Quiet places for Lunch/Dinner

[Hoorayforcookies!]

It's been a while since we have been to any park besides MK. But we are taking our 3yo DD this January (21-27) for 6 nights. Trying to figure out what would be a good place to stop for lunch or dinner in each park. DH is not much of a Disney fan, but is indulging us, so I am trying to pick places he could relax in, and this will require a quiet outdoor patio (if the weather permits) and good beer./wine/etc. He does not like crowds, so a break from those would be ideal.

We ate at Restaurant Marrakesh a few years ago and he liked that. We have adventurous pallets so we are willing to try different types of foods. 3yo is luckily not too picky either. I have some character meals picked out for her (and DH is not a huge fan of those either), so really looking for something for him here. Does Epcot's Biergarten have outdoor seating? We like German restaurants.

We are staying at CCV/WL and will not be on dining plan, but not too worried about cost if the atmosphere is good.

Thanks for the help!!

 

[sharonabe]

It's been a while since we have been to any park besides MK. But we are taking our 3yo DD this January (21-27) for 6 nights. Trying to figure out what would be a good place to stop for lunch or dinner in each park. DH is not much of a Disney fan, but is indulging us, so I am trying to pick places he could relax in, and this will require a quiet outdoor patio (if the weather permits) and good beer./wine/etc. He does not like crowds, so a break from those would be ideal.

We ate at Restaurant Marrakesh a few years ago and he liked that. We have adventurous pallets so we are willing to try different types of foods. 3yo is luckily not too picky either. I have some character meals picked out for her (and DH is not a huge fan of those either), so really looking for something for him here. Does Epcot's Biergarten have outdoor seating? We like German restaurants.

We are staying at CCV/WL and will not be on dining plan, but not too worried about cost if the atmosphere is good.

Thanks for the help!!

Biergarten does not have outdoor seating and with the oompah band inside, it wouldn't be very quiet.

Spice Road Table in EP would be a good place to try. Katsura Grill in Japan is QS, but has a lovely outdoors setting.

Hollywood Brown Derby LOUNGE in HS is a possibility too.

 

[raddisneyfan]

Pretty tricky with the Parks and quiet. At MK, I wouldn't say any are quiet--I would walk over to the Contemporary on your MK day and go to the Wave. HS--the only restaurant I go to is Hollywood Brown Derby--can be quiet if you get there early for lunch. AK, Tiffins would be the quiet place to go and it's very beautiful inside--but not cheap by any means. EP, Monsieur Paul for dinner, La Hacienda de San Angel for dinner. EP at lunch is almost always crowded--maybe Tokyo Dining, As pp mentioned, Spice Road Table is usually pretty quiet and a nice settting too. Hope it works out and you can convert your husband to the Disney-side!

 

[Hoorayforcookies!]

Thank you both very much! I will look into the Spice Table Road and Japan QS restaurant you both mentioned. Those sound ideal. I'll look into Brown Derby for early lunch too.

I think we have MK covered. Was thinking CRT, BOG (which we've been to for dinner -might do lunch this time) and/or CP on those days. CHH is a place I have in mind for QS there because it seemed to be less crowded when we went to MK this past January before our cruise. The fryer was out that day though, which they were telling guests at the entrance (so maybe that contributed).

 

[Hoorayforcookies!]

Oh the HD lounge looks great! Just pulled the menu! Thanks!

And i think "convert" is a tall order for DH but I will settle for "tolerate"

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thank you both very much! I will look into the Spice Table Road and Japan QS restaurant you both mentioned. Those sound ideal. I'll look into Brown Derby for early lunch too.

I think we have MK covered. Was thinking CRT, BOG (which we've been to for dinner -might do lunch this time) and/or CP on those days. CHH is a place I have in mind for QS there because it seemed to be less crowded when we went to MK this past January before our cruise. The fryer was out that day though, which they were telling guests at the entrance (so maybe that contributed).

If your DH wants a quiet place, I would recommend Skipper Canteen over BOG for lunch in MK. BOG lunch is incredibly chaotic IMHO. Skipper Canteen is much quieter. CHH is a good choice for QS - I would recommend finding a place to eat upstairs.

