With over 300 places to get food in Walt Disney World® Resort and with such incredible quality at many of them, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly which ones to center a vacation around. Though it is impossible to say we have eaten at every single one, we identified our favorites from the many we have been to, ranking our top five in reverse order:
Honorable Mentions:
With such a short list below, we're delivering a host of restaurants that have come so highly recommended to us or that we loved so much we are confident they maintain just as equal a chance to rank among your favorites as the rest on our list. These include:
Chefs de France
Steakhouse 71
Yachtsman Steakhouse
Boma
Jiko - The Cooking Place
Morimoto Asia
Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
The Boathouse
A fun, waterside destination serves as the perfect setting for a relaxing evening in the heart of Disney Springs. Though the abundant entrees—where both seafood fans and avoiders will find something of quality to love—the oyster bar and fresh-caught shrimp are a rich standout of freshness that cannot be ignored.
The dynamic menu makes it hard to misstep, with its seafood and red meat meeting the quality of the restaurant group's Chicago staples.
Sanaa
Sanaa is a great entry into flavors often foreign to guests, but it's even more so host to simply great food. A warm, homey approach to African-Indian fusion, the potjie-inspired entrees make for a customizable feast that boasts bold flavors.
Most famous for its Indian-style bread service, Sanaa introduces five breads and nine accompaniments that are sure to get the entire party involved in food-centric conversation and debate.
California Grill
The crown jewel atop the iconic Disney's Contemporary Resort, this unbeatable rooftop view of Magic Kingdom Park® has been a Disney mainstay for decades, and for good reason. The quality here is almost unparalleled among theme park restaurants anywhere, with its price justified by the creativity shown on the plate.
Featuring some of Disney's most seasoned bartenders, this luxurious affair is one of our favorite choices for an adult date night. The special 50th anniversary pre-fixe menu is set to transition back to the standard offerings in April, though we recommend the traditional menu for first-timers due to its consistency and modern flair.
Citricos
A recipient of MICHELIN Guide's Bib Gourmand distinction, this newly refreshed restaurant expresses the beauty of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort in both atmosphere and food. Disney does elevated dining an an exceptional level, and Citricos shows off the company's ability to create a luxurious meal experience better than just about anywhere else we have tried.
Elegance and a delicate touch make each hearty portion gentle and complex, and it all makes Citricos an easy Disney bucket list recommendation.
Chef Art Smith's Homecomin'
From our first meal here to our dozenth, this Southern affair has maintained its status as our favorite restaurant in all of Walt Disney World Resort. Its accessible options and prices are but a façade for the complexity of its flavors and the masterfulness of the techniques on display, as we can confidently recommend every single item on the menu.
And as native southerners, we think we know good fried chicken.
The farm-to-table, locally sourced freshness only adds to the menu's deep-fried perfection, with everything from the restaurants unique cocktails to its indulgent desserts speak an intimate language of decadence that will be sending you home with stuffed stomachs and leftovers you'll be thinking about until you dive into again.