When it comes to dishing out thrills, Disney World’s EPCOT park has more on the menu than rides and attractions. Some of Disney World’s best restaurants are in EPCOT, making the park a popular place for foodies and anyone who enjoys sampling fine eats and spirits. If you’re visiting EPCOT, where to eat should be one of the first questions you ask.
However, given breadth of dining options available across all of Disney World, it’s easy to overlook some of what EPCOT has to offer. So, we’ve uncoverd Chef Remy’s list of top places to eat at EPCOT, including some some best-kept secrets, and why we (and others) find them worth your time.
Best Table Service Restaurants
Disney World’s table service restaurants feature sit-down dining and attentive waitstaff, often combined with incredible theming, and EPCOT is no exception. Some of the best restaurants in EPCOT really deliver on the experience factor, transporting guests out of this world, or at least to a different culture.
Biergarten Restaurant, Bringing the Sites and Sounds of Octoberfest to EPCOT
After years of ignoring this eatery, thinking we wouldn’t enjoy German food, we decided to give Biergarten a try. It’s now one of our all-time favorite restaurants in all of Disney World.
If that sounds overstated, then consider the bounty of options available through buffet style dining. You can sample many types of German sausages, with or without sauerkraut, and a number of cold and hot appetizers, as well as other traditional native dishes. While we each had our favorites, everyone in our party of 6 enjoyed the overall presentation of dishes at this restaurant.
Stepping inside Biergarten is like walking into Octoberfest. The lights are dim, imitating an evening in Germany, and the festive family style tables give guests the chance to mingle, just as if they were touring the streets of Germany. A live performance is also included, featuring traditional music and instruments as well as a lively performance.
Of course, no Oktoberfest is ever complete without beer, so you’ll find an ample selection of German favorites.
Biergarten is open for lunch and dinner, and receives an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
Space 220, Best Restaurant in EPCOT for an Out of This World Experience
Blast off into Space for some of the best food in or out of EPCOT. Upon arriving at EPCOT’s Space 220 restaurant, guests are given their ticket to visit the Centauri Space Station. Soon, the excitement begins as you board the lift that will rocket you into space.
Watch as the hatch opens, and your craft begins the rapid ascent. EPCOT quietly disappears beneath you as the state of Florida gradually fades into a tiny speck on the vast scope of the Earth. Soon, the planet becomes a beautiful blue orb beneath your feet, as your lift locks into the station.
As the doors open, a uniformed attendant is happy to show you around. Highlights include an aeroponics bay and space wine wall, featuring cosmic vintages.
Making your way deeper into the station, you’ll soon start to see the scope of the earth beyond, framed dramatically through large windows. Once you are seated, you’ll have a grand view of space as space craft float in and out of orbit, joined by the occasional astronaut and even an Astro dog.
While the experience is definitely the highlight of a meal at Space 220, the food does not disappoint. The menu features gourmet fare popular at the more earthbound ground control, with items including Steak and Frites and Rocket Flame Seared Tuna.
All meals at Space 220 are served Prix Fixe, and each order includes your choice of Lift Off (appetizer), Star Course (entrée) and non-alcoholic beverage for a fixed price. The slightly higher cost of a dinner at Space 220 also includes your selection of super nova sweets (dessert).
While Space 220 is one of the few restaurants we’ve encountered at Disney World that does not offer an allergy free menu, the staff is very accommodating about helping you to devise a safe and diet-friendly meal. However, we did not get an assurance that food is prepared in an a separate kitchen, so cross-contamination may occur.
Space 220 serves lunch and dinner, and receives an average 3.75 stars out of 5. To see what it’s like to visit space, view our Instagram reel below.
Spice Road Table, Best Restaurant in EPCOT for Relaxed Outdoor Dining
The World Showcase remains one the of the most popular spots for finding places to eat in EPCOT. While you’ll certanly find a number of more exotic options throughout this entire section of the park, one top favorite remains: Spice Road Table.
We haven’t tried this eatery ourselves yet, but the internet is alive with chatter about this tapas style eatery, and reviewers appreciate the opportunity to sample various options. Food here takes on the flavors of Moroccan cooking, and favorites include the fried calamari, pomegranate chilli cauliflower, and spicy shrimp.
With its lakeside location, guests also enjoy the opportunity to sit by the water and feel the cooling breezes as they dine. Spice Road Table is also a top place to eat in EPCOT for those looking to enjoy some adult beverages.
Spice Road Table serves lunch and dinner. The average review is 4 out of 5 stars, making it truly one of the best restaurants in EPCOT.
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Canada’s Le Cellier, EPCOT’s Best Kept Secret
It’s easy to walk right by the Canada pavilion and not even realize it’s there. Tucked back beneath the trees and “mountains” this stone fortress is home to one of EPCOT’s most famed steakhouses, so it’s worth scouting it out on your next trip.
A flower lined path leads through the scenes of Canada’s wilderness, including a stone waterfall, before you reach the door of this fortress-like abode. Inside, the chiseled cellar walls and ceilings continue the ambiance and provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for enjoying some of the best food in EPCOT.
Reviewers rave about the poutine topped with cheddar cheese curds, complimentary bread selection and the cheddar cheese soup, featuring Moosehead Pale Ale. However, this cellar restaurant is all about the steaks, and guests agree the menu and dishes don’t disappoint.
Le Cellier averages 4 out of 5 stars and regularly receives rave revies from previous diners. Le Cellier offers a dinner and lunch menu.
EPCOT Where to Eat Tip #2: Tucked back beneath the trees and “mountains” of the Canada Pavilion is hidden Le Cellier, one of EPCOT’s most famed steakhouses.
