• About
  • Bordeaux Pronunciation Guide
    • A – B
    • C – D
    • E – G
    • H – L
    • M – O
    • P – Q
    • R – S
    • T – Z
  • Contact

Small Barrels Magazine

Reviews of Fine Wines, Luxury Hotels and the Best Restaurants on Earth

  • Bordeaux Pronunciation Guide
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • Hotel Reviews
  • Destinations
  • Wine Reviews
You are here: Home / Restaurant Reviews / Review of Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Review of Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

August 21, 2019 By karin Leave a Comment

Citricos dining room
Citricos dining room

Citricos at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is a fine dining/signature restaurant, and it won’t disappoint. Airy and comfortably elegant with large windows, it’s a welcoming environment whether it’s a date night or a family affair. We found the service to be exceptionally attentive and friendly, and the American/Mediterranean influenced menu with entrees in the $35-$50 USD range is definitely diverse enough to please a range of palettes.

In fact, after dining here on the first evening of our trip, we made a second reservation here to replace an evening at EPCOT a few days later we decided to skip. Not only was it a convenient choice for us as we were staying at the Grand Floridian, there were other dishes and wines that we knew we’d like to sample.

So…we dove right in with a martini with blue chesse-stuffed olives to toast and kick off our Disney vacation! Then we were ready to order some appetizers…

Martini at Citricos
Martini at Citricos

Lots of intriguing, tasty options to start a meal. At our first meal, we began by sharing two appetizers: Florida Shrimp with pasta and a bright and briny puttanesca sauce, and a delectable Tuna Tartare. Both were very tasty and generous enough to share – two appetizers between us proved to be quite filling.

Florida Shrimp with Pasta and Puttanesca Sauce Appetizer
Florida Shrimp with Pasta and Puttanesca Sauce Appetizer
Tuna Tartare and Shrimp with Pasta and Puttanesca (Appetizers)
Tuna Tartare and Shrimp with Pasta and Puttanesca (Appetizers)

(Allergy sufferers – take note of the little wooden ‘flags’ in the dishes marking an allergy-awareness request in the prep; an elegant way to indicate that the kitchen prepared an item with a stated allergy in mind, in this case tree nuts and peanuts. We noticed this particular protocol at most of our table service meals at Disney.)

We went in another direction with appetizers on our second visit: for him – a rich, smokey arancini dish with smoked tomatoes, mozzarella and an herb aioli. I chose a simple Salade Verte; it was generous and very fresh, a lovely salad.

Arancini appetizer
Arancini appetizer

Salade Verte
Salade Verte

As mentioned, there’s a nice variety of dishes on the Citricos menu, so hard to go wrong no matter your mood or desired wine pairing. If you’re like us, quite often the wine you’re craving dictates your choice of meal. On our first visit, we were in the mood for a Chardonnay, and the Chateau Montelena 2015 caught our eye.

Citricos' Wine List
Citricos’ Wine List

To pair with our fantastic wine: for him – the Oak-grilled tuna with a cannellini bean ragout, ham hock and vegetable pistou. I had the ‘Chicken Mediterranean’ served with yummy, creamy polenta, and bright, flavorful tomato fondue. The chicken itself was very tender – an excellent dish. And of the two, I’d say the chicken was the winner – we would have preferred the tuna to be paired with simpler ingredients to let it’s own fresh taste shine through (we found that the beans and ham hock overwhelmed it just a tad.)

Oak Grilled Tuna
Oak Grilled Tuna
Mediterranean Chicken on Polenta
Mediterranean Chicken on Polenta

On our second evening, once again wine choice preceded choice of entrees. This time, we went bold and red, delighted to find the hard to get and very well-reviewed Justin Isosceles Reserve (2014).

Citricos' wine list
Citricos’ wine list
Justin Isosceles Reserve 2014
Justin Isosceles Reserve 2014

The huge wine lived up to the big expectations, with a deep, rich color, dark/black fruit flavors, with some warm spicy notes. Really enjoyed this bottle!

