15th anniversary dinner idea?

[aes74]

In May my husband and I will celebrate fifteen years. We only live an hour and a half south of WDW, so it will be easy for us to farm out our kids and stay at Disney for a night or two by ourselves. I would really like to have a wonderful meal. I have heard great things about the GF restaurants, but have not eaten there yet. I would love to know your thoughts and preferences. Just as FYI, we both enjoy a great meal, my husband will go to the ends of the earth for a fabulous filet, and we both love seafood. Neither one of us drink alcohol, so that's not a factor for us. What do you think??

 

[pilferk]

In May my husband and I will celebrate fifteen years. We only live an hour and a half south of WDW, so it will be easy for us to farm out our kids and stay at Disney for a night or two by ourselves. I would really like to have a wonderful meal. I have heard great things about the GF restaurants, but have not eaten there yet. I would love to know your thoughts and preferences. Just as FYI, we both enjoy a great meal, my husband will go to the ends of the earth for a fabulous filet, and we both love seafood. Neither one of us drink alcohol, so that's not a factor for us. What do you think??

I have 2 suggestions...one pricey and formal. One less pricey and less formal.

First, you can't lose at Victoria and Albert's, at the Grand Floridian. It's expensive ($125 per person) and you're talking jacket and tie for men kinda formal. But the food is UNREAL and the experience is equal to the food. Dinner takes about 2 hours, it's a 5 course meal, and (IMHO) it's worth every penny. Royal Dalton China, fine silver, and the most interesting Coffee service (MAKE SURE YOU ORDER COFFEE WITH DESSERT!!) I've ever seen.

It IS a pre-fixe dinner, which means your choices are a bit limited. However, the chef WILL accomodate you if you don't see anything on the list that you would like, and Victoria (or Albert) will offer you some alternate suggestions. And the menu changes VERY frequently (sometimes daily), so don't get your heart set on something that you see on a menu posted online (though I've never been when they haven't had a Kona Souffle on the dessert menu...that's a favorite!)

It is THE MOST romantic place to eat at WDW. Harpist playing in the corner, your own personal "Victoria and Albert" serving you....and you can actually carry on a conversation with your significant other without having to shout.

My wife and I have done V&A's for a variety of special occasions, starting on our honeymoon. We have never been disappointed and I've never felt like I overpaid. It was THAT good!

My other suggestion would be Jiko's, at AKL. It is, for me, the 2nd best restaurant on property (behind V&A's, obvioulsly). It's also romantic (not to mention the fact before/after dinner you can go roaming around the lodge and the savanna viewing areas), but a bit less formal.

The food is VERY good (and a bit less pricey), and there is an oak grilled filet served on Mac and Cheese, with a red wine sauce that sounds like it would be right up your husband's alley. There's also a wide variety of other selections...you can pretty much find something for everyone on the menu.

Don't miss the desserts! The Kenyan Coffee (which isn't, really, but it looks like it is) and Koeksisters (Spiced donuts) is AMAZING. And the Jiko Trio is very good, too.

Ask for a table by the window, if you can. You'll see some resort patrons wandering around, but the view of the pool area and the stream right outside is very romantic.

Anyway, wherever you decide to go: Congrats and I hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[dizfamily4]

aes74 congratulations!
We too will be celebrating our 15th anniversary in WDW, so I too will be interesting in what eveyone has to say!

 

[aes74]

Thanks!

That sounds really amazing!!
What do you know about citricos? And also, bistro de paris? I wonder if it's any good?
V&A does sound really, really, really amazing.

 

[pilferk]

Thanks!

That sounds really amazing!!
What do you know about citricos? And also, bistro de paris? I wonder if it's any good?
V&A does sound really, really, really amazing.

I've only eaten at Citricos once. It was very nice, but I wasn't overly wowed by it. Everything was just good..the food, the service, the setting. That being said, it was about 8 years ago...so it may have gotten much better (or worse). I know they've had at least one chef change, since then. But it wasn't compelling enough (or convenient enough) for it to compel my wife and I to go back.

Bistro de paris was just OK. We ate there about 18 months ago and I was a bit disappointed. We've had better French food, at more reasonable prices, near home. The setting was nice enough, though it was a bit loud. I didn't find it overly romantic (though I've seen others say they do), and we felt rushed through dinner. In the 3 times we've eaten there, our experience has been roughly the same. Your mileage may vary, since I've seen reviews by other people that have been much kinder...but we either have terrible luck, or it's just not "for us".

 

[Uncleromulus]

Well--for a "fabulous" filet you'll need to go to Shula's. They have good seafood there also and with Sinatra music in the background, great place for an anniversary dinner.

As far as the GF restaurants go, Citrico's would be my choice. The Filet Sicilian is decent and they have good seafood as well. It's also relatively quiet by Disney standards.

 

[aes74]

Well--for a "fabulous" filet you'll need to go to Shula's. They have good seafood there also and with Sinatra music in the background, great place for an anniversary dinner.

