After news came out that the Morocco Pavilion would be handing over control of all locations in the pavilion to Disney by the end of the year, all eyes shifted for a moment to the lavish pavilion in EPCOT’s World Showcase. All restaurants in the pavilion will soon be controlled by Disney including Tangierine Cafe, Restaurant Marrakesh, and  Spice Road Table.Â
Speaking of Spice Road Table, this location has always been a bit of a hidden gem but…we haven’t BEEN here in a long time! We first reviewed it back in 2014 and haven’t written about it too much since! Let’s check back in on this comfy little location in the Morocco Pavilion and see what we’ve been missing.
Atmosphere
Spice Road Table includes both indoor and outdoor seating surrounded by decor that is, as Disney describes, “inspired by outdoor cafés from the Moroccan seaside.”
We checked in with Mobile Dine Check-In, which has become a standard procedure at table service restaurants across Disney World. This way, you avoid the podium altogether and check-in on your phone then you are free to stroll around the pavilion while you wait for a text that your table is ready.
When you first enter, you’ll be greeted by a large ornate bar with loads of deep blue and gold details.
Inside, you’ll find lots of cozy booths along the restaurant’s wall as well as free-standing tables, many of which are near the giant windows opposite the wall of booths.
If you opt to dine al fresco, Spice Road Table has a great patio as well.
Since it was 1000 degrees on the day we dined, we preferred to sit indoors! If you eat inside and aren’t eyeing one of those comfy booths, ask if a window view table is available — they offer fantastic views of World Showcase lagoon.
When fireworks are a part of evenings in EPCOT (they’re on hold for the time being), this is one of select locations that offer a prime table service view while you dine.
Once we picked our jaws up from the floor at that STUNNER of a view, we scanned the QR code located on our table…
…to read the menu and decide what we were gonna eat!
Eats
Remember that bar we mentioned? They make a lot of drinks — and pretty unique ones, at that! Their Signature Cocktails and Aperitifs menu features mixed drinks, Spice Road’s housemade Sangrias, and some unique pre-dining sips from a number of countries. This is also a great location for eclectic beer-drinkers in your group. You’ll find brews from a number of Mediterranean countries here.
The restaurant also features a hearty wine list as well.
The menu at Spice Road Table leans more Mediterranean than it does traditional Moroccan. You might spot influences from countries like Greece, Spain, and more. Keep in mind that, like many restaurants around Disney World, they have a slightly limited menu right now. First up, you’ll find a selection of assorted Small Plates meant for sharing with the table.
The Entrees have a relatively small but interesting selection, and the Dessert menu has a few unique options as well.
While Spice Road Table has an impressive wine (and Sangria) list to order from, we opted to try one of their cocktails on this visit instead! The Mediterranean Journey is a mixture of Cointreau, Peach Vodka, and Orange Juice topped with Grenadine for $14.95. This drink was a tad on the sweet side, but whether you prefer your drinks sweet or not, it was quite delicious and strong!
The star of the show for many here is the Small Plates. If you embrace the idea of sharing a bunch of small bites with your group, you can get a really robust, fun meal out of dining here. We’ve tried most of the Small Plates here in the past so we went with the classic this time: Hummus and Olives! This signature dish comes with Traditional Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, and Marinated Olives with Cornichons (AKA itty bitty pickles), as well as Zaatar Pita Bread to dip in all the goodness!
OK, we LIKE hummus but we don’t typically go CRAZY for hummus. THIS hummus? CRAZY delicious. We found ourselves wishing we could come back here every time we visit EPCOT just to beg the restaurant to fill a big to-go cup with it so we could just keep eating it at home, in our car, at the DMV, at the gas station…you get the picture. For $12.95Â this is a stellar appetizer.
Plus, we don’t feel TOO bad loading up on hummus. It’s healthy, right?! (Sure, if you don’t count all the olive oil drizzled on top and the scoops of tahini used to make it!) It fills you up without you feeling like you’re eating something too heavy.Â
Also, can we talk about the generous serving of bread for dipping? THANK YOU, Spice Road, for hooking us up with enough bread 🙌. So many locations give you a couple little croutons for dipping and call it a day. Here they’re like, “Here’s enough bread to feed a minivan full of people. Enjoy!”
