Experience the Victorian Charm and Delicacies at the Grand Floridian Cafe

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has not one, not two or even three, but five table service restaurants on the resort property!  The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is home to Victoria & Albert’s, Citricos, Narcoossee’s,  1900 Park Fare and the Grand Floridian Cafe.  Today, I’ll be reviewing our meal at one of those restaurants, the Grand Floridian Cafe.

Our “home away from home” while staying at the Walt Disney World Resort is the Caribbean Beach Resort, so in order to get to the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, we took the bus to the Magic Kingdom.  From there, we had two options: 1) take the boat to the Grand Floridian, or; 2) take the monorail to the resort which is the option that we chose.  The monorail station at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is on the second floor of the resort.

While I know that this is a restaurant review, I have to mention how beautiful the Grand Floridian is.   Immediately upon stepping inside, you’ll feel as if you have stepped back into the Victorian days.  The ceilings are high, the scrollwork is ornate and the stained glass is gorgeous!

Grand Floridian-Picture by Lisa McBride

Grand Floridian -Picture by Lisa McBride

Even the marble floor is beautiful!

Grand Floridian-Picture by Lisa McBride

If you’d like to see more of the stunning Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Christen F. wrote about her stay there in her article Ain’t Life Grand? Vacationing at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa that posted here on the Magical DIStractions site in December 2014.

Let’s get back to the restaurant review, shall we?  The Grand Floridian Cafe is located on the first floor toward the back of the main building.  The entrance is to your left if you enter from the monorail station.  The dinner service at the Grand Floridian Cafe began at 5:00 p.m. on the evening we were there and we were one of the first parties to be seated.  The colors used when decorating the restaurant give it a bright and airy feel.  Table decorations are simple, having only a vase with a fresh cut rose and your silverware and napkin.  Simple and elegant.

Grand Floridian Cafe-Picture by Lisa McBride

As soon as we were seated, our waiter came to our table to give us our menus and take our drink orders.  We were on the Disney Dining Plan and, although we were familiar with the way that it worked, we appreciated the fact that he explained what was included with the plan.  This would have been extremely helpful for those using the plan for the first time.

It didn’t take us long to decide what entrees that we’d like to order and our waiter was quick to put in the order for us.  In the meantime, he brought out a basket of rolls.  If memory serves me correctly, there were two different kinds of rolls with one being a slightly sweet roll with currants baked inside:

Grand Floridian Cafe-Picture by Lisa McBride

The 5:00 p.m. dining reservation time definitely worked in our favor as our entrees came out of the kitchen in no time at all.  My husband had chosen the Shrimp & Grits: Jumbo Shrimp with Chorizo and Fennel served on top of Creamy Mascarpone Cheese Grits.

Grand Floridian Cafe-Picture by Lisa McBride

Our son’s entree selection was the New York Strip Steak which is normally served with herb roasted potatoes and broccolini. However, he asked if he could substitute fries instead of the roasted potatoes.  They were more than happy to accommodate him.

Grand Floridian Cafe-Picture by Lisa McBride

I chose the Grilled Pork Chop with mashed sweet potatoes and asparagus.  While doing research for this article, I noticed on the Walt Disney World site that the sides have changed and the pork chop now comes with wild mushroom and goat cheese spoon bread, seasonal vegetable, and an apple-brandy sauce.

Grand Floridian Cafe-Picture by Lisa McBride

With the exception of my not caring for the al dente asparagus, we enjoyed every single bite of our meals.  The shrimp and grits were creamy and delicious.  The steak and pork chop were tender and juicy.  The entrees were simply fantastic!  Had we left without sampling any of the desserts, we would have still been extremely satisfied.  But who in their right mind would not order dessert?  Especially since it’s included on the Disney Dining Plan.

During our visit, the dessert menu included Sorbet with Fresh Fruit and a Lemon Cheesecake Dome.   Unfortunately, the picture of the Boston Cream Pie that my husband ordered is too blurry to share.

Grand Floridian Cafe-Picture by Lisa McBride

Grand Floridian Cafe-Picture by Lisa McBride

The Grand Floridian Cafe desserts are a bit on the small side but, after having such a filling meal, that was not an issue for us.  I’m sure that is exactly what Disney was thinking when they came up with the menu.   As with the entrees, we were happy with each of our dessert choices.  The entire meal was fantastic and our server was exceptional!

I would not hesitate recommending the Grand Floridian Cafe to anyone looking for “casual American dining” (excerpt from the Walt Disney World website) and a great meal.   They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Reservations are recommended and can be made up to 180 days prior to your visit. For more information regarding Advance Dining Reservations, click here.

DIStracted Tip:  Gluten free and vegetarian options are available upon request.