Don’t let Disney World fool you — there are plenty of places to dine FANCY.

Disney has a host of “signature” restaurants that definitely feel like a step above the regular table service meal. These restaurants serve some pretty pricey eats, but they’re often known for having some of the most spectacular food across Disney World. So is it worth it to plan a signature meal? Recently, we stopped by one of the most popular spots to see if it lives up to the hype!

Throughout the 50th Anniversary celebrations at Disney World, California Grill had a special limited-time menu. But now that the anniversary is over, we headed to Disney’s Contemporary Resort to visit again and try out the updated offerings!

Atmosphere

To start, you should know that California Grill is located on the 15th floor of the Contemporary Resort. You’ll check in on the second floor, where you’ll then take a private elevator up to the top.

The inside of this restaurant just feels a little ritzy with the white tablecloths and the floor-to-ceiling windows. It definitely makes your dinner seem special!

And of course, you get a spectacular view of Magic Kingdom out of those windows. The view is what really makes this restaurant (and subsequently your meal) feel extra special.

Come fireworks time, you can get an amazing view of Magic Kingdom’s nighttime show out the windows!

But if you want to take it up a notch, you can also step outside to the fireworks viewing area. This area is exclusive to those who had California Grill dining reservations, and you can watch the whole park come alive while the music is piped in over the speakers.

If we had to choose a restaurant based on the view alone, we’d be hard-pressed to choose anywhere other than California Grill!

Menu

Let’s take a look at that menu! We warned you that signature restaurants are pricey, but to illustrate that point, we’ll let you know that California Grill costs $89 per adult and $39 per child. Those prices don’t include tax and gratuity. Those over 21 can also order the signature wine pairing for $39 or the deluxe wine pairing for $69.

This is a three-course prix-fixe meal, so you’ll choose from a list of available appetizers, entrees, and desserts. For apps, they have various sushi options, as well as Black Truffle Pizza, Braised Beef Short Rib Wontons, a Strawberry and Raspberry Salad, or the iconic Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli.

When you move on to the entrees, you can order the Oak-fired Filet of Beef, the Fire-Roasted Venison, the Florida Black Grouper, the Cast Iron-grilled Pork Tenderloin, the Saffron Risotto, the Pan-seared All-Natural Chicken, the Black Sea Bass, or the Wagyu Strip Loin. Lots of options there!

Thought one dinner was enough for us? We are Disney FOOD Blog after all…Come join us at California Grill as we try out their new menu! pic.twitter.com/jywmDpQDyq

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) April 2, 2023

And finally, for dessert, they have five choices. There’s the Valrhona Ganache Torte, the Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake, the Peanut and Banana Torte, the Chef’s Selection of California Cheeses, or the Citrus Creme Brulee. YUM!

Eats

Now that we’ve been over the basics, let’s dig in! We started our meal with the bread service, which was surprisingly interesting! This bread was a sourdough with just enough sourness to not be overwhelming.

The outside of the bread has a kind of crackly crust that is very satisfying, but the inside is soft and pillowy. The butter is high quality and smooth with some salt on it, and it’s a good complement to the bread. The topping that comes alongside the butter is olive oil with green onion, tomato, and garlic. The garlic flavor isn’t too strong, but combining this with the butter and adding it to the bread is the PERFECT way to eat it all. Several great flavors come out, and you can taste how nice that olive oil is.

Now that we’ve had our bread, it’s time for the appetizers! We started with the Goat Cheese Ravioli, which is a California Grill classic. It had tons of creamy and delicious goat cheese packed into a perfectly al dente ravioli. It’s incredibly rich and even though it’s only one ravioli, it’s a pretty solid portion.

You get dried mushrooms on the side, which oddly enough, reminded us of the taste of Pringles…but in a good way! There are also regular mushrooms underneath the ravioli itself, and they were very meaty and had some great umami. All in all, both are good complements to the ravioli itself.

If you’re a fan of goat cheese and pasta, we definitely recommend trying this out since it’s one of the menu items that California Grill is known for! It wasn’t available on the 50th Anniversary tasting menu, so we’re glad to see it back!

Up next, the return of a fan-favorite…the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli! It’s Basil-Saffron Pasta, Tomato Broth, Mushroom Ragoût, and Fennel. pic.twitter.com/iPGFs26HO7

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) April 2, 2023

The other appetizer we ordered was the Strawberry and Raspberry Salad. And in all honesty, it was one of the BEST salads we’ve ever eaten. This plant-based dish is made with Marcona almond-cocoa ‘Soil’, strawberry variations, shaved radish, and whipped raspberry vinaigrette.

The whipped raspberry vinaigrette didn’t have much vinegar flavor, so the whole salad ended up having a sweeter flavor palette.

