Where to make one ADR in Epcot?

[COscrapper]

We will be at Epcot during F&W for our first (and probably only) trip to Disney World. We have 2 Epcot days scheduled during our trip, and plan on mostly eating at the F&W booths. However, there are so many cool-looking restaurants at world showcase, we thought it would be nice to have one sit-down meal there (probably in the evening when the F&W booths are busier). We are a family of 4 (2 boys, ages 11 and 6), and are interested in the places with unique atmosphere that we can't experience elsewhere, but we also do not want to pay a ton of money for BAD food. We already have a character meal planned somewhere else, so characters are not important either.

Initially, I was set on Biergarten...love that it's a buffet (perfect for the kids) and has entertainment...but I'm now reconsidering after looking up the price. It will cost us a ridiculous amount of money to eat there, and maybe we won't be that hungry after lunching at F&W? Plus, we are German and have a couple of GREAT German restaurants at home (one which has been featured on Food Network and has its own oompah band entertainment). The kids love the pictures of San Angel Inn, and while it looks very cool inside, I am concerned about the food. Normally I don't worry about a bad review here and there, but the recent review done on Dis Unplugged was just horrible! Even the pictures of the food looked really really bad...for just about everything they ordered! Nothing worse than paying Disney prices on a meal that you don't even want to eat, right? I suppose we could always just order margaritas and dessert or something?

Is there another neat dinner experience we should consider? What about Marrakesh with the belly dancing? How's the food there? We are adventurous so ethnic foods are fine...we have lots of the hibachi-type cook-at-the-table Japanese places at home, so we're not doing Teppan Edo. Maybe we should just stick with Biergarten?

 

[biondagirl]

I love the Biergarten, Via Napoli (many years ago) and Teppan Edo. We are not adventurous eaters, so we have never done Marrakesh or Les Chefs de France. The kids loved the ambiance of the Coral Reef, but not the food they selected.

I would love to hear what others think of San Angel Inn. I've always wanted to try it.

 

[revdon64]

Can't top the view at Coral Reef. Rose and Crown is good and you can sit at a table outside overlooking the water.

 

[loves to dive]

If your kids are adventurous, Marrakesh is definitely a good place. The atmosphere is great and we love the food. While I don't hate the food at San Angel, it has seemed to gone down hill in the past few years and the service is less than stellar.

 

[wdw&sonny]

We love San Angel. The atmosphere of dusk with the outdoor market is wonderful. We love to take the slow boat ride before our meal as if we are traveling to the restaurant by boat. We find the food to be delicious. We have 2 boys (now 21 and 18) but we dined there several times when they were younger. We find it to be a bit more reasonably priced as we often share a couple appetizers and share a couple entrees between four of us. That way we get to sample a wide variety, not overeat, or over pay for food we don't like. The chips and salsa and a cool drink alone, can be a nice meal.

I would also second the vote for Via Napoli. The atmosphere is nothing great. But it can be fun to watch the chefs prepare the pizza and see the ovens.
The pizza is a large, thin crust. Very tasty, if you like pizza. And, again can be a more affordable meal if you just share a pizza and save dessert for later.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

San Angel is not Americanized Mexican food or even Tex-Mex, but real flavors one would find in Mexico City. My wife and I liked it, my kids not so much. Coral Reef has always been a favorite of ours too. We did biegarten 2 trips ago and did not like it much. I'd look at the menus and see if you can find a place that everyone can find something they would like. Could always go to Italy and have pizza !

 

[_auroraborealis_]

What about Spice Road Table? It tends to be forgotten. It shouldn't be.

 

[emsstacey]

We love Via Napoli and it's very affordable compared to most Table Service, especially if you share a pizza!

 

[Acrosthec]

I loved Marrakesh! As far as theming goes, it is top-notch, and the food was very good. Biergarten is the only other restaurant that I think is themed as well...but if you already have German restaurants you visit locally with an oompah band, I would pass. Since you're going during F&W, I would also avoid a buffet in case you are not all that hungry.

We ate at Chefs de France in December, and it was delicious. However, the theme did not translate so well and it seemed to be an over-crowded restaurant. I'm sure a lot of that was due to the timing of the Christmas activities, but you may run into similar problems during F&W.

 

[Mainemama]

Nooooo to Marrakesh... Cold, greasy food, horribly loud music, freezing AC, and servers rushing like crazy. I didn't like it. Can you tell? San Angel, on the other hand, was fantastic! My picky and not picky kids loved it. The margharita (avocado) is worth a trip alone. But my meal (chef Combinacion) was wonderful, too. The atmosphere was fun, but you can get a feel for it just by visiting the Pavillion and stopping at La Cava. If I could only do 1 ADR, I would choose a restaurant that would take me to another country's Pavillion. Biergarten fits that description (I have not been, as we aren't buffet people.) we love Tokyo Dining and Tutto Italia.

