Hey there all, I just wanted to make this post to detail some things regarding the current procedure for getting a booking for the Chef’s Counter experience at Napa Rose - I think all this info should be in one place for those interested in booking it, so you don’t have to search in multiple places to piece it all together. I just got my booking for September yesterday (Yay!) so I can at least confirm this is a viable way to go about this.
What is the Chef’s Counter?
Based on my understanding, it is a unique 6-7 course meal at the Napa Rose restaurant, where each course is chosen for you by the chef. Your party will be taken into the restaurant and seated at a counter which faces the kitchen, with different counters offering different views of the kitchen at work. The chef will come and speak with your party, they will take into account your preferences and dislikes, how adventurous of an eater you are, and what food is fresh and local, and will then create a unique dinner experience for each person. Even among the same party, you all will have a different menu by the end. Sometimes you will get something from the main menu, sometimes you will get something totally new, but the goal is that you will experience something special with each course. If you want to eat something specific, they usually are willing to do so. They also are able to accommodate a wide range of dietary restrictions, as with most of the Disney resort, but I did not have any myself so I would recommend calling and asking them if you have specific questions about what they can and cannot accommodate.
Is this the Vintner’s Table?
No, that’s something else offered for anyone sitting in the main restaurant, though it is similar in that it is a fixed price and focuses on in-season produce. If you can’t get a seat at the chefs counter, I imagine that would be a pretty good experience as well.
How often do they seat people for this?
As of right now (July 2022) they are currently only offering the Chefs counter on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and each night only has 1 set of seatings for the 12 seats they have available in the restaurant. There are 3 tables total with 4 seats each, 2 facing the main kitchen and 1 facing the dessert prep area. If they have the seats available when you book, you can apparently request a particular counter should you prefer to sit somewhere specific.
When you book the experience, they ask when you would like to be seated, and you can pick any time between 5:30 and 7:00. The meal is supposed to be fairly leisurely, since there is only 1 seating per night, and I have heard it can take a few hours to finish. It’s all about enjoying the food!
What is the cost?
Currently (and price is always subject to change) the cost for this is a set $150.00 per person, which to my knowledge doesn’t account for any alcoholic drinks. They also offer wine pairings with each course for an additional $90.00 (I believe this is correct, but take it with a grain of salt since I wasn’t interested in this addition.)
How do I book it?
The trickiest part! Bookings for the Chefs counter open up on the 1st of the month 2 months prior. So, the September bookings for the entire month open up on July 1st, all October bookings will open on August 1st, etc. These bookings are not done through the Disney dining app/website, you have to call into the restaurant directly. The number I used was:
(714) 300-7170
But when to call?? When the restaurant opens for the day? That morning at 6:00 when most dining opens up?
Midnight.
I called and asked the rep at Napa rose a few days beforehand and asked this question, and they let me know that most people call into the restaurant at the stroke of midnight, and leave a message to be returned when the phones are answered the next day. They didn’t necessarily recommend I do this, but it did seem to be the way things work as of right now. So, that’s what I did, I called at 12:00 midnight and the next day, I did eventually receive a call back and was able to book it. I would recommend for anyone looking to do this, leave a short and sweet message. Get it in quickly, since apparently they get a LOT of messages on the 1st of the month, and they go by order received. But be nice to them too, I can’t imagine it’s fun to deal with sifting through all those voicemails!
What do I do if it’s past the 1st?
Call and see if the Chefs Counter is still available anyways! While it is a limited seating option, there’s always a chance they have availability. And if they don’t, I believe there is a waitlist you can be placed on in case availability pops up.
Do they require a deposit or credit card on file?
I was not asked for one, no. However, they did ask that if my plans changed, to call and let them know ASAP.
I think that covers some of the more important aspects of booking this experience and some questions I scrounged up answers to. Happy to update this when I have actually participated and can speak to it a bit more. If I didn’t answer something or if someone notices I got a detail wrong, please feel free to point it out. Hope this helps anyone moving forward!
