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Epcot

Restaurants In the Disney Parks Resorts Universal / Islands of Adventure Downtown Disney City Walk

We list Epcot separately because it's such a special place, a cross between an amusement park, a food mall and a gigantic bazaar. The nationality restaurants at Epcot are among the best ethnic restaurants in the nation. They employ natives of the countries (the Norway Pavilion alone hires 150 on six month rotations), have researched the cuisine they serve, and have gone to great lengths to create authentic environments by carefully manipulating the historic icons and artifacts of those cultures. Adults with park hopper passes could spend the week coming over to Epcot every evening for dinner at a different restaurant, perhaps adding one ride before dinner and shopping after dinner each time. As usual, reservations are almost essential to avoid 90 minute waits. We also recommend eating early, around 530-6 pm. This would give you time before for one ride, and afterward for a leisurely walk along the lake, shopping in the nationality gift boutiques, and the nightly fireworks display, which is impressive and worth more than one viewing. Our restaurant listing below proceeds in clockwise order around the lake, the same order you would experience if you came in under the geodesic dome and went to the left.

 

Mexico Norway China Germany Italy Japan Morocco France England Canada

San Angel Inn is located in the Mexican Pavilion. You eat amidst Mayan ruins in the shadow of an erupting volcano, and from one side of the restaurant you can board a small boat and wind through a Mexican landscape, circling right up along the base of the volcano. It's a dark but authentic decor, and the food is just as good. It is NOT Tex-Mex or American Corporate Mex, but rather authentic Central Mexican cuisine. Your waiter starts you off with a Roast Pepper Salsa, very smooth with a smoky flavor, and excellent chips. If you have kids who cannot handle spicy, ask the waiter for a bowl of their mole sauce, which is tasty without spices. Among appetizers someone at your table must order the Sopa Azteca, a very good tortilla soup, and you might consider a plate of Chicken Tostados, one per person. The Roast Pork With Pumpkin Seed Sauce is one of their signature entrees and well worth ordering. They do an excellent job with Steaks, Chicken & Rice, Tilapia, Red Snapper and Chicken Enchiladas. We use Chili Rellenos as a guide to Mexican restaurants since they're a bit tricky to fix. These are outstanding. The menu was downsized in Summer of 2011, so now offers only about half the items. The low light creates a very romantic atmosphere, but reading the menu is difficult. Bringing a small "pencil flashlight" would help. Also be aware seating is very tight; you'll bump elbows with folk at the next table. When making reservations, request riverside seating. The Margarita San Angel is an outstanding drink.

Akershus is famous for its Princess banquet with Snow White, Auriel, Aurora, Cinderella, etc. It's easier to get reservations here, and the princesses spend more time with each kid. Waitresses all seem to be blonde, blue eyed beauties with heavy Norwegian accents, so males find the place enchanting. But behind all this glitz is exotic but delicious food. You order off the menu, then go to the buffet for a first course to hold you while your meal is prepared. But the buffet is a meal in itself, with salads, desserts, cheeses, berries, fruits and seafood. Norway is famous for fish pulled from the icy waters of its Fjords, North Sea and North Atlantic. You can try Smoked, Baked and Fresh Salmon, Pickled Herring, Peppered Mackerel, Klippfisk (Salted Cod), Rekesuppe (Shrimp Soup), and Norwegian King Scallops (considerably larger than most Scallops, matched only by the Digby Scallops of Nova Scotia, and generally thought to be the finest Scallops in the world). The stars of the main menu are the Portabello Mushroom Ravioli, Cheese Potato Casserole, Cauliflower Garlic Soup, Beet Salad, Kjottake (Norwegian Meatballs), and Lox (thinly sliced salmon, cream cheese, onion and tomato served on a bagel). However, for those preferring something less exotic, there are Roast Chicken, Beef Tips, Pork Tenderloin, Wild Turkey and Vegetable Soup. The Pomegranate Lemonade is delicious and they offer an outstanding Wild Berry Margarita. The classic Akershus dessert is a Trio, with a Sorbet, Chocolate Cake and Danish Pastry. We have Orlando friends who eat here often, and their strategy is to order the Vegetable or Cauliflower Garlic Soup off the main menu and consider the buffet the heart of the meal. However, an annoying quirk of the restaurant is to bring your main meal before you have time to eat the buffet items. Normally, fast service is a good thing, but this can be negative. So as you enter, take a good look at the buffet. If you see lots of items you want to try, emphasize to the wait staff that you want your main meal delayed to give you time to finish the buffet first. The building at right is not the restaurant. It's the iconic medieval Lutheran stave church, a replica of the one in Sikorsk. The restaurant is behind this.

