Narcoossee’s Review
Narcoossee’s is a signature restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and is regarded by some as one of Walt Disney World’s best restaurants. It’s certainly one of Walt Disney World’s most expensive restaurants! Situated over the shoreline of the Seven Seas Lagoon in an elevated pavilion, Narcoossee’s specializes in the seafood you might find in an actual Floridian coastal restaurant, except with seafood from across North America, not just Florida.
Although it specializes in seafood, the menu at Narcoosee’s is pretty balanced, offering steak, chicken, and a variety of other options. As a signature restaurant participating in the Disney Dining Plan, Narcoossee’s is a 2-credit table service restaurant, and one of the restaurants at Walt Disney World that now requires a $10 per person deposit to secure reservations. It also accepts the Tables in Wonderland card for a 20% discount.
We had been to Narcoosee’s once before, on the night I proposed to Sarah on the beach of the Polynesian, but that had been a few years ago. Knowing that Narcoosee’s is one of the most expensive restaurants at Walt Disney World (the most expensive one based on highest priced menu items), we decided to return to Narcoosee’s when we attempted to get the most bang for our buck on the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan (read just how much we saved by using the Deluxe Dining Plan here!). Luckily we were on the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan, because I would have been very disappointed if we had paid full price for this meal.
During both of our visits to Narcoosee’s, the restaurant has been incredibly busy. It’s not all that difficult to score an ADR at Narcoossee’s, but it’s usually fairly busy anyway. This is presumably due to guests staying at the Grand Floridian who walk over for a date-night meal or a dinner in the days before or after a wedding. In our experience, it has been the least dressed-down of the signature restaurants (probably also due to the Grand Floridian clientele), so if you dine at Narcoossee’s, you should plan on dressing nicely for the meal, unless you’re a carefree slob who isn’t made uncomfortable by being under-dressed at a nice restaurant. This is not to say you need to wear a suit or even a jacket, but you will be under-dressed with flip flops and a tee-shirt (and not in compliance with Disney’s seldom-enforced dress code for the restaurant).
Narcoossee’s makes no pretenses about having an elaborate backstory that is supposed to transport the guest to a different time and locale. Or, if it does, these things were totally lost on us. Instead, it’s “just” a casually-elegant restaurant with a coastal theme, with said theme being reinforced by the design and location of the building on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Inside, the restaurant seems to have more of a relaxed elegance; there is a bright blue and white color scheme and nice woods, but propped-open window shades allow plenty of light to enter in late afternoon hours and ceiling fans establish that it’s not stuffy elegant. In other words, it’s basically elegant because of your fellow patrons, the menu prices, and its location. It does not have the same elegance through ambiance of other signature dining locations at Walt Disney World. That said, you can probably find real restaurants like Narcoossee’s in a variety of well-to-do seaside communities that don’t strive for elegance but have de facto elegance due to the patrons and the prices.
This casual feel is especially true during the restaurant’s first few hours of operation each night before the sunset, which is when we dined at Narcoossee’s most recently. If you’re dining later in the evening, as we have in the past, Narcoossee’s does become more elegant as the restaurant is less bright and each table has a lit candle on it. Between this and a view of Wishes from the window tables (arrive early and put in a request for one of these tables), the restaurant is actually downright romantic. It’s crazy how a difference of a few hours can substantially change the ambiance, but it certainly does here.
As far as cuisine goes, unfortunately, Narcoossee’s has just been okay in our experience. I started with the Oysters on a Half Shell and Sarah ordered the Crispy Buttermilk Fried Virginia Soft-Shell Crab. These oysters had recently returned to Narcoossee’s, and I can see why Disney had touted them on the Parks Blog. They were excellent. Well-flavored, perfectly textured (well, not according to Sarah), and with just the right amount of flavor without being too salty (although it was close). For me, these were the highlight of the meal.
Sarah wasn’t quite so enthusiastic about her soft shell crab, which she found to be a touch tough and oddly flavored. After she had only a few bites of it, she decided it wasn’t for her, so I ate the rest of it. My opinion of it was much higher than hers. I thought the crab was perfect, with the right amount of breading and a great flavor. I would highly recommend both of the appetizers we had.
Unfortunately, our main courses are where the wheels fell off this meal. Sarah ordered the Whole Maine Lobster and I ordered the Surf ‘n’ Turf (Butter-poached Lobster Tail and Grilled Filet Mignon). Out of pocket, these entrees would have cost $65 and $66 each, respectively. They did not even come close to living up to those expensive prices, even accounting for the premium you pay for Walt Disney World dining.