The “soil” tasted like very expensive chocolate-covered almonds, and all the flavors of the salad mixed really beautifully together. It’s almost like a dessert salad!

Up first, the Strawberry and Raspberry Salad! This has Marcona Almond-Cocoa 'Soil', Strawberry Variations, Shaved Radish, and Whipped Raspberry Vinaigrette making it a plant-based option. pic.twitter.com/RuhR99jJT5

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) April 2, 2023

Moving on to the entrees, we ordered the Saffron Risotto. We were expecting it to have some Italian flavors, but it’s made with harissa-honey nut squash and spiced hummus chermoula so it ended up reminding us more of Mediterranean or Indian cuisine.

The squash was served in dollops on top and tasted like standard squash, but we thought the whole entree was delicious. It was the largest portion of any of the things we ordered throughout the night.

The second entree we got was the Fire-roasted Venison served with hasselback potatoes, leek soubise, artichoke barigoule, and ramp pesto. This venison was incredibly tender — even though it was somewhat difficult to cut with the knife, it was easy to chew. It was packed with flavor and the car on the outside was delicious.

The sauces served with it were the perfect complement to a heavy cut of meat, and we particularly liked the balsamic sauce. The potatoes were good and adorable, but they weren’t too different than your run-of-the-mill, well-salted potatoes. The artichoke was very acidic, but we really enjoyed it.

Overall, we would order this again, and we think it rivals the filet of beef, which tends to be California Grill’s most popular entree. Check it out the next time you’re there!

Our second entrée was the Fire-roasted Venison with Hasselback Potatoes, Leek Soubise, Artichoke Barigoule, and Ramp Pesto. pic.twitter.com/FSGTftMyrZ

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) April 2, 2023

For dessert, we ordered the Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake, which is served with chevre whip, meringue, blueberry foam, and blueberry gel. It’s so light that we would almost describe it as eating flavorful air. The cake is very high quality and you get a good tartness from the lemon while having a sweetness from the blueberry.

All in all, it’s a delicious dessert, but it’s essentially like eating a really good wedding cake. There are other desserts that we would choose over this one, unless you’re a huge fan of lemon cake.

And finally, our last food item was the Peanut and Banana Torte, which is plant-based. It’s made with shortbread, peanut ganache, miso caramel, nut crumble, and caramelized bananas. Sounds yummy!

The caramel is topped with sea salt which gives a really delicious sweet and savory flavor combination, and the peanut ganache is very soft…almost like a more solid pudding. There are several little toppings that you can mix and match to get various flavor combinations on this dessert, and we really enjoyed the variety because of it. It was absolutely delicious!

So what did we think of our meal overall?

Overall

If you’re hoping to have a special meal in Disney World that comes with a stunning view, there aren’t many places better than California Grill. You can taste the quality in the ingredients of the food here, and the flavors are different than what you might expect, but almost always delicious. There wasn’t anything we tried that we disliked, really.

Keep in mind that this meal is pretty pricey, so we don’t always recommend it (especially if you’re on a budget). But it might be a great choice for an anniversary, a birthday, or some other special occasion. Adding in that fireworks view makes it truly spectacular!

Nosh or Not?

Ride to the top of the Contemporary and dine if…

• You’re celebrating something special and want an equally special meal. This meal is like the crown jewel of special occasion meals (for those who don’t want to shell out the $$$ for Victoria & Albert’s at the Grand Floridian). It’s really a night you won’t forget!
• You want a fireworks view while you dine. There are other places where you can catch a view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks, but none are as perfect as the one you get at California Grill.
• You’re looking for some very high-quality food. The ingredients are top tier and the flavors are all on point. You can really taste the care that the chefs put into this meal!

Skip the view and dine elsewhere if…

• You’re on a budget. As we said above, this isn’t a cheap meal! If you have a large party, you could easily spend hundreds of dollars here and that money might be better spent on a nicer hotel or more park tickets — it’s ultimately up to you but it’s not a budget-friendly choice.
• You’re not ready to step out of your comfort zone for food. Some of the best items on the menu here are things that are unusual and outside-the-box. If you’re a really picky eater or you’re a chicken tenders and fries kind of person, this may not be the meal for you.
• You don’t have the time. Because this is a three-course meal and it’s at a hotel, it moves at a more leisurely pace than other Disney restaurants. Don’t book this on a day where you’re busy and you’ll be busting in all sweaty from the parks then trying to rush through it to get back for the fireworks. Take your time!

That’s our full review of California Grill! We’ll continue to share our thoughts on the dining locations all around Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB.

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Have you ever been to California Grill? Tell us in the comments!