Victoria & Albert's for a First Timer

[VolvoManiac850]

For the first time in 34 years, I'm staying at the Grand Floridian. However, I didn't go to Victoria & Albert's at the time (my parents did for a date night and my uncle, grandparents, and I went to Flagler's instead--now THAT'S a place I wish was still around).

I'm thinking of giving it a try. My dining reservation window opens in a few weeks (I think it's still 60 days) so I'd like to get this one booked on the first day possible.

However, I have some questions about the whole experience.

I already know about the dress code (will come wearing a suit) and the pricing. (Let's just say I'm going to skimp on dining most everywhere else now that I'm considering this). I've seen some pictures of the menu here and there and know it varies, but many of those have been blurry.

My questions:

1. What kind of food should I expect? I know there are several courses and apparently two different chef's menus. There isn't really anything on WDW's official site about this. I'm pretty open to most foods but do have a few things I absolutely will not touch (see below).

2. I don't consider myself a picky eater, but I will gag on just about any white sauce (mayonnaise, aioli, ranch, sour cream) and vinaigrette dressings. I have zero issue with any vegetable, fruit, or meat (though I definitely prefer my steak cooked more than rare) and no food allergies at all. I figure there are accommodations made for allergies, so...if one of those sauces is on the menu, will they be accommodating enough to make the dish without it?

(funny enough, the servers at the restaurants I frequent know me well enough that they already know to bring dijon mustard instead without even asking...also goes to show I frequent the same three places far too often, but hey, loyalty is a virtue...)

3. I am aware the wine pairings cost extra. I'm one to experiment with pairings when I cook at home and like to sample new wines/go to tastings. It's a LOT more expensive than a run of the mill wine tasting though. Is it worth it? Also, if I don't get the wine pairing for the extra money, does that mean no wine or can I still pair it on my own? (As of now I'm leaning towards this...I mean, how often do you dine at a restaurant like this, plus I'm always looking for some great new wine to introduce to my friends and often come home from a steakhouse I visit out of town a few times a year with a new wine on my shopping list).

4. I'd be dining alone. I don't really care what people think about that, but do they accommodate parties of one? I'll be honest, I prefer to travel solo so I can explore more despite being a huge extrovert...

5. Be completely honest--is the quality of the food really miles ahead of some of the other finer restaurants at WDW? I've eaten at California Grill, Flying Fish, Yachtsman, Chefs de France, Cinderella's Royal Table, a few that aren't there anymore...is this sort of like getting a Ferrari over a run of the mill BMW or Mercedes?

6. Are tips requested or simply included in the pricing?

7. Do they still have the gimmick where all the servers claim to be named Victoria or Albert? I read about that in the old "Unofficial Guide" from the 90s and got a good chuckle out of it at the time. I know this won't really affect my decision, but I thought it was clever.


My 60-day window opens at the end of the month, so I'm hoping to make a call on this by then. I'm not sure what I'll do with my other reservations, but odds are good I just graze on beef jerky and kale chips throughout the day so I can allocate my funds towards this one...

 

[nekonekoneko]

For the first time in 34 years, I'm staying at the Grand Floridian. However, I didn't go to Victoria & Albert's at the time (my parents did for a date night and my uncle, grandparents, and I went to Flagler's instead--now THAT'S a place I wish was still around).

I'm thinking of giving it a try. My dining reservation window opens in a few weeks (I think it's still 60 days) so I'd like to get this one booked on the first day possible.

However, I have some questions about the whole experience.

I already know about the dress code (will come wearing a suit) and the pricing. (Let's just say I'm going to skimp on dining most everywhere else now that I'm considering this). I've seen some pictures of the menu here and there and know it varies, but many of those have been blurry.

My questions:

1. What kind of food should I expect? I know there are several courses and apparently two different chef's menus. There isn't really anything on WDW's official site about this. I'm pretty open to most foods but do have a few things I absolutely will not touch (see below).

I would say that the food is American with mostly French influence. It's a mix of starters, fish/seafood and meats.

