Carthay Circle Restaurant Review
Carthay Circle Restaurant in Disney California Adventure is Disneyland Resort’s top in-park dining experience. This review features food photos, thoughts on value for money, and opinions on cuisine quality. It encompasses our experiences at the Carthay bar & lounge, as well as the table service restaurant in Carthay Circle Theatre.
Carthay Circle Restaurant’s menu consists of trendy modern cuisine with a diverse range of flavors and locally sourced ingredients. Many items on the menu are flavors of Southern California, but it’s not an overly “California” menu. Inside, it feels like an upscale old Hollywood place. Sort of like the Hollywood Tower Hotel, except without the lightning and stuff (although I did half expect to find Rod Serling inside).
Being an upscale restaurant inside a theme park is a tough balancing act–upscale dining requires a certain menu, level of service, and ambiance, whereas theme parks are bustling places often filled with sweaty tourists. Nailing the ambiance thus becomes a challenge, and it’s a bit of a gamble for Disney…
While Napa Rose in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel has proven quite popular, it benefits from locals being able to visit without paying park admission. That restaurant can “compete” with other high-end dining options in Southern California, whereas Carthay Circle Restaurant’s clientele is different.
This is because Carthay Circle Restaurant caters only to the theme park crowd, and has to compete with attractions for the attention of this crowd. Unlike other restaurants that have gone “extinct” at Disney California Adventure in the past, Carthay Circle Restaurant is located prominently in Disney California Adventure’s wienie, making it more difficult for Disney to just shutter.
On top of that, much of the dedicated Annual Passholder base at Disneyland was a bit perturbed when Carthay Circle Theatre was announced as the home of a restaurant and two lounges rather than an actual attraction. In other words, Carthay Circle Restaurant has had a lot of pressure on it since even before it opened to really offer an incredible experience.
As with all things related to the re-launch of Disney California Adventure, Disney has been touting the restaurant and its chefs Andrew Sutton and Gloria Tae, both of whom helped make Napa Rose one of the premier SoCal restaurants.
They personally crafted the menu for Carthay Circle Restaurant, which is quite unlike anything seen before in a Disneyland Resort theme park restaurant (excepting the exclusive Club 33), and is more ambitious than The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Monsieur Paul at Epcot.
This menu had us convinced that we’d need to experience the restaurant on its opening day. (Update: we’ve returned to Carthay Circle Restaurant many times since, and it’s still among our favorite restaurants at Disneyland Resort.)
Carthay Circle Lounge Review
With our friends Kate and Henry, we visited Carthay Circle Lounge that day as soon as it opened to be among the first to experience that. That was our first glimpse inside the “Theatre,” and it was beyond impressive. Disney spared no expense when it came to the design of Carthay Circle Theatre, and it showed even in the lounge.
Unlike most lounges at Disneyland (or Walt Disney World, for that matter), the menu of Carthay Circle Lounge was unique! I’ve offered my share of criticism for the uninspired “Generic DisneyParks® Drink Menu®,” as I call it, so it was great to see Disney starting to go in the other direction with their lounge menus.
First with Trader Sam’s, and now with Carthay Circle Lounge. The great thing about being at this lounge on opening day for “rope drop” was that it was pretty empty (most guests were racing around Cars Land) and team behind the lounge was largely present. In fact, there were probably more suits in the lounge than there were guests.
We had the chance to talk to one of the people responsible for the drink menu at Carthay Circle Lounge (among a few other places at different Disney restaurants around the globe), and he indicated that a lot of thought had been put into it–both to make it as authentic to the theme as possible and to make it appeal to guests.
They were working on going this direction with more menus, as there was a cultural tide towards engaging drinks, and because Trader Sam’s had proven successful. Interesting stuff, and hopefully this trend continues.
What he had said about the menu was absolutely true. We sampled several drinks (you know…for the sake of research), and every single one had an exceptional recipe and was very well-made.
Over the course of the next few days we stopped in the Carthay Circle Lounge a few times, with our favorite drinks being the Carthay Manhattan and the Carthay Club Mojito.
The only drink that was “a bit much” was the Aviator Cocktail, which was mixed incredibly strong. But better strong than watered down and sugary (as is endemic of most Disney drinks).
We didn’t have a single drink that could be described as glorified sugar water with some booze splashed in. The drinks were all brilliant, and for this alone, the Lounge receives high marks. The lounge’s atmosphere is likewise superlative.
