Kringla Bakeri og Kafe Review
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe is a bakery and counter service restaurant in Epcot’s Norway at Walt Disney World. It has a menu with entrees, drinks, and desserts, but the real draw here is the desserts. Kringla is arguably the best bakery in Epcot, with a variety of popular snacks. These desserts include School Bread, which has a cult following, and Lefse, which should have a cult following. Kringla participates in the Disney Dining Plan, with options for using counter service credits and snack credits.
In terms of location, Kringla is located in the village-front between the Stave Church and the Norway gift shops (and the Frozen Princess Meet & Greet), and across from Akershus. Unlike the newly-opened Les Halles in France, Kringla Bakeri og Kafe is small. Essentially, you’re in the front door, through the line, and out the other to the covered, outdoor seating area. It’s definitely not a place you’ll want to go for a snack or meal if you’re looking to escape the weather. It’s popular for guests on the Disney Dining Plan and guests paying out of pocket, thanks to a variety of snacks with a range of prices.
While it’s technically counter service, Kringla is better known as a bakery. This is not to say that the limited menu of meal items is bad (quite to the contrary), it’s just that the desserts cast a pretty long shadow. We generally only get dessert here, but that’s usually because we’ve already eaten somewhere else or are disregarding proper nutrition and are Snacking Around the World Showcase, but can’t resist a Kringla dessert. The “regular” food at Kringla actually makes it one of the better World Showcase counter service menus.
There are several good bakeries in the Epcot area (“area” is intentional here as BoardWalk Bakery rivals the best of them!), but Kringla is definitely our favorite. It’s right up there with Sunshine Seasons (which also has a solid selection of desserts) as the restaurant we visit most at Walt Disney World. We probably stop at Kringla once per trip, and 50% of the time, we get the exact same thing. Still, over time we’ve sampled just about everything on the menu.
The “mascot” of Kringla is a pretzel wearing a crown. I would have gone with a puffin wearing viking horns holding up a piece of School Bread at the edge of the Norwegian equivalent of Pride Rock a la Rafiki and Simba, but what do I know. A royal pretzel has its own kind of charm, too, I suppose.
Once you cross under the royal pretzel, you are exposed to the world of goodness that is Kringla Bakeri og Kafe. (Roughly translated, I believe it means “Krazy-Awesome Bakery…or Cafe.” Or something like that.) Let’s take a look at the menu of the bakery or cafe…
First up is that “50% of the time” pick: School Bread. If you haven’t heard of School Bread…greetings! Hopefully that rock you’ve been living under wasn’t too uncomfortable. 😉 School Bread is a deliciously doughy bun filled with custard and topped with toasted coconut shavings. It’s also less than $3. I’m pretty sure it’s called School Bread because if you pair it with a Carlsberg, you receive an honorary Ph.D. in Tastellence.
This is the Cloudberry Horn. On our most recent visit to Epcot, we noticed this had been renamed to the “Troll Horn.” There was no discernible difference between the two, so I assume it’s just the same thing with an attempt at a clever name. It’ll always be the Cloudberry Horn to me, and it’s my second (or perhaps third now that I’ve tried the Lefse…it’s a tough call) favorite dessert to the School Bread. The delicious berry cream and the slight crunch of the flaky pastry make for an excellent snack.
Next up is the Lefse. This has been on the menu for over a year now, but we just had the chance to try it. Sarah wasn’t nearly as impressed with this as I was, but I think this is the “Next Big Thing” at Walt Disney World. It’s sort of like a churro that actually tastes good (sorry, churro fans!), with potato bread wrapped around delicious cinnamon-sugar butter. The cinnamon-sugar butter is the star (so sweet and delicious), and as unhealthy as it might sound, I could eat the stuff by itself, but the potato bread balances out the flavor and gives the snack a soft, substantive aspect. (The butter to bread ratio is perfect on it.) Right now, it’s only $1.99, too. An under $2 snack is unheard of at Walt Disney World (I literally cannot think of any others).
The Berry Cream Puff (left) is another excellent choice. This is another excellent choice. It’s a nice, flaky pastry with a liberal helping of whipped cream and fresh berries in the middle. It’s huge and delicious.
This is the Viking Chocolate Mousse. Anywhere else, we’d consider this a solid dessert. At Kringla, it’s not something we’d order again. Given the size, we feel that you’re paying a premium for the horn-y presentation. The chocolate ganache is good, but it’s sort of a one-note dessert.
