California Grill Review
California Grill is a Walt Disney World Signature Restaurant located in Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The restaurant features classic cuisine with a California fusion twist that makes for an experience that is simultaneously conventional, but also a bit adventurous. In addition to being a wonderful fine dining restaurant, it’s also one of the best locations at Walt Disney World for watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks, really giving it the perfect balance between sophistication and ‘Disney whimsy.’
Thanks to this balance, California Grill is a Disney restaurant that will appeal to just about anyone. Everyone from picky eaters to the most refined palates will find something to love about California Grill. Since it is a Signature Restaurant, it will cost you two credits on the Disney Dining Plan. It also accepts the Tables in Wonderland card for a 20% discount; AP/DVC members get 10% off, too.
California Grill underwent an extensive “re-imagining” and now features entirely new decor and a re-invented menu. We had the chance to dine here following the refurbishment, and find the atmosphere and menu of the new-look California Grill to be exceptional. This review combines photos from our latest visit along with our dining experiences from earlier visits.
We’ve been dining at California Grill together for a decade now, with our most recent visit in February 2017 and our first time in August 2007. During that time, a lot has changed. For our first visit, we had the Disney Dining Plan, which at the time included appetizers and tips. It may seem silly and meaningless to most others, but our first meal at California Grill in 2007 was quite special to us. That trip was our second to Walt Disney World together, and we treated California Grill with the specialness the experience deserved, dressing in formal attire and feeling a bit overdressed in the process.
For our most recent meal, we paid out of pocket with only the Annual Pass discount, dining in the more laid-back atmosphere of the lounge after a long day in Magic Kingdom. Our park attire matched the more laid-back atmosphere of the lounge, but interestingly enough, many patrons of California Grill’s main dining rooms were dressed considerably nicer, with many wearing cocktail attire!
Before we move on to the cuisine at California Grill, let’s take a look at the redone interior…
During the 7-month re-imagining of California Grill, Imagineers drew from the Contemporary’s mid-century modern roots for design inspiration. The result is a style that combines Googie, modern, and even Disney influences to create a new look that is simultaneously retro and modern.
It works incredibly well, and creates a timeless look that is at once classy, sophisticated, and trendy. (I also suspect this style won’t become dated at any time soon.)
One of the highlights of California Grill is the views of Magic Kingdom (you can see Cinderella Castle and Space Mountain through the window above).
Window tables are often quite popular, especially around fireworks time in Magic Kingdom. We’d recommend requesting a window table on arrival (be prepared to wait), as it really does enhance the experience.
If you’re interested in more of a foodie experience, request a seat at the sushi counter. This is something we have not done since California Grill was refurbished, and I found it odd that no one was seated here during our visit. Perhaps it was reserved? (It’s also odd that California Grill does not have a Chef’s Counter/Table experience.)
Since this is a California restaurant, it should come as no surprise that they have an impressive wine list. We are not wine drinkers, so we cannot speak to the quality of that list, but it sure is impressive to look at!
If you’re going to California Grill, even if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, you’d be remiss to not try the sushi or a flatbread. California Grill’s sushi is some of the best I’ve had anywhere, even in Japan.
The Spicy Kazan Roll is a personal favorite, but all are fairly inventive. We’ve never tried the Sashimi, but that’s definitely on the list for next time.
Flatbreads change seasonally, but always seem to offer something fresh and inventive.
Like any good Signature Restaurant at Walt Disney World, California Grill features a drink menu with a variety of options in addition to that formidable lineup of wines.
The main courses are delicious, albeit expensive. These plates seem to change regularly, but of the items presently on the menu, without question our favorite right now is the Oak-fired Filet of Beef.
The beef is tender and incredibly flavorful, and the accompanying mashed potatoes are the perfect compliment to the meat. We have generally found the seafood at Cali Grill to be of lesser quality than the other meats, but even still, the seafood is typically good.
As its former name, Top of the World Restaurant, implies, California Grill has some great views. If you’re there around sunset or Wishes! wait the extra time for a window seat. Actually, regardless of when you’re there, wait for a window seat. At prices this high, you should get the full experience.
For a while, California Grill was arguably a shadow of its former self. That was likely true for a stretch leading up to the most recent refurbishment, but it would seem to us that the decor, atmosphere, and (most importantly) menu have been revitalized since, and California Grill is once again one of the premier Signature Restaurants at Walt Disney World. As it should be. California Grill is the most expensive restaurant on property besides Victoria & Albert’s, but for a while was one of the weaker Signature Restaurants, and perhaps even eclipsed by mid-tier options such as Sanaa. With the dining experience virtually reinvented, it’s once again a must-do restaurant for foodies visiting Walt Disney World.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help.
For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts…
Are you a fan of California Grill? If so, is it for the food, for the ambiance and view, or for both? Are you excited to dine at the “new look” California Grill? Have you dined at California Grill since the refurbishment? Any favorite menu items? Share your thoughts in the comments!
