Visiting Epcot this year? Don’t forget the food! The food, you ask? Why would I care about the food at Epcot? It’s all just fast food anyway, you say? Epcot restaurants are some of the best in all of the Disney theme parks.
Epcot is an epicenter of culinary cuisine! Yes, that means really good food!!
You can get food from around the world at one of the many Epcot restaurants. Eat your way around the nations as you visit pavilions representing Canada, the United Kingdom, China, Mexico, Morocco, France, the United States, Japan, Germany, Norway, and Italy.
Epcot’s Restaurants Overview
Trust me when I say you have quite a few choices to make. You can find both dine-in and quick-service (carry-out) restaurants. You will need a plan of attack to taste the best food at the greatest price while deciding amongst your many options.
Yes, there are many. So how do you choose? More importantly, how do you coordinate your visit and eating schedules to get the most from your time and money? That’s easy but time-consuming.
Don’t forget about the Disney Dining Plan. Most restaurants accept this option, but some have limitations for special events and at certain times of the day.
The only way to truly know if a restaurant is worth your time and valuable money is to read current customer reviews. You see everything in reviews! But there are so many of them!
Where do you start? That’s where I come in. I have your back!
I am always paying attention to the latest restaurant reviews. And I know who accepts the dining plan and with what restrictions. It’s part of my job. How else am I going to know how to help you plan the most awesome Disney vacation ever?
I also make it my life’s mission to try all of these places out.
You know I am the budget-friendly queen! So if you are not going to get a bang for your buck, I am not going to recommend it to you.
Now, Epcot’s World Showcase is chock full of delicious eats.
You know that nothing is cheap in any Disney park, so it’s a good idea to know where you will get the best food for the best Disney price.
Not all of the many Epcot restaurants give you great value for your money. Let me walk you through a few of my favorites. They have great reviews online and offer excellent deals for your money.
I will also walk you through a few of the World Showcase eateries that need to raise the bar for either service, price, or food quality. Allow me a few moments of your time, and I’ll let you know where not to spend your hard-earned cash.
What are the best restaurants in Epcot?
Most people like to get the good news first. It seems to ease the blow of the bad. So that is where I am going to start–with the good.
Let’s talk about the best restaurants to have a great meal and stretch your money as far as possible. The World Showcase offers a variety of food from 11 different countries.
Rose and Crown Dining Room
First on my list of great Epcot restaurants is the Rose and Crown Dining Room. This is a dine-in restaurant, not a quick-service location.
The Rose and Crown Dining Room transports you to jolly ‘ole England with its simple yet elegant decor and predominantly wooden interior. They offer scenic waterfront dining and interior dining with a British Pub feel.
Savor your favorite British foods on the lunch and dinner menus. Choose from staples such as fish and chips, bangers and mash, sticky toffee pudding, and more! They even offer an allergy-friendly menu for adults and children.
Let’s not forget the drinks! The bar offers a range of British inspired mixed drinks. A selection of scotch and whiskey, with a strong showing of lagers, ales, and stouts.
Prices range from $15 to $35 per person, and reservations to the restaurant and park are required (these are separate things!).
La Hacienda de San Angel
Now let us talk about La Hacienda de San Angel. If you want Mexican food, this is the place to go.
This Mexican inspired restaurant offers elegant, colorful decor with a lovely waterfront view and authentic cuisine.
Enjoy classic dishes like queso fundido, tacos de camarones (shrimp tacos), carne asada, dulce de leche ice cream, and more! La Hacienda de San Angel offers menus for adults and a build-your-own meal for the kids.
There is also an exciting margarita menu for those of us who want to enjoy a cold drink on a hot Florida day. Feeling adventurous? Try The Wild One, Blood Orange, or Horchata margaritas for a fun south-of-the-border kick.
This is a dine-in restaurant. There is no quick service available. Reservations to the restaurant are highly recommended, and park reservations are also required.
