Questions regarding V & A

[tfiga]

I have finally convinced my Dad to go to Disney with me and my family and I really want to make it special. Both my father and I are typical working class people, definately not gourmands. Quite honestly at 33, I have never actually had wine. The reason I am considering V&A's is that we both love to try new foods and from all the food porn threads V&A seems to be a great opportunity to try numerous dishes that we would never have at home. My concern is how uncomfortable will we be? I will have no idea which piece of silverware to use, how to actually eat the dish, etc. I am concerned that I will eat garnish that I should not, etc. Has anyone without fine dining experience ever eaten here? If so, could you enjoy the food or were you horribly uncomfortable?

 

[Uncleromulus]

I'm sure other "non-fine diners" will respond, but really I wouldn't worry a whole lot about it. No one is going to be standing around watching you eat, and I think you will recognize most all of the food.
And you do not have to order wine. Or even any alcoholic beverages.

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

With cutlery the rulle is "eat from the outside in" so start with the silverware that is furthest from the edge of your plate first, the rest is easy - I had to teach this to DH before we got married.

 

[dhcoffey]

The first time my family and I ate there about five years ago, we had no clue. It was me, my mother, my aunt and my cousin. We, too, were a bit nervous; but once we got there, it was great. The waiters and waitresses are wonderful. With every new course, they bring you new silverware, so don't worry about not knowing what to use. I have had a piece that I didn't have a clue what it was, so I asked. They explained it without making me feel silly. Don't worry and have a great time!!

 

[2x_dis_dad]

If it's on the plate its edible even if it is a garnish. I wouldn't worry so much about trying to be to proper. Relax and enjoy yourself.

 

[BCV23]

What a wonderful treat for your father!

As Heather said, don't worry about the silverware. Your servers will bring the appropriate piece of cutlery for each course even down to a different type of soup spoon for cream soup as opposed to a broth soup. They will lay the silverware for the next course before they bring it so just use the new arrivals.

But as everyone has said, don't worry. Just enjoy. The service is wonderful and will not intimidate you in anyway.

 

[tfiga]

Thanks so much for the responses. I am feeling better. I am going to give it a shot. I feel this will be a very memorable experience for my father and I hope it will be the jolt he needs to catch the Disney bug for himself.

 

[scroot]

When DW had a birthday ending in 0 we took friends to a fancy place in town. The youngest daughter was very nervous about how to act and eat my reply was, "we are the guests here, we are the ones to be accomodated, not the help."

V & A represents some of the best meals I have ever had. My advice is relax don't worry about anything. You pay top dollar to eat there you need to enjoy it.

 

[salmoneous]

Your servers are there to help you enjoy your meal. They aren't there to make you feel foolish. You are going to be paying them a decent chuck of change - let them do their jobs.

If you have any questions - ask. Ask what the food is, ask how to eat it, ask what that funny knife is for. The servers have heard it all before and are very good at helping people enjoy their meal. They only thing they ask is that you bring a love of food, a sense of adventure, and be willing to try new things.

The one thing I might suggest is not getting the wine parings if you have never had wine before.

 

[vascubaguy]

I'm going to be experiencing V&A for the first time during our NYE trip. I decided to skip the wine pairings because I just haven't acquired a taste for fine wines.

I'll probably be asking our server about the best way to eat each course to ensure that I experience the full flavors and taste that the chefs intended. For instance, should I eat a small piece of each garnish with a bite of meat, and do should I dip the food in the different "dots" of sauces, etc... So while I might not ask something that specific, I would ask "How should I eat this to experience the full flavor of the meal?" or something like that.

My main goal is to enjoy the meal and the exerpience, and I just hope that DP doesn't ask for ketchup!

 

[irisbud]

I have a question about V&A's as well. At the risk of sounding cheap, do you tip each of the two servers individually (15-20% each) or as a team (15-20% for them to split)? I really don't mind either way, and we will be eating there in December regardless, but I don't want to look like a fool.

 

[schoen]

You just leave one tip. I would lean towards the 18.5-20% range though. They do an outstanding job, they go above and beyond. You hardley know they are there, but you feel pampered at the same time. There is skill involved in what they do, they are not college kids looking for beer money. This is their career, your tip will pay their salary! Just have a good time and relax!

 

[arifenbe]

V&A is awesome and the CMs walk you through the entire menu at the beginning so you shouldn't feel uncomfortable about never eating like this. As for the wine, the CM will recommend one so don't sweat that either.

As a reminder, you will need to be dressed up at this restaurant.
When I went I did not see anyone in less than a full suit (including me) for the gents and evening dresses for the ladies.

This is the most romantic restaurant in all of WDW and probably Orlando too.

When we went the harp player was there.

Enjoy!

 

[allyn]

my wife and i have eaten at v&a's several times over the years. our experience is that the staff is used to people "stretching themselves" a bit out of their normal dining routine. what i mean is that they are accustomed to serving folks that don't usually dine in restaurants as fancy as v&a's and are good at making them feel comfortable. the first time we dined there it was far beyond what we were used to. but it was such an amazing experience that we will never forget it.

 

[irisbud]

All of this is making me feel so much better about our upcoming meal there. My BF has never been to WDW before, and I want to make everything extra special for him, including a reservation at V&A that he dosen't know about. Imagine how my heart sank when we caught a glimpse of dinner at the Chef's Table on Great Hotels and he said "I'm glad we're not eating THERE. I don't think I'd know how to eat any of the food, and I can never remember what all of the forks are for."

After he said that, I was second guessing my decision to surprise him for fear that he would be embarassed (I'm no more experienced at this kind of dining than him, but he under no circumsatnces likes to feel foolish). I really want to experience this, however, and you all have put my mind somewhat at ease. I think everything will be just fine...