Skip That Table Service Restaurant, Eat Here Instead at Disney’s EPCOT

There’s nothing like eating around the World at the World Showcase in Walt Disney World’s EPCOT!  There are plenty of grab-and-go options for you to pick up on your World travels, and we often snack through the day instead of doing an actual sit-down meal.

There are also plenty of fabulous table service restaurants to enjoy throughout this Theme Park when you feel like having a relaxing meal. Some are scattered throughout the World Showcase, while others are in the other neighborhoods of EPCOT (formerly known as Future World). Here are some table service restaurants you might want to skip and suggestions for where you should eat instead.

Skip: Biergarten Restaurant

If you crave German cuisine, feel free to ignore this suggestion! At Biergarten Restaurant in the Germany Pavilion, Guests can enjoy schnitzel, sauerkraut, and other German favorites to their hearts’ content. Unfortunately, there’s not much to eat here if you a) don’t love German food and b) aren’t a carnivore.  

This is an all-you-can-eat situation, so there’s no shortage of food, but be aware of exactly what you’ll be getting for the steep Disney buffet prices you’ll pay here. Biergarten Restaurant is one of the least popular table service restaurants in the World Showcase, and there are plenty of options you’ll probably enjoy more.

Eat At: Le Cellier Steakhouse Instead

This steakhouse in the Canada Pavilion of Disney’s EPCOT receives a lot of positive publicity, which might make a Guest fear that it’s too good to be true. But happily, the hype for Le Cellier Steakhouse is well deserved! The atmosphere is warm, rustic, and beautiful, in the style of Canada’s stunning grand railway hotels from another era.    

But, this is a steakhouse – you came here for the food! And you will not be disappointed. Meat eaters will adore the signature entrees here, which are just as mouth-watering as they should be in an upscale steakhouse.
Don’t forget the appetizers and desserts, though – the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup is a revelation, and the dessert menu features all the Canadian maple-y goodness you could ask for!

Skip: Garden Grill Restaurant

Rotating restaurants are admittedly pretty cool – and World Nature’s Garden Grill Restaurant rotates to show different scenes from Living with the Land below you. But we’d recommend just hopping on Living with the Land (lines are never long) to check out EPCOT’s sustainable farming techniques rather than dining here.

Garden Grill is an all-you-can-eat dining experience featuring modified character dining. Farmer Mickey and his friends appear, but you won’t be able to hug them or get them to sign autographs for now, although you can snap photos from a distance.

Food on offer is full of typical American favorites like mac and cheese, berry shortcake, and garden salad – it’s fine, just nothing special, and not worth paying Disney buffet prices for. You can do better.

Eat At: Coral Reef Restaurant Instead

Guests looking for a table service restaurant in EPCOT’s World Nature would better skip Garden Grill and dine at Coral Reef Restaurant. Where else can you gaze at thousands of sea creatures through one of the biggest aquariums on Earth while you dine?  

The underwater World of The Seas with Nemo & Friends is mesmerizing, and the wall of panoramic windows here means that you’ll get an excellent view “under the sea” no matter where you sit. Sharks, rays and turtles, and other sea creatures will enthrall as they swim by (which could get a bit dicey if you’re enjoying the restaurant’s signature seafood specialties but try not to think about it too much).

Skip: San Angel Inn Ristorante

Visually, San Angel Inn Ristorante, located inside the pyramid of the Mexico Pavilion at Disney’s EPCOT, is stunning. It’s always twilight here, and the beautifully lit setting with the pyramid as its backdrop is always enchanting. But you can get much the same experience by simply walking through the Mexico Pavilion and maybe hopping on Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros.

The food here is just adequate – there are much better options in the World Showcase. If you’re looking for an excellent Mexican table service restaurant, you’d be better off heading to La Hacienda de San Angel on the waterfront. Go ahead and skip this one.

Eat At: Space 220 Restaurant Instead

As an alternative to San Angel Inn, we’d recommend leaving the World Showcase altogether and heading into World Discovery to the long-awaited Space 220 Restaurant, beside Mission: SPACE. This restaurant is unlike any other on Disney property, and we’re thrilled it’s finally here! 

Guests board a space elevator to blast off (look down for an aerial view of EPCOT as you “leave” the planet) and dock at the Centauri Space Station. There, you’ll look out the space station’s panoramic windows at views of the Earth, far below. It’s one of the coolest dining experiences you’ll find at WDW!  

You’ll order from a prix fixe menu if you’re seated in the main dining room, or you can opt to eat at the lounge instead, which has an a la carte menu. Either way, your food will be delicious, modern American cuisine with appropriately space-themed names.

Bottom Line

Whether you’re in EPCOT’s World Showcase, World Nature, World Discovery, or World Celebration, there are tasty treats close by to suit every palate. Table service restaurants here are wonderfully diverse, not only in the delicious food they offer but also in the theming Guests enjoy as they eat. For every restaurant that is worth skipping, there are plenty more that will leave you with fond memories for years to come.