Help me make my final decision! Citricos vs. Artist Point

[Vegcentric]

This will be for my birthday dinner, and I am a vegetarian who is vegan at home (haven't mastered being 100% vegan in Disney yet).

So I'm trying to choose between Citricos and Artist Point. Of course I know there will be a lot of mixed opinions, but what I want to know is:

- Which one has the best food?
- Which one has the best atmosphere?
- Which one has the best service?

I'm on these boards a lot and see that there is a lot of...inconsistency. That's okay, I just want a little nudge in one direction so that I can stop obsessing over it. Thanks!

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

For some reason, Artist Point appears to be the signature restaurant that the least people have tried. I don't know why, as it's absolutely my favorite signature restaurant. We returned here on our last trip (one week ago) and once again, it was the best meal of the trip. The atmosphere is very tranquil and serene, the service is usually good, and many tables have views of the woods and courtyard (and possibly the lake). Citricos is currently my second least favorite signature - the dining room is elegant, but the food doesn't come close to the Mediterranean food near my home. Another thing - Artist Point changes its menu very often in order to serve more seasonal ingredients. Sometimes, this has disappointed us, because a certain dish that appeared to be on the menu was gone by the time we went. However, I appreciate how Artist Point is willing to take risks with its menu. Citricos rarely changes its menu - often they just rotate the side dishes around (for example, the chicken used to be served with pasta, garlic, and oil; now that pasta is served with fish).

Plus, the vegetarian dish at Artist Point is usually really tasty. The one currently on the menu is a sweet potato gnocchi with mushrooms and brussels sprouts. I ordered it once and it was really good:

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Here are some pics from the dining room at Artist Point:

 

[Ramsfan28]

Up until my last trip I would have said Artist Point BUT during my last visit in May I found the food to be average. In addition, AP had those most incredible mac and cheese on the menu last year but it was gone in May. The service was also a bit spotty..

Citricos is always excellent and a must-do for me.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Up until my last trip I would have said Artist Point BUT during my last visit in May I found the food to be average. In addition, AP had those most incredible mac and cheese on the menu last year but it was gone in May. The service was also a bit spotty..

When in May? Around the middle of the month they made some noticeable changes to the menu. I had the new cedar plank salmon dish with zucchini, confit artichoke, and bacon-egg vinaigrette, and it was one of the best salmon dishes I've had anywhere. The crab salad with yuzu cucumber sorbet, the mushroom soup, and the asparagus salad with truffle and soft-poached egg were also amazing.

 

[cbg1027]

- Which one has the best food?
- Which one has the best atmosphere?
- Which one has the best service?

I would answer all three of your questions with Citricos. I haven't tried their vegetarian entree before though - it's seems to always be seared tofu with changing accompaniments.

Citricos doesn't have terribly inventive or original menu items, but they use quality ingredients and have excellent execution.

The service that I've had on three visits to Citricos was absolutely amazing. Very personalized and they really made it feel like a special occasion on every trip!

Not to confuse you further, but I've had vegetarian entrees at Jiko and Flying Fish and they were all quite amazing.

I enjoyed Artist Point too, it just didn't knock my socks off the way Citricos does.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Here's my most recent Artist Point review from our meal there one week ago: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2726651

 

[madalex]

I've done both AP and Citricos many times. They are both very good, so you really can't go wrong with either one. That being said, I generally prefer Citricos over AP.

 

[BLTLDZ]

I've done both AP and Citricos many times. They are both very good, so you really can't go wrong with either one. That being said, I generally prefer Citricos over AP.

I feel the same...
We LOVE Citricos, and never miss it....however, we also really enjoy AP.

 

[Ramsfan28]

When in May? Around the middle of the month they made some noticeable changes to the menu. I had the new cedar plank salmon dish with zucchini, confit artichoke, and bacon-egg vinaigrette, and it was one of the best salmon dishes I've had anywhere. The crab salad with yuzu cucumber sorbet, the mushroom soup, and the asparagus salad with truffle and soft-poached egg were also amazing.

We went on Mother's Day. Also the Salmon was better last time we went in September (last year).

 

[Vegcentric]

Thank you for the input so far and thank you very much for posting photos, those are very helpful Still mulling it over. I've been reading reviews here and there for both restaurants though I think I'm leaning towards Artist Point more.

 

[tinkgirl1984]

That's a really really tough one. Based 100% solely on food quality, I would probably go with Citricos except in your case, as I think AP has the better vegetarian options. Overall, though, AP is my favorite. There's just something about the atmosphere there that I love. I don't get that feeling at any other restaurant on property.

 

[grace&philipsmom]

Another vote for Artist Point!