Coral Reef Restaurant has seen some ups and downs in terms of quality over the years. The EPCOT restaurant is located in The Seas pavilion and offers beautiful aquarium views, but the food hasn’t been the best in recent years.
During the holidays, we decided to give Coral Reef Restaurant another try. We booked a reservation as part of a Candlelight Processional Dining Package.
Coral Reef Restaurant Menu
Drinks
Captain’s Rum Runner – $16.50
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, Bols Blackberry Brandy, Bols Créme de Banana Liqueur, and Tropical Juices topped with a float of Plantation Original Dark Rum
This is a generic but nice tropical drink. It tastes of quality dark rum and is very sweet. It’s a little sticky but not bad.
Rating out of 7: 4
Bread Service
Hawai’ian Loaf with Citrus Butter
This is a relatively new bread option for Coral Reef Restaurant. We got a profoundly lemon flavor that we didn’t like. It tastes like a slightly doughier and less flavorful King’s Hawaiian roll.
Speaking of rolls, we also got the allergy bread option. These were essentially premade rolls that they put in the microwave. They’re fine.
Appetizers
Caribbean Salad – $12
Tomatoes, Onions, Avocado, Crispy Plantains, Pigeon Peas, Key Lime Vinaigrette
For our appetizer, we shared the Caribbean Salad. This is an incredible plant-based dish and one of the best salads at Walt Disney World right now. It’s large, delicious, light, and refreshing. We liked the vinaigrette a lot. We highly recommend this.
Rating out of 7: 7
Entrées
Surf and Turf – $45
Filet Mignon, Grilled Shrimp, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Key Lime Chimichurri
This has a nice presentation with the giant peppers. The filet is a good size. It’s tender and good for Walt Disney World. We didn’t detect a key lime flavor in the chimichurri, but it was a nice addition.
The shrimp is also tender and not super fishy. Neither the filet nor the shrimp is outrageously good, but the dish comes together with the accompaniments. The peppers are cooked well and are a nice, different vegetable accompaniment. The mashed potatoes are so good. They’re buttery and creamy, but with some chunks.
Altogether, this is an excellent option.
Rating out of 7: 6
Coastal Palm Cakes – $28
Hearts of Palm, Quinoa, Kale, Pearl Peppers, Toy Box Tomatoes, Red Onions, Roasted Corn
This plant-based dish imitates crab cakes, and it does an excellent job. We like the hearts of palm and find this better than other vegan crab cake imitations. It’s creative and thoughtful.
The dish is also huge and has a great presentation. We love the base with quinoa, corn, and tomatoes.
Rating out of 7: 6
Desserts
Pineapple-Coconut Bread Pudding – $10
Vanilla Ice Cream, Warm Rum Caramel, Shaved Coconut
This is served hot, so the ice cream melts quickly. That being said, it’s a good sized serving of ice cream. The dessert is coconut-forward, thanks to the coconut shavings and the bread. There’s just a hint of pineapple.
The bread is moist, soft, sticky, and sweet. The caramel isn’t overpowering. This is balanced well and is one of the better bread puddings on property — maybe taking third place after House of Blues and ‘Ohana.
Rating out of 7: 6
Chocolate Mousse Bar – $10
Baileys Almande Liqueur, Chocolate Ganache, Almonds, Orange Coral
This is a vegan dessert with a beautiful presentation. The meringue-like topping had an odd texture but tasted great. It was light and crunchy with a hint of citrus.
As for the actual bar, it was spectacular. You would never know that it’s vegan. It’s rich and chocolatey. The crunch of the shell is perfect. This is phenomenal.
Rating out of 7: 7
Overall
Coral Reef Restaurant has stepped up its game. This was a great meal with the always great view. The Caribbean Salad, Coastal Palm Cakes, and Chocolate Mousse Bar might be the best three-course vegan meal at Walt Disney World. There are a lot of dining options at EPCOT, but you should keep Coral Reef on your radar.
Video Review
Watch the video version of this review below.
Have you dined at Coral Reef Restaurant lately? Let us know what you thought on social media.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.