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2008
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Reviewer: whamo
San Bernardino, California
February 15, 2009
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The Vineyard is closed, but due to re-open in one form or another in October 2010 from what I've read. I loved dining here. I'm not a sophisticated dinner, and the other reviews did a good job of covering that area. What should be emphsized is how fun it is to dine al fresco, outside, and watch the parade pass about ten yards away. To me it trumps the Blue Bayou or the Storybook Cafe, other DL favorites of mine, for this reason.
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8/27/2005
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Reviewer: rshung
San Francisco, CA
August 28, 2005
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Pluses:
* Four-star dining w/ your kids
* Good wine list
* Very reasonable price
* Accommodating wait staff
* Proximity to parade route allows dinner + parade
* Coloring books & crayons for the kids
Minuses:
* Only California wines
* Bread/desserts are average
* Limited, if adequate, kids menu
We stumbled upon this place when looking for a sit-down lunch place. Impressed with the dinner menu, and unable to get into Catal or Naples in Downtown Disney, we made dinner reservations instead for our party of 8 (4 adults, 3 toddlers & a 9-year old).
Times were limited, and so we booked our reservation as two tables of 4 to secure the reservation. Upon our arrival, the wait staff did a good job of quickly consolidating two tables into one.
The prices were surprisingly reasonable -- $56 for the 4-course option, and an additional $29 for the wine pairing. The cheese course was another $15.
Before you pooh-pooh the cost as high, you should realize that the $56 included/allowed Sonoma foie gras (seared/whole, not a terrine) as a second course -- without the $10/$15 surcharge you see at many restaurants. Try to find an upscale restaurant anywhere (especially in the San Francisco Bay Area) that will serve you a 5-course meal, _with foie gras and wine pairing_, for $100. Plus, when you've just forked out $400+ on your kids for two days of _their_ Disney fun, you might as well spend a couple hundred to enjoy _yourself_.
The parma prosciutto starter course was solid, as was the foie gras second course and braised short rib third course. My wife had the pork chops for her third course, and they were done perfectly to a true medium (unlike many, many restaurants that overcook them and turn them into cardboard). The cheese course was very generous, with good representation of soft, blue, and hard alike and plenty of fruits/nuts on the side.
Desserts were a touch on the weak side. My "peaches and cream" dessert was on the simple side, and the strawberry/apricot frozen "souffle" could hardly have been called a souffle of any sort. The dulce de leche ice cream for my 18-month old was fabulous, though. The bread, although fresh, was served without warming.
Re: kids, the restaurant does a very good job of accomodating them. We normally are reluctant to take our kids anywhere half decent, given their relatively short attention spans. The wait staff provided coloring books and crayons immediately after seating us, and these went a long way to helping our dining experience. Also, the staff offered to (and did) serve our children first, expecting that they might be hungry. The kid's menu is a bit on the weak side (pasta w/ Alfredo sauce, with chicken optional, or pepperoni or cheese pizza -- $5.99), but adequate.
There are pluses and minuses to the wine list. The adults in our group really enjoy wine, and our waiter did not disappoint us. Some of his pairings were unconventional (e.g., a sparkling rose w/ the foie gras instead of something sweet), but those of us who accepted them were happy with his choices. The California-centric (actually, California-exclusive -- the wine list only has California wines) wine list is somewhat limited, but it was still solid. Offered were Quintessa, Opus, and a high-priced Caymus (although it was unclear whether it was the Special Selection or standard Cab).
Our waiter frequently offered to (and did) serve us wines that were not on the list, e.g., when we requested something for dessert other than the Quady Electra Muscat or Grgich Violetta (Bonny Doon Vin de Glaciere -- not as good as the Muscat, and cheaper than the Violetta, but leagues better than the Violetta, which has been simply horrible the last two years).
The restaurant is right off of the 8:45 parade route. If you make a 6:00 pm reservation, you will finish just in time to go downstairs, get a perfect seat, and catch the parade. The parade also is visible over the ledge upstairs if you stand up.
Conclusion: After a previous miserable day of battling tens of thousands of people for rides, etc., this restaurant made the entire Disney visit worth it.
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17
out of
17
people found this review helpful
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December 1 2002
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Reviewer: blusilva
Downey, CA
December 02, 2002
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An excellent, if pricey, experience. All the panache of an exceptional 5 star restaurant without the fuss of dressing up!
Our party of five indulged in the 3 course dinner. Although I opted out of the wine pairing, the other four in our party were extremely pleased with not only the wines, but the knowledge our waiter displayed about the wines.