2. I don't consider myself a picky eater, but I will gag on just about any white sauce (mayonnaise, aioli, ranch, sour cream) and vinaigrette dressings. I have zero issue with any vegetable, fruit, or meat (though I definitely prefer my steak cooked more than rare) and no food allergies at all. I figure there are accommodations made for allergies, so...if one of those sauces is on the menu, will they be accommodating enough to make the dish without it?

(funny enough, the servers at the restaurants I frequent know me well enough that they already know to bring dijon mustard instead without even asking...also goes to show I frequent the same three places far too often, but hey, loyalty is a virtue...)

Once you have a reservation in hand, about a week before you actually go, they will either call or email you, asking about any preferences, allergies, quirks, whatever. You can explain all of this at that time. Once you get your menu got the night, if there are things you don't want, talk to the servers.

3. I am aware the wine pairings cost extra. I'm one to experiment with pairings when I cook at home and like to sample new wines/go to tastings. It's a LOT more expensive than a run of the mill wine tasting though. Is it worth it? Also, if I don't get the wine pairing for the extra money, does that mean no wine or can I still pair it on my own? (As of now I'm leaning towards this...I mean, how often do you dine at a restaurant like this, plus I'm always looking for some great new wine to introduce to my friends and often come home from a steakhouse I visit out of town a few times a year with a new wine on my shopping list).

They still have wines by the bottle, and they also have a wonderful non-alcoholic pairing that you can experience. You can also go with just a soda if you desire.

4. I'd be dining alone. I don't really care what people think about that, but do they accommodate parties of one? I'll be honest, I prefer to travel solo so I can explore more despite being a huge extrovert...

Yup! I've seen it before in the main dining room. The Chef's Table is 4-6 people, the Queen Victoria room is parties of 2, but the main dining room can accommodate any size, even solo diners.

5. Be completely honest--is the quality of the food really miles ahead of some of the other finer restaurants at WDW? I've eaten at California Grill, Flying Fish, Yachtsman, Chefs de France, Cinderella's Royal Table, a few that aren't there anymore...is this sort of like getting a Ferrari over a run of the mill BMW or Mercedes?

Yes. I consider V&A one of my top 5 restaurants, period. Not just in WDW, but the entire world.

6. Are tips requested or simply included in the pricing?

It's their standard Disney model. Groups of 6 or more have an autonomic 18% added on, but I'm not skimping tips at this restaurant.

7. Do they still have the gimmick where all the servers claim to be named Victoria or Albert? I read about that in the old "Unofficial Guide" from the 90s and got a good chuckle out of it at the time. I know this won't really affect my decision, but I thought it was clever.

No, that's long been gone!

My 60-day window opens at the end of the month, so I'm hoping to make a call on this by then. I'm not sure what I'll do with my other reservations, but odds are good I just graze on beef jerky and kale chips throughout the day so I can allocate my funds towards this one...

 

[Brandis]

I have eaten at V&A several times, although not since it closed in the pandemic. We've always been blown away by the food and the level of service.

They have a dedicated phone number to make a reservation: (407) 939-3862 (10AM-4PM) and of course online on disneyworld.com

If you call, you can let them know any allergies or food preferences and they will absolutely cater to that. If you do the reservation online, they will call you a couple of days before the visit and ask those questions as well. You could also send them an e-mail with your food preferences: WDW.Victoria.and.Alberts@disney.com

It is a very intimate experience, the tables are spaced apart approipriately and I don't see how anyone would care if you eat by yourself.

Myself, I don't drink alcohol, so I can't say much about the wine pairing, but they have a special water filtration system and their (free) drinking water is better than any mineral water I ever drank. I think over the course of our meal, I had maybe 3 or 4 bottles Having said that, my friend took the wine flight once and he enjoyed it very much. WHile this doesn't apply to you, in the past it was possible to split a wine pairing between 2 guests. While they won't pour half glasses, you can alternate glasses, so one guest gets the first glass of wine, the other the second and so on.

I don't think they add automatic tips, since on our visits we used to have Tables in Wonderland which gave a 20% discount but added 18% gratuity automatically (in the case of V&A 20% are added, so basically you get the tip for free.) However, V&A unfortunately no longer is part of the Tables in Wonderland program. Another benefit was free valet parking at the hotel you have dinner reservations, but I think if you have a reservation at V&A, you get free valet anyways.

