California Grill This is a buzzing place, there's no doubt about that, but I quite like it for that. I'm very hard to please when it comes to food (hey, I'm hard to please, period
) and I've always been more than satisfied with the quality of produce and preparation. We had one bad experience in terms of service. Wine by the glass is a great idea in that it enables you to choose appropriately for each course, but when the service is inattentive and it doesn't arrive when it should, it defeats the object of the exercise. That was a one-off, though. My main gripe with this place is that it lacks the finesse of a true fine dining experience. There's never any space in the lounge area to chill out with a pre-dinner drink because it's always packed. Those lucky enough to have a seat are usually just sitting waiting anxiously for their table in the restaurant and, even if you do manage to snag a seat, you're crowded out by those standing around you hoping you're about to vacate, so you can't ever relax. Like many Disney establishments, the bar/lounge area just serves as a holding area. The lounge in Jiko, the bar next to the Turf Club, and Tune-in Lounge (next to Prime Time Cafe) are others which immediately spring to mind as suffering from this uniquely Disney phenomenon. All in all, though, California Grill remains one of Disney's top restaurants (second only to V&As if you discount those at the Swan and Dolphin) for a very good reason. Top pick!
bluezoo We ate here several times in quick succession shortly after it opened, but we haven't been back in a while. Back then, it was a very hip, happening place, especially if you were one of the trendy set hanging out at the bar (we weren't
). It's a beautifully designed dining room, but you need to make sure you get a table in the thick of things to appreciate it properly. The first time we ate there, we were stuck away in a corner and it didn't work as well for us. The dancing fish thing never appealed to me - nice gimmick, I'd say, but it must surely be overcooked? I've only ever eaten fish there and it's always been good. Elder dd, though, had the double pork chop - something I'd probably never order at any restaurant - and it was sublime. Meltingly soft and tasty, too.
Narcoossees We 've only eaten here once: in October, 2006. It had been on my "to do" list forever, but thanks to less than stellar reviews, it always got ousted for others with a stronger pull. We had a truly memorable evening there. It was one of those times which just worked out for a myriad of reasons - I thoroughly enjoyed what I'd ordered without the slightest hint of food envy (rare
), at the most opportune moment during the meal we got to watch Wishes from the verandah virtually alone, and our entire party seemed to be at one with the world, and one another.
Jiko This is another which we did to death in its first couple of years, but haven't returned to in a while. I love the ambiance and we've always enjoyed the food. The service here is amongst the best in my experience.
Boma Breakfast here was a first morning tradition for several trips, but we've only been once for dinner. Buffets aren't really our thing, but this is definitely one of the best, if not
the best.
Le Cellier This was always our default "on the hoof" place when at Epcot, but
DDP has put paid to that. It's OK, but not good enough to bother fighting for an ADR,
for us - we'd rather pop over to Crew's Cup Lounge at the Yacht Club for an impromptu meal. It's obviously not hugely popular for no reason though. The pretzel bread is delish!