In EP, I also recommend Spice Road Table. They have a lovely outdoor patio, great food and is typically not busy at all. In addition to the Japan QS, I would recommend Les Halles de France. They have really good QS food and outdoor seating. It is very quiet there in the morning (they open at 9:00 am). You could also walk out of EP through the IG and get QS at Boardwalk Bakery (and great ice cream at Ample Hills!). They have tables outside. If you'd like TS on the Boardwalk, Trattoria al Forno has outdoor seating (and good Italian food) as does Big River Grille (though I don't particularly like the food!)

In DHS, I also recommend Hollywood Brown Derby. Yes, go on the early side and the restaurant will be relatively empty.

In AK, I would go to Nomad Lounge. They don't have a full menu, but they have a beautiful outdoor patio and some of the best cocktails and fresh squeezed juices in WDW. If you want a bigger meal, you could always pair a visit to Nomad with some apps/entrees right next door at Tiffins. If you would like to take a break from AK, I would recommend lunch at Sanaa at AKL-Kidani. It's a beautiful restaurant with great food (won't be chaotic) and you can typically see the animals from the restaurant during the day time.

Since you will be at WL, I also wanted to recommend Artist Point. It is one of the quietest and best signatures on site. Geyser Point should also appeal to your DH!

 

[ncc1701]

OP just an FYI ut no CS in MK serves beer or wine . Some of the TS do at both lunch and dinner. Would be nice if CHH did a cold Sam Adams would go good with the fried shrimp

 

[Hopefully]

As mentioned BOG lunch is terribly chaotic.

 

[loves to dive]

The HBD outside lounge is nice and while not quiet because it is outside in a park, it is pleasant, we love it and inside as well.
At Epcot I agree Spice Road Tables is probably your best bet. There is a nice little wine bar in Italy that has a pretty good menu but it's not outside.
At AK I agree with Nomad Lounge but it doesn't have a full menu. Nice outside seating though I haven't been since Pandora opened so don't know if that makes a difference.

 

[mousehockey37]

There aren't many places on property that are quiet. As far as him not liking crowds, good luck, it's Disney World.

OP I would also take a look at the events going on for that time. We were down there around that time this year and that's the week of the NFL Pro Bowl. Crowd calendars and such didn't do us any favors ahead of time and the parks were heavy that particular week. The crowds eased up the night before the pro bowl itself but for most of that week, wait times and such were really high for what used to be a slower time.

So just be prepared that the Pro Bowl does bring the crowds in. It'll be even worse if the weather in the north is colder/snowier than usual as a lot of people from up North will try and escape the weather.

 

[Hoorayforcookies!]

Thanks everyone. Lots of great suggestions here! I like the variety of options between lounges, QS, sit-down, etc. I do want to check out Geiser Springs and possibly Artist Point too.


I know we can't avoid crowds/noise at Disney. I love DW, and DD hasn't stopped talking about going back since the short stay/cruise in January - that was a girls only trip with my mom and sister - no DH. Knowing it is not DH's favorite type of vacation, I'm just trying to make informed choices to make the most of our trip so that everyone can enjoy. My plan is just to keep a relaxed pace, take resort breaks in the afternoon, a full resort day mid-trip, eat some good food at places that I know will appeal to our taste (these all look great!!), and have fun with our daughter. I think it will be a good trip and he'll hopefully be pleasantly surprised. We have a 1 br at CCV to allow for some breakfasts/coffee in our room, and some extra space to decompress at the end of the day as I think the parks will close earlier this time of year anyway.


Hadn't heard of ProBowl crowds (and I did pick this week off the crowd calendar). Thanks for the heads up, mousehockey37.


I can't thank these Boards and you all enough for all the great tips I have picked up on this tread and beyond

 

[Hoorayforcookies!]

Biergarten does not have outdoor seating and with the oompah band inside, it wouldn't be very quiet.

Spice Road Table in EP would be a good place to try. Katsura Grill in Japan is QS, but has a lovely outdoors setting.

Hollywood Brown Derby LOUNGE in HS is a possibility too.