As the non-wine-drinker at the table, I was a bit taken aback that a beverage other than the bottled water served with the meal was not offered. There may indeed have been other beverage options, but I did not inquire.
Even though I was not drinking the wine, I found the waiter's presentation of each wine option interesting and entertaining.
Two in our party were vegetarians, and as there are no vegetarian selections on the menu at this time, the chef created a meal for them with which they both seem quite pleased. The vegetarian meals offered as much food as the other diners' fare, and reportedly paired well with the wines offered.
I chose the bruschetta with rock prawn and calamari as an appetizer. It was a teeny bit fishy, but a spicy sauce with capers gave it a kick. For my main course, I chose the medallion of beef with foie gras, which was sublime. Perfectly cooked and tender, it melted in my mouth. Sinfully delightful. For dessert I opted for a hot chocolate, which was a bit unorthodox, but the night was chilly and it was the perfect seasonal treat to enjoy while watching the Electrical Parade.
The atmosphere is semi-formal and subdued. We all felt a bit stifled in trying to keep with the atmosphere. After a day of riding amusement park rides, it was hard to tone it down and act like adults for dinner. Our waiter, to his credit, played along with our boisterousness.
I enjoyed the openness of the patio. While outside, it felt sheltered. Heat lamps were on to full effect. I chose to sit away from the intense heat, but others in our party were enjoying it. The decor is quite pleasing, simple but elegant.
The bill for our group of five came to $313 with a Premium AP discount.
I would highly recommend The Vineyard Room for very special adult-only occassions.
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33
out of
33
people found this review helpful
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Saturday, September 14, 2002
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Reviewer: spectromen (spectroman71@yahoo.com)
Lake Elsinore, California
September 16, 2002
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Having been a regular guest of Disneyland for almost 30 years, I can honestly say this was the finest, most enjoyable dining experience I have ever had at a Disney-operated restaurant. This gem is hidden away on the second floor of the Golden Vine Winery Complex, formerly operated by Mondavi. Although I never visited the restaurant before sponsorship left, I believe the quality and service level has not changed. The only things missing from Mondavi's days are the free printed menus that you could take with you as a souvenir.
At the Vineyard Room, the meals are prix-fixe with or without wine pairing at each course. You elect to have either 3 or 4 courses; my partner and I both chose 4 courses, not because anyone would need that much food, but just for the sake of trying everything. The categories you pick from are salad/soup, pasta, main dish (meat), and dessert. Everything we ordered was expertly prepared and served with total and complete professionalism one would come to expect from the finest 5-star restaurants in the world, and without a hint of snobby attitude typical of high end eateries. Our waiter informed us that the menu here changes 4 times a year with the seasons, and we were on the tail end of the summer menu, which was his favorite due to the freshness of the vegetables available at this time of year. We definitely concurred! And if you don't know what to order, your server will point out guests' favorite dishes as well as their own, so you should have no problem finding something you like, especially when it comes to the desserts. This is not the kind of restaurant one would expect to find at an amusement park; it is a very pleasant surprise and if you have the extra money I highly recommend it.
In the off-season, the Vineyard Room has very short hours of 5-8pm Fri-Sun nights only, but don't let this deter you. Plan to be seated at about 7:30pm. You will be able to have your drinks and appetizer by 8:00 at which time you can watch the Electrical Parade right from your table! And although the park closes at 8pm, the restaurant stays open until everyone is finished, with absolutely no hint of rushing the guests out. Another pleasant surprise! Note: Plan to spend at least 3 hours here! This is not a fast food meal and the courses are spread out on purpose to allow time to digest between each. Also note, even if the place appears empty, you should still make priority seating arrangements to guarantee a table along the edge of the balcony for parade viewing. There is an elevator, so handicapped access is no problem. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this location for children as they would probably be bored (except for the parade) after an hour.
Price = High, but well worth it. Expect to pay $60 per person including tip for the 4-course meal without wine pairing, and about $100 per person with wine.
Service = Excellent. Our server had a few too many tables so there were lapses in attentiveness, but his professionalism and experience were evident.
Atmosphere = Very good. Decor is spartan, but what is there is very tasteful and appropriate. The open-air nature of the restaurant is perfect for summer, but would require sweaters the rest of the year after dark. Pleasant Yanni-style music plays softly in the background.
Hours of Operation = 5:00-8:00 Fri-Sun night only, although the restaurant stays open until about 11PM for those who were seated up until 8. Longer hours in summer.
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59
out of
60
people found this review helpful
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