The Nine Dragons Chinese restaurant is comparable to but slightly better than P. F. Chang's. Opinions of this restaurant vary widely, but there's a reason. Disney brings in Chinese cooks and servers on six month rotations. They come from different regions and cook their local cuisines. Chinese restaurants in America are Cantonese or Szechuan, so that's what we're used to. But these cooks come from other regions so fix different items, or fix the same items differently. Come with an open mind and palate. The restaurant itself is gorgeous in wood and glass decor and wall of windows facing the lake. Make a 730 reservation and go outside for 9 pm fireworks, or an 830 window reservation and watch while you eat. Egg Rolls, Hot & Sour and Wonton Soups (they call it Chicken Consumme) are delicious, and someone at your table has to order the Shrimp Taro Lollipops, their interpretion of Dim Sum. Be sure to order a side of Chinese Coleslaw. Their signature entrees are the Fragrant Five Spiced Fish, Spinach Noodles With Shrimp, Sweet & Sour Pork, Honey Sesame Chicken, Lo Mein & Meatballs, and Kung Pao Chicken. The Canton Pepper Steak and Spicy Beef are milder than what you remember from back home. Save room for Strawberry Red Bean Ice Cream, or spicier Caramel Ginger Ice Cream. The HOT Jasmine Tea is very good, better than the iced version. Their Chinese beers are outstanding, but their Chinese wines are disappointing.

 

der Biergarten is Epcot's liveliest restaurant with its leiderhosen clad Oompah Band (Tuba, Trumpet, Accordion and Bell) playing waltzes and polkas, and a stage where you can come down and dance. This is a buffet with long picnic table seating and Oktoberfest theming. Supposedly, you're in the Munich Market District. Beer lovers in your group will especially love the excellent German brews offered in their huge mugs. The Beer Flight --- four beers for $10 --- is a good sampler. Food leans toward the Bavarian side of the German palate: Schnitzel, Sauerkraut, Pretzel Bread ("soft pretzels"), Meatballs, Spaetzle, Cucumber Salad, Cooked Cabbage, German Potato Salad, Beef Rouladen, Cauliflower Soup, Rottkohl (red cabbage), Potato Dumplings and Herring Salad. One of their great items is the Rotisserie Chicken, but the Chicken Fricasee (chicken cooked in a thin gravy) is also delicious. Curiously, this buffet has neither Sauerbraten (pot roast) nor Schweinshaxe (roast pig knuckle), both German favorites. Desserts include Black Forrest Cake (chocolate cake with cherries and whipped cream), Apple Strudel and German Cheesecake.

 

Tutto Italia Ristorante was renovated in 2012 but retains the same menu. Chefs and servers hail from Sardinia, Siciliy, Corsica and Italy. If you want Pizza or basic Pastas, go next door to Via Napoli for wider selection, but if you want the full range of authentic Italian cuisine this is your place. The bread basket contains a crisp, a yeast and a foccacia, all freshly baked and very good. The Antipasta Miso includes salumi, olives, cheese, dry cured ham, and other items. Their signature entrees are their Lobster Risotto (which is outstanding), Spaghetti & Veal Meatballs, and Braised Short Ribs With Mashed Potatoes, Gravy and Kale. The meat sauce here, which they use on their Lasagna and other entrees, is delicious. Their Steak is very tender --- you can cut it with a fork and not even use your knife --- and the Au Gratin Potatoes accompanying it are golden brown and very good. Gnocchi is a good indicator at Italian restaurants. It's extremely hard to pull off, tending to be dense, rubbery or soggy. The Gnocchi here is light and delicate and served immersed in cheese. We think their best dish is their Capesante a Cannellini (scallops, cannellini beans, pancetta rosemary and Tuscan olive oil). But the Risotto Alla Milanese Salsiccia (sweet italian sausage with arborio rice and saffron) and Filetto di Vitello al Limone (veal medallions, potatoes, capers in lemon butter sauce) are also outstanding. Save room for the Torta di Ricotta (lemon cheesecake w/ strawberries), Chocolate Gelato, Chocolate Tiramisu and Zabagione. Tutto has the second best wine cellar of any Disney restaurant.

Tokyo is a traditional Japanese restaurant with all female chefs and servers. The newly redone interior is ultramodern and minimalist and the windows look across the lake. There are two menus : Sushi and Traditional. This is very good Sushi. We particularly recommend the Tuna, Salmon, California, Firecracker, Whitefish and Conch rolls. We also liked the Salmon Roe roll, but that apparently puts us in the minority. The Sushi Sampler includes nine different rolls plus a side stack of tuna roll pieces. The Hot Sake is excellent, or the Sake Sampler gives you sweet, moderate and dry. An alternative is the Samurai, a good mixed drink. Of the appetizers, we recommend the Tempura (five fried vegetables), Salmon, Endamame (baby soybeans), and Pork. For Greens we love their Seaweed Salad, but the other salads come with a fine Ginger Dressing. The Miso Soup has a great dashi based stock but not much Miso. Their signature items are Grilled Salmon, Grilled Swordfish, Teriyaki Chicken, and Noodles With Beef and Vegetables. The Bento Box comes with meat and three Sushi rolls. Their Sweet Potato Patty is very tasty. Save room for the Chocolate Ginger Cake or Green Tea Pudding.

