3 best signature

[Belle1984]

I'm so excited We are going back to Disneyworld in March 2012 with Free dining. Since we'll be saving so much money on food I want to dine at 3 signature restaurants with DH while our 2 year old stays with grandma. If you could only pick 3 signature dining experiences anywhere in the park, where would it be? Keep in mind I'm a chef so the food has to be remarkable, but I also enjoy a great/different atmosphere too! There are so many to choose from I don't know where to start. what are your favorites?

[TexasPrincessAurora]

Narcoossee's, Jiko & Artist Point...with Brown Derby a close 4th.

If you REALLY want to splurge, I HIGHLY recommend Victoria & Albert's. It is a dining experience. I'm a huge foodie and a bit of a gourmet and it ranks among the top dining experiences I've ever had.

[Awesome_guy]

These would be my three picks:

1) Narcoosee's at the GF - we went last trip upon recommendation here on Intercot. Our meal was timed perfectly with the water pageant and Wishes. I, again, would make an ADR accordingly, arrive early, and indicate my willingness to wait for a window seat. I think this is now my must-have dining experience-- great food and a glass of wine looking over the lagoon at MK.

2) Le Cellier at Epcot - I know ADRs here are a pain and many feel the hype is just that... hype. As a Canadian I feel quite attached to our little pavilion. I've only done lunch here but would love to return for a nice dinner.

3) Jiko at AKL - I would try here (but haven't yet) as an excuse to explore the resort and try something new. That would be my third choice. OR I would try (and haven't yet) California Grill at Contemporary (again, for the MK view)... although I've heard the the CG can be noisy and a bit chaotic. Narcoosee's didn't have that feel, at all.

[darthmacho]

First off, I cook, but I'm no chef, so I doubt I have standards as high as yours. I do love to eat though!

My suggestions:

Artist Pont: My favorite restaurant in the entire world, not just WDW.

Jiko: I haven't tried it yet, but from what I hear about their wine, I'd certainly recommend it sight unseen.

Le Cellier: Tough choice, because you could do lunch here for one credit on the DDP, but I wanted to give you a choice from one of the parks, and this was the best. Coral Reef is good too, but when we ate there, I didn't find it romantic because of the acoustics. Lots of kids, and it was very LOUD! If you're going to be at MK, you could always go to a monorail resort or stay in the park at Cindy's Table.

[Dawn,DeniseandDiane]

Narcoosee's at GF is by far our most favorite place in all of WDW to eat. They have pressed Tea, amazing steaks and to die for desserts. Their almond incrusted cheesecake is the most wonderful thing we have ever had!It was quiet and romantic here.
The Living Seas was tremendous on our last trip. We ate their twice. Their food was delicious. Loved to watch the fish and the huge turtle in the tank. We got a seat right next to the tank and it was awesome.
Citricos was wondeful as well. The food and service was really great. We each enjoyed their filet here. We loved the atmosphere and it was not as noisey as some of the places can get.

We were on the DDP, so we tried many wonderful meals.

Have fun and enjoy your trip!

Dawn,Denise&Diane

[T--]

Only 3 I've been to, and I'd put them in that order.
CG is an event. Narcoosee's is just a great atmosphere and great food. Time both of those around Wishes.

LC would be a great heavy lunch after a lite breakfast and a before a late lite dinner.

[faline]

Victoria & Albert's is excellent but it won't fall under your free dining - you'd need to pay for that out of pocket. That, however would certainly be my first choice as a signature dining spot.

On our last trip, our most favorite meal was at Jiko - excellent food and service.

We have typically also had excellent meals at California Grill and Brown Derby. Citrico's has been very good as well.

[Magic Smiles]

Nwith Brown Derby a close 4th.

I am no chef, but Brown Derby was probably the worst service and meal we have ever had. The server couldn't even get the wine straight. No the place was not overly busy the evening we were there. Just terrible. DS's steak was suppose to be medium. It could have got up off the plate and walked away it was so rare. This amongst many other issues we had.

[SBETigg]

I've tried:

California Grill
Narcoossee's
Citricos
Jiko
Flying Fish
Brown Derby
Le Cellier (but pre-Signature days)

Artist Point, have not tried but good friends of ours gave it a very bad review, so we're reluctant.

Yachstman Steakhouse, we have ADRs for our October trip.

Of the ones I have tried, California Grill, Narcoossee's, and Flying Fish, tied with Citricos, make the top. Jiko was good, just not on par with the others for us. Brown Derby was well behind the others, still very good just not as special. I can't really rate Le Cellier as a Signature, but the experience was vastly overrated in the pre Signature days for me.

Also, as someone else suggested, if you were looking for an amazing dining experience and not concerned with DP credits- Victoria and Albert and Bistro de Paris are both superb.

[faline]

and Bistro de Paris are both superb.

Forgot about Bistro - that is a wonderful choice!

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Well, if you aren't using dining credits I would suggest Victoria and Albert's and the Bistro in France at Epcot...
if you are looking for different and want to use dining credits I would definitely go with Jiko.