I've eaten at California Grill (another favorite of mine), Citrico's and Flagler's (among others) and while they are very good, you can't compare them to V&A, it's really in a league of its own. There's a reason it has received AA's Five Diamonds awards repeatedly and is counted as one of the best restaurants in Florida.

If you google "Victoria and Alberts menu", you will find some sample menus which can give you an idea what kind of food they usually serve.

Looking at some pictures of servers at the restaurant as far back as 2015, it seems they were wearing nametags with names other than Victoria or Albert.

Off topic, but I just noticed the new color scheme at the restaurant, not a fan of the bright, white walls. I always liked the darker, subdued tone they used to have, made it feel even more elegant, I think.

 

[kiford]

1. What kind of food should I expect? I know there are several courses and apparently two different chef's menus. There isn't really anything on WDW's official site about this. I'm pretty open to most foods but do have a few things I absolutely will not touch (see below).

2. I don't consider myself a picky eater, but I will gag on just about any white sauce (mayonnaise, aioli, ranch, sour cream) and vinaigrette dressings. I have zero issue with any vegetable, fruit, or meat (though I definitely prefer my steak cooked more than rare) and no food allergies at all. I figure there are accommodations made for allergies, so...if one of those sauces is on the menu, will they be accommodating enough to make the dish without it?

They typically call you sometime before your dining time to ask these questions. I personally only give them my actual allergies because I've had ingredients there that I totally despise (mushrooms - ugh) that was absolutely delicious so I'm very open to whatever they choose to give me as long as I'm not allergic. However, they want you to have a good experience so anything you absolutely cannot, will not eat, they do not want to serve you. You can also call in advance if you prefer not to wait. I've also called to book a reservation and had them ask at the same time (although they have my allergies on file but they do ask if there are any additional ones, which I have identified).

3. I am aware the wine pairings cost extra. I'm one to experiment with pairings when I cook at home and like to sample new wines/go to tastings. It's a LOT more expensive than a run of the mill wine tasting though. Is it worth it? Also, if I don't get the wine pairing for the extra money, does that mean no wine or can I still pair it on my own?

If you don't want to go for their wine pairing (and yes, it is worth it IMO but it may not be for you), you can make your own selections or ask them to help you create your own, or you can just order a glass or two or a bottle or whatever you like. The reason we think it's worth it is that they often have wine that even they were only able to obtain a few bottles of because it's a very small production from a very small winery. So you'll never be able to buy it yourself. I'm personally a big proponent of "it's my vacation and I'm not planning on doing any thinking" so I let someone else do the pairing and choosing but if that's something you like to do, they can definitely answer your questions or make recommendations.

4. I'd be dining alone. I don't really care what people think about that, but do they accommodate parties of one? I'll be honest, I prefer to travel solo so I can explore more despite being a huge extrovert...

I've often seen people there dining alone. It's not that unusual.

5. Be completely honest--is the quality of the food really miles ahead of some of the other finer restaurants at WDW? I've eaten at California Grill, Flying Fish, Yachtsman, Chefs de France, Cinderella's Royal Table, a few that aren't there anymore...is this sort of like getting a Ferrari over a run of the mill BMW or Mercedes?

Yes. Yes. Definitely yes.

6. Are tips requested or simply included in the pricing?

Tip is not included in the pricing.

7. Do they still have the gimmick where all the servers claim to be named Victoria or Albert? I read about that in the old "Unofficial Guide" from the 90s and got a good chuckle out of it at the time. I know this won't really affect my decision, but I thought it was clever.

Haven't done that for years. We've dined there probably 10-12 times since 2000, and I think they only did that for the first couple of times we went.

Just want to say that I'm jealous. Very, very jealous. Our last reservation there was in December 2019 and it will be a while before we can go again.

 

[gmi3804]

For many dishes the sauces are the point, and many are made with cream- or vinegar-based preparations. To ask for them on the side is to not experience what makes the place unique. Maybe just accept that and go somewhere else? This is a very good expensive FOMO checkbox.