Carthay Circle Restaurant Review
Our first meal at the actual Carthay Circle Restaurant was on opening day. The first decision we had to make was whether to eat in the luxurious and ornately designed inside dining rooms, or on the terrace with a view of Buena Vista Street. We ultimately opted for the terrace so that we could gaze out at the amazing street and watch Disneyland’s Magical! summer fireworks show near the conclusion of our meal.
Next time we’ll eat inside. It seems like the better overall experience. Plus, you can go to the terrace for the fireworks if you’re eating inside (if the terrace is open).
The beauty of the interior of Carthay Circle Restaurant cannot be overstated. Servers are willing to take guests on tours of the restaurant, and we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this. Disney went all out to make this something special.
From deep, rich wood paneling to black and white photos of Walt Disney on the walls to a gorgeous vaulted ceiling with art inspired by Snow White, there’s no question that Carthay Circle Restaurant is a fine dining experience. For serious Disney fans, it will feel like more than just a restaurant.
The level of detail and exquisite craftsmanship are astonishing, and the restaurant abounds with tributes to Walt Disney and nods to The Walt Disney Company’s past. It truly is like “Club 33, Disney California Adventure Satellite Restaurant.” The only difference is that–and this might sound like heresy to some–is that Carthay Circle Restaurant looks nicer.
Those paying ridiculous annual fees (and even those who have had the privilege of dining at Club 33 and want to maintain it as something special and exclusive) are likely to disagree with this. We dined at Carthay Circle Restaurant and Club 33 on consecutive days, and there is no doubt in my mind that Carthay Circle Restaurant is the nicer looking restaurant.
We started our actual meal by ordering drinks from the downstairs lounge, which were delivered to our table upstairs shortly after we were seated.
The restaurant also has its own drink options, but we had went for the drinks downstairs. Initially, we planned on only ordering a couple of appetizers for the table that the four of us would split: the Halibut Ceviche and Carthay House Biscuits.
The biscuits were simply too good to only have one serving of, so we immediately ordered another basket once we tried them. Biscuits is a misnomer. These are more like breaded balls stuffed with cheddar, bacon, and just a touch of jalapeno.
These have already become one of Carthay Circle Restaurant’s signature dishes (so it’s not just us) that are a must order, and we’ve heard plenty of others raving about them.
Two of us tried the Grilled Ribeye for our main courses, and two of us tried the Bacon-wrapped Shrimp.
With the exception of one Grilled Rib-eye that was ever-so-slightly overcooked, all four dishes were perfect.
My Ribeye was an excellent cut, cooked to perfection, and the mushrooms and blue cheese perfectly juxtaposed the flavor of the meat.
Speaking only to the quality of the dish, I found this ribeye compared quite favorably to the popular Club 33 Chateaubriand and just behind the Napa Rose Filet Mignon.
The Bacon-wrapped Shrimp were similarly very good.
The creamy corn-salsa gave them a unique taste. Of course, you can’t go wrong with bacon (it even goes with ice cream!).
We finished the meal with dessert, and even though we had already had a lot, we couldn’t resist. I tried the highly recommended Fried Banana Split Monte Cristo Sundae, and it exceeded my expectations.
The emphasis was on the fried banana, with the ice cream taking a smaller role, but balancing out the banana very well. The presentation on each dessert was wonderful, and everyone else seemed to like their desserts as well. Dessert portion sizes are small, and I would not recommend them for sharing; they were all also a bit pricey.
As we finished dessert, Magical! began, and we had a clear view to it from the terrace (click here for additional photos of the fireworks from Carthay Circle Restaurant).
The music was not pumped into the restaurant (understandably given the clash of themes), but it was still enjoyable to watch the fireworks from a new location.
I wouldn’t consider this the best place to view the fireworks, but it probably is the best place inside Disney California Adventure.
If you don’t have a Park Hopper ticket, or don’t want to go to Disneyland for whatever reason, going out to the terrace during the fireworks is a suitable alternative.
Overall, Carthay Circle Restaurant is undeniably one of the elite Disney restaurants and Carthay Circle Lounge is one of the elite lounges. Of the restaurants we’ve experienced at Disneyland Resort, Carthay Circle Restaurant is second only to Napa Rose, and Carthay Circle Lounge is second only to Trader Sam’s. The quality and expertly-prepared cuisine and glorious drinks justify the expensive prices. It’s probably not a place where the average tourist only spending one day at Disney California Adventure will want to go, but the serious Disney fan on a 4-5 day trip or a foodie should definitely give Carthay Circle a try.