Meals average $15 to $35 a person. It’s not a bad price for one of the great Epcot restaurants.
Biergarten Restaurant
One of the best restaurants for your money, even though it’s a bit pricier than most I cover, is Biergarten Restaurant. Travel to an authentic Bavarian village and enjoy the liveliness of the German people and their music!
Dine at long Biergarten-style tables. These are long, narrow tables that are often used indoors during Oktoberfest. Sit next to other adventurers and make new friends!
Enjoy German cuisines like bratwurst, rotisserie chicken, and pork schnitzel. There are even a few salads for the lighter eaters in the group. Don’t forget to grab a stein. Nothing like a good German beer to get you singing with the live Polka band!
Remember to save room for the Bavarian cheesecake and hand-pulled apple strudel. It’s made fresh, with love, every day!
Meals run between $35-$60 per adult. Yes, it’s a little pricey. Trust me, though. The food, ambiance, and music are worth every penny.
Reservations for the restaurant are highly recommended. There is no quick service available.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
The Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is, simply put, character dining heaven! This is the place to take your aspiring princess or simply to relive your childhood dreams for yourself. 😉
Enter a royal banquet held in an elegantly decorated medieval castle. Take a selfie and get an autograph from your favorite princesses. You might find Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Princess Aurora, or Ariel in attendance. They always bring along their Disney friends. Who is your favorite?
Something you don’t find much of at the many Epcot restaurants is breakfast. The Akershus offers various breakfast staples like scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and potato casserole.
Try the fresh-baked cinnamon rolls for a treat, or stock up on some healthy fresh fruit. You are in Florida, after all!
Lunch and dinner begin with a “Taste of Norway.” Enjoy a charcuterie of imported cheeses and sliced meats. Then, choose from entrees such as grilled salmon, roasted chicken and Kjøttkake, and Norwegian meatball dishes.
Don’t miss out on the dessert platter. Delight in a family-style serving that includes three mouthwatering desserts to share with your party.
Meals cost between $35 and $60 a person. For the ambiance and opportunity to meet and talk to a Disney princess, this is not a bad price to pay. Not to mention, the food portions are great, and the taste is to die for!
Reservations are highly recommended. This is not a quick-service restaurant.
Teppan Edo
Talk about dinner and a show! (A cooking show!!) Teppan Edo is a Japanese restaurant located in the World Showcase. They serve Asian and Japanese inspired dishes and sushi. They cook the food in front of you, right at the table! How cool is that?
Watch chefs prepare dishes that include spicy calamari, a variety of sushi rolls, filet mignon, salmon, and scallops using the Teppan-yaki-style.
What is this, you wonder? According to Benihana, a “Teppan translates as iron plate, and yaki translates as pan-fried or grilled. Teppanyaki grills are found in many Japanese restaurants as long, flat grills around which guests are seated.” It’s like a hibachi but different.
They have a small availability of common cocktails. Their sake selection is a lot more interesting. (Hard to find at other Epcot restaurants.) There is also a small wine and beer menu.
This is a dine-in restaurant. Meals cost between $15 and $35, and reservations are highly recommended. Park reservations are required.
Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
Feeling some pizza and pasta? The Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria is the one for you. This authentic Italian restaurant boasts wood-fired ovens, fresh pasta, and hearty salads. It’s also one of the best values for your money.
Fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and Southern Italian Caputo flour create a delectable thin-crust pizza. The wood-burning stoves are appropriately named after the Italian volcanoes Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius, and Stromboli (no, that’s not just a sandwich!).
Not in the mood for pizza? Ok. Try some fresh ravioli, spaghetti, or tortellini. If you have room after your huge portion of pizza or pasta, make sure to please your palate with a dessert of Tiramisù or a Cannolo Siciliano.
Meal prices run between $15 to $35 an adult. As always, reservations are recommended. However, I have read reviews that mention being seated with little to no wait or reservation at certain times. Park reservations are required.