As far as the GF restaurants go, Citrico's would be my choice. The Filet Sicilian is decent and they have good seafood as well. It's also relatively quiet by Disney standards.

I totally forgot about Shula's. I haven't been there in years. Hmmm.

 

[Ash&Wes07]

My vote would be for Shula's for steaks. We've been to several Shula's around the country and have always been wowed by their steaks.

Dinner at V&A has always been a dream of mine!

 

[pilferk]

My vote would be for Shula's for steaks. We've been to several Shula's around the country and have always been wowed by their steaks.

Dinner at V&A has always been a dream of mine!

I LOVE Shula's steaks, though I've never been to the one in Orlando. The ones I've been to (NYC, Chicago) are sort of...."upscale masculine", for lack of a better word. Is the one in Orlando similar?

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

DH and I had a belated 15th Anniversary dinner at Cali Grill. I wasn't impressed with the fillet myself, but the reviews here often say I was wrong. However, watching WISHES was beautiful and though I probably will never go again, it was an amazing evening and one I will always remember. Having said that, the fireworks was the highlight of our meal so I'd go with the restaurant at the GF where you can watch too. (Sorry, I don't remember which it is, it was not one we could afford so I have never paid too close attention to it.)

 

[Golf4food]

Having said that, the fireworks was the highlight of our meal so I'd go with the restaurant at the GF where you can watch too. (Sorry, I don't remember which it is, it was not one we could afford so I have never paid too close attention to it.)

That would be Narcoossee's, and the prices are nearly identical to Cali Grill. If you can afford one you can afford the other. Victoria and Albert's is the very expensive one.


I am with the first response: V&A or Jiko (in distant second).

 

[Pakey]

Nothing at WDW compares to V&A.

We have always enjoyed Bistro. I thought it was as good as any of the food I had in France but of course, it's not authentic French. We have never had a noisy meal here in the 6-8 times we have dined here.

If you want good seafood, the only place to go is bluezoo by Epcot. Narcoosees isn't even on the same planet as this one.

I agree that Citricos at GF is a nice alternative to V&A if you want to dine in that area.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

That would be Narcoossee's, and the prices are nearly identical to Cali Grill. If you can afford one you can afford the other. Victoria and Albert's is the very expensive one.


I am with the first response: V&A or Jiko (in distant second).

I am sorry, I meant it was a one time thing for us, a meal like that, and Cali Grill was a dream for me so we went that route and didn't look further into the other places. I wasn't saying it was more or less expensive, just not something we knew about. I know V&A is much higher. I was more saying that while Cali Grill wasn't all we had expeced, the experience and the fireworks was so magical and the memory will be cherished forever, so that might bbe a fun route, especially since she mentioned GF restaurants.

 

[snykymom]

Bistro de paris was just OK. We ate there about 18 months ago and I was a bit disappointed. We've had better French food, at more reasonable prices, near home. The setting was nice enough, though it was a bit loud. I didn't find it overly romantic (though I've seen others say they do), and we felt rushed through dinner. In the 3 times we've eaten there, our experience has been roughly the same. Your mileage may vary, since I've seen reviews by other people that have been much kinder...but we either have terrible luck, or it's just not "for us".

This sounds like Chefs de France, not Bistro. Bistro is upstairs (door around on the side), and doesn't accept the dining plan, so tends to be much quieter. I was able to see at least the fireworks portion of Illuminations from my table.

I will, however, say that it does not hold a candle to V&A. When I was there, it was 7 courses, not 5. In addition to the harp, every woman gets a rose. I'll be going back with my DH (I was with DD the last time) for my birthday!

 

[pilferk]

This sounds like Chefs de France, not Bistro. Bistro is upstairs (door around on the side), and doesn't accept the dining plan, so tends to be much quieter. I was able to see at least the fireworks portion of Illuminations from my table.

I will, however, say that it does not hold a candle to V&A. When I was there, it was 7 courses, not 5. In addition to the harp, every woman gets a rose. I'll be going back with my DH (I was with DD the last time) for my birthday!

Nope, it was definitely Bistro. It was certainly QUIETER than Chefs de France (which is typically VERY noisy) is, but it was still louder than I would want for a "romantic" setting. That being said, we tend to eat dinner early (between 5 and 6 PM), even on our nights out, and that may have a LOT to do with the noise level. Pushing that back 3 or 4 hours (which sounds like when you were dining, since you were seeing Illuminations), and I'd bet the noise level drops considerably.

I seem to remember 7 courses at V&A's, too....but when I went to "refresh" my memory, I only see 5 listed. Maybe it's changed, or maybe some of the reports are ignoring a couple of the smaller courses (like the cheese course)?

 

[MickeyNicki]

Click on my Nov 09 link to see a full review with pics on Citrico's...the place was to die for and we are celebrating our anniversary there again this Nov and cannot wait!