The Best Things To Eat In Universal's Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

You don't have to be a theme park fan or even a faithful admirer of the blockbuster film franchise to appreciate The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A true marvel in theme park innovation and design, the immersive lands can be found at Universal Orlando Resort in central Florida. Here, J.K. Rowling's wildly imaginative world comes to life as guests step directly into the whimsical pages of the beloved book. The streets of London, the buzz of Diagon Alley, the liveliness of Hogsmeade, and even the eerie corners of Knockturn Alley come to fruition in movie-quality sets that are incredible feats of artistry.

This downright magical experience is manifested in not only the sights and sounds, but in the tastes. Here, you can sip on iconic Butterbeer, toast a pint in Hog's Head Pub, or gather with your Hogwarts crew over fish and chips in The Leaky Cauldron. The potions and nibbles found in Wizarding World are not only delicious but executed with great theming.

Throw on your robe, brush off your quidditch stick, and join us for the best things to eat in Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The mind may wander to an uninspired, pre-packaged cone when thinking of theme park ice cream — but magic has been bestowed upon the desserts at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour. Located in Diagon Alley, this ice cream shop is scooping and dishing out what very well may be some of the best ice cream we've ever had. The secret may be kept deep in the hallowed halls of Hogwarts (or some mystical theme park flavor lab), but what we know is that both their soft serve and hard pack ice creams have that desired level of perfect creaminess that we'd gladly wait in the streets of Diagon Alley for.

On top of the perfect texture, Florean Fortescue's is serving inventive flavors like apple crumble, sticky toffee pudding, and earl grey & lavender. Our personal favorite? The chocolate chili ice cream. Served hard-pack style, this decadent scoop has a sweetness that first hits your tongue before notes of heat make an appearance. The slight tingle of spice cuts the richness just at the right moment making for a magical ice cream moment. You'll swear someone cast a vanishing spell on you because this dessert will disappear in minutes.

Diagon Alley's Leaky Cauldron serves as the grubby-looking pub and inn from the movies with an ornate cathedral ceiling as its focal point. It would be easy to full up on the restaurant's serious lineup of delicious foods — like bangers & mash, cottage pie, and scotch eggs — but we are urging all you muggles to conjure up some self-control and save room for dessert.

Their sticky toffee pudding is worth a trip to the theme parks alone — and that is something we stan. This positively sinful dessert is perfect in every way. The base is incredibly moist and served warm with overarching notes of butterscotch that is then filled with a sticky toffee sauce — it's like an American bread pudding but with a more-dense quality. A fresh scoop of vanilla ice is added on top and then finished with a toffee syrup that ties the dish together as it cascades over its entirety and into a blissful bite.

Fried foods are often associated with theme parks, but this next decadent dish lives in a category all of its own. We're back at Diagon Alley's Leaky Cauldron not to meet up with Hermoine to formulate our plot against "he who must not be named," but for their version of fish & chips. Your mind may wander to images of frozen fish sticks thrown into an oil-laden deep fryer, but you would be vastly mistaken. Universal Orlando pulls out all of the stops for this traditional British dish by using freshly flown-in North Atlantic cod. Once reaching the Wizarding World, they are hand-dipped in beer batter and fried to golden-brown perfection.

This is excellent and will have you in shock and total disbelief that this is served in a fast casual setting. The tender, flaky fish holds up perfectly to its salty, crisped exterior. This dish redefines everything we thought we knew about "theme park food." Mic drop.

You'll be so mesmerized that you'll not even notice the cacophony of sounds roaring in the distance from the train — the very one that kept Potter up late at night when he called the inn his home one summer.

There are many snacks and potions now made famous by the Harry Potter books but few moments are as iconic and memorable as Harry's first experience with the chocolate frog box. Sugarplum's Sweet Shop in Diagon Alley and Honeydukes in Hogsmeade are your one-stop shops for all your candy needs when visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter — it's also where you can get your hands on your very own chocolate frog.

These are beautifully presented, just like in the film, in an ornate blue and gold box. The chocolate frog inside is solid chocolate, but we promise you it won't be jumping out. Collectible trading cards can be found in each box depicting an image of a famous witch or wizard. It may be difficult to narrow in on your purchase from the legendary sweet shop, but we recommend bypassing the fizzing whizzbees and exploding bonbons for the now iconic edible amphibian.

There are few British dishes that Americans embrace more than the shepherd's pie. The ultimate in comfort foods, this savory dish traditionally combines mashed potatoes with minced meat and vegetables — and it is most certainly something one would not expect from a theme park. At Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, they are dishing out a perfectly executed shepherd's pie. Their version combines ground beef and lamb with vegetables and a generous crowning of mashed potatoes. The dish hits all the right notes with the savory veggies holding their own to the saltiness of the juicy meats and creamy, luscious mashed potatoes.

Our vegan friends haven't been forgotten with their own interpretation of the dish. The mushroom pie comes with a stewed jackfruit that would even fool any of you carnivores out there. The notes of sweet and savory stray from the traditional presentation but it's worthy of a try. On the side, you'll find a salad with a tangy lemon-thyme vinaigrette that holds its own.

These dishes are rather filling and not recommended before a spin on Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

Diagon Alley's Leaky Cauldron is no stranger to whipping up beloved British delicacies, like fisherman's pie, Scotch eggs, and Guinness stew. A toad in the hole is a popular English dish not commonly found in America, and certainly not something often found at American theme parks. Their version of toad in the hole bakes two English sausages right into a Yorkshire pudding and served with onion gravy, minted peas, root vegetables, and roasted tomato.

The sausage is the star of this savory dish here, deep in flavor and with a perfect amount of crunch, while the Yorkshire pudding acts as the creamy balanced accompaniment. The flavors of the caramelized onion gravy tie both the sausage and pudding together, while the veggies on the side are a welcomed addition (especially in a theme park) and cooked just perfectly. While the flavors are balanced, we love pairing this with the sweet and tart flavors of a tongue-tying lemon squash to cut through some of the savoriness.

The Ploughman's Platter can best be described as the British equivalent of a charcuterie board. The British lunch staple is typically served in pubs and consists of a loosely defined combination of cheese, bread, and other accompaniments that are generally served all cold. It's an utterly simple meal, but a delicious and hearty way to fuel up for the rest of your day.

At Diagon Alley's Leaky Cauldron, their interpretation of the Ploughman's platter is meant to serve two hungry park-goers. The generously sized dish features crusty bread, English cheeses, a green salad, roasted tomatoes, cornichon pickles, an apple beet salad, branston pickle, and scotch eggs. The portions are large, easily shared by over two people, and we appreciate the freshness of each and every one of the elements. This is a wonderful dish to try for the non-adventurous eaters looking to dip a toe into the British delights offered by the Leaky Cauldron without being weighed down by all the fried goodness found on the menu.