Coral Reef

[popcenturylover]

In 2012 we had dinner here. My DH had steak, DD had Mahi Mahi, & I had some kind of chicken dish? It was all pretty good. ESPECIALLY, the desserts!!! Our waiter was excellent too!

 

[horizons82]

Long-time Disney-goer here, but just very recently ate at Coral Reef.

I thought the food was very good, especially for the price range. Service was very nice and I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant.

We were lucky enough to get a seat right next to the aquarium, and I will say that the farther away from the aquarium you are the less 'wow' factor it will have.

I have a very detailed review of Coral Reef if anyone is interested:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...68-Coral_Reef_Restaurant-Orlando_Florida.html

 

[Weather_Lady]

We ate there two years ago, and again last week.

Two years ago, I thought the food was over-rated, the portions ardly, and the service terrible. I went back again only because we were traveling with relatives who'd never been there and wanted to go.

This time around, it was a whole different experience. The quality of the food and portion sizes were significantly better, our server was attentive, and we truly enjoyed the experience. (I even ordered the exact same entree that I had the first time around -- the lobster orechiette pasta -- which had been "tweaked" a little and was far superior to its predecessor.) Others at the table had steak or salmon, and everyone liked their meal.

Whatever you do, when you check in, politely ask for a table near the tank (e.g., on the bottom or second tier, no further away!), and tell the receptionist that you're willing to wait a little longer to be seated, if necessary. It is well worth it! I think one factor in our poor experience and sub-par service the first time around was that we were shoved away in the "cheap seats" on the top tier, and felt completely disconnected. Two other families had refused the table before we got it, and we should have taken a lesson from them.

 

[erasure fan1]

Its always worth a try in my opinion. If you get a table by/close to the tank, there is no cooler restaurant on property in my eyes. Of course if you don't really care about fish tanks you may not agree with me. We have never had a bad meal there and the service has always been pretty good. It's a place I generally tell people, if you like seafood, its worth a visit.

 

[Rodb]

Will be trying this for the first time in 7 days. Hopefully ; it will be as good as people are saying

 

[belledream]

Coral Reef is one of my favorites. I would eat there every trip if EPCOT didn't have so many good options! We really enjoy the Lobster Ravioli and Grilled Mahi Mahi. For dessert, my fiance loved the Baileys and Jack Daniel’s Mousse, but I can never stay away from choosing Creme Brulee!

 

[Baldy]

Coral Reef is always our first meal at Disney (every August since 2009). We have never had a bad experience and we have had some fantastic servers who really went above and beyond. Last year, DS13 had the steak, Mum had the lobster orechiette pasta and I had the seasonal catch. All three were delicious. I'm looking forward to our reservation there in 86 days.

 

[disneycouple07]

We've been to Coral Reef every year since 2007. I wanted to continue the tradition this year but DH disagreed. He thinks it has significiantly went down over the years.

 

[Maelstrom Troll]

Ate there with a party of four in December,2012 and none of us got the same dish but all of us loved our food and the ambiance. Our only qualm was having to wait a while to get in despite having reservations.

 

[Rodb]

Just had our first experience with coral reef. Excellent restaurant with fabulous service. I would definitely go back there on any return trips

 

[McDad]

Went there a couple of years ago on a week long trip. Not our favorite restaurant that week, but I remember that we enjoyed it. The atmosphere was really cool and the kids liked that. Food was good, think Bahamas breeze, the wife and I enjoyed. All in all, an enjoyable experience.

 

[Sandy Carroll]

We are going in July. We are 2 families with 5 kids ages 8-13. Are the better tables for small groups? I would love to have a nice view as this is the reason we did this restaurant, but I know with 9 people we may be limited. Does anyone have any experience with a group at Coral Reef?

 

[Demeter Tess]

We ate at Coral Reef last March. While my fiancé enjoyed it, I was a bit lukewarm about the whole experience. The dining room looked very dated, the entire meal felt very rushed, and my lobster mac & cheese came out underdone (the pasta) AND overdone (the lobster). I was quickly offered another dish (I chose pot roast, which was quite good), but it did not entirely make up for the "yuck" factor of the lobster mac & cheese. In the end, we're glad we tried Coral Reef and do feel it's definitely worth a visit (especially with kids), but we probably will not return anytime soon. There is better seafood to be had on property, and better food, in general, at Epcot.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

Love the cr!!

 

[slappy magoo]

Was there a long time ago with my first wife. Never felt a need to try again mostly because I am not a seafood lover (though recent menus seem to have an even split of seafood and non - seafood entrees). Going to try next time as I thought our small kids would dig the aquarium.

 

[CarmelHP]

We were there in about 1999 and loved it. We looked in at it in 2012, but didn't dine there, and it looked dark, dingy and cramped. Nothing like we remembered it, reminded me of a sleazy bar atmosphere.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

Two words: Chocolate Wave!! By FAR my favorite dessert in WDW. We ate here last in 2012 and the food was good. Both Mom and I had the steak. The atmosphere is really cool, even though we didn't have a seat next to the aquarium. The only complaint I had was the family next to us to allow their child to stand on the table and scream and screech at the top of his lungs several times but that's hardly the restaurants fault.

 

[Tuvalu]

Made ADRs specifically for the chicken spaetzel with applewood smoked bacon which has been a favorite of ours over the years. Arrived today at lunch to find it no longer on the menu Since we are not seafood eaters, we chose steak (definitely not worth $32) and the new chicken dish which was just ok.

 

[Cesar R M]

Went around october of last year.
food was superb, the seating speed was a bit slow (restaurant was full)
the waiter was also amazing.

 

[Rodb]

SORRY to hear that. I had the steak myself and thought it was decent. Being on the dining plan didn't make me even look to see what the cost was. We had a great server also which made this a very enjoyable experience.