 

[lovin'fl]

No Marrakesh...we did that with our kids and they hated the food as did we...bland and dry.
My kids have always liked Biergarten. It's a must-do for us.
They like San Angel but the food is so-so.
They did not like Rose and Crown and Teppan Edo is much like any Japanese at home but not as good even (and more expensive).
They LOVE Coral Reef but that's not in the WS.
We liked Spice Road Table, DH and DS-18 and I but DDs-16 at the time did not like it. Picky eaters.
They all loved Chefs De France too...the Prix Fixe meal. DH loved it too but I was meh.
My DDs-15 at the time and I and my mom did Akershus...too pricey and some food was icky (but one of my DDs REALLY liked it).
We all LOVE Le Cellier...LOVE it but haven't been since it was mad a signature.

 

[ariane37]

I'm going to be another vote for Marrakesh. DH and I went there in March 2015, loved it, and went back with our boys last Nov. They both loved it also and it was older DS14's first request for our trip this Nov.
The belly dancing is cute; my boys were NOT interested in joining lol but she does take kids and "teach" them after she does her thing. Right before she comes out 2 musicians play for a bit, too. The inside of the restaurant is absolutely beautiful with lots of tilework.

A pp mentioned Tokyo Dining. DH and I went there for the first time this past Jan. and were completely surprised by how good the food was and how much we enjoyed it, and now we're taking the boy there on our next trip! No inside entertainment but if you time your reservation right, you get a wonderful view of Illuminations from their balcony

 

[dachsie]

Via Napoli is probably the best cost wise, but remember, if you make a ADR somewhere not a buffet, you can always order off the appetizer menu if you are not as hungry as you thought

 

[COscrapper]

Thanks so much for the replies - lots of different opinions, as usual. Since our priority is eating somewhere with a neat atmosphere/experience, there are a few I can eliminate just because we have similar things at home:
Teppan Edo - been to plenty of this type of place
Via Napoli - we live in a city with a very competitive pizza market; it is actually known as the toughest place in the country to open a pizza place and thus a great test market, so we have great pizza everywhere, including places where the kids can watch the cooks make it and toss the dough
Coral Reef - we used to live in Denver and ate at the Aquarium there many times (same set up as Coral Reef - may even be owned by the same company - landry's?)

So as far as a unique atmosphere/experience, I guess that leaves us with Biergarten (although we do have great German places here too), San Angel Inn, and Marrakesh. I will look into Spice Road Table and Tokyo Dining too. Any other places that are highly recommended? Rose and Crown looks ok although not overly interesting, unless we go for the illuminations view? I would go for SAI right away if I wasn't concerned about bad food (our boys really want to go there)....hmmmm

 

[GaryDis]

I believe that Coral Reef is Disney owned. In any event, it gets very mixed reviews. I've only been there once or twice, over ten year ago, and all I can recall is that I have no desire to go back. I expect a seafood restaurant to have excellent fish, and theirs was mediocre. I also expect a Florida seafood restaurant to have more fin fish variety.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Of the ones on your short list, I would do Tokyo Dining or Spice Road. The atmosphere and service at Tokyo is excellent, though the sushi isn't as good as it used to be. Spice Road has better food.

For much better food, you may want to consider heading over to Swan/Dolphin and go to Kimonos or bluezoo. The food is far far better at the Swan/Dolohin restaurants.

Also, if you are trying to be budget concious, you may want to consider the QS in Morocco and France - both excellent.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I didn't want to eat at SAI due to all the bad reviews, but it was the one place DH insisted on. It was fantastic, the food was great, the setting was wonderful. Best meal of the trip in 2014. It's at the top of my list whenever we next go back even though I usually prefer to try new places. Get the blood orange margarita, it was amazing.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Based on your short list, I'd go with San Angel. The atmosphere is unique and beautiful, yummy margaritas, and if you're too full from the F&W sampling, you can always go with shared appetizers.

I was very pleasantly surprised by Marrakesh. Granted I had low expectations going in but I thought the food was very good. There is the belly dancer but otherwise I didn't love the atmosphere... Beautiful tile work but very loud and almost cafeteria-like (to me).

 

[andera42]

Not Marakesh. I took my kids and that was the only restaurant they disliked out of the whole trip.

 

[PSUGuy]

Don't know your price range but consider the Cape May seafood buffet the the Beach Club. It's a very short stroll from the IG, great food selection, not just seafood, kid friendly based on our several visits there. In about 8 days we'll be booking 2 nights on our F&W trip in Oct.

Bill From PA