We’re heading back to one of Disney’s best kept signature dining secrets — Citricos!
The fancy-schmancy restaurant is located at the lush and luxurious Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, which is home to no less than three Disney Signature Restaurants. (Victoria and Albert’s and Narcoossee’s round out the list.) Narcoossee’s has the great fireworks view, and V&A’s is the best restaurant in central Florida, so you might be wondering what could possibly set Citricos apart and make it worth your time and money?
Well, let’s take a look, and maybe I can help you to answer that question.
Atmosphere
You’ll find Citricos on the second floor of the Grand Floridian, off of the main atrium and tucked behind Victoria and Albert’s. It’s at the back of the hotel, and as a result, offers really lovely views of the resort’s grounds.
Citricos Entrance
As you enter, you’ll walk through Citricos Lounge, where you can enjoy a cocktail and a menu of small plates, even without an advance dining reservation.
Citricos Lounge
The decor here is in keeping with the rest of the Grand, but it walks a fine line. It’s slightly more modern, and there’s an almost Mediterranean feeling to it. While the rest of the resort channels turn of the (last) century Florida, you might feel like you’ve escaped to the Riviera in this corner.
Take a peek at the exhibition kitchen if you get the chance, where copper and other warm hues dominate.
Exhibition Kitchen and Expediting Station
The Chef’s Domain is another option at Citricos. Located near the exhibition kitchen, it’s basically a private room versus the Chef’s Counter concept at Napa Rose or Flying Fish. You can order from a specialized menu, but the regular menu is available as well. It’s a great option for small special events. It must be booked well ahead of time, however, and there’s a food and beverage minimum cost, so keep these things in mind.
The dining room itself has an airy, open feel, in part due to the large bank of windows on one side.
Seating Area
Overall, the space is comfortable and inviting.
Window Seating
And while you aren’t going to choose Citricos with a mind to watch Magic Kingdom fireworks — Narcoossee’s is your Grand spot for that — just look at this beautiful view! I mean, I can’t promise you a rainbow. But still.
View
Back inside, you’ll find very comfortable seating, with padded, comfortable chairs and lots of space between tables. And the colored glass accents on the tables are a nice touch.
Table Setting Up Close
Now that we’ve taken a little look around, let’s dig into the most important detail — the food.
Eats
Note that, as with most Signature restaurants in Disney World, Citricos is a (somewhat) market driven eatery. As such, some of the things we enjoyed are no longer available. Still, many dishes do remain. And sharing what we ordered gives you an idea of what you can expect at any given time from this spot.
Ok — so, let’s dive in with a look at the Menu.
Menu — Click to Enlarge
While things are currently a little different where the appetizers are concerned, many of our favorite dishes are mainstays, and you’ll still find them available. I never miss a chance to enjoy their Arancini, a deep fried ball of Rice that’s stuffed with Cheese and Italian Sausage.
Arancini
Next, we went for the Cheese Board Experience. Pretty grand name, eh? The offerings are often different from visit to visit, but the artisanal cheeses are always fantastic, as are the accompaniments.
Cheese Board Experience
A Charcuterie Plate is nearly always available as well, although just like the cheese, the selections here tend to change a little here and there. The current offering is very similar to this one, however. We enjoyed Prosciutto, Sopressata, Dry Pork Coppa, Beef Bresaola, Palacios Chorizo, Domestic Olli Artisanal Salame, Pecorino Romano, Medjool Dates, Bread and Butter Pickles, and Almonds.
Charcuterie
Another perennial favorite is the Sauteed Florida Local Shrimp, with Freshly Squeezed Lemon, Chardonnay, Ripe Tomatoes, Garlic, Cilantro, and Sharp Feta. This thing is amazing. I’ll never forget when the chef brought it out for me to try the first time. I don’t even love shrimp, but I’ll eat just about anything in this broth. (I do tend to avoid the cilantro.)
Florida Shrimp
I did have a chance to enjoy a seasonal soup. When I visited, they were offering Roasted Acorn Squash Bisque, garnished with a Heirloom Apple and Bacon Sweet Potato Biscuit and Tupelo Honey Cream.
Roasted Acorn Squash Bisque
We couldn’t resist ordering the Slow-Roasted Berkshire Pork Belly as well. Here’s, it’s served with White Bean Hummus, Smoked Jalapeno, Sweet Onion, and Hibiscus BBQ Sauce. You can usually get a version of this next door at Mizner’s Lounge as well.
Slow Roasted Berkshire Pork Belly
Soon, we were ready for the next course. My friend ordered another long-standing Citricos favorite, Berkshire Pork Two Ways. The entree featured rotisserie-roasted Pork Tenderloin and slow-braised Pork Belly. Sweet Pea Tarragon Risotto, Braised Escarole, and a Pork Reduction finished the plate.
