It’s been a mighty long time since I’ve visited Olivia’s Cafe at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever featured anything vegan from this resort before. Well guess what? Today’s the day because there’s a new chef in town and he’s crafted some exceptional plant based dishes!
Olivia’s Cafe Vegan Review at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Chef Camilo Velasco is no newbie to Orlando’s restaurant culture. This summer he took over the reigns at Old Key West after overseeing lunch operations at The Ravenous Pig, a legendary pioneer in the Central Florida food scene. The Ravenous Pig is parent to The Polite Pig in Disney Springs.
Velasco has taken his talents and applied them to the menu at Olivia’s Cafe where every new dish I sampled was nothing short of a work of art both visually and also in flavor.
Olivia’s Cafe Atmosphere
Set in Disney’s Old Key West Resort, a Disney Vacation Club property, Olivia’s Cafe is reminiscent of an eatery one might find along Duval Street in Old Town Key West.
The restaurant is decorated in bright whites, yellow, sea green and vibrant teal with paddle fans and nautical touches throughout.
Olivia’s is serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner. My visit was during lunch hours but chef was kind enough to make me an appetizer and an entree off of the dinner menu. The lunch main here is a Beyond burger. I was looking for something more finessed and definitely got it.
The concept at Olivia’s is south meets Caribbean. So you’ll find a lot of that influence in the flavor profiles here.
Olivia’s Cafe Vegan Options
I started my meal with the vegan appetizer on the lunch menu, Chickpea and Quinoa Croquettes ($11.25). For those not familiar with croquettes, they are basically deep fried fritters.
These were made from garbanzo beans and quinoa. They were plated on a mango-ají amarillo mojo which had a decent kick to it. Mango-aji is a pepper, not a fruit. They were topped with a pineapple-rum chutney and a lightly dressed arugula salad.
The combination of heat and sweet was irresistible and I quickly devoured the entire plate before moving on to the next offering which was an appetizer off of the dinner menu.
This is the Beets and Citrus Salad ($11). It’s composed of house-made, sangria-poached red and golden beets over a soy crema and avocado purée. Chef informed me that the kitchen was utilizing vegan friendly wine.
Along with the earthy beets you’ll find sweet orange segments, sunflower seeds and arugula dressed with a white balsamic vinaigrette.
Another stunner of a dish you can feel good about eating. The sunflower seeds added a nice texture to the salad.
For my entree I opted for the plant based dinner option. The West Indian Tofu and Coconut Curry ($22) starts with a base of roasted butternut squash purée. This is topped with a crispy tofu that has been tossed in rice flour and then fried.
Along with the tofu you’ll find more roasted butternut squash, marinated tomatoes and grilled broccolini tossed in a creamy Caribbean curry.
The dish is garnished with edible flowers and micro cilantro.
I loved this interpretation of curry. Dare I say it, even more than my beloved Bo Kaap Malay Vegetale Curry at Jiko in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Dessert is decadent!
Get the Tropical Chocolate Tart ($8), but only if you’re dining with other guests because it’s definitely too rich for one person to finish in one sitting.
This sweet treat starts with a base of avocado chocolate ganache on a mango purée. The ganache is topped with a mango lime sorbet and a sprinkling of toasted coconut crumble.
The ganache is definitely chocolate forward. You aren’t going to taste any avocado at all. Think chocolate fudge but not in the sweet sense. It wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet which I appreciated. The sorbet was creamy and read almost like an ice cream.
Chef Velasco has definitely brought a signature dining experience to what feels like a casual eatery. Yes Disney’s Old Key West is classified as a Deluxe Resort and yes Olivia’s Cafe is the resort’s signature restaurant however, the atmosphere inside the restaurant has a very laid back, island vibe.
Put Olivia’s on your “must eat” list!
Wondering how to access the resort? Walt Disney World guests without their own transportation can access the restaurant from any of the theme parks directly via bus. If traveling from another resort, take a bus to Disney Springs and then hop on the water taxi for a short boat ride to Disney’s old Key West resort.
We’ve also reviewed Olivia’s Cafe for brunch. To see that review check out this post: Vegan Brunch at Olivia’s Cafe in Old Key West Resort Walt Disney World