If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!
Your Thoughts…
If you’ve been to Carthay Circle Restaurant, what did you think of the food? What about the theme and atmosphere? Do you think it’s one of the best Disneyland Resort restaurants? If not, which restaurants do you prefer? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
So, addressing attire, I noticed you guys said you were overdressed eating there. Does that mean most people were wearing their park attire? I’m not staying on property so going back to my hotel to change isn’t an option so I would more than likely be wearing shorts and a short sleeved button-up shirt.
Yes you can just wear what you have on, we have been there twice and no one is dressed up just park clothes
One would think that if you are in the parks you would be wearing park attire and this restaurant caters to park attendees, so why would that be of any concern or cause wonderment?
My husband is a Disney tolerator, so when he is willing to go on a Disney vacation or getaway, I make sure to plan things that I know he’ll enjoy without expecting him to approach Disney like a fan.
At any rate, dinner at the Cathay Circle was a perfect respite for us from the hub bub and stimulation of the park. We enjoy fine dining and Cathay Circle didn’t disappoint, with its seasonal menu and fusion options. We obtained a pass for the viewing area for the nighttime spectacular having a holiday overlay, and were reminded again of Disney’s a la carte approach. Cathay Circle passholders were given access to the best, uncrowded viewing area, but far enough back that getting drenched wasn’t going to happen. My solo visit several months ago where, without a FP or dining pass, I was stuck in the netherworlds behind a tree, convinced me that measures must.be.taken. If I get an excellent meal out of it, well, win/win!
At any rate, back to my dear, Disney tolerating husband. When I did a forensic of his likes and dislikes of the weekend, the thing he enjoyed the most — among many things he liked — was our Cathay Circle dinner.
We’ll be back!
If you or he enjoy drinks, you really ought to pay a separate visit to Carthay Lounge. Same exceptional atmosphere, and a great bar!
Thanks! P.S. Sigh. Not the first time I wished an “edit” feature was available on blog posts. Yes, it’s “Carthay Circle” and not “Cathay Circle.” (Shaking head in red-faced embarrassment.) Irregardless of my inattention to detail and creative spelling, our experience at the Carthay Circle was excellent, we valued the benefit of access to a better viewing area for the nighttime spectacular, and another visit will be on our itinerary the next time my husband accompanies me to Disneyland.
We were in the lounge this past Friday and the service was terrible! Our first drink took, no joke ten minutes. So we were surprised when our second round came in under two. When we asked for the bill we were in for another ten minute wait during which we watched our server make rounds four times without needing to take an order or deliver so much as a water. The only guests who required anything at all was us, for our bill! It should also be noted that she only had about six tables in her section but looked confused, as though she felt out of place. Her customer interactions were all very awkward. I would have loved to go back on our trip but decided to forgo a second visit because of the low level of service, opting instead to hit the Cove bar yet again. Loved the drinks, will definitely give the lounge another shot. My hope is that we were just unlucky.
not sure if you’ve been back to Carthay Circle recently but the menu seems pretty different now. I’m taking my first trip to DLR next month and I’m planning to do the World of Color package. Do you consider lunch or dinner to be better in terms of food choice? I feel like the lunch is a better value and the menu looks tastier in my opinion, but wanted to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Yeah, we have. Carthay does seasonal menus, so it has changed a few times. This post is due for an update. On the plus side, Carthay’s menus are still excellent.
I think lunch is better value, but I would not do the World of Color package.
Just returned for lunch and though the atmosphere is beautiful and the service much better the food was still average.
I ate at Carthay Circle for the first time on a visit back in May and it was a highlight of the trip. Our last day in the park corresponded with Grad Night and it was one of the few places that wasn’t overrun with youths!
We ordered only the appetizers and a salad and it was tasty and filling, and a bit more cost effective. I still dream about the house biscuits. You are right Tom, biscuits is a misnomer. We thought they were more like gourmet hushpuppies. We also had the unique experience of trying an experimental dessert the chef was trying. It was very unique and delicious and he came out to the table to ask our opinion, which made our visit extra fun and special.
Thank you for this review. Very helpful. I am going to visit Disneyland with my little family for my 40th birthday celebration! I don’t know if the restaurant would be appropriate with little kids (2 and 3 yo) though.