Berkshire Pork Two Ways
We also enjoyed the Crispy Pan Fried Veal chop “Elephante”, which was served with Butter Mashed Boniato, Baby Rainbow Carrots, Roasted Cipollini Onions, Citrus Butter, and Madeira Sauce. This one is only available from time to time, but if it is on your visit — GET. IT. This was out of this world.
Crispy Pan Fried Veal Chop
The Oak-Grilled Filet Mignon is always good here. During our visit, it was accompanied by Crushed Yukon Gold Garlic Potatoes, Amber Pepper Relish, Broccoli Rabe, and a Cabernet Reduction.
Oak Grilled Filet Mignon
Another friend opted for the Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs. The rich dish was served on a bed of Melted Leek and Parsnip Puree, Wilted Ice Spinach, and Mushrooms, and was finished with Natural Jus.
Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Ribs
After our entrees, we couldn’t resist a look at the menu of Desserts and After Dinner Drink Offerings. In addition to coffees, teas, and traditional spirits, Citricos offers a good selection of Cognac and Scotch to choose from. Check out our previous review, where we shared the full experience of learning more about the spirits and trying a few!
After Dinner Beverage Menu — Click to Enlarge
Dessert Menu — Click to Enlarge
We decided to skip the spirits this time. My friend did enjoy a French Press of Coffee, however.
Coffee Set Up
French Press Up Close
Regarding desserts at Citricos, very little seems to change. Ever. You might see one or two seasonal options, but the main selections are there to stay.
In the case of icy treats, the popular Trio of Gelatos is always a good choice. During our visit, our friend sampled Italian Vanilla Bean, Raspberry, and Cappuccino.
Trio of Gelatos
Since it was Fall, we decided to indulge in a seasonal flavors of the Pumpkin Cheesecake Dome, which was served with White Chocolate Ganache and Cranberry Sauce.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Dome
But possibly the most famous dessert at Citricos is the Warm Chocolate Banana Torte, complete with its showstopping Belgian Chocolate Crown.
Warm Chocolate Banana Torte
Vanilla Ice Cream provides a nice contrast to the warm dessert.
Warm Chocolate Banana Torte — Up Close
My favorite Lemon-Scented Cheesecake wasn’t an option the last time we visited, but it’s back on the menu now! I’m assuming it had made way for the pumpkin version when we were there last.
Overall
You will never go wrong with Citricos. During my many visits here, I have experienced uniformly excellent food and service. That’s something that I don’t take lightly, since the one thing that seems to be consistent at Disney is — you guessed it — inconsistency.
Still, I would like to see Citricos change things up a little bit more, and take a few chances. While the food is good, I find that I often order the same thing over and over because choices change very little. And also, keep in mind that service at Citricos can be very slow compared to other Disney spots. I like the leisurely pace, but it may be a problem for guests who have other plans for the evening (an after dinner FastPass for the fireworks, for instance).
But I’ll leave you with this: if your first choice for a signature restaurant is already booked up (we’re looking at you, California Grill), or your favorite is undergoing a spruce up like Flying Fish currently is, then take a chance on Citricos. I’m confident that you won’t regret it.
Now, I’d love to hear from all of you! Is Citricos one of your favorite Disney Dining Destinations? Leave a comment and let us know what you think!
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I agree with you! Citrico’s always delivers! There are times when I wish they would change their menu up a bit along the lines of Flying Fish Cafe with a nightly Chef’s Thunder. But at least I know that any visit to Citrico’s will always result with me finding a tried & true favorite!
I’ve been disappointed with Citricos. In the past 3 years, we’ve been 4x. Three times on our own accord and once with friends who really wanted to go. Loved it when it was Flagler’s in the old days. So we hadn’t been in a while, thought we’d give it a try. Didn’t have an ADR so we sat at the bar. We do this a lot, at many of Disney’s finer restaurants, including Narcoossee’s. I just have this “thing” about putting money down on a reservation… We’ve had issues with Disney NOT marking us present, seeing a charge on my card, and trying to get Disney to reverse it, even though we had a receipt. That’s a story in and of itself!!! But I digress. First time at the bar, we felt like we were intruding. Food was excellent though… Bartender didn’t apply our Tables discount, then copped an attitude when we insisted. He resisted, I relented, but I didn’t leave a tip!!! I heard about it as we walked out. Second time, it was an off time of year, so we could get an early seating in the dining room without an ADR. We both had to send our food back. Thought it was a fluke since our food was so good the first time at the bar. Went back a third time, and again, I had to send our food back, service was wanting, and attitude again from our waiter when I asked to see our bill before I gave him my Tables and credit card. I’ve had many experiences where we received someones bill, or other “errors” were on the bill. Guy really had an issue with my requesting to see the bill, so we were left waiting an inordinately long time between discussion and receipt of bill. If the 18% weren’t on the Tables, this guy would have received nothing too. SO we are now done with Citricos. But friends came into town and wanted to eat there. Three of four had to send food back. They were stunned at the food and service, sadly, I wasn’t. The venue is so gorgeous, I always want to try it again, but my wife just “glares.”