Best Quick Service Restaurants
Disney World’s quick service restaurants offer dining on the go, with pickup ready convenience and mobile ordering. When it comes to dining fast at Disney World, some of the best restaurants are at EPCOT.
Connections Eatery-Best Dining in EPCOT for Connecting
Opened as part of the reimagined EPCOT, Connections Eatery is located inside the World Celebration area of the park. The highlight of this restaurant décor is the 160-foot-long mural that celebrates foods and beverages from around the world. While it’s an important statement and helps the establishment fit the feel of this land, most people come to Connections for the food.
The menu is a bit diverse and features some typical American dishes decked out with worldly flare, as well as culturally inspired eats. From our perspective, you can’t go wrong with any of the burgers. One guest even said the French Burger was better than gourmet.
However, if French cuisine doesn’t fit your idea of what’s typically considered classic American fare, try the Southwestern Burger, topped with roasted corn-chipotles, salsa, Oaxaca cheese and guacamole spread. While inspired by the tastes of Mexico, it’s a pure native treat.
From our party, the flatbread pizzas were far less popular, but others disagree, saying the crust is perfectly thin and the toppings perfect in proportion. One reason this remains one of the best restaurants at EPCOT seems to be General Tso’s Chicken Salad. When we visited last, there was at least one on each of the 20 closest tables.
The salad features chicken tenders in sauce over a bed of lettuce, edamame, mandarin orange and wonton strips. It was truly one of the best-looking things on the menu.
One area where this restaurant seems to come up short is the service. Many people complain of long waits to receive their food. We recommend mobile ordering at this establishment.
Connections Eatery is currently serving lunch and dinner, but the integrated Connections Café makes it easy to grab your morning Starbucks, and even offers some limited seating to rest your feet before trekking around this expansive park.
Connections Eatery receives an average 3.75 out of 5 stars, with most negative reviews focused on the slowness of the food service rather than the quality or taste of the food.
Sunshine Seasons Café – Best Restaurant in EPCOT for Families with Children
With a diverse menu and even a grab and go area, Sunshine Seasons has remained one of our top quick service places to eat in EPCOT. When the kids were young and a little pickier about what they liked, we were always able to find something that appealed to each of the 4 palettes. Even better, Mom and Dad weren’t going hungry either.
This entry on the list of best restaurants in EPCOT offers choice, including cold and hot sandwiches, Asian noodle bowls, hearty soups and salads, grilled items and even a bakery. Items are ordered at separate stations, and you can watch the food being prepared.
A grab and go cooler makes it easy to feed even the pickiest eaters with prepackaged favorites, including gelatin snacks, yogurt and applesauce. For those of us seeking real food, the Oak-grilled rotisserie chicken remains a favorite with our group as does the stir-fried chicken.
One thing guests seem to dislike about Sunshine Season is the hectic atmosphere and the noise. While we haven’t found many quick service restaurants in EPCOT that fit the bill for serene and quiet, this establishment does invite chaos as people move from station to station ordering food. The high ceilings and ambient noise from guests as they move to nearby attractions within the land pavilion are also factors.
Overall, Sunshine Seasons maintains a solid 4 out of 5 stars (or the equivalent) across most review sites.
EPCOT Where to Eat Tip #3: Food on the go doesn’t have to be ordinary or bland. Look to the World Showcase for more unusual counter service menu items.
Yorkshire County Fish Shop, a Little-Known Favorite for Fish and Chips
While Yorkshire County Fish Shop won’t be a favorite with everyone, we stand by this recommendation for some of the best fish and chips around. The batter is light and airy, and the thick and hearty chips make the perfect side.
This is used to be our first stop upon arriving in Florida. Several members of our family love to eat fish, but even those of us who aren’t as inclined to enjoy the bounty of the sea really liked the food here.
One drawback is the seating. The only area to sit down and eat is a small patio section off to the side. It’s a pleasant place right on the World Showcase Lagoon, but it’s small and seating fills up very quickly during prime lunch and dinner times. Once, we even had to sit on the sidewalk in England to eat our meal.
However, if you’re a lover of fish and chips, or a member of a party that is, the Yorkshire County Fish Shop is a great way to break from the traditional quick service fare available at many restaurants across Disney World.
Yorkshire County Fish Shoppe serves lunch and dinner. This restaurant in EPCOT receives an average 4.5 out of 5 stars.
La Cantina de San Angel, Top Pick for One of the Best Restaurants in EPCOT
When thinking about EPCOT and where to eat, it’s hard not to mention La Cantina de San Angel. Located on the shores of the World Showcase Lagoon, both the indoor and outdoor seating areas offer a pleasant place to rest your tired feet, but the food is the real reason you’ll find a bottleneck in this area of the park come lunch and dinner time.
Mexican fare takes on Disney flair at this quick service eatery. La Cantina de San Angel serves up traditional Mexican-American dishes, such as Arroz con Pollo and Guacamole with Totopos (tortilla chips), but you’ll also find some offerings here that provide more of a challenge to wanting palates.
Guests rave about the Tacos de Barbacoa, shredded beef on homemade corn tortillas topped with red salsa and cilantro. Our favorite has always been the taco trio. Unlike other Disney portions, which can be overly large, we find these to be quite manageable for a single person. And another thing, this EPCOT eatery gets kudos for gluten-friendly dining as well as from parents of pickey eaters. You’ll find less Mexican-inspired fare on the kid’s menu.
La Cantina de San Angel serves lunch and dinner, as well as some rave-worthy margaritas. This EPCOT restaurant receives an average 3.9 out of 5 stars.
