Best table service restaurants for anniversary - not V&A

[Eniale]

Some context but I'll keep it brief - we live in Florida, and we're finally going to go "full tourist" and spend five days/four nights at Disney for our anniversary.

I am really struggling with where to go for an anniversary dinner. Googling it just immediately says "Victoria and Albert's" - and four years ago, that would have been my first choice. But since they've reopened, I've read a ton of reviews, and I am not at all happy with the changes. For that price point, it's either the original experience or not at all for me. Not up for debate.

So with that said - what other restaurants would you suggest for an awesome dinner in the Disney World Resort complex? It doesn't even have to fit a traditional "romantic anniversary dinner" atmosphere. A really delicious meal in a quirky place would be a better choice than "same ol' ribeye steak" at a "classically romantic ambience" type place. Just somewhere for delicious food, a good cocktail, and a tasty dessert. My only request is that it is a table service restaurant, otherwise, anything is fair game.

 

[focusondisney]

Monsieur Paul has reopened. It’s a prix fixe meal with lots of course & interesting choices. We went in January. We’re not big foodies & usually more meat & potatoes types. My DH does not eat seafood & there were a lot of seafood choices. He was given alternative dishes that he said were very good. The meal took just under 3 hours & was $200 + tax & gratuity per person. We enjoyed it but probably won’t go back. There were just too many choices that were not to our taste. The service was amazing & the things we did eat were very good. We’re glad we did it once.

 

[Betsyp]

Monsieur Paul was fabulous - delicious food, terrific service....it was a truly wonderful experience. It’s extremely expensive, so while I would do it again, I probably couldn’t for awhile.

This past November, I really enjoyed Toledo - in the CSR Gran Destino tower. In the same resort is 3 Bridges, which is set over the water, and very romantic at night. I had the best burger of my life there - and fries. It is table service, but casual, so ...

 

[Eniale]

Monsieur Paul has reopened. It’s a prix fixe meal with lots of course & interesting choices. We went in January. We’re not big foodies & usually more meat & potatoes types. My DH does not eat seafood & there were a lot of seafood choices. He was given alternative dishes that he said were very good. The meal took just under 3 hours & was $200 + tax & gratuity per person. We enjoyed it but probably won’t go back. There were just too many choices that were not to our taste. The service was amazing & the things we did eat were very good. We’re glad we did it once.

I did see that one, too - I should have mentioned my other concern is shellfish allergy. The menu looked like at least one course that all the dishes were shellfish, which makes me a bit hesitant.

 

[Eniale]

Monsieur Paul was fabulous - delicious food, terrific service....it was a truly wonderful experience. It’s extremely expensive, so while I would do it again, I probably couldn’t for awhile.

This past November, I really enjoyed Toledo - in the CSR Gran Destino tower. In the same resort is 3 Bridges, which is set over the water, and very romantic at night. I had the best burger of my life there - and fries. It is table service, but casual, so ...

Honestly, casual isn't a deal-breaker whatsoever. We like everything form fancy food to pizza and burgers (one of our favorite restaurants is a pizza place in Fort Lauderdale, so no shame.) That restaurant looks gorgeous.

 

[JC1984]

Cosmic Ray’s even comes with live entertainment…

All joking aside I have been researching this heavily and here is the best places I have found I took off V&As:

Bull & Bear
California Grill
Narcoossee
Toledo

 

[gharter]

It depends what type of food you enjoy.
Flying Fish, California Grill, Jikos, Narcoossees (if they have reopened yet), Toppolinos, Monsieur Paul have been our favorites.

 

[robinb]

California Grill is always one of our favorites, although we have not been back since it became pre-fixe. The food is very good and the view can't be beat. Plan to be there around the fireworks and you can watch them from the balcony with a glass of champagne.

 

[Marthasor]

Would Takumi Tei fit the bill? - definitely special and different. We really enjoy Citricos as well.

 

[Eniale]

It depends what type of food you enjoy.

Uh... is "food" a type of food?... We like just about anything. I could maybe pass on pub food, but everything else is fair game.

I was intrigued by Flying Fish. We're thinking of staying at BoardWalk, and I think I read somewhere that AbracadaBar is nearby there as well? We were magicians (in our youth) so it does seem like it'd be fun to have a pre-dinner cocktail there, that was a thought that crossed my mind.

 

[loves to dive]

Not an easy answer for that one. For example: We ate at Chef Paul's before the closure and while the food was good the atmosphere was not. It's a small space and it was loud, just so happened the FW were going off when we were there as well which meant a lot of people got up and ran to the windows, where there were tables with people trying to enjoy their meals. We also found the service not all that great, we got stuck next to a table with a family with two kids. Our table had one side with a chair and other side with a long bench that stretched across a number of tables. One of the kids at the next table felt it necessary to stretch out on the bench and kick me. I'm a mom, I get kids get tired, I get WDW has kids. I also get you pay a lot of money for that particular restaurant, even before prix fix and I don't need to be kicked by a kid. The server spent most of her time trying to make those kids happy and forgetting we were there.

California Grill has good food and good service but again can be loud and if you there during FWs, just forget trying to talk to your server, not happening.