Frank
There are exactly 2 restaurants at WDW we absolutely refuse to eat at and Citricos tops the list. We’ve had bad food, missing food, poor service (really, really poor) and managers who were way too impressed with themselves to help resolve a problem.
In case your wondering, the other restaurant is that Irish place in Disney Springs who’s name will not be mentioned.
24 years of going to Disney World and we have never tried this restaurant. Not sure we will but I love the review. Out of the few entrees I saw that sounded good….you ordered every single one of them. They looked fantastic. Sorry to read some of the other comments.
Frank…you not leaving a tip reminds me of terrible service we had in Epcot at the French restaurant. We didn’t leave a tip and the waitress came running out after us waving the bill yelling, “no tip?”…not a great experience but years later, a good story.
No matter how bad the service or management is you should always leave a tip. Maybe not as big as you normally would but leave one anyway.
You don’t know the ‘behind the scenes” situation that may have caused the poor service you received and leaving no tip does not express your dissatisfaction and just makes you look cheap.
And if you don’t express your dissatisfaction with the service then no tip or even worse small change just makes you look cheap and validates to the server that you were not worth any extra effort.
I’ve talked with a number of servers and in most cases that 18% doesn’t even get to the server. The restaurant sucks it up and the staff sees very little of it.
We’ve eaten at Citricos just once (we normally go to V&A), and I thought the food was terrific. I had the pork two ways. The restaurant atmosphere is too bright and open for my liking. It doesn’t feel special, feels more like any restaurant, and that’s just not the mood of a signature restaurant I’m looking for.
Again, I recall the food was quite tasty.
Sorry Richard but I cannot agree. Esp when the server becomes condesending and flat out rude.
And in regards to your restaurant sucks it up comment I will disagree even more.
Now, I have never did as such, but there have been multiple occasions at Le Chefs and another at Coral Reef when I was real close to doing it.
Sorry to go off topic from the article, I have nothing to add, I have never ate here.
Richard,
I find your comments paradoxical. If the 18% doesn’t get to the server, why is it important to leave any tip at all???
I’ve been reading about a “push” to abolish tipping. Personally, I’m in favor of that. Charge me what you want for the food, leave the employer/employee relationship solely between Disney and their servers. Then let me decide if I want to pay the price for the food.. Just like buying something at Commander Porter’s.
Frank
@Mike V, I guess it depends on your attitude, for me lowering the tip sends a stronger message than leaving no tip.
@Frank, I take care of the problem by handing the server the tip. I don’t put it on the bill.
I also like the idea of no tipping and think it’s sad that the restaurants feels it fine to pay lower wages because of the potential ‘tips’ that might be received.
Richard,
Almost impossible to leave the server a tip when you have Tables. Your total tip would amount to 30-40%.
A $ 60 steak would cost a fortune.
Frank
Good point Frank, we never have groups larger than 4…
I haven’t been to Citricos since Veteran Chef Phillip Ponticelli left and Dominique Filoni took over. I have heard good things, though. I think I’ll pop in after the Edible Orlando event on the 20th.
-Jym
Sorry to hear some of you have had a bad experience. My wife and I have been going there the last 5 years and never had bad food or bad service. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone.
@ Jym – Do you know where chef Phil went ??
Chef Phil went to Golden Oak.
@ Richard – As a customer in a restaurant it should be up to me to decide what to tip based on the service I received from the server. An employee that is tipped has the incentive to provide the best service they can to make me happy and I in turn reward them accordingly. A good server should be able to overcome issues beyond their control, such as food not cooked as ordered, etc. Good management at a restaurant will also help the server overcome this.
A good server will make a very good living wage.
Please read the article link provided about two San Francisco restaurants that eliminated tipping and ended up losing 70% of their tipped staff. They ended up reversing that decision.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3407610/Two-San-Francisco-restaurants-eliminated-tipping-bringing-back.html
LOVE Citricos and are excited to return this Valentine’s Day!
Have not tried this restaurant as there is nothing on the menu that my son would eat. However, I would somewhat like to support Richard’s view that you should tip–but give it directly to the server and tell them that you were dissatisfied with the service and will be speaking with the manager. Then do so. This advice come from Gene Leone (of Mama Leone’s in NYC) who says that it may not be the server’s fault if your food isn’t to your taste or service was slower than you’d like, but you should alert the management to a less than excellent experience.
