California Grill concept art

[JZCubed]

Aesthetically, I like it. My only qualm is with all the long benches that stretch along tables on the edges of the restaurant. I feel those make for tables that lack intimacy and privacy. I hope that in the final design there's still a lounge that offers seating where you don't feel like you're in a fishbowl.

I hate to say it, but they probably intended to make a long row to get more seats. With a little shuffling all those table of two can become just about any size.

As to the earlier comment about being kinda' bland - I'm no design person, bit if the room is about the view(s), then bland is what you want elsewhere.

 

[WebmasterCricket]

I kept looking for the DJ table and waiting to hear Chicken Dance music.

 

[wdwpirates]

I like it a lot! Those light fixtures are killer!

 

[Colleen27]

Also, this area is more likely to be a kid-free zone since the set-up is a series of two tops. Can't put a family of seven in there.

Anywhere else I might believe that, but at WDW I've seen enough kids sleeping on the booths in areas with that seating set up that I think it'll be just the opposite. Parents who know their kids are at their limit will request the booth areas so the kid has room to rest, often at the expense if the personal space of those seated on either side. As you said, it is easy to reconfigue those areas into 4 or 6 top seating so it'll only be kid-free if they happen to need all or nearly all of those tables for parties of 2.

 

[Redwitch]

I hope they do something to muffle the sound! I always thought it was way too loud in CG.

 

[ttintagel]

As to the earlier comment about being kinda' bland - I'm no design person, bit if the room is about the view(s), then bland is what you want elsewhere.

But IS it ALL about the view? I guess everyone's entitled to his opinion about that, but it certainly isn't mine.

 

[vinotinto]

meh! Those banquettes don't work. There are some (individual) ones at Boma and I always see younger kids standing up on them and walking on them. I can just picture myself sitting at a banquette and having the kids in the table next door trying to "walk" over (and before anyone says I am anti-kids, I have two young ones who absolutely adore Cali Grill).

 

[goofy4prez]

But IS it ALL about the view? I guess everyone's entitled to his opinion about that, but it certainly isn't mine.

I'm with you on this. The view along with the food and the ambiance of the dining room is what makes it. If it was all about the view only then paint the walls white, bolt chairs and booths to the floor like a McDonald's, and serve microwave Stouffers dinners.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweet Melissa
Well, since Chef Yoshie isn't coming back, I don't have a lot of hope that the sushi menu will stay the same, and that's a loss. I'm sure the other menus will change somewhat too, but as long as the cuisine itself is still similar I'll likely be happy.

Since it is just my wife and myself on most visits to CG, I can see that we will be stuck at these tables from now on unless we request a window table. I hate, hate, hate these kind of tables. When you spend well over $100 for dinner you should not be stuck at these tables.

 

[Belle5]

I also have problems with those long benches. They just don't seem right for a signature restaurant. With that configuration you really don't feel like you have your own table and other diners have to squeeze past your table to get in and out. Real pleasant when you are eating your dinner. Just what I want, someone's derrière about 1 inch from my food.

I'm also not a fan of the colors though will wait to see about that one. My first reaction is that they aren't rich enough for one of Disney's leading restaurants.

Same here. I absolutely hate banquette seating!

 

[Lintasare]

looks like the Puccini Group is doing the redesign... Talk about bland and lacking Deluxe Restaurant look of a venue. From color to full wall booths.

http://puccinigroup.com/project/confidential-restaurant/

Link doesn't work anymore.