I love dining at Carthay. The botanical gin and tonic off of the menu or a Sidecar are delicious. I can’t recommend enough the pork chop. I think it was at least 2″ thick and the waiter said he had seen bigger ones served. Moist and delicious. You must try it. The biscuits, as you mentioned, are delicious as well. Happy dining.
They have a full bar. If you don’t like the cocktails on the menu — and they are a wonderful bunch of standards, so you should like them — they’ll mix up something else to order. They made up a nice Blood & Sand for me.
I stopped into the lounge once; I found the service to be great, the ambiance amazing, and the drinks worth a return trip. However, I was disappointed with the food. The Moroccan meatballs were definitely overcooked, the duck sliders overwhelmed by the disproportionate bread-to-duck ratio, and the third dish so unremarkable that I cannot remember what it was without checking a menu.
Your photos look beautiful. Is the food much better upstairs? I was looking forward to trying it, but my mediocre experience at the lounge makes me hesitant to do anything but drinks at Carthay.
The drinks here is what stood out to me the most and I have yet to find any bar serving the ginger Rogers that I too often crave. Do you know if any of the bars at the disney land resorts can or are able to make the drinks from carthays menu? I don’t always want to get a park hopper and would be nice to take a break from disneyland park for a drink without having to add that on
My husband and I ate here for our 10th anniversary dinner in September 2012. We were overwhelmed by the setting. Neither of us are drinkers so I can’t speak to that, but the food we had was excellent, as was the service. They even accommodated us when we befriended the couple seated at the next booth and asked if we could all be reseated together. When I booked the reservation I had mentioned it was an anniversary dinner, so we were given a free off-menu dessert, which was fabulous. Despite the fact that everyone in the restaurant was dressed like us (not to mention very sweaty, SoCal was experiencing a heat wave), we still felt under-dressed for the venue. Still, it was lovely and I would recommend it to anyone!
Our most recent meal at Carthay (I’ll have to update this review at some point soon) was excellent all around. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Hey Tom ans Sarah, wow I love this blog! Long time stalker first time participator from Australia. Thanks so much for great info as well as the most amazing photos of everything Disney. Just a question about Cathay circle and other “nice” restaurants at Disneyland. What about kids? Our kids are 7 and 10 and quite used to eating out. Are there other kids there or ar they welcome? Heading to DL in September and we have a week to spend to do everything including great restaurants but never see anywhere whether kids are in the mix.
Again great work
Chick flix
I’ve been to several of the table service and what would be called the “nice” restaurants in Disneyland and DCA, including Carthay Circle. Every one of them had children there. Some like Ariel’s Grotto in DCA and Blue Bayou in DLR have children’s menus. You can check out some of the menus on the Disneyland website. Disneyland was originally built to cater to families, and they still do to this day.
Great thanks Meagan. Can’t wait to try some amazing dining at DL. 🙂
We at inside and it was a wonderful experience, as always at Disney. I did not know they were willing to take you on a full tour, (it was really crowded the night we were there) thanks for this information, I will be checking that out on our next trip. I love your blog, Keep it up!
Great review and pics!
Carthay is my go to place in CA Adventure. I love that it feels set apart from the park which is especially nice on crowded days. The Duck Wings and Cheese Biscuits are my favorite things on the menu.
I think it is also in the ‘spirit’ of ‘Walt’s’ in Disneyland Paris, but bigger.
I found very little in the way of similarities between Walt’s and Carthay Circle. They’re both nice, ornate, and contain references to Walt Disney. That’s about it.
As WDW annual pass holders, my wife, my parents, my sister and I were really excited to try this out when we went out there just before Christmas.
My favorite Disney restaurant is Blue Bayou at Disneyland, so I was excited to see how it stacked up to that. Although I wouldn’t say it was as good as Blue Bayou which we also did on the trip, I will say that we thoroughly enjoyed it. loved it.
The food was great and our server was top notch. She was knowledgeable about the menu and the restaurant itself (History of it all).
I definitely plan on going back when we make a return trip.
Discovered your guys blog recently and am loving reading your insight. Keep up the great work.
Really? I think Blue Bayou skates by with excellent ambiance that allows it to charge high prices for mediocre food. (Blue Lagoon at Disneyland Paris is the same way!)
Glad you’re enjoying the blog!