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Starting with Sarah’s lobster, just about everything was wrong with it, according to her (and I’ll defer to her on this, as she frequently orders whole lobster at fine seafood restaurants). It was tough, overcooked, and completely lacking in flavor. It was as if Disney had run out of lobster, so they went over to Red Lobster to see what they could scrounge up. Actually, that might be a bit harsh…towards Red Lobster. Does 7-11 carry lobster? Maybe that’s more apt. 😉 (Okay, obviously an exaggeration, but you get the idea…)
My lobster tail wasn’t quite that bad, but it was nothing to write home about, either. It was simply okay. My filet, on the other hand, was bad. I recently had a steak at Liberty Inn (you know, the bad counter service restaurant in World Showcase) that would compare well to this filet. It would have been the worst cut of filet mignon I’ve ever had, as it was tough and lacking flavor. To the credit of the kitchen staff, the garnishing was well done (but a little salty), so I guess at least there’s that.
Again, these entrees were $65 and $66 each.
Dessert was next, and it was markedly better than the main course. Sarah got the Strawberry Shortcake and I ordered the Baked Chocolate Mousse. The presentation on Sarah’s was excellent, as was the taste. I was scared away by the “shortcake” name, which I generally associate with bland cake, but that was not at all the case here. In fact, I wish I had ordered that!
Mine was similarly good, although not quite as good. It was rich and decadent, and probably would have appealed to chocolate lovers a lot more than me. I ate half of it before passing it off to Sarah. This is in no way an indictment of the dessert, which I thought was excellent. It was more an issue of me having eaten two appetizers and an entree.
Overall, even considering the excellent appetizers and desserts, Narcoossee’s is not a restaurant that scored well with us, nor is it one I can even “recommend with reservations.” If Narcoosee’s were a restaurant in a major city charging those prices and consistently serving cuisine of that quality, it would be out of business in a matter of months. Our meal there was certainly not on par with any quality seafood restaurant in Chicago or even Indianapolis. Not even close.
Narcoossee’s is often praised by fans, so I guess there’s the chance that we caught the place on an off night. However, I think it’s equally likely that it’s drawing praise from those who are not accustomed to eating good seafood, or Dining Plan guests who don’t take the prices into account when praising it. Sure, it’s much better than Sunshine Seasons or even The Plaza Restaurant, but it’s also considerably more expensive than both, so those aren’t reasonable baselines.
On the plus side, our server was exceptional, promptly refilling our drinks on several occasions and being present without being obtrusive throughout the meal. On both occasions when we’ve been to Narcoossee’s, the service has been great, and I suspect this is typical of the restaurant. (I’d hazard a guess that the best servers on property gravitate to the Grand Floridian restaurants, for obvious reasons.)
If we have a bad meal because of service we’ll generally give the restaurant another try in the near future because service can be inconsistent or poor at good restaurants for reasons outside the control of the restaurant. However, when cuisine-quality is the issue, as was the case here with our entrees, we are not so forgiving. Obviously, it’s possible that our meal was an outlier, but I’m not willing to take a ~$200 gamble on that hope. For some perspective on the cost of our meal, we could have eaten at Victoria & Albert’s, the best restaurant on Disney property in the US, for only a bit more (if paying out of pocket), and we would have had a far superior meal.
I can’t recommend Narcoosee’s as a Signature dining pick over any signature restaurant, including Jiko, Flying Fish, California Grill, and Hollywood Brown Derby. While all of these restaurants offer poor value on the standard Disney Dining Plan, I can at least highly recommend those five restaurants. I cannot say the same for Narcoossee’s, and it will be a long time before we return unless we do the Deluxe Dining Plan again, and want to maximize our savings. Even then, I think we’ll be better off eating somewhere we actually like and saving less.
Overall Score 5.5/10
To read other Walt Disney World restaurant reviews, organized by location, check out our Disney Dining Reviews Index.
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of Narcoossee’s? Do you enjoy the theme and ambiance? What about the food? I know there are plenty of Narcoossee’s fans out there, so if you’ve been to Narcoossee’s recently, I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments.
I have been to Narcoossees at least half a dozen times. It continues to be a favorite for our family, although, it has probably been 2 years since we have been there last. Personally, I’d call the decor “Theme-Park-Resort-Upscale.” I don’t think it makes sense to expect overly intricate, luxurious decor on Disney Property since families with small, tired children and all walks of life will be welcomed here with Disney Smiles. The location on the water and the views of the fireworks from the window seats and deck set this restaurant apart. If you are expecting a peaceful, unrushed, undistracted dinner, I’d encourage renting a car or calling a cab and leaving Disney property. Only during our last visit did we feel as if the food was slightly lacking compared to previous visits but it was by no means bad or even average. When we return this year, I have my fingers crossed that the food will be back to how we first remember it. As far as prices go, we can all agree that every meal at Disney or any theme park is overpriced. That being said, our meals here have always been special-a level above other Disney restaurant experiences-especially the Almond Crusted Cheesecake. That, combined with the magic of Wishes, views of the Castle and premier service, has made every dime we’ve spent here over the years worth it for us. (note: we have never used a dining plan.) I hope I can say the same after our next visit.