Not in the mood for a sit-down meal? Want to get something to eat on the run? You should consider one of the quick-service restaurants that Epcot has to offer. Give one of the grab-and-go eateries a try while you wander around Epcot.
You might be surprised at what you find!
Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue
A newer member of the Epcot restaurants list, Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue will make you want to get your brisket on!
Memphis Dry Rub Pork Ribs, Sliced Texas Beef Brisket, and the North Carolina Chopped Smoked Pork Butt Platter are just a few of the mouth-watering offerings at this American-style smokehouse.
What draws me to this particular restaurant is its comprehensive offering of allergy-friendly options. I kid you not! If you are allergic to gluten/wheat, egg, fish/shellfish, milk, peanut/tree nut, or soy, the Regal Eagle Smokehouse has a menu for you.
That’s a great option for many who have a hard time finding dietary restrictive foods in a meat and potatoes kind of world. It is also kind of surprising to find in a smokehouse.
They offer a few American craft beers, a Tennessee Lemonade cocktail, and a few wines from across the USA.
This is a quick-service restaurant. No reservations are required, but you do need a park reservation.
The average food price is under $15. It’s not a bad price for some delicious Americana fare.
Sommerfest
Grab a quick bite of Germany at Sommerfest. Located in the World Showcase, Sommerfest is a quick and delicious way to save a buck or two while grabbing a brat and some interesting German imported beer.
While their menu is small, consisting of bratwurst and jumbo pretzels, their alcoholic beverage menu is the draw here. Sample German-inspired drinks like Schöfferhofer Pink Grapefruit Hefeweizen, Warsteiner Dunkel, and Redbridge Gluten-Friendly Sorghum Beer.
You can also purchase a souvenir stein to go along with your drink!
This is a quick-service restaurant. Drinks with collector steins average $15, while a brat or pretzel will cost a little less than $11.
While no reservations are necessary to eat at Sommerfest, a park reservation is required.
Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie
Got a sweet tooth? Loved those baked goods? Have I got a bakery for you? Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie offers customers access to delectable French pastries and sandwiches.
Located within the World Showcase, customers can sample French-inspired sandwiches, such as the Jambon Beurre. A ham and cheese sandwich with Dijon mustard butter (WOW!!) served on a demi-baguette.
This is my absolute favorite place for lunch at Epcot, I am very biased but biased after much research and calories.
How about the Brie aux Pommes, with brie, apples, and cranberries in multi-grain bread? Delish!!
Are you not in the mood for a sandwich? How about Bisque de Homard (lobster bisque in a bread bowl)? Maybe a fresh-baked baguette or croissant? You won’t find these at other Epcot restaurants!
No? Ok, then head back to the bakery and choose from fresh sweets like eclairs, macarons, or beignets. Don’t forget to try the coffee! It is a French delight!
This is a quick-service restaurant. No reservations are necessary, but as always, park reservations are required.
Everything on the menu is less than $15, with the majority of items priced less than $10.
Yorkshire County Fish Shop
Are you in the mood for some fish and chips? Then this is the place for you. Wander over to the Yorkshire County Fish Shop.
You are not going to find a huge menu at this charming little shop. Their main entrée is fish and chips. I mean, that’s not the only thing, I guess.
You can also purchase a Bass Ale, Harp Lager on draft. Or, if you prefer a cup of English breakfast tea, the Yorkshire County Fish Shop will oblige.
The reason I mention this particular restaurant is that the reviews are really good. If you want a crispy plate of perfectly cooked fish and piping hot chips, this is the place to go.
The meal will cost you less than $15 per person. Budget-friendly and quick service make this little gem well worth the visit.
No reservations are necessary. However, as with all other Epcot restaurants, park reservations for the day of your dining visit are required.
What should you not miss at Epcot?
Enough talk about where to eat. Let’s talk about the main attraction. Epcot!