4th time this past November with the family. As the kids have grown, we’ve expanded in our restaurant choices. First time at the California Grill (with a meal plan as well): found it to be way over-rated. A bottle of the house wine slightly more than $50. Should have paid more attention to the menu beforehand: not many healthy choices (that kind of goes for all of Disney). My wife found the waiter to be condescending when she didn’t see anything on the menu to suit her tastes. Will likely never do it again.
What would you suggest wearing because I know there is a dress code but at some places you end up way over dressed following the dress code.
We ate at California Grill on the first night of our Fabulous Thanksgiving Holiday in 2014. We were very underwhelmed for the price point. We paid out of pocket for all meals. In a trip that included all the highlights such as Thanksgiving Dinner in the Castle at Cinderella’s Royal Table, our Cali Grill meal was quickly forgotten. We much preferred our meal at The Wave later in the trip. We splurged on an amazing room at the Contemporary with a view of the castle, so the restaurant view didn’t really stand out either. We had a magical trip, but for us, Cali Grill was humbug, blah.
I stumbled across your blog earlier this year looking for info on Not So Scary 2016 and have been digging through your food reviews pretty much since then. I don’t know if you’ve been back to CA Grill since this write up, but I would recommend you try it again; and I look forward to your thoughts.
We ate there for the first time last year (2015) and it’s on the list for the next trip this fall. In reading into the restaurant, I understand there were kitchen and service issues for a short time after their reopening. I believe they have overcome that. The server we had was polite, professional, and had a cooks knowledge of the menu. And the food was on point. I have not eaten at Victoria, but that meal stands out as one of my top three WDW eating experiences.
Thanks for all the info and insight. Keep writing!
Cali Grill is our go-to restaurant for the last night of every Disney Holiday.
Great views and restaurant, great food, service is second to none – every time we’ve found the staff to be friendly, informative, great at suggesting certain foods and overall just perfect. All of that then followed by going out on the large balcony and watching the MK fireworks – always the perfect end to our Disney Holiday 🙂
We haven’t been to V&As Tom, so will take your word for it. It must be some place…
Hey Tom, my Fiance and I are having our honeymoon in Disney from December 31st 2015 to January 7th 2016. We just reserved California grill today for our second day, but are now second guessing the decision. Would you recommend flying fish cafe over California grill for a romantic dinner on a honeymoon? BTW we are on the disney dinning plan that includes 1 ts 1 qs and 1 snack per day.
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I just had the worst experience at the California Grill. Decided to go just for sushi and flatbreads, since that’s what I’ve heard people rave about. However the waiter was not okay with that and the second he realized we weren’t ordering entrees, he became extremely rude! He avoided helping us besides the bare minimum for the rest of the dinner and just made the entire experience so unpleasant, I guess we weren’t worth his time because we weren’t spending as much as others. I have noticed the quality of the waitstaff at most Disney restaraunts has gone down. I am not sure if it’s because they are guaranteed a good tip with the dining plan or what, but I have had a lot of meals ruined by waiters there recently
“If your kids can’t behave for a meal, take them to the Neverland Club at the Polynesian. If you can afford to eat a rather pricey meal, have the decency to dress appropriately for it. I realize it’s a restaurant outside of a theme park, but it’s a nice restaurant, nonetheless. I wish other guests would dress accordingly.”
Yes! A thousand times, YES. Would it really be that hard to enforce some sort of dress code? The last time we went to Artist Point a woman was wearing yoga pants, flip flops, and a stretched out tank top with holes in it (and yes, she was still seated).
Also, do you think that booking a later ADR (say, 8:30 or 9 p.m.) would be better to avoid the kids or does it not matter at California Grill since a big draw is viewing Wishes? My husband and I are looking to go mid-February this year.
The NEW Oak Grilled Filet with Tomato Butter is absolutely the most amazing thing I have ever had in my life. I would brush my teeth with the tomato butter. You two HAVE to get here and try this.
I don’t believe that you regularly brush your teeth, so the fact that you’d brush your teeth in the first place for this steak really is high praise.
ZING!
I just chew gum. No need to brush, unless it’s with tomato butter.
The California Grill was the best meal we had at Disney World hands down. Nothing even came close to the service, quality, and atmosphere. Especially when the fireworks went off at Cinderella’s castle during dinner. For a family with a young child I was surprised at how awesome our server was at making our little girl comfortable. Our server even cut up her dinner for her when the time came. It was without a doubt unbelievable and I would recommend it to any family wanting the best meal at Disney World. V&A might be better (I did not go there), but they don’t allow young children.
The oak fired filet was amazing and the drinks blew other places out of the water. You can really tell the fresh ingredients that were used.
Hey Tom! We are planning a trip for this time next year. Any chance you’ll be reviewing the new Cali Grill in the next 6 months? My mother-in-law will be travelling with us and has graciously offered to watch our son so we can have a date night. Trying to decide on a restaurant, but with Cali Grill only being open a week it’s hard to get a good feel for it yet. We love your open and honest reviews so really looking forward to your opinion. Other option is Artist Point…what do you think?
Taken from the Disney site: (For those planning a trip)
Dress Code
At this signature dining experience, Guests are asked to adhere to the dress code.
Men may wear khakis, slacks, jeans or dress shorts and collared shirts. Sport coats are optional.
