Bar Helios Review: Rooftop Dining at Universal’s Helios Grand Hotel
- Stephanie Moad
- Jun 14
- 5 min read
Hello everyone!
I am back from my Universal Orlando trip, and I cannot wait to start sharing all of the details from this vacation. One of the highlights of our trip was dining at Bar Helios for my partner’s birthday dinner. We visited Bar Helios once before during Epic Universe previews, just a few weeks after Helios Grand Hotel opened, but this experience felt completely different in the best way.
The menu has changed quite a bit since our first visit, with more tapas-style dishes, appetizer options, and a few larger portions available. Since this was a birthday dinner and a bit of a splurge meal, we took notes on everything we tried so we could share our honest thoughts, ratings, and whether we think Bar Helios is worth adding to your Universal Orlando plans.
About the Bar
Bar Helios is the rooftop bar at the Helios Grand Hotel located at Universal's Epic Universe. It provides both bar and table seating inside, with additional table seating located outside on the balcony. The bar has 360-degree view of Orlando and Epic Universe, making it a perfect spot to people watch, or even catch the nighttime show at the Cosmos Fountain.
Although it is primarily a bar, they do offer a handful of kid-friendly options to choose from on the food menu, to help accommodate those with families wanting to experience the venue. Please be sure to ask the server or host if you are interested in this menu.
As of May 2026, the bar is only open in the afternoon to late evenings, and is reservation based. Although it may not be required on less busy days, it is always recommended to grab a reservation to secure your spot. This will ensure that you will be able to experience Bar Helios without having to guess if you are going to be able to dine.
The theming follows that of the hotel, which is almost a Greek mythology or astrology. This can be seen in the ceiling, decor and even the menu itself, with drinks named after constellations and greek mythology figures. The ceiling depicts the named constellations, such as Orion, Ursa Major, Capricorn and more.
The Menu
The menu is broken down into several sections, including featured cocktails, tapas-style dishes, and a traditional wine list.
The featured mixed drinks break down into categories based on the elements of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water.
The tapas menu is organized by dish style, making it easy to choose between lighter bites, chilled options, crispy dishes, flame-grilled items, and sweets.
The Wine List is presented as your traditional wine list, separated by the type of wine and by the glass or bottle only.
Our Choices and Reviews
Since this was a birthday dinner and a bit of a splurge meal, we wanted to take notes on everything we tried and share our honest ratings. Each item will be rated in three categories: taste, presentation, and overall value. Those scores will then be combined into an overall rating out of 30. As we continue traveling and dining, we’ll use this system to compare restaurants across Universal, Disney, and beyond.
Let's start with our beverages that we had.
Drinks
The first things we tried were some of the selections off of the drink menu. Between the three of us, we tried a handful of different cocktails that we felt were unique and sounded delicious.
THE NIGHT GODDESS: Ketel One Vodka, PAMA, pomegranate molasses, lemon, ginger beer $19
Taste: 5/10
Presentation: 5/10
Value: 6/10
Overall Rating: 16/30
APHRODITE: Tanqueray 10, Chambord, Cointreau, lemon and lavender cordial, lemon, orange bitters $20
Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 5/10
Value: 6.5/10
Overall Rating: 18.5/30
SMOKE & MIRRORS: Bacon Fat-Washed Angel's Envy Straight, smoked maple syrup, muddled blueberries, lemon juice, ginger beer $20
Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Overall Rating: 24/30
The Smoke and Mirrors cocktail was by far the standout for drinks that we had that night. It was a unique pick with the Bacon-Washed Angel's Envy. Our server explained that the blend is made by mixing bacon fat and the Angel's Envy, and freezing it. Since the Angel’s Envy does not freeze, they are able to remove the remaining bacon fat, leaving behind the bacon-washed Angel’s Envy used in the cocktail. This was something that we have never seen in our travels, which made it the standout in the drink category for sure.
Eats
Our next category, the food. The food is presented in multiple different sections Graze, Chilled, Crispy, Flame and Sweets.
We decided to try a handful of different items off the menu, here is their breakdown, price and ratings:
PETITE BEEF MEDALLION: Beef tenderloin, baby trumpets, chimichurri, garlic sauce, mushroom tuile. (gluten-free) $34
Taste: 10/10
Presentation: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Overall Rating: 27/30
The Petite Beef Medallion is featured in the “Flame” section of the menu. The dish came with four pieces of beef tenderloin that were perfectly tender and full of flavor. The beef and mushrooms were served over a mild garlic sauce that complemented the dish really well without overpowering it. Overall, all of the flavors blended beautifully, and this is absolutely something we would order again.
GRILLED OCTOPUS: Crispy herb potatoes, olives, salsa verde $25
Taste: 8.5/10
Presentation: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Overall Rating: 24.5/30
The grilled octopus is featured under the "Flame" section of the menu. The octopus was extremely tender and not chewy, almost comparable to a scallop. The flavor was pretty on par for grilled octopus, with a light spicy hit to it. The salsa verde was on the more acidic side, and was one of the best complements that this dish could have, and was gone from the plate as fast as the octopus itself. This would be a dish that we would order again on special occasions where we were craving more of a seafood forward dish.
BACALO CROQUETTES: Citrus aioli $23
Taste: 10/10
Presentation: 7/10
Value: 8/10
Overall Rating: 25/30
The Bacalo Croquettes are featured under the "Crispy" section of the menu. This dish featured four of the croquettes laid on a bed of citrus aioli. For taste alone, this was the highest rated dish, although it lacked on the presentation side, being more simple, the taste alone made up for it. It was creamy in taste and texture, and did not have a fishy aftertaste.
VONGOLE VERACO: Cedar Key clams, cantimpalo chorizo, vino bianco, artisanal focaccia $23
Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Overall Rating: 21/30
The Vongole Veraco was featured within the "Graze" section of the menu. The dish featured a decent amount of clams, and was very good overall in flavor. The chorizo was more of a "spanish-style" which was a pleasant surprise, and was easily one of the best parts of the overall flavor profile. The broth that remained after we finished the clams was perfect with the focaccia that was served.
Overall Experience and Recommendation
Overall, Bar Helios was an amazing experience, especially for a celebration like a birthday. The food, drinks, views, and atmosphere made the meal feel special from start to finish. That being said, I do think this is more of a special occasion dining spot than an everyday must-do, especially if you visit Universal often.
For us, it was the perfect choice for a birthday dinner, and I would absolutely recommend it for guests looking for a more elevated dining experience at Universal Orlando. If you are staying at Helios Grand Hotel, celebrating something special, or wanting a rooftop dining experience with views of Epic Universe, Bar Helios is definitely worth considering.
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