November 1, 2025
Looking for a holiday experience that brings charm, elegance, and delicious flavors together in one unforgettable night? Holiday Harbor Nights, returning Friday, November 28, 2025, at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, is the perfect way to celebrate the season Italian-style. This beloved food-and-wine event transforms the hotel’s Harbor Piazza into a glowing landscape of twinkling lights, live music, and exquisite cuisine inspired by Italy’s finest flavors.
Whether you’re celebrating with friends or enjoying a romantic date night under the stars, you’ll savor a blend of top-tier wines, Italian delicacies, and the warm, elegant ambiance of Portofino Bay’s seaside village setting.
A Night of Italian Culinary Delights
When Italians want to tell you it’s time to eat, they say tempo di mangiare — and at Portofino Bay, that’s exactly what awaits. The 2025 menu features favorites like fresh-made agnolotti pasta filled with hand-dipped ricotta and topped with toasted pine nut relish, and braised chicken thighs served over creamy smoked-gouda polenta with a rich mushroom marsala sauce. Seafood lovers will delight in the skillet-baked Gulf Coast shrimp and clams, prepared in an Italian purgatory sauce with candied citrus gremolata, while the slow-roasted beef steamship carved to order adds a hearty, holiday touch.
To complement each dish, guests can enjoy a curated lineup of wines from Ferrari-Carano, Stemmari, and Albrecht, along with Italian classics like Lunetta Prosecco and Peroni Nastro Azzurro beer. For dessert, sweet indulgences like spiced mascarpone pumpkin cheesecake, white-chocolate apple verrine, and hand-scooped gelato ensure the night ends on a perfectly festive note.
An Evening of Entertainment and Festive Cheer
As you stroll through the Harbor Piazza, live music from The I-4 Band fills the air, while opera singers perform from the balconies above, adding to the magic of the Italian seaside setting. The evening culminates with the grand illumination of Portofino Bay’s Christmas tree, a highlight that officially kicks off the hotel’s holiday season.
VIP Experience
For an elevated evening, upgrade to the VIP Experience, which features an intimate six-course dinner with exclusive wine pairings served tableside. It’s the ultimate way to enjoy Holiday Harbor Nights — refined, relaxed, and deliciously indulgent.
Holiday Harbor Nights is an adults-only event (21+), perfect for a festive date night or a seasonal gathering with friends. Make your holiday season unforgettable with this blend of food, wine, music, and holiday magic in an Italian-inspired paradise.
