I know from the site's ratings which restaurants you like inside the parks (Le Cellier Steakhouse, Tokyo Dining and The Hollywood Brown Derby), but this week I want to learn which restaurants outside the parks you think the best. [Update: I messed up and put Artist's Palette below, where I meant "Artist Point". So consider a vote for Artist's Palette a vote for Artist Point.]
FWIW, I left the Downtown Disney restaurants out of this vote because I wanted to limit it to restaurants that we do not include in our regular ratings and reviews.
I'm expecting a lively debate in the comments about these restaurants this week. Have at it!
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Its a tough one for sure! Jiko and Whispering Canyon Cafe come in close seconds for me!
I chose Jiko. Animal Kingdom Lodge is arguably one of the best hotels on property. Jiko is a Disney "signature" restaurant. The decor is cool. They have a wood fire oven in the center that bakes wonderful flatbread right in front of you if you are lucky enough to have a seat there.
Don't let the "Africa cuisine" designation scare you. I had a wonderful spicy shrimp dish. My daughter's pizza (ok, not African) was cooked in the wood fire oven. The wine selection was great, but I went with an African beer. Service was excellent as you'd expect. Worth double dining points!
I love the entire decor of Wilderness Lodge, and Artist's Point follows that beautifully...the restaurant is very elegant and very homey at the same time, with great paintings and light fixtures and furnishings that make it feel like a beautiful Rocky Mountain restaurant..and I love that the menu has so many unique dishes....when I ate there I had quail, buffalo, and an excellent dessert....I love this place!
Whispering Canyon gets my vote for the most interesting choice - what a way to wake up.
I will say that the Boardwalk has the best food overall. Flying Fish, Spoodles, and ESPN Club are good places and all in one place.
What makes Whispering Canyon so great is its a good family resturant with some excellent food.
Still, my vote goes for Yachtsman. The finest steaks in Disney World.
I was going to say Jiko, but I've really only been there twice. For decor and mood, it's certainly a keeper, but I really think that Boma is more my style. Being able to sample all those different foods really makes it well worth the price. And I love the African Curry Stew (which you can also get at the Mara downstairs). So, Boma, you've got my vote.
Kona Cafe's citrus salad and bananna crème brûlée almost made me vote that way instead. Artist's Point has excellent food, but it felt too bright and open. It made it feel cafeteria-esque in a way.
Really there's so much to be said about resort dining. I've never really had a bad experience.
$100 is just about the bare minimum you can expect to spend there and that doesn't even include a relatively decent bottle of wine and the cheapest dessert.
Order the Chateau Breon for two and you will never eat in the parks again!
The only thing really better than this is Palo!
Had Tchoup Chop at Universal's Royal Pacific been on the list then that would have got my vote for being one of the better restaurants inside or outside of any of the Parks.
But it's limited to WDW Resorts so it's Citricos for me.
Flying Fish Cafe rates a close second.
Anyhow, eliminating those Signature spots, I chose the relatively new "The Wave" inside the Contemporary Hotel. Maybe because it was my first night after a day of car/plane/bus travel, but I found the food to be incredible with an interesting variety and relatively reasonable prices. I had the braised lamb shank, which was absolutely perfect. It was the start to a great park-hopping, good-eating (but extremely cold and wet) week-long visit.
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Only minus is the kids coconut race bashing you in the ankles if you have a rinkside table...