I had the pleasure of eating at The Coral Reef Restaurant on
my recent trip to Orlando. This restaurant is located in the Land and Seas
portion of Epcot. Here is the ENTIRE breakdown of this awesome dining
facility.
Theme:
What I call “under the sea”. From the lighting to the color
choices, you immediately feel like you are about to go into a scuba diving
adventure from the minute you walk into the restaurant. The hostess desk has
octopus lighting fixtures on it and a glass desk top that resembles sea glass.
The dining room is the BEST part, and also the biggest part of the restaurant.
You will get to dine right next to sting rays and sharks! There are also over
80 different types of fish in the tank, just in case sting rays and sharks
aren’t enough!!! There are 3 small levels, for prime viewing experience no
matter where you are sat. There are
scuba divers that come in the tanks and they wave to you as they swim by! It has
a very elegant, yet casual feel to it.
Food:
The menu is very simple. There are plenty of seafood
choices, as well as some land choices as well. To start, the calamari was
AMAZING! The best calamari I have had in a long time. It was so flavorful and
well cooked. We also enjoyed the
crab-spinach fondue which was also awesome! For dinner, we had the pleasure of
eating the NY Strip Steak and the Shrimp and Grits. Both entrees were very
tasty, and well prepared. All of the food came out in a timely fashion; we
didn’t have to wait for a long time between our appetizers and entrees. For
desert, we enjoyed the Chocolate Wave. It was a chocolate cake, with a warm
fudge center that pours out when you cut it in half! I have nothing bad to say
about the food we ate that day. And from what the other customers in the dining
room shared, they had the same opinion.
Price:
For the food we ate, and the experience we had the prices
are very reasonable. They also accept the dining plan! It is 1 dining plan
credit. They also give an Annual Pass discount, as well as Tables in wonderland
discount.
Hours and
Reservations:
They open at 12:00pm EST for lunch and run that menu until
3:00pm EST. Dinner begins at 4:00pm.
Reservations were relatively easy to obtain. I changed my time twice,
one being a week before our arrival to Epcot.
Overall:
I think that this is a great place to dine. It has more of
an adult ambiance if you want a place to eat without the kids, but also is a
great place to bring the kids! There really isn’t any “Disney” to this dining
experience, which could be a nice break from the park craziness! There are a
lot of food choices in Epcot, but I think that this is the best choice! Its off
the grid, and quiet in the park. Overall, I can’t say anything bad about this
place. It was a great experience and I am looking forward to eating here
again!!
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