Lots of people have opinions about the “best” restaurants at Disney World. Signature restaurants like California Grill, Topolino’s Terrace, Flying Fish and Tiffins are often mentioned on “best of” lists.
For us, though, our favorite places are simply the ones we tend to gravitate toward. Some would easily make any food critic’s “Best of Disney” list. Others offer a reliable break from the hubbub of the parks. Our faves tend to be a bit casual and offer great variety. They’re places you can go over and over and not get tired of them—we know because we have, and we haven’t.
Because we live so close to Disney World and frequent many of Disney’s restaurants, we definitely have a bit of a bias toward the newest places. But a couple of our favorites have been around for a long time.
Admittedly, our 5 favorites change all the time. So here’s what they are today, but who knows what it will look like next month.
- The Boathouse: This restaurant at Disney Springs could definitely be on any list of best restaurants at Disney World. It has been a favorite of ours since it opened. Whether we walk in and sit on the dock for weekend brunch or bring a big group of friends for dinner, it never disappoints. Although it specializes in fish, it also has fantastic steaks. Bonus: you can make a filling meal out of an appetizer for dinner on a budget—say, filet sliders with fries or a big, beautiful salad. Boathouse reservations can be hard to get through the Disney app, but they’re usually easy to get on OpenTable.com. Walking in’s also pretty easy, as long as you don’t go at prime time on a weekend.
- Satu’li Canteen: The quick service restaurant in Animal Kingdom’s Pandora is almost always our go-to at Animal Kingdom—and that’s saying something when the Nomad Lounge is right around the corner. Satu’li Canteen has a brief menu that has more variety than it seems. You choose a base—salad, noodles, rice and beans or sweet potato hash—and top it with meat or tofu. There’s also an Ocean Moon Bowl, which is similar to a tuna poke bowl, and it’s fresh and tasty. The restaurant also has ample indoor seating, which is imperative in the summertime. (If you don’t know the Nomad Lounge, it’s next door to Tiffins and boasts a wraparound porch where you can get cozy on a couch for cocktails and small bites. Just a little bit of paradise.)
- Plaza restaurant: For us, Magic Kingdom is the worst park for food, with the possible exception of the jalapeno cheddar stuffed pretzel. It seems stuck in the age of burgers and hotdogs, and not in a good way. We used to make a bee-line for Pecos Bill’s for good Tex-Mex, but it has never been the same since the demise of the toppings bar post-Covid. As a result of our Magic Kingdom dining malaise, we have recently rediscovered this tiny restaurant near the hub that feels like Walt Disney might walk in at any moment. The decor says Grandma’s sunroom, and the menu is chock-full of classics, including pot roast, meatloaf and a chef’s salad (there’s lighter fare too). Best of all: You can often get on the walk-up list when every other sit-down restaurant in the park is full. But get on the list early; it fills up fast.
- Rosa Mexicano: The new Mexican eatery at the Dolphin is an offshoot of a popular New York restaurant. It offers what it calls a “fresh take on authentic Mexican cuisine,” and its a terrific addition to the Disney dining scene. A few highlights from the extensive menu: an an extensive menu of specialty cocktails; four varieties of guacamole made made fresh at your table; a savory Mexican-style mixed grill to be shared by your table; and a menu of irresistible enchiladas (beef brisket is my favorite, but if you can’t decide, you can try a sampler). Because it’s at the Dolphin, it’s a little off the beaten path, but you can take a boat from either Epcot or Hollywood Studios or walk from any of the resorts on Crescent Lake. If you don’t find a reservation available on the Disney app, you can book it on OpenTable.
- Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya: Another new entry, Shiki-Sai replaced Tokyo Dining in the Japan pavilion at Epcot last summer and may be best described as Japanese tapas. We love it for its variety—you can order anything from sushi to skewers and noodle dishes. It’s a terrific choice for a big group, because you can linger over shareable dishes along with beautiful cocktails (the Shochu Squeeze is served with half a grapefruit or orange, whichever you prefer). It will take us many visits to work our way through the whole menu. The restaurant also has spectacular views of Epcot’s World Showcase Lagoon. If your table is toward the back of the restaurant, you’ll have a “view” of the changing seasons in a large digital screen. It’s not the easiest place to get into for dinner, so try to make reservations a couple of weeks in advance.
If you’re looking for something a bit simpler, ere’s a look at our favorite Disney World quick service restaurants.