 

[GoingSince1990]

They are very good about accommodating dietary preferences. When they called us prior to our meal I told them that my daughter does not eat any seafood, and I like all my food well done, and both requests were no problem at all.

 

[drenalin'junkie]

Short of an allergy, I try everything.
I have ordered upcharged items and they have seemed worth the extra to me. Esp white truffle in season.
We eat really really good at home and out once a week to someplace nice but memories at restaurants at this level shine.

The above posters could be a sticky about dining @ V&A. Kudos!

 

[gmi3804]

They are very good about accommodating dietary preferences. When they called us prior to our meal I told them that my daughter does not eat any seafood, and I like all my food well done, and both requests were no problem at all.

Clarify: They TOLD you they were no problem at all.

Face it, those are not "dietary" restrictions. They're preferences. I wouldn't tell Van Gogh to paint A Starry Night over because I don't like the color blue. (Tongue in cheek, of course, but you get the idea.)

 

[kiford]

Clarify: They TOLD you they were no problem at all.

Face it, those are not "dietary" restrictions. They're preferences. I wouldn't tell Van Gogh to paint A Starry Night over because I don't like the color blue. (Tongue in cheek, of course, but you get the idea.)

If they thought it was a problem, they wouldn't accommodate it. DH has asked in the past if they had any caviar and any vodka to go with that, and they said it was no problem and brought it and all of the accoutrements with it and with a glass of very chilled vodka. And have put a note in his file to offer that to him on his menu in future visits as an extra cost add-on (which he always takes advantage of).

They also asked me once if the chef could add some bison to one of my menu items partway through the meal because he had some and felt that one of my courses could benefit from it since that course had been modified, when the menu was created, to be a vegetarian course similar to DH's course which had seafood in it.

And they don't just ask you about dietary restrictions, they also ask about your preferences because this is how they operate. They want to leave you with a very good memory of your time and experience there. If they have the ingredients, they will modify, they will accommodate, they will be creative, and they will honour preferences wherever possible. This is partly why they charge the price that they do.

If Van Gogh was working for you on commission, you'd tell him in advance that you didn't want the colour blue in the piece of art you were paying for.

 

[gmi3804]

If they thought it was a problem, they wouldn't accommodate it. DH has asked in the past if they had any caviar and any vodka to go with that, and they said it was no problem and brought it and all of the accoutrements with it and with a glass of very chilled vodka. And have put a note in his file to offer that to him on his menu in future visits as an extra cost add-on (which he always takes advantage of).

They also asked me once if the chef could add some bison to one of my menu items partway through the meal because he had some and felt that one of my courses could benefit from it since that course had been modified, when the menu was created, to be a vegetarian course similar to DH's course which had seafood in it.

And they don't just ask you about dietary restrictions, they also ask about your preferences because this is how they operate. They want to leave you with a very good memory of your time and experience there. If they have the ingredients, they will modify, they will accommodate, they will be creative, and they will honour preferences wherever possible. This is partly why they charge the price that they do.

If Van Gogh was working for you on commission, you'd tell him in advance that you didn't want the colour blue in the piece of art you were paying for.

Telling Van Gogh to “leave out a color” is like telling the chef to serve a side order of pasta with the risotto.

 

[BostonEd]

Telling Van Gogh to “leave out a color” is like telling the chef to serve a side order of pasta with the risotto.

"But... you ordered the risotto."

 

[ak517]

OP, your questions have largely been answered, but I want to add a few more details from my experience.

We dined at V&A once last August. I was petrified it was going to be a rough experience based on previous experiences at signature WDW restaurants. Not that we've had bad experiences, but when you're paying for a tasting menu there are certain expectations, and the service/food at signatures can still be hit or miss. My DH was trained at the Culinary Institute of America and works at a three Michelin star rated restaurant in NYC, and we have plenty of experience dining at similar venues, which I think combined with lackluster service at other signatures made me concerned. That said, we had such a great experience at V&A that my DH said he believes they are deserving of two stars in the FL market (last night's Michelin guide release came as quite a shock to us!). To sum, the food and the service were outstanding and truly comparable to what you would expect at a similar venue in NYC, Chicago, or DC, in our experience. Compared to WDW, it's leagues better than CG, Citricos, Topolino's, and Narcoossee's.