However, if someone got snide or snotty with me, I would immediately seek out the manager and ask for another waitperson. We did this in one Texas restaurant where the server apparently had imbibed a bit too much before coming to work. No one says you should tolerate obnoxious or rude behavior from a server, but one should not stiff the bussers, bar staff and yes, the waitperson who maybe need those tips to pay the rent.
Is it a serving of one piece of Arancini for $13? Via Napoli is $11 for 3 which are delicious and shareable.
We ate here twice over the years, probably because we couldn’t get into Narcossee’s. The food was nice but not great, but the portions were small. I remember thinking that they forgot to fill the soup bowl. Judging by your picture, I guess that’s the way it’s supposed to be!
As an aside: there have been times when I wish our TIW card didn’t automatically put the tip on. The service wasn’t worth it.
Those of us who are not locals and can only come once a year often look forward to a predictable menu of familiar favorites. Citricos is a favorite and one I dream of tasting a mere 61 days from now! In the past our service was always awesome, food excellent value for the money, and staff most willing to accommodate my milk intolerance by creating wonderfully delicious food for me…not everywhere was so happily willing last trip! I will get back to you after this trip and let you know if they now disappoint or continue to amaze us!
Lynda — We would love to hear back from you! Thanks for reading!
Thanks Liz.
Totally can understand Frank’s point about tipping! I am the type of person to secretly pay for a strangers coffee or even a lunch at Christmas time so I am not a cheap person! However, this past vacation we dined at Ohana for the 2nd time and I regretfully left our waitress the remainder on our gift card which was about $22! This waitress was not very pleasant and really did not put much effort into her job! She was of possibly of Northern European decent and was really cold and we also had trouble understanding her accent! Our experience wasn’t cheap or 2 people and because o tat bad taste we will not book here next year! She really didn’t deserve that tip but, we did what we thought was proper at time!
Gigi,
I guess tippers come in 3 flavors, those that believe in it wholeheartedly, those that do it because of “social convention,” and those that actually apply it as a “gratuity” for good service.
When asked if I have a “dining plan,” I’ve stopped volunteering I have Tables. I wait until the bill comes, then bring it out. I’ve actually found I get better service if the server thinks their tip is based on service. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel better. Some servers are a bit put off when I pull the card out at the end, saying they asked if I had a “dining plan” at the start of the meal. My response is, 1) you apply the Tables discount after I receive my bill, and 2) I pointedly ask if they would have treated me any different if they had known???” That usually ends the conversation right there.
As to the comment that I look cheap to the server…. why would I care how I look to the server. I don’t know them, they don’t know me, most likely I won’t see them again, and if I did, if they were that bad, I’d ask for a different server anyway. I’ve done that too. Personally, I feel the dining experience is about the Guest, NOT the server!!!
Tangentially, one new thing I do like… and I’ve only seen it at Chefs de France and the tequila bar in Mexico; your card is run at the table, and YOU, the guest get to add a tip via %, amount or 0, and the experience is closed right there. No chance for any “adjustment” to the tip later…. that’s an entire story on its own. I don’t put the dinners on my Magic Band. I like putting it on my credit card. If I can I use Apple Pay, but either way, I will see the charge pop up on my iPhone almost immediately, so I know the charge (that’s how I knew once that I was charged the ADR non-show fee for a dinner I actually attended…again an entire story there too). We were using the Magic Band one visit, not too long ago, and were having issues with the Magic Bands. The server at the restaurant quite quickly pushed some buttons on the device they bring to the table for the Magic Band charge to run our charge through. Made it nice for us, but seemed way to easy for HIM. Seemed like no security at all was involved!!!!! I actually went to the front desk at our Disney resort to ask about that… They kinda side stepped the response. If you pay via Magic Band, you have to go to the front desk, I guess, and ask for a copy of your folio. I don’t think you can bring it up on your in room tv. Frank
Frank, should I ever decide to renew our TiW I will take your advice about withholding that plan information from the server until the bill arrives. Sound advice.
We charge as little as possible to magic bands. Using a credit card is better accounting for us.
With regards to tipping, I was a server for quite a while in my youth; The server knows when they’re getting a lousy tip because the patrons are cheap and when they’re getting a lousy tip because they didn’t provide good service.
We have eaten at Citricos many times. Never had bad service, the food is always very good. One time we had a table along the railing by the open kitchen. I wasn’t too happy about it but the hostess said it would be great. Ok, guess what, it was! We met the executive chef who was extremely talkative. Learned a lot of cool things about the restaurant and even some personal things in regard to the chef. Excellent evening, all in all.