The Verdens Beste falls into the same category as the Viking Chocolate Mousse, although we definitely prefer it (and would probably order it again). The rum cake here is moist, and the custard make this a winner. As for the almond meringue…that depends upon your perspective.
These are just a handful of the many desserts we’ve tried during our visits to Kringla. The bakery has had a pretty constant menu over the years, with favorites like School Bread having been served for years, but other things have come and gone. If any of these items do disappear, you really still can’t go wrong.
In terms of food, the options on the limited menu are almost universally good. The only downside is that they’re pre-made sandwiches that are toasted once you order them. We’ve found that this can mean the bread is a bit hard after being toasted, or the meat and cheese are overcooked. Generally, this is not an issue, but we have had it happen to us more than once. Above is the Roast Beef Sandwich. It’s the least unique of the bunch, but it’s really good. The meat and jarlsberg cheese go great together.
The Norwegian Club is the winner of the menu, at least of what I’ve tried. It’s much like a regular club, but with a Norwegian twist thanks to the jarlsberg cheese and lingonberry mayo. Thanks to the mayonnaise, the sandwich has a slightly tart flavor, although this is pretty well balanced out by the ham. My preference would be for this to be on a different type of bread as I felt the multi-grain was a bit much, but I’m not much of a multi-grain fan.
Overall, Kringla Bakeri og Kafe is one of the top bakeries and counter service restaurants at Epcot. Although its menu reflects the fact that it’s a bakery first and cafe second, the sandwiches shouldn’t be dismissed too quickly. The bakery side is one of our favorites at Walt Disney World, and quite possibly the best in Epcot. In terms of ambiance, Kringla is very basic, but the seating area is pleasant and there are plenty of places to sit and eat your snacks around World Showcase, so it’s tough to be overly critical in that regard. We highly recommend Kringla for a snack spot, and also recommend it for a counter service option if on this side of World Showcase. Norway is certainly better than Mexico and China when it comes to counter service dining!
Overall Score: 9.5/10
To read other Disney restaurant reviews from Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland, organized by location, check out our Disney Dining Reviews Index.
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of Kringla Bakeri og Kafe? Do you have a favorite snack? Fan of School Bread or Lefse? If you have any questions or thoughts to share, please post them in the comments. We love hearing from readers!
Our last trip (January) everything seemed stale. The kringlas has been our very favorite. Did everything seem fresh?
I LOVE the lefse! And it is TWO for $1.99. My mom made lefse every Christmas when I was growing up, so this is a must for me.
Hi there!
I was so delighted to see lefse on the menu at this wonderful bakery. My grandparents have made it for years, but since moving away from them I haven’t been able to enjoy it as often! I visited Disney in Christmas of ’11, and was beyond excited to try it – certainly didn’t disappoint! My husband and I are celebrating our 1 year anniversary with a trip to DW this August, and I can’t wait for him to try it. I also look forward to trying some of the other treats you highlighted!
I have a question,finding out if you share any of your recipes at all? I haven’t tried the school bread but would love to try it. If not, maybe, we will save up to be able to return to Disney World and try it then… hope you get back to me.
Thanks, Debbie Jo Cossar
Speaking from dining here as a CS meal on the dining plan, would we be able to get a drink, sandwich, salad/fruit that is included with the sandwich AND one of those delectable dessert items?
If so, I know exactly where I’m going in September!
The “Pretzel” is actually Kringla. Kringla is a traditional Scandinavian pastry looking a lot like a pretzel. A guy I knew from college had to explain that one to me haha. The puffin idea is a good one too though! Haha
Nice Review. I read this along with my son, and I have to say, you hurt the poor boy. I’d also like to add, Lefse has been around for years. We first tried it in 2010.
The desserts look good i love good food!
Has anyone ever tried the salmon & egg sandwich?
I have wanted to try it many times, but it seems pretty small for the price (granted, it does have smoked salmon). It’s tough to justify, but I need to do it. I would love to hear from someone who has tried it…
No love for the Sweet Pretzel?! Oh man, I’m so addicted to those bad boys! When I did the wine and dine half, it was Literally on my mind the last 3 miles. I made a bee line to the bakery!
Do they still have the Veiled Maiden? It was an apple/cream parfait with a sort of crumble on top. Super delicious and one of my favorite memories of the Norway pavilion.
Doesn’t sound familiar to me. How long ago did you have it?