We love this restaurant and go often, we live not too far away. The food can be hit or miss but mostly hit. What keeps me coming back is that when this 60+++ year old woman jumps up from the table to run outside to view the electric boat parade, the wait staff makes sure my food isn’t cold when I get back. That is good service!
I went to this restaurant for the first time this week. I see all of the hype about the food but my experience was quite different. I was advised to dress nicely and I did but imagine my surprise to find an ‘ambiance’ that was similar to a Red lobster. We were over-dressed, most of the people were dressed quite casually leaving us feeling over-dressed. There were children screaming and crying from the time we got there, at 7p, until we left. Normally when I attend a supposedly ‘higher end restaurant’ children are left in the care of others. I’m not addressing price as I expected it to be pricey but for the money the food was just ok and my server was also ‘ok’ and the restaurant was too loud. The people I went with were just as surprised as me as they raved about their prior experience about a a year ago. Trying to figure out what happened since their last visit we came to the conclusion that the dress-code and decor must have changed in order to accommodate families. Before I get lambasted, I am ok with children in restaurants and I also understand that most in this restaurant were also on vacation. What I have a problem with Disney not giving a real assessment of the environment. Also, no need to make advanced reservations as there were plenty of seats available. I think that Narcoosees has a higher opinion of itself than it should. I most likely will not recommend this restaurant or even go there again. If I want Red Lobster that is where I will go. In summary, the food was ok, the bread was hot the atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired.
Addendum to my review: Just wanted to note that I did not see earlier reviews of comparisons to Red Lobster. I am happy that I didn’t because I wanted to be objective. If you enjoyed the food then good for you. I’m just saying you can eat the same food at Red Lobster…..actually….Red Lobster is better, love their rolls.
My wife and I LOVE Narcoossee’s! We ate there for the first time on our Honeymoon and we make it a point to eat there our first night every vacation. It’s turned into a bit of a tradition. We use it as out one “upscale” meal each trip, as we usually tend towards the more standard priced (“$” in Disney terminology) for the rest of our table service meals. I usually get the lobster and/or shrimp linguine and find it delectable. My wife loves the steak and the potatoes are top notch. We also love the decor and try to score a time during Wishes and watch then from the patio. Granted we are not the most well-eaten folks in Disney, but from what we have experienced this is certainly a 9-10/10 in my book 🙂
Just an FYI, we use TIW to save 20% which pays for the tip and ends up being around 30$… If we didn’t get that discount, it would be a bit harder to stomach but we would make it work!
We stayed at the Grand Floridian for two weeks on our honeymoon and our room overlooked Narcoossee’s so we ate there a fair bit. Since then it has had a sentimental attachment so we go back more or less every year and always enjoy it. The restaurant is probably overpriced so that is a consideration if you need to choose between locations but you are effectively paying for its location and view of the fireworks as much as the food. Therefore, to get value you need to make a reservation that means you finish your meal just around the time of Wishes because you get the most amazing view and they even play the sound over the speakers. Magical setting and you avoid the crush to get out of the MK!!
Do they still offer that Whole Fried Fish? I notice it’s not on the menu, but it certainly was impressive looking when we dined there a few years ago. Would consider going back this August if it’s on the menu….
We did not see it on the menu when we were there. Sorry!
Are there any other options for lobster? We are really hoping to do whole lobster or lobster tails on one night of our trip and this is the only restaurant I know of with lobster.
Tom,
Your review has pretty much talked me out of Narcoosee’s. We are paying out of pocket and live in New England where great (and tasty) seafood is abundant. I really don’t want to overpay for ‘meh’ food.
If I could pick your brain, we are looking for a nice signature meal to take my father-in-law for his birthday. What would you recommend? Besides California Grill. We’re doing Cali Grill on a date night sans in-laws.
P.S. I am thoroughly obsessed with your blog! It’s my new Disney bible 🙂 Thanks!
Our experiences at N have been excellent but the last ones were over year ago, and WDW has a way of rotating head chefs just when they hit their stride and have a following. We pay cash, not meal plan, but I thought the whole fried fish was worth every penny, and salads and desserts have always been palate pleasers. As for your choice of Canada, we had one good meal before it became celebrated, our next meal was awful. My filet was pieced together and our cold dessert was warm. I guess on any given night anything is possible.
DH and I ate here on our recent trip during the Christmas holiday. We choose one signature restaurant meal for each trip, and we do not do the dining plan.