Would the main course measure up? We ordered the Coriander-crusted Rack of Lamb to find out! First of all, just appreciate how gorgeous this plate of lamb is:
The lamb comes served with Saffron Basmati Rice, Roasted Tomatoes, Zucchini, and a lightly spiced (but not spicy) Au Jus for $36.95. We’ve had our fair share of meals in World Showcase over the years, and this is one of our favorite entrees we’ve had in a LONG time in EPCOT!
The coriander coating had a bit of a spicy kick to it that complimented the lamb really well. If you don’t know the flavor of coriander off the top of your head, it’s kind of a bright, almost citrusy flavor. It had the perfect level of saltiness too that formed a phenomenal crust on the meat.
Forewarning though — you gotta like lamb, obviously, to appreciate this entree. If you’re not a fan of the gamier flavor of this meat, maybe stick to the Mix Grill Skewers, with the more approachable combo of beef and chicken.
The veggies were really fresh and well-seasoned. The rice wasn’t all that special on its own but when you combined the components on the plate, it made for a really well-rounded, flavorful bite.Â
We weren’t done with Spice Road Table just yet! Everything was SO good, we couldn’t help ourselves but order more food 😂😂. Rather than go for dessert, we hopped back over to the Small Plates menu and ordered some Fried Calamari.
The calamari itself was well seasoned and was the perfect texture. It was not at all chewy and the breading gave it a nice bite and crunch! The breading also had a fair bit of seasoning to it as well, which was unexpected and nice. This dish comes served with spicy Harissa and Caper Aïoli Sauces. For $13.95, this was another home run dish. Like the lamb though, you gotta be into eating squid to enjoy this.
That gives Spice Road Table a solid 4 out of 4 on the scorecard. Not too shabby for a location that hasn’t even had the chance to stand the test of time like other iconic World Showcase restaurants!
Nosh or Not
Consider dining at Spice Road Table if:
- You’re big into Mediterranean-inspired food and tapas
- You want your dinner to come with a side of a jaw-dropping view.
- You’re interested in trying something new and breaking your old habits of visiting the same World Showcase restaurants over and over again.
You may want to skip Spice Road Table if:
- You have pickier eaters in your party; while the food here is STELLAR, it may be a turn-off to those looking for safer bets like burgers or pizza.
- You want your meal to be quick and on-the-go so you’re back exploring the parks lickety-split.
- You’re on a tight food budget. While this location is far from the most expensive options in the park, if you’re a party of adults that are of drinking age, the bill could add up pretty fast.
Overall
OK, first a bit of bad news: as of right now, reservations can’t be made at Spice Road Table after December 9th. It’s possible this could be due to the transition over to Disney operations (remember, they announced it would happen before the end of the year!). Tangierine Cafe and Restaurant Marrakesh are both currently closed, so closing down Spice Road Table for a time may be necessary as they hand things over. We’ll keep an eye on this location to see when they resume accepting reservations — we want to get back soon for more hummus 😉.
We left scratching our heads wondering, “why don’t we eat at Spice Road Table more often?!” Our meal was outstanding. It was one of the best meals we’ve had at a table service restaurant in EPCOT in a long time. That is some HIGH praise considering World Showcase has iconic eats like Via Napoli, Le Cellier, and Chefs de France. We admit we’ve been guilty of overlooking Spice Road Table in favor of the more well-known heavy hitters in EPCOT in the past, but this meal showed us that this restaurant deserves more love.
Between the stunning views and equally memorable food, it should be a top contender when we decide where we want to eat on our EPCOT days. The food has more exotic flavors than you’ll find at most table service spots but that’s part of the appeal. The unique Mediterranian spices and combinations here are what make this spot special. This isn’t where you go for a burger or chicken nuggets. You come here for an experience in the flavors of other cultures. And that, right there, is a big part of why World Showcase is here in the first place.
Click here to read a recent review of another one of our long-time favorite table service restaurants at EPCOT!
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What is your favorite table service restaurant in EPCOT? Let us know in the comments!
Maggie says
Morocco pavilion is underrated food wise. Restaurant Marrakesh is hands down one of the best sleeper hits! Hope it reopens soon.