I opted for the NA pairing because I thought it was a unique offering. That said, I still started with champagne, and there are many by the glass options. You are not locked into anything in particular. Note that the pairings, NA or wine, are A LOT of liquid.

To address the comments about preferences, any good tasting menu will be able to honor preferences regardless of if they are allergies or true preference. There are only a few restaurants I've encountered anywhere where the chef is not amenable to any dietary restrictions, which is usually noted on their website (and we just choose not to dine there). For V&A specifically, I ate a pescatarian diet and my DH avoided fish entirely and there were no concerns. That said, about half of my courses came with what I would call a creamy sauce (just looked back through photos). Can they change the sauce? Absolutely, and they probably even have something on demand for folks who are allergic to dairy. And, I would trust that the chef is able to compose the dish with the substitute sauce in a way to not take away from the main component of the dish. The kitchen will not care if it's a preference or an allergy, they are presenting you with a dish to your satisfaction.

We had such a great meal that we want to go back, and my DH even said he'd like to make it a visit on each one of our trips assuming we can get a reservation.

Your comment about doing the tasting alone reminded me of when I went to sketch in London by myself and thought I could make it the whole way including the cheese course for dessert -- I rolled out of there!! No one will care, and you'll have a better time for treating yourself and getting to know the captains and back servers. Oh, and the people watching is great!!

 

[tinydancer312]

Everyone else covered most of it, but it’s important that the meal is also an experience. The bread and butter is even a big thing.

The food is exceptional. As the previous poster said, definitely worthy of Michelin Stars (we’ve been following along and were just as surprised they weren’t recognized). It’s filling in a way you don't realize until you get to dessert.

As everyone else said, the chef is wonderful with making modifications. I don‘t like cheese and I don’t eat duck. They’ve adjusted my menu accordingly. I was the BIGGEST picky eater as a child and was lucky enough to dine at V&A very young (idk how my mom pulled that off) but they were able to make adjustments even then. Don’t be afraid to ask.

book it and enjoy!

 

[kiford]

The bread and butter is even a big thing.

Ooohhhh the bread. Try not to indulge too much in it if you want to even make it close to dessert but.... the bread. Ooo - and the butter. Yum. In past trips, the mini baguette was my favourite and there was a truffle brioche with truffle butter. To. Die. For. And I hate truffles.

They're also so good about allergies that they even told me when DH's course might have something that I would be allergic to in case we wanted to try each others' courses.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

I’m afraid to try new things since I don’t even like fish, but when you spend that kind of money, I assume even something your not a fan of, must taste delicious based on the ingredients they use. Not sure if it’s better to say you don’t like something, or just wing it and expect it to be amazing

 

[VolvoManiac850]

Thank you to EVERYONE who has responded!! I am 100% sure I'm going to book V&A's now. I'm still a little on the fence about the extra money for wine pairings, but I guess I'll just think that over and look at the other places I'm budgeting on this trip.

I'm guessing I should eat lightly that day...I'm thinking maybe an early breakfast, nothing too much, then try to make it the rest of the day. I usually am a two meal per day person anyhow--brunch and dinner.

I am REALLY glad to know that they are accommodating of food preferences!! I know allergies have played a big part in that (even my church offers gluten-free bread for communion) but it's good to know they'll accommodate me here.

(There's an excellent book on accommodating all diners written by Cameron Mitchell, entitled "Yes is the Answer, What was the Question?"; if you've ever eaten at one of his restaurants you know they'll accommodate anything possible. I figured anything as high-end as V&A's would be able to do the same).

Now, I DO have one more question regarding that--should I get in touch with them first or do they always reach out to me?

