Located within the monorail resorts & close to Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary is by far one of the classiest modern deluxe resorts on property. There are many restaurants and quick service dining options to choose from at this resort, but California Grill is definitely the best one to splurge on if you're celebrating a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary.
The menu here is a pre-fixe meal meaning it's a set price for an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Dining here will cost you a pretty penny for $89 a person but the food is phenomenal and my #1 place to eat dinner in Disney World. All the menu items listed are inspired by Californian eats considering that Disneyland in Anaheim was founded first before Disney World in Orlando. This dining review took place during the 50th anniversary but all of the apps and entrees I tried are still on the menu as of now.
Souvenir menu you get to take home with you!
As for alcohol, that is an extra additional price so be prepared for that. Yes, the price per person may be a little steep if you have a lot of members in your party, but I assure you that you will have a blast at this rooftop restaurant. I started out my evening with a glass of their house Moscato which was delightfully crisp and airy with a apple undertone. I would definitely consider getting a glass of this wine again!
California Grill has a great selection of wine
Next up is the bread everyone's favorite appetizer! This beautiful focaccia bread was baked with herbs & garlic with a tomato olive oil dipping sauce. Our sweet waitress actually gave us the recipe on how to make the tomato olive oil sauce since I was so in love with it. Don't ever be afraid to ask for a certain recipe at a Disney World signature restaurant because the chef may be able to give it to you. Let me know if you'd like the recipe down below.
The focaccia bread & olive oil dip was what dreams are made of
For my appetizer I chose the cascade roll which is sushi with raw fish in the middle. This was not just normal type of sushi however, and I think the fish was even fresher than Morimoto Asia and Disney Springs. Don't tell Chef Morimoto I said that!
I would definitely recommend the Cascade Roll
As for my entrée, I decided to stick with the grouper. This dish was delightful and considerably light with a rice pilaf on the bottom with a mushroom sauce and broth, along with bok choy and of course micro greens. I would 100% come back just for this because the flavor profile of this dish was one of the best meals I've ever had on Disney property.
The grouper with rice & vegetables
By now I was getting pretty full, so I decided to stick with a dessert that was not so heavy. This was the berry sorbet that originally came with the lavender donuts but I decided to just get the sorbet. The blueberry sorbet was good, but nothing outstanding and tasted like the sorbet they serve at other Disney resorts and in the Epcot France pavilion at L'Artisan Des Glaces.
Blueberry sorbet with fruit
Although this is a hard to get dining reservation, the fireworks are the best part of the meal and make it worth all the hastle. There is a direct head on view of the castle so you can see the firework show from Magic Kingdom.
I honestly loved eating here, and I am definitely going to return in the near future if I'm celebrating a special occasion. Sometimes it's nice to luxuriate and splurge a little bit on dining while at the Most Magical Place on Earth, but it's up to you if you decide it's worth it or not to eat here.
As always, have a magical weekend and be safe out there! Message me for any questions you may have on dining at Disney World.
-Shandilyn.
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