I don’t know about that one but where is the made to order waffle with strawberries and whipped cream they used to have? It was the best thing there.
Allears.net maintains a fairly accurate listing of menus for all WDW. They show the veiled maiden as being a current offering.
Ahahaha someone please make Tom’s Puffin mascot version happen… 🙂
THIS is why I should be an Imagineer…or not. One of the two.
I’m from Norway and I think the only thing that looks Norwegian on the menu is the lefse. This is how School Bread is supposed to look like: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oFaKQ2mjHJQ/TNCKK7q-esI/AAAAAAAAMAU/Y9OeFifDBpk/s1600/PA238552.JPG Disney should hire a Norwegian baker to resolve these ongoing issues.
To be fair, you could spot flaws like this with literally every menu in World Showcase. Disney has to balance cost with appealing to a broad group of guests and authenticity. Most of the menus are simplified and/or Americanized in some way. I’m not saying I agree with doing that, but I can understand why it’s done.
So until I started reading this blog, I had no idea of what school bread was. Now I feel like I need to book myself a trip to WDW just to try it! It sounds amazing. I haven’t been to WDW since 2009, I think a trip is long overdue. Granted we did go to DLR last year but it’s Disney. You can’t ever have too much.
I wouldn’t get *that* excited about it. I love School Bread, but I also love a lot of odd things. Don’t build up your expectations on my account–you might be let down! 🙂
You’re not the only one who has talked about it. The folks over at Disney Food blog have too. I think more than anything I just want some time in EPCOT. 🙂
Hey Tom, have you ever done a bakery review/list? Something where you list your favorite bakery. I amazingly have never tries the School bread or the Lefse. I do love the berry cream puff though.
Not yet. When it comes to lists like that, I’m sort of a completionist, and there are a couple of really popular bakery items that I’ve yet to try that I want to give a chance before doing the rankings. At some point I just need to bite the bullet and do one, though.
Out of curiosity, is the top photo in the article in HDR?
I despise berries and don’t really care much for coconut, so for me Kringla falls well below Boulangerie Patisserie and even Karamell Kutche.
But the lefse might win me over. It looks great and only $1.99?!?
I’m not quite sure (I edited the photo almost a year ago and just got around to uploading it to SmugMug), but I doubt it’s HDR. Looks like it was probably a single exposure with the shadows brought up and the highlights tamed. Gotta love the dynamic range of the D600!
I can see calling France’s bakery superior, but Karamell Kuche? No way!
I (along with my two younger kiddos) have a gluten intolerance. Eating gluten free generally doesn’t bother me in the least (3 years in)…except at WDW. Fortunately, DH and our teen son are more than happy to try all of the ‘must do’ snacks and let me know how they are – school bread was definitely a hit when they tried it last September!
I can’t imagine being gluten intolerant…it’s in so many things! Sorry to hear you can’t enjoy more snacks at Walt Disney World.
Thanks – you get used to it (most of the time!). Walt Disney World’s attention to detail when it comes to dining with food allergies is on a level rarely seen in the ‘real world’ (hence we typically don’t eat out at home). I can’t have gluten, DD7 can’t have gluten and sunflower seeds (!), and DS10 can’t have gluten, dairy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and artificial colors/flavors. Over two week-long WDW vacations, not one of us has gotten sick – incredible.
In fact, on the first trip, DS (then 9) was 100% formula dependent – no food whatsoever. Every server we interacted with handled the situation quite well – at The Wave, they even brought over a huge pin board and left it at the table so he could peruse/trade while we ate. It’s no wonder our ‘once in a lifetime’ WDW quickly changed to ‘how soon can we come back?”. 🙂
The pretzel is probably a nod to how many European cities “marked” their store fronts in mid evil times when people couldn’t read. It was usually a picture to signify what the store was. You’ll see the lots in thr old town center.
http://www.galenfrysinger.com/rothenburg_shop_signs.htm
My favorite ones are the hanging McDonalds signs lol.
Thanks for the link, it’s cool to see those signs. I was aware it was a nod to European signs (I recall seeing a lot like that in Europe), but I didn’t know it had to do with literacy. So many of the signs are family crests that aren’t really indicative of what’s inside that I figured it was more just a European custom. Learn something new everyday! 🙂
In January, my cousin and I decided to snack/drink around the world. We ordered Lefse, Troll Horn, and School Bread. School Bread blew the other two out of the water (in our opinions).
School bread is amazing!
Great review.