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California Grill
- Thread starter AlanaH
- Start date
ShookieJones
We need time for things to happen.
Excellent food, top-notch service, great atmosphere. Time so your dessert ends just before wishes and you've got yourself quite an evening.
I've had my 2nd best meal on property there. Yachtsman's wins the #1 spot, but the atmosphere there isn't as nice as CG.
I've had my 2nd best meal on property there. Yachtsman's wins the #1 spot, but the atmosphere there isn't as nice as CG.
DisneyPrincess5
Well-Known Member
My friend @ShookieJones hit the nail on the head. It's just a great experience. Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL views and the food is some of the best I have ever had in my life. A few months ago, I got the beef filet which was soft as butter and absolutely delicious and it came with a creamy tomato-y risotto and DHS got the pork with goat cheese polenta. We were sad when it was over.
I highly recommend that you try it out!
I highly recommend that you try it out!
Minnie 88
Member
The food is delicious, the service is excellent and the views are amazing!! We went there on our last trip for the first time to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary. We were all impressed and will definitely go back. We all wished we had made reservations to eat there more than once during our trip! We loved watching Wishes from the outdoor deck. It was a very special experience. It was one of our favorite parts of the trip! I would definitely recommend it!!
TXDisney
Well-Known Member
We just went there for the 1st time last trip. We did a reservation early where it wasn't crowded I believe it was 6pm. We obviously did MK the whole day leading up to dinner, but we then resort hopped around the monorail grabbing drinkis and walking around the resorts. We then went back to CG about 30min before wishes grabbed drinks and viewed outside on the viewing deck. Tgat was new to us since we always view in front if the castle, but it was awesome to see it from a different view. If you have a dinner reservation you're allowed to go back and view wishes the same night as your reservation, which is awesome. Plus it was nice to have some wine while viewing.
DizneyPryncess
Well-Known Member
We went there for our 1st anniversary and had one of our best dining experiences. The food & service was fantastic, and the atmosphere truly felt magical. We timed our meal with Wishes, and loved how the music was piped in. I'd love to go back again eventually. Two thumbs up from me. 
WellFedDave
Well-Known Member
Great food. Good service. Not ideal if you're looking for something intimate. Can be downright loud at times.
MaryJaneP
Well-Known Member
Everyone so far has hit the main points. Food = excellent. View = unbelievable. Loud = be prepared. Can we add that you should get up and walk around to enjoy all the views out of the many windows. It is also expensive. We have not been since refurb so some things may have changed, but the important stuff sounds like it remains. We had big (17+) in our family reunion for a meal there and then watched Wishes as a group, pure magic.
HouCuseChickie
Well-Known Member
While our food experiences have varied...some things excellent, some good, some average...the service is always stellar, the drinks are great, and the setting/views cannot be beat. As others have noted, time it with Wishes
DisneyDaver
Well-Known Member
Enjoyed my first wedding anniversary dinner there this past November. It was wonderful! To help celebrate your anniversary, you may want to look into pre-ordering a cake before your trip from the Contemporary bakery. My wife and I shared a mini cake (and even had some left over for breakfast the next morning).
CJLove79
Active Member
Wow!!! Congrats!!!! Me and my girl will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary at the Contemporary in October of this year. I've read a lot of great reviews about the California Grill and we plan on going there ourselves. I hope its as great as everybody says it is, it better be with the money being spent there. LOL. I have a suggestion though, you can check out Trip Advisor and other sites for little reviews and tidbits in addition to suggestions from our fellow Mouseketeers. And if you check them out, I suggest going for the reviews that are negative first, I do that first thing myself. I feel that by reading the negative feedback, I could learn a lot more about avoiding a negative experience at a place than if I read the more positive reviews, just a thought.
Anyway, hope you have a memorable trip.I love the food, but I have found it is the loudest and kids tend to me down right out of control.... I have not experienced that other signature restaurants as much... Last time it was out of control... 10-13 year olds running and sprinting around as their a hole parents looked at their phones,,,
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
We had a "pretend" meal there by looking at the online menu to try to figure out if we could afford it. We were pretty shocked to figure out that dinner for two with two appetizers, two entrees, wine, dessert, and a 20% tip would come to nearly $300.00.
Ouch!
Ouch!
senor_jorge
Barbara Eden+? Bring it!!
We had a "pretend" meal there by looking at the online menu to try to figure out if we could afford it. We were pretty shocked to figure out that dinner for two with two appetizers, two entrees, wine, dessert, and a 20% tip would come to nearly $300.00.
Ouch!
It is one of the places that comes the closest to offering a return in terms of quality versus price in our opinion.
I really enjoyed the pork dish I had with both belly and tenderloin. Both were cooked perfectly, as you'd expect at that price. The flavors worked well together, as did the sides that were complimentary as they should be.
It's usually our most expensive meal there, but probably not much more expensive than what we'd have to pay for something similar of the same quality at home.
BuddyThomas
Well-Known Member
I can appreciate that. Our Christmas Eve dinner this past year was close to that in price (for 2). But what about all these reports about little kids running all over the restaurant screaming? Was that your experience? If that's the case, I'm not okay dropping 3 bills in what sounds like a sophisticated adult meal.
senor_jorge
Barbara Eden+? Bring it!!
We've only been once since the refurb and children weren't a problem that evening. Our table, for two was by the windows. Those tables are pretty close together, but fortunately we had a great couple next to us that we talked with some. We've had more privacy at a table for two at the Brown Derby or a table by the window at Narcoossee's.
That being said I can't think of anyplace on property that I'd describe as quiet or intimate.
That being said I can't think of anyplace on property that I'd describe as quiet or intimate.
It will not be a sophisticated adult meal.... Go to V&A if you want that. I've been 20 plus times over years and it is the loudest with the most kids misbehaving compared to other signature places at Disney
dupac
Well-Known Member
I want to take my husband to a signature for his birthday during our upcoming trip. I was considering CG, but was genuinely thinking about choosing something different because there are no times available that will coincide with Wishes. If that's the main draw, I'm willing to look elsewhere.
Jiko is about as close as you can get to quiet/intimate on property IMHO.
Tuvalu
Premium Member
If you eat early and finish before Wishes, you can return to California Grill with your dining receipt and watch Wishes from the observation deck.
If you want to time your dining with Wishes, check availability at Narcoossee's at the GF. Great views from there.