Do you have plans already? Epcot is a huge place to visit, and you want to make sure you see the BEST attractions.
Here are a few I don’t think you should miss.
Soarin’
This is one of the best, if not the best, Epcot immersive attractions. Genie+ reservations available and highly recommended for this ride. It is that popular!
Soarin’ is an immersive simulation. Strap yourself into a multi-person paraglider and be elevated high into the air. Soar through the world’s most amazing sights, thanks to the 180-degree, 80-foot IMAX digital projection dome.
Soarin’ simulates the wind we would feel as we parasail through the world. Not only that, they integrate different aromas from the areas you visit through the ventilation system.
Travel past amazing vistas in the Swiss Alps and polar bears in Greenland. Visit the Pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China. Soar past the Eiffel Tower and a herd of elephants in Africa. You even get to see the Taj Mahal!
Soarin’ is a slow ride but has small drops here and there. It is recommended for all ages. You have to be at least 40” tall to ride.
You’ll probably want to visit this ride before you partake in one of the many Epcot restaurants. 😉
Spaceship Earth
Want to go inside Epcot’s famous geodesic sphere? Here’s your chance. Spaceship Earth is a voyage through time and history.
Strap into the slow-moving cars and travel through a combination of video and animatronics reenacting scenes on brilliantly created sets alive with the smallest of details. Relive memorable events throughout world history.
Watch our ancestors fight a wooly mammoth in a snowstorm. Learn philosophy from the ancient philosophers themselves! Visit with the Romans as they attempt to conquer the world. Witness the painting of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling. Grandiose! Be present at the invention of the printing press.
That’s only a fraction of history you can experience during the 16-minute long ride through Epcot’s most iconic image, the geodesic sphere. Ignite your curiosity about our world’s past and teach your children about important events in history.
It is a dark ride that is good for all ages. There are no height requirements. Fast Pass is available and highly recommended.
Test Track
Feel the need for speed? Want to experience the excitement of driving on a Chevrolet concept car test track? Let’s go back to the first question since it seems more fun! 😉 Who doesn’t want more speed?
Visit Epcot’s Test Track, and you will find the fastest ride in Disney. Get your Fast Pass for this one, folks. You are going to need it.
First, you design your very own concept car in the Chevrolet Design Center. You will learn the basics about how a vehicle functions and responds to different mechanical components. How cool is that!?
Once you have your concept car all set, you get to strap into a six-passenger car “sim” car for a run around the test track. (You might want to do this before visiting the many Epcot restaurants!)
Drive through rain, snow, and sleet. Maneuver through curvy roads. Yes, you even get a quick drift! Test your traction over bumpy terrains. Remember, you are testing your design!
Then take your creation out on the highway to test its muscle. Fly down the city road at speeds up to 65 miles per hour!
Unfortunately, your test drive does end. However, you get to see how well your concept car creation did on the track and open road.
How will your car do? 😉 Make some time in your Epcot adventure to give it a try.
You do have to be 40” or taller to ride at this particular venue. Kids, teens, and adults alike should enjoy this adventure.
Genie+ is recommended.
Do you need reservations at Epcot restaurants?
While I really enjoyed sharing some really cool attractions at Epcot, we need to get back to talking about food. After all, Epcot attraction hopping can make you as hungry as a bear!
Epcot boasts of having close to 20 dine-in restaurants. I touched on a few of them at the beginning of this article. While many of them only recommend reservations, it is always a good plan to make them in advance.
Think about it. You’ve been wandering the park, enjoying a few attractions, and now you and your traveling party are starving! So are the thousands of other adventurers inside the park with you.
If we all get hungry at the same time, and we don’t have a dining reservation, it could be a very long wait to eat at a dine-in restaurant. That’s if you get lucky enough that your favorite eatery is allowing walk-ins.
Instead of taking that chance, make an advanced reservation. At this time, Disney is accepting reservations up to 60 days before your trip.
