A visit to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter can be full of exciting experiences. Casting spells and enjoying magical attractions can work up quite an appetite though. Luckily there’s a great spot for famished wizards and witches that’s also an iconic setting in the stories of Harry Potter. The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley in Universal Studios is an enchanted inn and pub that serves traditional British dishes in a fantastical setting.

The Leaky Cauldron is a Quick Service dining location, and the only restaurant available in Diagon Alley. This unassuming and gritty pub is featured in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and was home to Harry for a few weeks in the summer before returning to Hogwarts. While in the stories you access Diagon Alley through a moving wall behind the pub, you’ll find Universal’s version of the eatery right after you enter the land. The building itself is an impressive and faithful recreation that looks like it was used in the films that features vaulted ceilings, ancient paintings, and towering stairways. As with almost all of the offerings in the Wizarding World, the attention to detail adds another immersive layer to your visit. Each time I’m enjoying a meal here I am half expecting Harry, Ron, and Hermione to pull up a seat next to me at any time.

Leaky Cauldron’s menu is a lineup of traditional British fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast items include standard morning offerings like the Traditional Breakfast platter with scrambled eggs, sausage, black pudding, English bacon, baked beans, grilled tomato, sautéed mushrooms, and breakfast potatoes. Lunch and dinner feature classic items like bangers and mash, fish and chips, and beef stew with lamb and Guinness. Of course, you can also pair your meal with a delicious cold or frozen Butterbeer or Pumpkin Juice. Desserts include sticky toffee pudding, chocolate potted cream, and even a Butterbeer potted cream (which I highly recommend for Butterbeer fanatics!)

Ordering at Leaky Cauldron is a relatively easy process. The restaurant usually has a few knowledgable wizards and witches on hand to help direct muggles to the registers where you order your food. From there you will be escorted to your seating area and given a special candelabra to pace on your table. This candle may add a nice theming touch to your experience, but it’s also equipped with an RFID chip to help the staff locate your table and deliver your food.

The Leaky Cauldron being a Quick Service location means that reservations aren’t required for dining. At lunch and dinner, they aren’t accepted at all. Breakfast can be a bit different though as Universal offers a special “Wizarding World of Harry Potter Exclusive Vacation Package” for diehard wizarding fans that include breakfast reservations at both Leaky Cauldron and Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. You can still enjoy breakfast without a reservation, but these reservations guarantee a morning meal at both dining locations, and the cost of the meal is included in the package price. With both Wizarding World lands still major draws for park guests, this can be a great way to ensure you get to experience both restaurants during your stay with minimal hassle.

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Photos Courtesy Universal