Chances are you aren't going to find a quiet restaurant in the parks and even some in the resorts can get loud so if that is what you are after, at least go out of the parks. We have found service at most of the restaurants, both in the parks and at the resorts, can be either good or horrible at the same restaurant just depending on the night and the staff that night. My son and I (he's an adult) have had horrible luck at a lot and often get set at a table where the server also has a large table, thus the large table gets most of the attention and we have to wait for everything from ordering to paying. The more upscale one's that isn't as big a problem as some others but it happens. I'd say the ones we have had consistently good service at are California Grill, Tiffins and Hollywood Brown Derby and of course the place we can't mention. But, all three of those we can mention can get loud. I've heard good things about the ones at the Dolphin, we haven't eaten at any even though we stay there a lot.

 

[gmi3804]

"Anniversary" does not mean "expensive," especially if you're not used to that kind of dining. Choose what you like and go with it.

I'm not up to paying over $200 per person for dinner at ANY Disney restaurant (if V & A's was half the price they're asking for, I still don't find the value in that tweezer food), so I tent to go for nicer moderate/upper moderate QUALITY places, with the priority placed on food. Places like:

Jaleo
The BOATHOUSE
Toledo
California Grill
Wine Bar George
Raglan Road
Flying Fish
Citricos (though this may be hit or miss - it was just average last month, a disappointment)
Steakhouse 71 (though this could get raucous in addition to the less-than-exciting atmosphere)
Hoop De Do

 

[Marrila]

Uh... is "food" a type of food?... We like just about anything. I could maybe pass on pub food, but everything else is fair game.

I was intrigued by Flying Fish. We're thinking of staying at BoardWalk, and I think I read somewhere that AbracadaBar is nearby there as well? We were magicians (in our youth) so it does seem like it'd be fun to have a pre-dinner cocktail there, that was a thought that crossed my mind.

Flying Fish was my first thought. But, it's kind of lovely and romantic.
If you are still wanting quirky, maybe The Boathouse with an amphicar ride?

 

[gmi3804]

Monsieur Paul has reopened. It’s a prix fixe meal with lots of course & interesting choices. We went in January. We’re not big foodies & usually more meat & potatoes types. My DH does not eat seafood & there were a lot of seafood choices. He was given alternative dishes that he said were very good. The meal took just under 3 hours & was $200 + tax & gratuity per person. We enjoyed it but probably won’t go back. There were just too many choices that were not to our taste. The service was amazing & the things we did eat were very good. We’re glad we did it once.

Why did you go there in the first place if you knew going in that there weren't going to be choices that you'd enjoy, and it wasn't your style? Seems like an expensive way to find out what you already knew.

 

[Marrila]

Why did you go there in the first place if you knew going in that there weren't going to be choices that you'd enjoy, and it wasn't your style? Seems like an expensive way to find out what you already knew.

I don't think it's unusual at all for folks to try a particular prix fixe menu just to experience it. There is nothing wrong with deciding after it's a one and done.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

Not a traditional dinner, but we really loved Savor the Savannah. What's more romantic than a dinner on that AK Savannah. It's more larger apps than regular entrees...but beer and wine were included. The proximity to animals was super cool too.

 

[gmi3804]

I don't think it's unusual at all for folks to try a particular prix fixe menu just to experience it. There is nothing wrong with deciding after it's a one and done.

No, nothing wrong at all with that. I was just wondering why you'd go so far out of your comfort zone here. There are much less expensive places to do this, after all. I'm glad you tried it.

 

[Eniale]

Flying Fish was my first thought. But, it's kind of lovely and romantic.
If you are still wanting quirky, maybe The Boathouse with an amphicar ride?

Oh, I don't have anything against romantic, either. I just meant that food was the priority - I'm finding a lot of restaurants in "places to go for date night/anniversary in Disney" articles are just upscale steakhouses with standard "fine dining" fare and stamped Disney. When I look at these articles and the first eight sentences are about the décor, then one line about "try the ribeye," that's not what I'm looking for. I have upscale steakhouses in my hometown I can get a ribeye from.

I just meant that people shouldn't hold back suggesting restaurants if they didn't fit a typical vision of a "romantic candlelit burgundy velvet drapes" type restaurant. But, if it's a delicious meal that happens to have that vibe, that's also great. If the food is good, I'm all ears.

 

[Jangles]

Uh... is "food" a type of food?... We like just about anything. I could maybe pass on pub food, but everything else is fair game.

I was intrigued by Flying Fish. We're thinking of staying at BoardWalk, and I think I read somewhere that AbracadaBar is nearby there as well? We were magicians (in our youth) so it does seem like it'd be fun to have a pre-dinner cocktail there, that was a thought that crossed my mind.

abracadabar (spell check objects to this word) is quirky and has a nice bar, lots of interesting objects to look at and is next door to Flying Fish.

 

[Marrila]

No, nothing wrong at all with that. I was just wondering why you'd go so far out of your comfort zone here. There are much less expensive places to do this, after all. I'm glad you tried it.

I was commenting in general. A different poster was the diner.