I have also heard good things about California Grill, Artist Point and Narcossee's...we are trying Brown Derby in December

[azcavalier]

We have tried California Grill, the Brown Derby, and Le Cellier (pre-signature). The California Grill was very, very good. The pork tenderloin dish is a recipe that we got, and make at least once a month now, and everyone who has ever had it, LOVES it.

The Brown Derby was underwhelming. We paid OOP for a lunch, it was over $100, and it was no better than a lunch we could have had for $20 at a chain restaurant.

Le Cellier .... i'm interested to see how people rate this now as a signature restaurant. Has the menu changed? It was an OK steakhouse before, with some very, very good menu items.

On an anniversary trip with my wife, we ate at all these places, and in the end our favorite restaurant wound up being Chefs de France. We thought it was better than any other restaurant we've tried.

That said, we're eating at Artist Point the next time we come without kids.

[TexasPrincessAurora]

I personally enjoyed Le Cellier more when it was cafeteria service with more authentic Canadian cuisine. I've never been overly impressed with it as a steakhouse.

[Mysttree]

Narcoosee's is always a favorite of ours.
Citricos is also amazing
Artist Point- atmosphere & food wonderful

Cal. Grill- the food was good, but it was more about the fireworks for us...

Want to try Jiko's...

Have ressies for V & A's ....am REALLY looking forward to this special experience!!

[MOJoe]

To me, the very best signature restaurant is Cali Grill. The food is really a cut above any other in WDW. Excluding V&A's of course. And the view here is spectacular.
The food at Flying Fish is also great. I would rank it 2nd, with Narcoosee's a close 3rd.

Must say, I love the Brown Derby. We visit every trip. The atmosphere is elegant and relaxing. Unusual for a Disney place. The only reason i don't rank it higher than 4th is that the food is not always stellar. I have had some incredible meals there, worthy of a #2 ranking, but also some average ones too. It's never bad enough to keep us from returning, but it's inconsistant enough to keep it out of my top 3.

[KAT1811]

Artist Point, have not tried but good friends of ours gave it a very bad review, so we're reluctant.

We tried Artist Point a few years back and I have to say neither DH nor I liked anything about it. One of the only restaurants in WDW we will never go back to.

Yachstman Steakhouse, we have ADRs for our October trip.

Yachtsman is our favorite in all of WDW. The food and service is the best we have encountered in WDW. It is quite pricey but worth every penny IMHO. I think every server in the restaurant stopped by our table at one point during our meal (There were 8 of us. DH, my parents, our 4 children, and myself) Our wine glasses were never empty and our food was cleared simultaneously and just after the last person was finished. We tend to be very social and really enjoyed the interaction with the staff. The manager was wonderful as well. She stopped by our table, chatted with us, and even went out of her way to procure us breakfast reservations at Kouzzinna the next morning. We are dining there twice on our upcoming trip. Can't wait to go back!!!

Other than Yachtsman we enjoyed California Grill. The view alone is worth the visit.

We would like to try Narcoossee's at some point but it always ends up being so far out of the way but we'll make it there some day.

[Tygger7]

Another vote for Yachtsman Steakhouse...without a doubt, the best meal I've ever had. We ate at Artist Point in May 2010 and it was excellent...not sure how it stacks up now. I can't recall if it's one or two credits on the DP, but Tokoyo Dining is really good if you love sushi. We ate at Cali Grill and it was very good, but didn't live up to all the hype (at least for us...). We went onto the roof for Wishes and personally, I'd rather be standing in the hub watching. (Not a fan of heights...probably would have enjoyed it more if we could have stayed inside.)

[c&d]

Artist Point, favorite always a must eat. Food and service have always been excellent.

Narcoosee's, eat there every other time we go and it's always been good, love the view.

Cali Grill, another one where we eat every other time we good.

I would definitely eat at Victoria & Albert's even though it's not on the dining plan. It's wonderful dining experience. It would also be nice because no children are allowed. A special dinner for just you and DH.

[RichGuy]

Bistro de Paris, the grown of sibling of Les Chefs de France. Not exactly a secret, but not one you hear discussed a lot. Get the tasting menu.

California Grill's good, and not as noisy if you wait for the wine room.

Jiko, a little hit and miss for us. I think they rotated in a chef who didn't really "get" the African flavors. Good South African wine, made it memorable.

BONUS SUGGESTION:
Sanaa, while it isn't "signature" it has some of the best, most interesting and intense flavors on property. Makes a great lunch; sit by the windows.

[Kairi_7378]

We haven't been to WDW as much as the veterans around here... but here are our picks:

CA Grill- Our absolute favorite restaurant on property.

Artists' Point- Wasn't super impressed on our first visit but we had a wonderful time on our second visit. Our second server was wonderful... and particularly understanding of us having to deal with our exhausted, 3-year-old birthday boy.

Sanaa- Again, not a Signature but a very wonderful experience. The food presentation was very nice, too. As a bonus, we got to watch the animals of the savannah from our table.

We will be trying Jiko on our next trip.