Sigh…once again, we here in Florida can never have nice things.
The menu is trendy, but far from precious. At least there’s not a pulled-pork anything. Shows what freedom from the “dinning” plan hordes can bring.
That wine list certainly made me sit up and take note. Certainly more varied than every place at WDW except Victoria and Albert’s and (maybe, now) Citricos. The prices aren’t the usual WDW clip job, either.
I had to use the Goggle Machine to find the lounge drink menu, as you thoughtlessly omitted it. The Manhattan is the same recipe as that on the standard drink menu at WDW, so if you liked it at Carthay Circle, you like it at WDW. However, to serve a Manhattan with ice, even if it’s a custom work-of-art, is a ****ing travesty.
As for your complaint about the “Aviator,” I’ll let it slide as a misfortunate by-product of your flyover philistinism.
HOLY MOTHER OF CHRIST, IT’S AN AVIATION. ON AN ACTUAL DISNEY DRINK MENU. AND THEY PUT CREME DE VIOLETTE IN IT.
I must pause here briefly to breathe deeply into this paper bag for about an hour.
Naples, the upscale town just down the road from me, which has not one but two Ritz-Carlton resorts, has exactly one place in town which has all the ingredients for an Aviation. I got one of my bartender friends at each of Top of the World and Mizner’s to make one, and showed it to their managers, to try to get them to at least stock the maraschino. I had to bring everything in smuggled tiny bottles. (No dice, as there’s no way to get it past WDW’s byzantine drink-approval politburo). That a greater-Disneyland in park restaurant has this, three thousand miles away, as a regular item makes me doubt my faith in a loving God.
Did you get a sense of how people dressed? I know I’m way off the edge of the spectrum on this, but I’m compelled to dress well for a place like that, even if it is in a park and I have to tote a change of clothes (I’m fortunate in that my usual WDW cronies are of the same mind). The thought of people in shorts and sandals and t-shirts there gives me a sad.
I don’t know whether to be grateful that you posted this or hate your guts for the tormenting envy it’s given me.
Aviation, Aviator…potato, potato.
As I continue to demonstrate, I am not exactly a connoisseur of mixed drinks. (I know even less about wine, but in my defense there, I can’t really drink wine without having allergic reactions, so I see no need for knowledge there.) Craft beer is my strong suit, and even that probably isn’t all that “strong.” I don’t know much about flavor notes, etc., I just know which types of beers I like, and approximately why I like them. With mixed drinks, I know I don’t like sugar water with splashes of booze (which is what everything I’ve tried from the generic menu has been) and I know of a few good drinks around the resort.
With regard to attire, don’t expect much. The only place I’ve seen people dressed nicely at Disneyland Resort is Napa Rose (people don’t even get dressed up for Club 33–in a suit and tie I’m usually “overdressed” as compared to other guests). Here’s how we dressed for one visit to Carthay: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/36635160117.jpg
I’d say we felt appropriately dressed for the restaurant in that attire, but we were definitely overdressed by comparison.
Sniff. Next time you kids are at WDW, if I may be so presumptuous, I’d be willing to help you with developing your connoisseurship. I have many years of practice.
There is no such thing as overdressed, at least for those things not involving hard labor, if one looks sufficiently dapper or fabulous. Pro tip: at WDW, mouse or Oswald ears increase one’s dress attire’s fabulousness geometrically.
Well, we were there over the weekend…so you just missed us! Not sure when we’ll be back. Have a couple other trips coming up that might prevent us from returning for a while.
Forgot to mention our favorite restaurant is Napa Rose but this too has not been as good in the last few years,though we still love to dine in the lounge with drinks and appetizers. The steakhouse in Disneyland hotel has been good and Blue Bayou has improved over the years.Unfortunately the restaurants in Disneyland our not as good as Disneyworld but we are happy to have a few nice places to dine.
As a passholder at Disneyland we have been to Carthay 5 times, in the beginning we were very impressed as you experienced beautiful design interesting menu and lack luster service.Unfortunately over the months the food has gone downhill the service never improved and setting is still stellar. Though the setting is quiet and nice, the rest is just substandard and as alocal reviewer said most of the food was not as good as his lunch corn dog. I hope in the future they can regain the level of dining from opening with improved service,because its surely a beautiful and wonderfully designed restaurant.
Interesting. Those who responded on Twitter (many of whom are also regulars) didn’t suggest that the food has gone downhill.