Marrakesh serves Moroccan cuisine with music and belly dancers. Of all the Epcot restaurants, this one does the best job of creating the illusion you've stepped into another world. The building with its large pillars and high vaulted ceilings is patterned after a 12 Century Mosque in Marakesh. This could easily be a movie set for Humphrey Bogart or Indiana Jones. The Farsi speaking servers enhance this image. And the food lives up to it. There are Moroccan Beers and Wines, a Moroccan Coffee, and iced or hot Mint Tea.. Appetizers include a Minced Beef Cinammon Pastry, several Salads, and Harirra Soup. Harirra is a delicate mix of celery, lentils, tomatoes, rice, onions, lemon, paprika, cinammon and diced lamb. This is a very good soup. Sadly, they've dropped the popular Curry Chicken. But they still offer the famous Sampler Platter (lamb shank, lemon chicken and roast vegetables). Other signature entrees are the Mussels, Seafood Bastilla (phyllo dough layers stuffed with seafood), Mixed Grille (one lemon chicken brochette, one beef brochette and two sausages), Roast Lamb with Rice, Shish Kebab, Chicken Tagine, and Vegetable Couscous. There are several tasty Breads, and three desserts : Baklava, Mint Ice Cream With Fruit & Orange Water, and Dessert Bastilla (almonds, vanilla and ice cream wrapped into cakelike phyllo "leaves").

Le Chefs de France is the priciest of the Epcot restaurants but is exceptionally good. You might want to consider it for special occasions, perhaps your last night at Disney World. A brilliant touch is the animatronic rat Remy from the movie Ratatouille, who comes around and talks with guests. His repartee is inspired and as much a hit with adults as with kids. Trying to figure out how Remy can reply to what everyone says will be your main dinner conversation. Luckily, the food is as good as the rat. The loaf of French bread they bring is an early hint that this will be a fine meal. For appetizers, you should order a plate of Escargot (snails). You cannot eat in a French restaurant and not try Escargot. However, you must order the Lobster Bisque, Salmon Bisque or Onion Soup, all outstanding soups.This is the best wine cellar at Disney. The most famous entree is the Nutmeg Gratin de Macaroni, a French interpretation of Macaroni & Cheese. Longtime Disney visitors eat lunch here once each visit just for it. Their other signature items are the Seared Scallops in Lobster Broth With Gnocchi; Beef Short Ribs Braised in Cabarnet Wine With Pasta, Onions & Mushrooms; Grilled Tenderloin With Black Peppercorn Sauce, Potato Gratin & Green Beans; Rotisserie Chicken; and Roast Chicken With Potatoes & Tomatoes.The Quiche is simpler but still delicious. Desserts are Eclaires, Chocolate Mousse, Cream Puffs or Creme Brulee. Our only question is : Why is Ratatouille not on the menu ?

The Rose and Crown is a classic British Pub with a great collection of imported beers, ales and stouts. But it has excellent food, too. The place is famous for several things, beginning with Carl the bartender. Supposedly, at Epcot restaurants, the staff are continuously rotated in six month shifts from the home culture, in this case England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. It thus remains a mystery how one man, Carl, has defied this and remained at Rose & Crown since 1985. He has his own cult following. Disney loyalists drop by once or twice a year just to quaff a brew with Carl. He is the resident expert on brews, able to advise patrons on Ciders, Blacks, Strongbow, Harp and other brands. There's a beer sampler which is very popular. However, on to food. The menu is limited here, but the best items are very good. Among starters, the Apple Salad, Leek Soup, and Scotch Egg (hard boiled, then fried) are best. Of the entrees, the most famous are the Shepherd's Pie, Bangers & Mash, and Fish & Chips (with salt and vinegar). But the Roast, Corned Beef Sandwich, and Pork Loin are good, too. And then there's Yorkshire Pudding. This is a uniquely British treat. Originally called Dripping Pudding, it is made from the drippings collecting in the pan below a roast. Milk, flour and eggs are added, the mix poured into muffin tins and baked into four inch pies. It's a standard Sunday lunch treat in England. Desserts here include Caramel Custard, Cheesecake, and Bread Pudding, but skip those and take the Toffee Pudding. It tastes like a Heath Bar.

Le Cellier is the Canadian restaurant famous for its steaks. The decor is very Northwoodsy Rustic and the food is great. There are other appetizers but the star of the show is the Cheese Soup. You should order only a cup of this, not a bowl, because it is very thick and rich. Some people who don't even like soup order a cup anyway and use it to dip the pretzel bread sticks in. It's made with bacon and beer and is the best cheese soup anywhere. If you don't like steaks, they serve a great Salmon and probably the best free range Chicken you've ener tasted. But it's the steaks that are the feature entree here. The beef is imported from the Alberta range and is the highest grade, which is why the restaurant is so hard to get reservations for (Groups or large families make theirs 180 days in advance but couples can usually get in a month or so ahead). They have the full steak menu : Strip, Filet Mignon, etc. But they're always crowded and you have to be firm with your server about how you want your steak cooked. Insist up front that if it's not done the way you want you will send it back. Also, demand that your steak not be rolled in Salt beforehand. The biggest complaint from patrons here is that the steaks are too salty. An added perk is the array of Canadian beers served; there's a trio available. Desserts include Maple Creme Brulee and Chocolate Mousse. Be aware that on the Disney Meal Plan this will cost you TWO dinners person. You can eat lunch here for only one charge.
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