When you think of Walt Disney World, the first things that come to your mind generally are things like Cinderella Castle, theme parks, and Mickey Mouse. However, Disney World is not just for the children! Sometimes you are ready to take your significant other away from the hustle and bustle, loud crowds, and children. Maybe you are even planning an adults-only trip in the future. Whatever your plans are, if you are preparing for a nice romantic dinner with your sweetie, we have three top suggestions for you!
Cítricos
Tucked away in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, you will find one of many restaurants that are worthy of your visit. It goes without saying that the MICHELIN star-rated Victoria & Albert’s is the most famous restaurant at the resort but, just keeping it real, we haven’t been able to afford that one. One of our favorite date night restaurants, however, is literally right next door. Welcome to Cítricos!
This restaurant has a Mary Poppins Returns-inspired decor while serving what is described by Disney as “Florida cuisine with Mediterranean Flavors”. This dinner-only spot has things on the menu such as steak, chicken, sustainable fish, and more. You can also expect a decent amount of specialty cocktails and wines. This is an upscale atmosphere and, as one of Disney’s Signature restaurants, you will want to dress nicely (think business casual; no swimwear). However, it is not so stuffy of an eatery to make most people feel out of place. It is nice place to spend with your honey, without seeing and hearing screaming children running up and down the aisle.
Jiko – The Cooking Place
One of the biggest selling points of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, outside of the animals, is their top-tier restaurants. So there should be no surprise that their Signature restaurant made our list of top restaurants for a romantic date night. Jiko serves a blend of traditional African, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisine. As such, this is a great place to take a date if you would like to try something a little more adventurous.
This is another dinner-only establishment with a menu boasting things such as steak, lamb shank, peri-peri chicken, short-rib, and more… all with traditional spices found throughout the aforementioned regions. The icing on the cake, however, is Jiko’s extensive wine selection… this restaurant boasts the largest South African wine collection outside of South Africa! The atmosphere at Jiko is naturally romantic with lighting that subtly changes to mimic an African sunset; and there are even canoe birds, which are a sign of good luck. This signature restaurant is another place where you will want to dress nicely (dress to impress your date for the night)!
Monsieur Paul
This restaurant is an outlier for a few reasons. First, it resides inside a theme park – EPCOT to be exact. So you will need admission to EPCOT on the day you dine here. Second, this one is definitely on the pricier side. Not Victoria & Albert’s pricing, but it’s up there (currently starting at $195 per person). Third, this is a black tie kind of place, so some may feel a bit out of place while dining here. If you are prone to feeling this way, you may want to steer clear of this place. However, if you want an elevated dining experience and a completely romantic atmosphere, this is for you. There will be no children to ruin the mood because, well, Monsieur Paul does not allow children under the age of 10.
As the name might imply, Monsieur Paul is a French restaurant. It offers a gastronomic meal with what seems to be about eight courses (no, seriously). All of the employees are dressed to the nines and, when you are walked to your table, the waiters and waitresses line both sides of the entrance to the dining room to welcome you. Many of the table service employees are from France, and they explain what each course is, the importance of the course in French gastronomic fare, and what the backstory is about why the course exists. It is truly an experience, so that is a lot of what you are paying for here. Be sure to arrive hungry, allow at least two hours to enjoy your meal, and dress well for your dinner date. Don’t just walk to your reservation after enjoying an afternoon of rides… unless you were already wearing your most debonair outfits and didn’t get all sweaty.
So there you have it! Our top three recommendations for a romantic date night with your boo. We hope you enjoy these dining locations as much as we do. It is notable to point out that advance dining reservations are highly recommended for these restaurants. You can make reservations for all three locations 60 days in advance of your visit. If you are booking a stay at a Disney Resort Collections Hotel, you can book advance dining reservations for your entire stay at that hotel (up to 10 days) starting at 60 days before your initial check-in date. However, Monsieur Paul does have a cancellation policy you need to know about. While both Cítricos and Jiko have the standard Disney restaurant cancellation policy of 2 hours prior to your reservation (or else you will pay a charge of $10 per person), Monsieur Paul has a cancellation policy of 72 hours prior to your reservation. If you must cancel within 72 hours of your reservation, you will incur a charge of $100 per person. That extra zero is not a fat-finger. It means one-hundred dollars per person.
Here’s hoping this information helps you and your loved one enjoy a nice, peaceful dinner while at the Most Magical Place on Earth! Visit Mouse House News for the latest Disney News and Reviews For Disney Adults… and don’t forget that .NET at the end of our web address!
