilantro, jícama, and lime

This is a solid vegan offering and much preferred over a standard salad. The mushroom is so well marinated that it barely tastes like mushroom. You do need to like cilantro or request it without as it’s fairly strong. The dish has some diced jalapeño, which up front isn’t strong, but cumulatively, as you go, it builds. This is unique and refreshing.

Rating out of 7: 7

Sweet & Spicy Shrimp (Gluten-sensitive) – $16

Crispy shrimp, chili sauce, micro cilantro, and sesame seeds

It’s served in a cute urchin bowl. This is basically Bang Bang Shrimp. It’s good quality; the shrimp are indeed sweet and spicy, and they are not fishy. But overall, it’s pretty pedestrian. You can get this at basically any seafood restaurant. It’s nice that they offer “safe” options but we prefer the more elevated dishes. The portion size is decent.

Rating out of 7: 5

Sweet Corn Chowder (Vegan) – $11

Florida corn, celery root, potatoes, sweety drop peppers, and baby basil

It’s as oily as it looks. The portion is huge, especially for the price. It’s not bad, but it’s not a winner, either. The corn is chewy and very salty, but the saltiness works well with the bitter broth. It’s a solid option if you’re in the mood, but if you’re just choosing a vegan appetizer, we recommend the King Oyster Mushroom Ceviche instead.

Rating out of 7: 5

Sea Bass – $44

Carrot mochi, sugar snap peas, lemongrass broth, and star fruit

The bass is cooked perfectly flaky with a subtle, earthy flavor. It’s almost too simple, but it does it well. Everything is well cooked and balanced. We really enjoyed the carrot mochi which adds a unique component to the composite. The plate is gorgeous, and the star fruit is a cute plus to the presentation. It’s solid but a little overpriced for its simplicity.

Rating out of 7: 5

Romesco Romanesco (Vegan) – $25

Oven roasted romanesco, hazelnut romesco, fregola, wild mushrooms, and pea tendrils

It’s so good. We usually steer away from the “cauliflower steak” type options, which are often just lazy vegan options and poorly cooked. This, however, is cooked perfectly. The romanesco is perfectly charred with a nice smokiness. The fragola is cooked well and complemented by the romesco sauce. What we really love about this is that it’s a full meal. Often the vegan or “healthy” options focus on being light (usually to cut the calorie count), but for a full day at the park, sometimes you need something with real substance. This has hearty grains and protein, making it a great choice to refuel.

Rating out of 7: 7

Captain Fernando’s Half-Pound Lobster Roll – $48

8 oz. freshly cooked Maine lobster, drawn butter, and lemon dill aioli on a grilled bun; served with house-made potato chips

It’s pricy, but it is a half pound of lobster in a theme park. It’s also fantastic. The housemade chips are hot and crrispy on the edges, but softer on the insides. The lobster roll is exceptional. The bun is garlicky and soft. The lobster is tender and perfect. The aioli adds a little creaminess but isn’t very strong. Drizzling the drawn butter on top pulls it all together.

Rating out of 7: 7

Passion Fruit “Caviar” – $12

Chocolate pain de gênes, hazelnut crunch, jivara mousse, and passion fruit “caviar”

Admittedly, we chose this because we were told it came with a souvenir tin. The presentation is so fun. The passion fruit “caviar” is very tart and, oddly, a little salty. When you hit the hazelnut crunch, there’s a nice rich milk chocolate that combines with the tart “caviar” very well. It’s not the best dessert, but the presentation is so cute and fun for a signature dining restaurant.

Rating out of 7: 6

Landlubber’s Snickerdoodle Loot – $11

Snickerdoodle cake, cookie butter ganache, and Biscoff sand

This is one of the cutest dessert presentations we’ve ever seen. It comes with a little plastic shovel, which we did use to eat (though you don’t have to). This is very good, though a little one note between the Biscoff and moist snickerdoodle cake. The cookie butter ganache adds some creaminess. The dessert is a solid offering heavily elevated by its cuteness. It’s very memorable and makes for a great photo.

Rating out of 7: 6

Melon and Herb Highball – $17

St. Augustine New World gin, basil & cucumber essence, watermelon syrup, and sparkling mineral water with a cucumber ribbon and basil sprig

This is the perfect drink for a hot day. It’s very floral but light and refreshing. The fresh cucumber combined with a little bit of basil balances the hint of sweetness. The gin is muted — not pungent, but well balanced.

Rating out of 7: 5

The Fountain of Youth – $18

Sipsmith sloe gin, Bombay Sapphire gin, Casals Mediterranean Vermouth Rojo, Absente Absinthe, and an orange twist

You better like Absinthe. That’s all it tastes like, with a citrus finish. It’s not a complex cocktail. It’s not bad, but it is the least interesting thing we had here. If this is your craving, go for it, but the other drinks are far more exciting.

Rating out of 7: 5

Northern Lights – $17

Beluga Noble Vodka, Pallini limoncello, Ferrand Dry Curaçao, lemon juice, simple syrup, butterfly pea blossom ice sphere, and gold luster dust

Over time, the ice sphere will change color, but not flavor. It’s very fitting for Celestial Park. It was really interesting, with a lot going on. The Vodka and limoncello are the forward notes. It’s a beautiful cocktail with a strong tartness cut by the sweetness of the butterfly pea blossom.

Rating out of 7: 5

Florida Sand Dollar – $16.25

Planteray O.F.T.D. rum, Munyon’s Paw Paw, BG Reynolds grenadine, white grapefruit juice, coconut water, cream of coconut, and vanilla bean; topped with dried grapefruit slice

Our server compared this to a grapefruit colada. We would definitely agree. It’s very good. The grapefruit is there throughout, but never overpowering. There’s a creaminess and the liqueur is strong. It’s a tropical grapefruit cocktail that we enjoyed. It’s a little heavy; we wouldn’t necessarily pair it with a full meal but if you stop into the Aquaria bar, it’s a great choice.

Rating out of 7: 5

Watch our video review below.