If you are staying at one of Disney’s resorts, you can book 60 days before your visit plus the length of your stay, up to 10 days. So, if you plan it right (or have me plan it for you), you can reserve your favorite eateries up to 70 days in advance!
Now you don’t have to worry about getting to eat at your favorite Epcot restaurants.
Oh! One last thing. Don’t lose track of your reservation dates and times. You want to arrive on time, if not a little early. If you miss your time slot, there is no guarantee you will get to eat the meal you waited for all day.
What are the worst Epcot restaurants?
I hate to call out any restaurant for being sub-par, but I am all about that budget. If I do not get value for that hard-earned green, I probably won’t go back.
While there are many restaurants at Epcot that meet or exceed my budgetary mark, we must also talk about the ones that do not.
Scanning through reviews, we can easily see where problems arise. Some people complain about bad service, but most reviews I’ve read cover the cost vs value and flavor of food. That’s where my ears perk up.
Lotus Blossom Café
The Lotus Blossom Café is located in the World Showcase at Epcot. It’s an Asian/Chinese quick-service restaurant. Average meals come in at an affordable $15 and under, which may put it on some of your radars.
Unfortunately, many reviewers do not believe it is worth your money. One complaint described cold, inedible food. Another compared the food to Americanized fast food. Even positive reviews mentioned the mediocre food quality.
My advice is to skip the Lotus Blossom Café.
Le Cellier Steakhouse
The Le Cellier Steakhouse is a Canadian inspired steakhouse, also in the World Showcase. They boast Fine/Signature Dining ranging from $35 to $60 per adult.
While offering savory favorites like tender steaks, fresh seafood, and cheesy poutine fries, you would expect to feast like a king.
However, many reviewers beg to differ with the quality of Le Cellier Steakhouse’s offerings. The funny thing about some of these reviewers is that they adored the restaurant at one point! But somewhere along the line, Le Cellier lost its luster among Epcot restaurants.
Complaints consisted of having a reservation yet still having to wait an hour beyond that to be seated. Bland food was an issue, overpriced for the quality and poor service.
A review website recently cited that Le Cellier has a review rating of 7.1/10 and was only recommended 67% of the time.
Here’s to hoping this once-great steakhouse will regain its momentum. But for now, it’s a pass.
Nine Dragons Restaurant
I was truly torn as to whether I should add the Nine Dragons Restaurant to the no-go list. As you can see, here it is.
The Nine Dragons offer Cantonese, Mongolian, Szechuan, Hunan, and Kiangche-style specialties in a lovely themed, dine-in environment. However, after reading through countless reviews on different avenues, the restaurant seems to fall a little bit flat.
While the offering of basic Chinese fare, such as Nine Dragons Fried Rice, Honey-Sesame Chicken, and Kung Pao Chicken, may sound appealing, reviews seem to disagree.
A common comparison was of Nine Dragons to their local Chinese food place. Many of them were upset that they paid Disney prices for the food they get all the time from the restaurant down the street.
In other words, the food was just average.
Prices range from $15 to $35 for each adult. Reservations are usually recommended.
Since the food here is just ok and comparable to the stuff I eat all the time, I added the Nine Dragons to my naughty list. Why pay bloated prices for commonplace food? I’d recommend spending your hard-earned money on other, more unique Epcot restaurants.
Explore Epcot’s Food Options
Everyone will have their own experience at Epcot’s many restaurants. Everyone has different tastes in food. What is delicious to one person is disgusting to another. There is nothing wrong with that.
Explore and enjoy! We only live once. But explore wisely. Reviews are your friend.
Hopefully, the few restaurants I mentioned and the many others that did not make my list are paying attention to these reviews. After all, online reviews are the new “word of mouth.” They can make you or break you in no time.
For now, let me help you plan your magical trip to Disney’s Epcot. I can ravage through recent reviews and network with others in my field. I can help you get the best plan of attack to take on Epcot restaurants.