Thank you for this info. We will probably not do the Biergarten then. Didn't realize there was a band.

 

[Hoorayforcookies!]

If your DH wants a quiet place, I would recommend Skipper Canteen over BOG for lunch in MK. BOG lunch is incredibly chaotic IMHO. Skipper Canteen is much quieter. CHH is a good choice for QS - I would recommend finding a place to eat upstairs.

As mentioned BOG lunch is terribly chaotic.

Thanks, maybe we will opt for something other than BOG for lunch. We are going to be in Fantasyland quite a bit, so I thought maybe it would be a quick place to grab lunch that would be fun for DD. She is into Beauty and the Beast right now. It's no trouble to walk across the park though and try something else. We have been to the BOG dinner but not lunch, I know they are different. Not too worried about DD missing it this time. I plan to do CRT if I can get an ADR, so that will be just as good in her eyes I'm sure.

 

[scoobygrl79]

When I think back to meals that struck me as more quiet than others, for my experiences only, all signatures had less hustle and bustle, Garden Grill was on the quieter side once we were seated, SCI-FI Dine In, Le Cellier, Columbia Harbour House

 

[Silrana]

For the Magic Kingdom, I remember the Plaza Restaurant being pretty quiet and relaxed, but the tables were pretty close together. But it has been a while since I've eaten there, so grain of salt and so forth.

 

[nursejackie]

We prefer quiet dining so we eat early (lunch between 11-11.30am and dinner around 4.30-5.30pm depending on opening times) which definitely helps with the crowds, although I know this doesn't suit everyone.

 

[brertoad]

The resort pool bars are pretty laid back.
So are a lot of the deluxe resort lounges, like Territory Lounge, Crew's Cup, Bellevue Lounge.

The most cozy place in Epcot, I think is Tutto Gusto...despite the possible noise level, it is one of the most tiny places at Disney, but no outside seating.
You said you eat before the dinner rush, that probably helps, eating after the dinner rush helps too.

AK - Nomad Lounge, definitely would recommend it.

I can't really think of anyplace to "relax" in MK. (My relaxing activities are the Tiki Room, Carousel of Progress, Country Bears, People Mover, lol!)

DHS - maybe the outside bar at Hollywood Brown Derby

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Agree with the others who noted that a quiet lunch at the parks is tough. But you can stop at resorts close to the parks that will be much less hectic and probably offer better food and drink options. I'd second The Wave as a quiet place for lunch when at MK. Easy ride over to the Contemporary on the monorail, super laid back lunch and a good beer selection. At Epcot I'd walk out the back entrance and consider Captain's Grille or Crew's Cup Lounge at Yacht Club. Animal Kingdom I'd probably go with Yak & Yeti (but with Pandora open I have no idea how difficult it is to get seating for table service restaurants). You've already got recommendations at HS, but again you might consider taking the boat up to either Swan & Dolphin, Boardwalk or Yacht Club for a meal.

 

[ncc1701]

If you are going for lunch depending on the weather you can get outside seating at the Rose and Crown in Epcot. At dinner you get the table available due to people wanting to be outside for Illuminations so you could be inside. My personal opinion is park restaurants seem to be better at lunch than dinner.As a PP said a lot of the resort TS are a good option. We ate lunch at Capt. Grille, Grand Floridain Cafe (which has a combo breakfast/lunch menu) & ESPN on the last trip.

 

[amberpi]

I really like quiet dining experiences, so I totally get where your husband is coming from. Here's some thoughts...I hope ya'll have a blast regardless!

SRT - times a thousand.
Rose and Crown - quiet for lunch outside
MP - great quiet dinner
San Angel Inn - quiet for either meal.

BOG - a chaotic cluster at lunch and the food is pretty bad (although the soup was surprising)
Plaza - lunch is a nice respite. JC should also be a good choice.

HBD Lounge is outside and quiet/relaxing

AK - Nomad - might be worth hopping over to Sanaa...

The restaurants at the Swolphin tend to be MUCH quieter and higher quality en toto than others, its a quick hop over from DHS or epcot, easy walk or boat ride.