Best restaurants for viewing Illuminations

[adctd2WDW]

I will be at Epcot on Nov. 9 and am wanting to sit and eat while waiting for Illuminations to begin. I usually do this by eating at the Rose and Crown. Well, I am booking too late this year and the latest availability that day is 4:30. That is too early, as Illuminations begins at 9. The Unofficial Guide says that the best place to be is "in a seat on the lakeside veranda of the Cantina de San Angel..."
OK. I live in Texas and spending any money on any type of Mexican food while at Disney seems crazy to me. However, I really want to have a seat for Illuminations. Any suggestions?

 

[madalex]

I think you can see Illuminations from Bistro de Paris (if you have a window seat) and the Japanese restaurant (can't remember the name, but again with a window seat). But, these are inside restaurants and do not give a full view of the show, nor allow you to easily hear the music.

A much better bet is to eat earlier in the evening anywhere you want and then secure a seat around the lagoon about 30 minutes before the show seats. There are so many great places from which to watch Illuminations (basically, anywhere that the view is not blocked by a tree or a structure is as good as anywhere else) that there will still be good spots as little as 10 - 15 minutes before the show.

 

[Golf4food]

None of the others give a clear view, even if you are right next to a window (chances of a window seat are very small, also).

 

[Shleedogg]

We saw it in Jan at Chefs de France. We were seated in the front room with all the windows. We had a 7:50pm adr and got our desserts just as it was starting.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Illuminations restaurant viewing

. . . Rose & Crown (patio) - excellent view
. . . Tokyo Dining - good view
. . . Chef de France - poor view
. . . Bistro de Paris - very good view
. . . Liberty Inn (patio) - poor
. . . Cantina de San Angel - good