With all the amazing dining so close, Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian often gets overlooked for other more talked about restaurants like Narcoossee’s or California Grill. Citricos has quickly raised through the ranks for us with exceptional service, delicious food, and a beautiful atmosphere.
Citricos can be found inside of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa located at Walt Disney World. This exceptional resort (not our favorite in the Magic Kingdom group of resorts) is located just outside Magic Kingdom on the monorail loop. Rooms here can get pretty expensive, but you can visit this resort for free which we highly recommend doing on a resort day. If you do decide to visit this resort then be careful as you won’t be able to park here unless you have a dining reservation – we recommend taking a bus to Magic Kingdom then taking the monorail over. There is also a walking path from the boat loading area in front of Magic Kingdom that goes around the monorail station that gets you to Grand Flo – the walk takes around 15 minutes. We don’t suggest the walk during the heat of the day, but it is very enjoyable at night when the monorail and boat lines are ridiculous.
The recent makeover to Citricos moves it to a very subtle Marry Poppins theme and manages to create the perfect fancy night out without being too fancy. There are nods to Mary Poppins everywhere including the light fixtures and the fabrics chosen. The restaurant seems light and airy, the polar opposite of places like Yachtsman Steakhouse or Le Cellier. I prefer the atmosphere here to that of Narcoossees; I would compare it to that of California Grill (there is no beating the view at Cali Grill though).
We have eaten here several times, including at the bar. EVERY time we have been given a server that pays remarkable attention to our needs and made us feel special. They were Disney friendly, but also had the reserve to let us enjoy our fancy meal.
Okay… the food…
First Course. Do not think of these as appetizers, but more of single servings for 1-2 people. We recommend the Strawberry Salad or the Pork Belly. The strawberry salad is really unlike any other salad that we have had. The chamomile infused goat cheese is ridiculously smooth and gives such a tang to the fresh ingredients. These strawberries are glazed y'all. The pork belly literally melts in your mouth with this perfect crunch. The pork belly is served with a latin flare – we thought it was ingenious to mix the salsa verde and jicama with a dish we know so well giving it a new twist.
Entrees. GET THE SHORT RIBS. I have had the filet, rigatoni and fish; but nothing compares to the short ribs. These are the best short ribs of my life. The guava gives these such a unique flavor that had me thinking about this meal for months. The short ribs come with grits and brussels sprouts which I know are divisive but give them a try. The grits were smooth and had a delicious aged cheddar flavor.
Desserts. We tried the Apple Rose for desert and were not disappointed. Presentation! Everyone in the restaurant watched these coming from behind the desert counter as the tart is formed to look like a rose. The rose flavor was very subtle which I was thankful for as I’m not the biggest fan. It was basically a southern apple pie on steroids with a beautiful aroma.
Our final tip for Citricos is to enjoy pre-dinner drinks at the Enchanted Rose Lounge. This lounge has a surprising amount of seating available, and I rarely have a difficult time finding a place even at busy times of the year. The Enchanted Rose lounge is located on the second level just across from the entrance to Citricos. They have a seasonal Old Fashioned here that has never disappointed. If you see the Blackberry Old Fashioned on the menu go for it.
Have you eaten at Citricos? What did you think?
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