I dined at Disney World's only Michelin-starred restaurant for $375. You'll want to snag a reservation even if you don't care about the theme parks.
I spent $375, including the tip, to dine at Disney's only Michelin-starred restaurant.
Victoria & Albert's in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa offers an upscale prix fixe meal.
Although it was expensive, I'd return for the quality service, delicious fare, and royal ambiance.
Disney World made history in April by earning the first and only Michelin star for a restaurant owned and operated by a US theme park.
The famed restaurant, Victoria & Albert's inside the Grand Floridian Resort, offers prix fixe tasting menus starting at $295 a person with optional drink add-ons.
I've been visiting Disney World for 20 years but never stepped foot inside the Grand Floridian restaurant until this month.
After hearing rave reviews from friends and influencers online, I wanted to try it myself to see what the hype was about.
Here's how it went.
Victoria & Albert's has been at Disney World since 1988.
Although Victoria & Albert's only received its Michelin star in April, it opened at Disney World 20 years ago.
The restaurant has also previously received accolades, such as several AAA Five Diamond awards and the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star award.
In other words, it's been a highly coveted reservation for years.
I was let in promptly at my reservation time and had a table in the main dining room.
My reservation was scheduled for 5:30 p.m., and I was promptly escorted to my table.
The main dining room, which had 14 tables, had a blue theme and a giant chandelier in the middle of the ceiling.
My table in the front corner was lovely. But it was close to the entrance, and I could hear the outside noise from the resort.
There are also two other dining rooms in the restaurant.
In addition to the main dining room, there's Queen Victoria's Dining Room and the Chef's Table. Both have limited capacity and are uniquely themed to enhance the experience.
For example, the Chef's Table is in the heart of the kitchen, so you can see the food being prepared right in front of your eyes.
Both additional rooms are more expensive than the main dining room, with Queen Victoria's starting at $375 and the Chef's Table starting at $425.
My servers were friendly and gave me a personalized keepsake menu.
My server, Sherry, came over and gave me a personalized menu to take home.
Since I had never dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant, I had lots of questions. Luckily, all the servers were enthusiastic about providing answers and sharing their love of the establishment.
The evening started with a nonalcoholic spritz as a welcome treat from the staff.
After I was seated, a server came over with a nonalcoholic spritz to cleanse the palate. It was cherry-flavored with edible flowers mixed in.
I don't drink alcohol, and I didn't opt for the add-on alcohol or nonalcoholic pairings. But this was a welcome treat to start the night with.
The meal consisted of 10 courses and lasted about four hours.
I'm glad I came with an empty stomach because there were 10 courses to enjoy.
Each course was timed perfectly over the span of about four hours, and the combination of flavors made for a delicious evening.
Some highlights included the dashi with fava beans and white asparagus, the garganelli with sugar snap peas and saffron, and the cauliflower gazpacho blanco with Marcona almonds.
My favorite course was the Green Circle chicken.
I've been to my fair share of top-notch restaurants in New York City and beyond, but I've never had food prepared quite like this.
The chicken course was moist, and the risotto (made from sunflower seeds) had a unique texture that led to an explosion of flavors in my mouth.
It was easily my favorite thing I ate.
The harpist played Disney songs all evening.
A harp player sat in the center of the dining room, playing music to fit the upscale ambiance.
Most of the songs were from Disney movies, such as "Beauty and the Beast," "Mary Poppins," "Tangled," and "The Little Mermaid."
She played intermittently, about every 20 minutes or so, and even walked around to the tables to take requests. I asked if she could play "I See the Light" from "Tangled" — it was one of the highlights of my night.
The last bites of the night consisted of a decadent and fruity dessert sampling.
After all the decadent courses, including the main candied carrot dessert, the server brought a few small (but absolutely delicious) treats to say farewell.
The opera cake blew my mind.
Additionally, I ordered a chamomile tea, which was made tableside with plenty of fanfare.
The bill was expensive, but I knew what I was getting myself into when I made a reservation.
I don't think I'd spend $295 on any meal other than one at a Michelin-starred restaurant at Disney World.
All Disney restaurants can be pricey, especially character meals. But this was nearly three times the price of a meal at Crystal Palace or Chef Mickey's. Those cost about $65 a person.
Frankly, I was happy that the meal was under $300 before tax and gratuity. It's still a lot, but I can try to justify the price since it's a highly regarded restaurant. When all was said and done, I paid about $375.
I also don't feel the need to splurge even more on meals in the other two dining rooms — this was just right for my needs.
Overall, I was pleased with my visit to Victoria & Albert’s and might return for a special occasion.
Of all the restaurants I've dined at in Disney World, I've never been to one quite like Victoria & Albert's.
The food was spectacular, the servers were friendly and knowledgeable, and the overall ambiance and experience were unique.
If you're looking to celebrate a special occasion or simply want to enjoy a high-quality meal at Disney, I'd definitely suggest trying to get a table.
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