What are the best theme park restaurants in the world?
What is the best place to eat on a theme park vacation? Theme Park Insider readers have been rating and reviewing restaurants at top theme parks and their associated hotels, and on July 4, we will reveal the winners of the 16th annual Theme Park Insider Awards, honoring the best in-park table-service, counter-service, and hotel restaurants in the world.
We would like to invite you to make your voice heard in this year's awards. Below, we have listed the dozen or so restaurants that currently boast the highest average reader ratings in their category. Not all of these restaurants yet have gotten enough ratings to be eligible for the awards, so we'd like to get more ratings cast before the June 30 deadline.
If you have eaten at any of these restaurants in the past year, please follow the links to submit a rating. (Please rate only the restaurants you've visited!) And if you are a registered member of Theme Park Insider (registering is free, and only takes a moment), you can submit a written review and photos of your meal, if you would like.
Best Theme Park Table-Service Restaurants:
- Bistrot Chez Remy
- Carthay Circle Restaurant
- Jungle Navigation Company Skipper Canteen
- KT's Grill
- Magellan's
- Monsieur Paul
- Mythos Restaurant
- River Belle Terrace
- S.S. Columbia Dining Room
- Tiffins
- Via Napoli
- Walt's
Best Theme Park Counter-Service Restaurants:
- Columbia Harbour House
- Flame Tree Barbecue
- French Market Restaurant
- Les Halles Boulangerie and Patisserie
- Krusty Burger (Universal Studios Hollywood)
- The Leaky Cauldron
- Plaza Inn
- Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall
- Tangierine Cafe
- The Three Broomsticks (Universal Studios Hollywood)
- Voyager's Smokehouse
- Vulcania Restaurant
Best Hotel Restaurants:
- Artist Point
- Beaches and Cream Soda Shop
- Boma - Flavors of Africa
- California Grill
- Emeril's Tchoup Chop
- Jiko - The Cooking Place
- Mama Della's Ristorante
- Napa Rose
- Narcoossee's
- 'Ohana (Dinner)
- Sanaa
- Trail's End Restaurant
- Victoria and Albert's
Thank you for participating in the Theme Park Insider community, and please be sure to visit on July 4 for the awards announcement!
More Ratings and Reviews:
Replies (14)
Hi
I would probably add Ammolite @ Bell Rock Hotel @ Europa Park in the list of best hotel restaurant. 2-star restaurant.
Be Our Guest gets docked because some of their food is only ok. It kind of does not live up to its hype. I love it by the way, but I feel that I am smart with my selections. I feel the same underwhelming for the hype at Skipper Canteen which I am surprised made this list.
As somebody who has been to at least half of them, it is really hard to compare them. How can you compare Skipper Canteen to Victoria and Albert's? One is a highly themed park restaurant and the other is one of the top places to eat in the entire state of Florida.
If I were to pick from above, I would go with Via Napoli. The theming is in the middle (fun, but still a little serious) and there is literally something for everybody to eat there!
I agree Anthony. Pitting accessible sit down restaurants against Michelin Star-caliber establishments is a bit unfair. However, let's not forget that Mythos consistently won this category (over the likes of V&A, California Grill, and LeCellier), precisely because of its value, location, theming, and consistency. It's up to reviewers to be honest and fair with their evaluations, because there's no doubt that the food at V&A is among the best at any theme park resort in the world, but it will set you back hundreds of dollars, while a meal for 2 at Mythos is unlikely to exceed $100 and doesn't require you to leave the park.
There's also something to be said about atmosphere, and Be Our Guest does a very good job of providing guests an escape from the bustle of the Magic Kingdom, much like Cinderella's Royal Table without having to sell your first born male child to secure a reservation.
I would include the City walk restaurants like CowFish, NBC Grill....
I am aiming to list the CityWalk/Disney Springs/Downtown Disney restaurants on the site by this fall, so there will be a category for them in next year's awards. That also will allow us to list Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner restaurant, too, which is not in a park or a hotel, so there's currently no place for it.
And while I would love too get more ratings submitted for hotel restaurants (my reason for linking several above), let me say that I would be surprised (and disappointed) if the one that's currently the runaway leader in that category did not win the award. (I will leave it to you to guess which one that is!)
I would be hesitant to include all CityWalk/Disney Springs Restaurants. Some are just franchises that can be found in local malls. While associated with a theme park resort, those chain restaurants should not be evaluated against true themed destinations. Some of the chains have "plussed" locations in Orlando, but I think it's better that only unique locations are included in a rating (no Bubba Gump, Hard Rock Cafe, or Planet Hollywood). That's just my opinion, as some could argue that even many of the unique/semi-unique restaurants are actually part of restaurant chains/groups that operate (Emeril's, Wolfgang Puck, Mormimoto, and more). I'd just hate to see some chain restaurant be recognized because of familiarity over an attempt to offer a unique or unusual dining experience.
I would DQ the chains from the awards, but I think it's valuable to have them rated along with the original installations for trip-planning purposes, if for no other reason than providing a very convenient point of familiar comparison for visitors.
I agree with you completely Robert. They should be included for planning purposes so you can see what a location near a theme park has to offer and what reviews they have but I would take them out of any awards. I'm glad they will be there next year because Toothsome Chocolate Emporium definitely deserves to be recognized.
Done! Just left a whole bunch of reviews for ya! ;)
I agree with the anonymous poster above that Ammolite in the Bell Rock Hotel at Europa Park should probably be added. While not many people on this site have eaten there, it is a 2-star Michelin restaurant, and my meal there was superb and better than some top US Disney restaurants such as Napa Rose and California Grill.
This is the one category where my opinion is highly skewed in favor of one company over the other. I feel that Universal with its Unlimited Express Pass and Harry Potter attractions have substantially made their Orlando parks attractive in the ability to experience more rides per day, which makes for a much more fun day on high volume times of the year, but I am afraid that Disney leaves them all in the dust in the food category. Yes, Mythos is good, but it is second tier compared to even the less popular restaurants at Epcot. I had a hamburger at Kusty Burger, and it was of the quality of a public school lunch. The worst burger at MK is better. The Leaky Cauldron is fun, but the food is average. I love, love, love Universal, but their food is lacking. I am not trying to be offensive or start a flame war, I promise. The one thing I will say is that frozen butterbeer is amazing.
The 'Food Loop" at Europa Park. While not at the same level as Ammolite (not even close), it is one of the most unusual restaurants in the world. The foods pretty good too!.
What about Volcano Bay? It no doubt it has one of the best foods I have ever tried at a theme park (or water park...whatever you want to call it).
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Surprised that be our guest was not listed as everyone seems to love the table service.