 

[kiford]

I’m afraid to try new things since I don’t even like fish, but when you spend that kind of money, I assume even something your not a fan of, must taste delicious based on the ingredients they use. Not sure if it’s better to say you don’t like something, or just wing it and expect it to be amazing

That was my first experience there. I hate hate hate mushrooms. At that time, I had only booked a couple of days in advance (this was in the days when you could only book when you were on-site and only within 24 hours if you were staying on Disney property - 2000, I think) and I don't remember if they didn't ask about allergies or if I just didn't answer. We were in the main room where you had two choices for each course. One of the courses had a seafood option, and one had this morel mushroom pasta. I didn't want to make a fuss, so I ordered the pasta and figured I'd just eat the pasta and leave the mushrooms, and if it was really awful, there were plenty more courses to go. I ate that whole thing, and it's still memorable to me as one of the best pastas I've ever had. That was when I learned that, in the hands of an expert chef, anything can taste good. And it's the only place I'll eat mushrooms. It's good that this happened on our first time, or I would now be saying I don't want mushrooms and maybe some other things but I will definitely let the chefs at V&A do as they like as long as I'm not allergic to it.

I acknowledge, though, that it can be a difficult decision to make - do you want to spend that much money, trust that it will be good even if you're not a fan of certain ingredients and then discover, no, you didn't really like it or tell them what you don't like but then don't get the chance to step out of your comfort zone a bit in the hands of someone who really knows what they are doing. I will say that they do want you to like what they serve, so if it turns out that you really didn't like something, maybe they might try to rectify that and give you something else, but I can't say so definitively because, while I've had some dishes I like less than others, I've never had anything I didn't really like. There are some dishes that I remember 10-15 years later and some of those, like the mushroom pasta, are ones I didn't think I would like (cauliflower panna cotta for one).

Now, I DO have one more question regarding that--should I get in touch with them first or do they always reach out to me?

They've always reached out to me (with the exception as noted above). Last time was by e-mail and I was able to update them on my allergies. If you don't hear from them within a week prior, then reach out to them. They will design a menu based on those preferences but since they use very fresh ingredients, they generally won't design it too far in advance because they may not know what they'll have or be able to obtain.

I'm guessing I should eat lightly that day...I'm thinking maybe an early breakfast, nothing too much, then try to make it the rest of the day.

Oh yeah. Each course is very small but there are lots of them with lots of time in between to let you rest, finish your drink, make the next course so it really starts to add up. It's the bread courses that can kill you. They will bring your more if you want and it takes a lot of willpower for me to refuse more of that French bread but they will fill you up and the food just keeps coming.

 

[sky13]

Reading this thread is very helpful for me - OP asked quite a few of the questions I had on my mind!

I'm currently planning a solo trip and V&A is one of my bucket list meals but was worried about dining solo at V&A! So it's nice to hear that no issues with dining solo there.

I guess my concern is also trying to get a reservation, the last time I tried to get a reservation was in 2019 and couldn't get a reservation at all for my trip.

My 60-day window opens at the end of the month, so I'm hoping to make a call on this by then. I'm not sure what I'll do with my other reservations, but odds are good I just graze on beef jerky and kale chips throughout the day so I can allocate my funds towards this one...

If I actually end up reserving V&A I'll probably have to do something similar food wise! Both because of the cost but also because I know with these menus that I'll need to save lots of space for the food - last year I nearly got defeated by the CG prix fixe menu!

 

[BeachMouse1]

So we ate there a few months back. My wife has a salt intolerance as in she can’t eat anything with a high sodium content or any additional salt added. We advised them of this when they called to discuss a few days before and they said no problem. Oh and she doesnt eat red meat as will and can’t have shellfish. The waiter knew when he came to the table and they handed us our personal menus. There was one thing on there she didn’t want and the answer was “no problem these are what we can replace it with”. All her food was extremely tasty and beautiful. She did the wine paring and said all the wine was fantastic. They could not have been more accommodating so don’t worry about anything you don’t like. The meal was amazing but looooooong over 4 hours. To me worth every penny, not something we would do often but worth it. We are going next weekend going to drop into Monsieur Paul and ask if they can accommodate her food intolerance and if they can that’s our next try for September. Go enjoy it and spoil yourself

 

[Darth Insidious]

You can also go with just a soda if you desire.

I’m glad you mentioned this. My daughter really wants to go here. I’ve never been to a really fancy place and was kind of thinking I wouldn’t be able to get my usual diet soda. I’ll definitely feel less awkward with something familiar!