Justin label
Justin label
Enjoying fine wine at Citricos
Enjoying fine wine at Citricos

We needed some bold food flavours to go with such a powerhouse of a wine. For him – the oak-grilled beef filet with a rich potato purée, bordelaise sauce and asparagus.

Oak-grilled beef filet
Oak-grilled beef filet

I chose the beef short ribs with Pappardelle. The meat absolutely fell off the bone. I don’t believe I used a knife at all – great dish!

Short ribs and Pappardelle
Short ribs and Pappardelle

To this already very complete and hearty meal we added a treat to share: Truffle Fries with shaved black truffle and parmesan. You could smell that earthy, buttery warm truffle scent from yards away as our server carried it toward us. Under his breath he announced: “Your plate of awesomeness” which it really was. It didn’t matter how much else we had consumed – this plate was going to be conquered! 🙂

Truffle fries - spectacular!
Truffle fries – spectacular!

Citricos does a fine job of beginnings, main courses and sides – and also has some very pleasing dessert options.

On our first visit, we finished the evening with a cheese course. A lovely cheese menu was brought out describing the evening’s selection: a blue cheese, a soft-ripened cheese, and a goat’s cheese with a memorable lavendar/fennel flavour.

Cheese Course Menu
Cheese Course Menu
Cheese course
Cheese course

Having been seated near the open kitchen, on our first visit we spotted waiter after waiter delivering a chocolate concoction that we knew we’d have to try if we returned (the exquisitely handcrafted chocolate tiara sells it, whether you’re a princess or not!). We were back a few days later and eagerly ordered the Warm Chocolate-Banana Torte to share. Yes, it’s as good and chocolatey as it looks.!

Warm chocolate banana torte - a Citricos signature dessert!
Warm chocolate banana torte – a Citricos signature dessert
Gorgeous dessert with handcrafted Belgian chocolate crown
Gorgeous dessert with handcrafted Belgian chocolate crown

A final surprise capped the evening – a window view right from our table of Magic Kingdom’s stunning Happily Ever After fireworks show. This photo gives you a mere hint — believe me when I say it really looked terrific in person. An unexpected perk of being at Citricos at the right time (fireworks began at 9pm) and in the right ‘wing’ of the restaurant – near the back by the large windows facing in the direction of Lake Buena Vista.

Magic Kingdom Fireworks from Windows at Citricos
Magic Kingdom Fireworks from Windows at Citricos

To view the Citricos menu, check availability and make reservations visit www.disneyworld.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: American cuisine, cheese course, chocolate dessert, chocolate tiara dessert, Citricos, fine dining Disney, fine wine Disney, florida shrimp, Justin Isoceles Reserve 2014, Mediterranean Cuisine, truffle fries




Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Looking for something?

Recent Reviews

  • Rundle Bar at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
  • Fairview Bar and Restaurant Review
  • The Diplomat Steakhouse – Regina, Saskatchewan
  • Afternoon Tea at Chateau Lake Louise
  • A Thanksgiving Feast – Elegant Takeout from Peasant Pantry
  • Wine and Dine at Home with Peasant Cookery – Winnipeg, Canada
  • Victoria and Albert – Five Diamond Disney Dining
  • Waterfront Dining at Narcoossees – Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
  • A Taste of Italy at Disney’s EPCOT Theme Park
  • Shula’s Steak House – Walt Disney World
  • Disney World Vacation: Five Helpful Tips for Couples
  • Review of Todd English’s bluezoo at Walt Disney World
  • Review of Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
  • Review of Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beer – Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas
  • Review of Costa di Mare – Wynn, Las Vegas
  • Review of Cipriani – Wynn Las Vegas
  • Review of Terrace Pointe Café – Wynn Las Vegas
  • Review of Mesa Grill – Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
  • Review of Delmonico Steakhouse – Venetian, Las Vegas
  • Review of Lakeside Seafood Restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas

Advertisement




Categories

  • Destinations
  • Hotel Reviews
  • Restaurant Reviews
  • Wine Reviews

Copyright © 2023 Small Barrels · All Rights Reserved