While we both enjoyed our meal, we agree with you that it is not worth the price. There are other restaurants where we can get similar quality meals for significantly less money. We both said that we would not go back…unless someone else is paying 🙂
We felt the same about the Restaurant and we always pay out of pocket, so I’m not going to let food quality slide on my dime. I’ll seek out places that are worth the money. I think Disney is getting away w/ this poor quality because of the plans. As you said yourself, you would have been far more upset if you paid out of pocket. They push these plans so heavily, IMO, because they know this. Thanks for the review. We’ll be sure not to bother trying it again. We usually give a place a few tries before we don’t bother. But not for this kind of cash.
I think that’s a big part of the problem with the Disney Dining Plan. People treat credits as “play money” and don’t have as high of expectations as they would if they had to fork over actual money to pay the bill at the end of the meal. It’s totally a psychological thing, but it works.
We get the premium meal plan and it only takes one meal credit for this restaurant. The food has always been nothing short of excellent. I have stayed at the grand Floridian 5 times now and eat at Narccosis every time. I also like Red Lobster. sounds to me like a bit of over snootiness.
Good to hear you enjoy it, as do many others.
We rate restaurants based upon our experiences, and we haven’t been impressed with this location, despite giving many other restaurants–including significantly less expensive ones–much better scores.
Narcoossee’s bills itself as a fine dining experience, with prices to match. It aims to be superior to chain restaurants like Red Lobster, so I don’t think it’s unfair to judge it accordingly.
I have to agree with Mrs. Bricker when it comes to oysters, however the soft-shell crab dish sounded fantastic to me. It’s not for everyone though.
Great review though! I had a similar experience at Restaurant Marrakesh a few years ago. The special of the day was a braised lamb shank, which is one of my favorites. However, as it was the “special” it struck me that it was being plated en masse in the kitchen and not prepared to order. It was terribly disappointing. Paired with the rather lackluster service I left wishing I’d eaten at the France pavilion instead.
These place aren’t inexpensive by any stretch so it’s certainly not unreasonable to go in having high expectations.
Good to read this review Tom. We are on the DxDP and have reservations this fall for dinner. I will have to let you know how it goes. We are world travelers, so I’ve had a decent array of good and not so good food. I’m not particurarly picky, but I do know a good meal from an “okay” meal.
Hi,
im sorry to hear that your meal was not great at narcoossees. We have never been before but have a reservation this June (using our dining plan) and it is the only signature restaurant we are doing. I am now a little worried as we planned on getting the surf and turf and as it’s for our anniversary I really don’t want to waste our only night without our kids on a bad meal.
when you get a bad meal like this, do you tell your server? Did you complain about the lobster or steaks quality? When you aren’t paying much for a meal you normally let those things pass but on such an expensive meal I was wondering what people would generally do.
Suppose im just trying to prepare myself for the worst case scenario.
If it were my one nice meal on the trip, I’d consider saying something if I thought it would make a difference (i.e. if the food was cold, service was slow, etc.). When it appears that the quality of the foods used simply isn’t up to snuff, complaining won’t fix anything because, presumably, the same quality of foods will be used again.
The fireworks were nice, but I agree that the meal was just okay…… Lots of other places in WDW that I would much rather eat at for sure!
I have eaten at Narc’s about 4 times now and each time it has been amazing. Your steak looked completely different than what I had. I had two medallions of the filet. Maybe you went on a bad day or something. I just know that Narc’s is a must do for me when I go to WDW.
I definitely agree that it is over priced but that’s the only thing I could agree with you on. We visit every trip and wouldn’t miss it. We’ve never had a bad meal there – we usually have the whole lobster and unlike your experience, we’ve always found it to be really tasty. We like seeing the fireworks while we eat too – there are a few places to do that but this is one of our favourites. We’d choose it above 4 of the 5 signature restaurants you mention (Cali Grill being the one exception to that). It’s not good value for money, but we’ve always found its worth the splurge.
Thanks for the feedback. I really hope our experience was an outlier…like I said, we’ll try it again someday, but not anytime soon (as long as we are paying out of pocket).
Unfortunate that you had a less than optimal experience. We’ve dined at Narcoossee’s four times and have never had a bad meal, but I agree that they are a bit overpriced. We dined there for our anniversary on October 21. I had the surf-and-turf with the New York strip and the steak was excellent. We’ve always dined later during the fireworks and enjoyed that immensely.
Yeah, we’ve heard a lot of great things from others, but that definitely wasn’t our experience. Some day we’ll revisit, but it won’t be anytime soon. Even if the food was much better, it still would have been significantly overpriced.
We had a very similar experience here in June, but we paid out of picket with Tables in Wonderland. We will not be back here any time soon.
Glad to hear we’re not alone. What, if you don’t mind me asking, did you order for your entrees?