Women may wear Capri pants, skirts, dresses, jeans or dress shorts.
Not permitted are tank tops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, hats for gentlemen, cut-offs, torn clothing and t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics.
I hope that with the new make over they will be a little more observant with the dress code. We go in early December 2013 and I shall let you know. And I will be wearing a something smarter than my usual ‘park’ attire.
My husband & I have eaten at the California Grill on almost every trip. We love it. We never do the dining plan. My husband hates keeping up with that stuff. We go to Disney to enjoy ourselves, not to pinch pennies. ( We don’t have kids, so we can afford it a little easier.) I love the flatbreads. I have made a version of one of these at home, thanks to some helpful hints from our cast member (waiter). I think it is the one in your picture. Only once have I gotten an entree that I was not in love with. It was good, but normally the food is so good that I want to pick up my plate & lick it clean, which I do not do, of course.
We also include Jiko’s into our schedule each trip too. While my husband loves the African & Middle Eastern inspired foods, I like them. Sometimes I have a hard time finding something that I want to eat there, but I have always enjoyed the food there too.
I love being able to see Wishes from the Cali, but the last time I had a child that was shoving himself between my chair & the window. I tried to be nice, because I did not want to ruin the magic for him. He was thrilled. His parents did tell him to move back, but I told them not to worry about it. It was still annoying to me, but I let it go. Jiko’s has a much quiter atmosphere. I have noticed less children there as a rule compared to Cali. I think a lot of people bring their kids to Cali to see the fireworks.
We are planning a trip to Victoria & Albert’s this year, since the California Grill will be closed for refurbishment when we go this April. Can’t wait to see what it is like.
I totally agree with the dress issue at Cali. My husband & I always dress nice for dinners at places like this, even if everybody else is sloppy. Does kind of ruin the atmosphere though.
P.S. if you want to know how to make the flatbread, I can tell you.
We’ve heard about that issue with kids and Wishes before. I would not be pleased if that happened to us!
Very nice review. The only thing I will nit pick is the dining plan.
It was not in it’s infancy. It has been available since the late ’80’s
at least, when we first added the plan to our stay. Of course it wasn’t
“free” until many years later. : )
While some form of “meal plan” has been available at Walt Disney World since at least the early 1990s, the Disney Dining Plan as its presently known and with (more or less) its present offerings, was introduced in the mid-2000s.
Omgawd, I so agree with your rant about the inappropriate dress we all have experienced at the Cali Grill. I don’t know why the snooty CM’s at the podium downstairs don’t stop people and make them put on a jacket and shoes to replace the wife beater shirts and flip flops.
So true! And the lax dress code applies to most of the upscale restaurants. I look forward to a little dress up even at a theme park but I find myself surrounded by those who apparently don’t!
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I to find this matter to be really something that I believe I might never understand. It kind of feels too complex and very large for me. I am looking ahead to your subsequent post, I’ll attempt to get the grasp of it!
I couldn’t agree more with you about the dress code enforcement fail by the cast members. We enjoyed the California Grill the only time we visited in October 2008. We had better meals at Citrico’s, Narcoossee’s and Flying Fish. We haven’t been to V&A, but hopefully soon. Keep the reviews coming. I enjoy your writing style.
Never eaten at Citrico’s, but have heard good things about it. We’ve had great meals at Narcoossee’s and Flying Fish, though! V&A’s is definitely head and shoulders above the rest!
Glad you enjoy my writing style. That (hopefully) means I don’t have too many typos or trail off mid-sentence too much!
We ate at Citrico’s in December of 2011. I rank it as one of the top 5 worst meals I have ever had at a restaurant in Disney. I forget the amount of the bill (it was huge) but for the small size of our meals it was outrageous. The little filet that my wife got was delicious but not anywhere close to the price. On top of that we waited over an hour after our reservation time to be seated….this place is rated far better than I would ever rate it.
Nice conclusion at the end. One V&A meal instead of two Cali Grill meals helps put your rating into a really useful perspective.
Gah – Gravatar fail. 🙁
Great review Tom. We were at California Grill last year and were surprised to find just how ignored the dress code goes. Men in baseball caps, gym shorts and t-shirts were a more common sight than those in khakis and a button down, which is how I was dressed. My wife was seriously offended by this, and she’s no snob by any means. We just considered a meal at California Grill to be a special experience, and thus, dressed with that in mind.
We agree on the quality of the sushi. It was probably the best I’d ever tasted. Yoshi has become a minor celebrity in the culinary worl. In fact, as we were told by our server, the day after our visit, a TV crew would arrive to film a segment on her.
While Jiko remains my favorite WDW restaurant, California Grill has become my second favorite. We look forward to our next visit.
Yeah, far too many people blatantly ignore the dress code. The common excuse I’ve heard is that it’s a restaurant “at a theme park” (well, it’s not, but that’s beside the point). The fact is, it’s a classy establishment, so dress like it. But, that’s just my take.
I agree about Jiko edging Cali Grill as our favorite Signature Restaurant at WDW. Even the ambiance at Jiko seemed better. Maybe fewer people go directly from a park to Jiko? I know it’s close to DAK, but like like Cali Grill is to MK.