Best Disney Resort Restaurant

California Grill (Disney’s Contemporary Resort)

Contemporary cuisine at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Dinner only; business casual dress. Open nightly 5:30-10 p.m.

This sensational restaurant should be at the top of every visitor’s list to Walt Disney World. I am a view fanatic, and this drop-dead-gorgeous setting on the fifteenth floor of the Contemporary Resort enjoys Disney’s best-period. From its lofty heights diners can see the Magic Kingdom, the sparkling Seven Seas Lagoon, and, best of all, the Wishes fireworks. An inventive approach to seasonally focused food  including sustainable fish is this restaurant’s claim to fame. That along with their sensational desserts can only be topped by more than one hundred wines available by the glass from the exceptional list. And while great sushi and sashimi might be the last thing one would expect at Walt Disney World, here only the best is served.

First course choices are among my favorite dishes, in particular the Vietnamese-style lobster and shrimp cakes accompanied by a tasty melon relish, fresh lime, and tangy mint. I normally don’t order vegetarian as my main entree, but on my last visit I dined on wild mushroom, spinach, and fontina cheese whole wheat vegetarian ravioli swimming in a rich broth; absolutely phenomenal, the icing on the cake being heady shavings of black truffles. Other great choices include the ever-present grilled pork tenderloin with a zinfandel glaze accompanied by renowned goat cheese polenta, or I’m sure you’ll be more than content with whatever version of salmon is on the menu. It’s a kick to watch the kitchen action from the dining room, and the cocktail lounge has some of the best vistas of the Magic Kingdom in the house. Procuring a window seat can be tough, but don’t be discouraged; time your meal around the fireworks and head outside to the super observation platform for a bird’s-eye view of the extravaganza.

Cara's Tip: Reservations here go quickly, so plan ahead. Check-in is on the second floor where you’ll then be escorted upstairs. Reservations require a credit card number at the time of booking with a $20 per person cancellation fee for cancellations or no-shows within twenty-four hours of the reservation.

Best Known For:

Disney’s best views along with an intriguing menu and wine list.

Sample Menu Items:

Dinner entrees: Spiced tuna with sweet potato purée, mustard greens, red wine braised beef rib ravioli, natural reduction; seared ostrich filet with buttery potato purée, wild mushrooms, globe carrots, fig and honeyed port reduction; pan-roasted Florida black grouper fillet with "stir-fry” vegetables, sticky rice, ginger-soy-hijiki broth; Palmetto Farms crispy chicken with apple glazed pork, parsnip purée, golden beets, and natural jus; day boat scallops with blue hubbard squash and bacon gratin, baby brussel sprouts, apple cider-veal reduction.

Victoria & Albert's (Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa)

*Also Best for Romance

American cuisine with classical influences at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Dinner only; reservations mandatory; jackets required for gentlemen (tie optional), dinner attire for women. Call 407-824-1089 for reservations. Open nightly with two seating times: 5:45–6:30 p.m. and 9–9:45 p.m.; July and August one seating daily at 6:45-8 p.m.

Fine dining in a stunning setting combined with virtually flawless service sets Victoria and Albert’s apart. Awarded the AAA Five­Diamond for ten years running and the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence year after year, this is Disney’s true gastronomic temple. Here the china is Wedgwood, the silver Christofle, the linen Frette, and crystal Riedel. A seasonal prix fixe menu including six sumptuous courses, all small, is served by an ultra-professional waitstaff, while a harpist performs. Over the course of two and a half hours, indulge in one exemplary dish after another, every morsel with its own distinct flavor, no one ingredient overwhelming another-food here is simply a work of art. Non carnivore-eaters will swoon over the six-course, vegetarian menu, a rare find. 

My latest meal began with each of us choosing a different appetizer, mine a tasty peeky-toe crab and asparagus salad, and my husband's choice duck accompanied by a savory mix of golden and red beets. We both followed with poulet rouge with spring morels and fresh English peas. You may choose any of the vegetarian courses as an option, and if a variety of the handmade gnocchi happens to be an offering please don’t miss it. 

Next came the just-in-season Alaskan King Salmon accompanied by tiny French lentils, delicate corn, and a subtle saffron foam. Also tender shrimp with bok choy and a light coconut emulsion. Then the star of the evening, a faultless tender lamb en croute with tomato-lamb jus, as well as veal tenderloin with braised veal cheeks stuffed in Burgundy poached succulent sweet breads, both strokes of genius.

And then there were the desserts! Vanilla bean crème brûlée with white chocolate gelato, and a marvelous combination of Tanzanian chocolate pyramid, Hawaiian Kona chocolate soufflé, and Peruvian chocolate ice cream and puff pastry. We chose to split one wine pairing, with each glass of wine only two ounces, more than adequate particularly after the before-dinner champagne we enjoyed in the concierge lounge.

An even more exclusive dining experience is to be had in the Queen Victoria's Room. Behind closed doors just off the restaurant's main dining room are four tables overseen by the the restaurant manager, Israel Perez. Ten courses and French gueridon service, a rolling cart that moves from table to table, assures customized service with each and every course.

Those seeking a truly special evening should book the chef’s table set in an alcove in the kitchen, a spot perfect for an up-close, behind-the-scenes look at Disney’s top chef in action. The most outstanding meal around, up to thirteen spectacular courses are served, each more fantastic than the last, all overseen by the brilliant Chef de Cuisine Scott Hunnel. I can’t recommend it highly enough and beg you to consider adding the wine pairing to make this a meal of a lifetime.

Cara'sTip: Children under ten are not allowed so be sure to pre-book a sitter.

Best Know For:

The only AAA-Five Diamond restaurant in Central Florida.

Sample Menu Items:

Appetizers and First Course: Maine lobster with watermelon, radish, kohlrabi, and vanilla aioli; Colorado buffalo with fennel, olives, artichokes, and sherry vinaigrette; Maine diver scallops with Zellwood corn and chorizo sauce; wasabi soy marinated king salmon with bok choy and soybeans; wild turbot with toasted capers and Meyer lemon.

Entrees: Polet rouge with mushroom-truffle ragout and English peas; duck breast, sausage, and confit with salsify and delicate squash puree; Kurobuta pork tenderloin and belly with baby beets and sherry-bacon vinaigrette; Niman Ranch lamb with cannelloni bean cassoulet; Marcho Farms veal tenderloin with marble potatoes and sauce soubise; Australian Kobe beef tenderloin with smoked garlic potato puree (additional $33).

Desserts: Meyer lemon and blood orange purse with blackberry violet sherbet; Tanzanian chocolate pyramid with Schezwan truffles and pomegranate; Hawaiian Kona chocolate soufflé; caramelized banana gâteau; vanilla bean crème brûlée; Grand Marnier soufflé.

Vegetarian menu: Butternut squash cream soup and root vegetable flan; hearts of palm and fennel salad with garbanzo beans, beets, and Manni olive oil; mushroom tortellini with trumpet royal, hedgehog mushrooms, and tableside black truffles; handmade potato gnocchi with vegetable ratatouille and aged balsamic; braised red cabbage with mustard spaetzle and petite French lentils.