The best Disney restaurants?

[louisakurt327]

This september, myself, my girlfriend and my bro and his fiance are visiting Orlando for a 3 week vacation all the way from rainy England. Our family owns propery in Kissimee so will be staying there for the majority of our trip, but we have made reservations to stay at AKL (savannah view of course!) for a few days as we always visit the resort but have never stayed on property. My question is; apart from California Grill (already have reservations) and Jiko at AKL, where else should we dine? Poly?, WL?, Epcot? We are all mid 20's and love dining out, any ideas guys?

 

[newdeal]

We havent done any signature restaurants but we love boma, kona cafe, ohanas, le cellier, and coral reef. We like many others but those are our favourites. Least favourite is definately chefs de france, also did not care for crystal palace, mama melrose or teppan edo

 

[JenSop]

I actually wrote a dining article on my blog about my favorite Disney dining options....

Here's the link AND the body of the article:
http://jensop.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/favorite-disney-dining-options/

Text:

Favorite Disney Restaurants!

For us, one of the highlights of a Disney trip is all the great restaurants we get to experience! I thought I’d share some of our favorites with all of you!

*I’ll also preface this by saying that on vacation in Disney, we avoid burgers and fries like the plague. (But for the picky eaters, there’s plenty of burgers, fries, and chicken tenders, too.) So our favorites often reflect our interest in more unique dining experiences.

TABLE SERVICE RESTAURANTS (TS):

Resort TS Restaurants:

*Jiko – Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Signature Restaurant. Excellent meats, fish, and soups. African fusion cuisine, also serving authentic South African wines. We have never been disappointed by a meal at Jiko. Quite possibly the best restaurant at Disney.
*Sanaa – Located at Animal Kingdom’s Kidani Village. Indian food, accompanied by great service! Flatbreads, curry dishes, and a Tandoor oven make for great meal selections! The decor is beautifully whimsical with giant windows that look out onto the Savannah so you can watch the animals go by while you dine.
*California Grill – Perched atop the Contemporary Resort, this restaurant serves a great mix of American and Asian flavors. Another perk to dining here is getting to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from a sky-high view!
*Kouzzina – Iron Chef Cat Cora’s new restaurant did not disappoint! Located at the Boardwalk Resort, this restaurant features Greek food, with an open-view kitchen.
*Ohana – Family style restaurant at the Polynesian Resort. Skewers of meat and shrimp are brought right to your table – eat all you like! Ohana also has my favorite mixed drink at Disney – the Lapu Lapu! It’s a VERY strong mixed drink served inside an actual pineapple. If you time your meal right, you can head out to the beach after dinner to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks while relaxing in the sand. This restaurant also has fun kids’ entertainment and activities.

Park TS Restaurants:

*Le Cellier – One of Disney’s hardest to get reservations! This intimate steakhouse in Epcot’s Canada serves up great food with great service. Their signature meal is the filet mignon on mushroom risotto – so good! Their pretzel bread and bacon cheese soup are legendary. Starting in 2011, dinner here will cost 2 TS credits on the meal plan.
*Chefs de France – We love eating lunch at this restaurant in Epcot’s France. Their French Onion soup is probably the best we’ve ever had. Many authentic french dishes and a visit from Remy from the movie Ratatouille make for a fun experience.
*San Angel Inn – This restaurant in Epcot’s Mexico wins hands-down for best ambiance at a Disney restaurant. The inside of the Mexico pavilion is set up to look like a Mexican village market at night, the restaurant overlooking the river, while a pyramid and volcano rise in the distance.
*Yak and Yeti – This Asian restaurant in the Animal Kingdom park has a great variety of flavors – many of their specialties are seafood dishes, tempura, sweet and sour, and my favorite fried wonton dessert!

QUICK SERVICE DINING/COUNTER SERVICE DINING:

*Columbia Harbour House – located in the Magic Kingdom, this is the place we ALWAYS eat at in the Magic Kingdom. Good food – love the fish & chips and the Lighthouse Sandwich. The second floor has TONS of seating and is never crowded. Great place to take a break from the crowds.
*Yak and Yeti Counter Service – right next to the Table Service in Animal Kingdom Park. Good options like egg rolls, Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Kung Pao Beef.
*Tangierine Cafe – Yummy middle eastern food in Morocco in Epcot. The chicken and lamb shawarma platters come with hummus, Tabouleh, and couscous. They also have GREAT baklava for dessert!
*Yakitori House – Japanese food in World Showcase, Epcot. Sushi, Teriyaki, Tempura, and sukiyaki dishes.
*Boulangerie Patisserie – located in Epcot’s France. Yummy sandwiches and delicious french pastries!

SNACKS AND DRINKS:

*Dole Whip Pineapple Float – pineapple soft serve in pineapple juice – Magic Kingdom
*Grand Marnier orange slushie – yummy alcoholic deliciousness in France in Epcot
*Lapu Lapu – strong alcoholic drink served in a pineapple – Polynesians resort restaurants
*Rice Cream – rice pudding dish with strawberries – Norway in Epcot

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I've been to every signature restaurant, and Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge is currently my favorite Disney restaurant. The atmosphere is very tranquil and serene (Disney describes it as "rustic elegant"), and the menu consists of various seasonal, inventive dishes. I love the cedar plank salmon entree and the seasonal risotto/pork belly appetizer, and the fresh berry cobbler is an amazing, not-too-heavy dessert.