I’m Visiting Epcot. Where Should I Eat?
We’ve recently discussed all the best and worst dining options at the other three theme parks at Walt Disney World.
Now, we have reached the hard part. Foodies happily describe EPCOT as featuring the tastiest cuisine of any theme park in the world.
That’s a feature, not a bug. Walt Disney desired the World Showcase as a daily World’s Fair site with delicious international cuisine.
That dream turned into a reality after Disney’s death when the park opened in 1982. For more than 40 years, people have flocked here for the best food in Orlando.
So, when you’re visiting EPCOT, here’s where you should eat.
Quick Service vs. Table Service vs. Festival Food
All Disney theme parks divide their restaurants into two main categories.
Quick Service locations offer over-the-counter menus. They’re inexpensive but usually just an upscale version of fast food.
Table Service locations serve higher quality food, some of which is even haute cuisine.
The drawbacks are that you pay more, and the meals take longer, which isn’t always ideal during a theme park visit.
EPCOT adds a third category on most days. This park hosts four annual festivals, each of which includes pop-up food kiosks.
At these locations, you’ll find something akin to an entrée for the price of a Disney snack.
The menus change regularly at these events, making them impossible to evaluate here.
Still, I’ll offer the suggestion that you should always glance at the menus at various food kiosks.
You may find something worthy of a Table Service restaurant at a price that’s somehow cheaper than most Quick Service establishments!
Best Quick Service at EPCOT
If you want to start an argument at EPCOT, ask a group of strangers this question. They WILL fight.
Disney fans have strong opinions about what’s good at EPCOT. The World Showcase pavilions operate both Quick Service and Table Service eateries.
So, we’re talking about more than a dozen options of each restaurant style.
Generally, I think most people would agree that Sunshine Seasons offers the best cuisine at the front of the park, although Connections Eatery is gaining.
At the back of the park, well, that’s where the debate lies.
The three places I believe have earned the strongest reputations are Katsura Grill (Japan pavilion), Tangierine Café (Morocco pavilion), and La Cantina de San Angel (Mexico pavilion).
These three international restaurants serve exquisite dishes for the price. Plus, you can snag a Japanese beer or some Mexican tequila while you’re there.
Personally, I’d add two others: Regal Eagle Smokehouse and Yorkshire County Fish Shop.
You can guess what you’re getting at each one. Yorkshire County Fish Shop almost exclusively serves Fish & Chips, while the barbecue at Regal Eagle is top three at Walt Disney World.
Worst Quick Service at EPCOT
Here’s where I make many enemies.
Based on TripAdvisor and several other restaurant review aggregation sites, three restaurants aren’t up to snuff at EPCOT’s World Showcase.
Lotus Blossom Café (China pavilion), Sommerfest (Germany pavilion), and Choza de Margarita (Mexico pavilion) don’t match their peers.
In the case of Choza de Margarita, we’re only talking about shareables and light entrees anyway. You’re really there for the margaritas!
Also, please bear in mind that your experiences may not line up with the ones of previous voters.
As an example, I seem to be the one person on the planet who isn’t in love with Tangierine Café, whose flavor profiles don’t align with my palate.
Conversely, I kinda dig Sommerfest since I like brats, especially German ones.
Best Table Service at EPCOT
Here’s where the discussion goes off the rails.
Picking the best Table Service restaurant at EPCOT is akin to naming your favorite Disney character or animated movie.
My family cycles through a rotation of about eight different restaurants. Some of them qualify as must-dos, while others depend on our schedule.
We also try to work in a place or two that we haven’t tried in a while. You never know when Disney might upgrade the menu or enhance the dining experience.
Currently, one restaurant stands head and shoulders over the others at EPCOT.
Since its opening, Space 220 has sold out virtually every meal because it’s such a unique dining experience.
Importantly, Disney prices Space 220 substantially higher than the other options here, though. When you’re budget-conscious or pressed for time, it’s less than ideal.
EPCOT offers two character meals, one of which I vastly prefer to the other. You can meet several Disney Princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, and the Norse cuisine is exquisite.
If we’re merely talking about food quality, you can’t go wrong with any of the classics.
San Angel Inn Restaurante (Mexico pavilion), Teppan Edo (Japan pavilion), Tutto Italia Ristorante (Italy pavilion), and Chefs de France (France pavilion) all exemplify the height of Disney dining.
Also, my wife would kill me if I didn’t mention her favorite, Rose & Crown Dining Room, which is also the best place to eat while watching the nightly fireworks at EPCOT.
Finally, I’ll toss in Via Napoli Ristorante, which serves my favorite pizza in Orlando.
The key to dining at EPCOT is to try everywhere and decide for yourself what you like the best.
During your first visit, I’d stick to the classics plus Akershus and/or Space 220, though.
Worst Table Service at EPCOT
I honestly don’t believe there’s a bad Table Service meal at EPCOT. You could make an argument that a handful don’t justify the price, but that’s it.
The eatery that earns the most criticism is Coral Reef Restaurant, which is one of my family’s must-dos.
You’ll find this place at The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion, and we relish the opportunity to dine beside a massive aquarium. We’ve even made friends with a manta ray.
Most people feel that the cuisine in no way matches the hefty price tag, though.
Similarly, Garden Grill Restaurant, the other character meal, works best for fans of Chip ‘n’ Dale.
Critics find the farm-to-table meal a bit lackluster and the dining area claustrophobic. Also, the restaurant itself gradually spins, which isn’t for everyone.
Finally, while I will fight them to my dying breath, some people feel strongly that Le Cellier Steakhouse lacks a focused menu.
We ate here for lunch on our tenth anniversary, which speaks volumes about how highly we think of this restaurant.
That’s the beauty of EPCOT, though. People love so many different eateries that few of them experience overcrowding issues.
You can almost always find an open table somewhere that you’ll love!