REVIEW: Narcoossee’s Serves Up A Standout Seafood Dinner

Narcoossee’s is one of three fine dining experiences at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, but you won’t find it in the main building. Instead, head down to the waterfront for a meal that you won’t soon forget. Appetizers range from $16-28, entrees from $36-87, and desserts from $15-17. A full three-course meal from this seafood-focused menu will run you about $75-$95, not including drinks and gratuities. Or, as a Signature Restaurant, you’ll spend 2 credits if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan.

The restaurant sits over the water, and inside you’ll notice large windows and an airy interior, with light, neutral tones of blue and gray and a seaside feel. A wraparound deck offers one of the best fireworks views at the Grand Floridian, if you happen to be dining when the sky is exploding.

Narcoossee’s is only open for dinner. Reservations are accepted, and if you can you should book at the start of your 60-day reservation window, especially if your party is more than 6. But if you can’t, don’t fret – reservations are commonly available in the same week, as long as you’re willing to be flexible about the day. As a Signature restaurant, Narcoossee’s expects guests to be in clean, neat attire, in accordance with Disney World policy. But if you’re wearing anything more casual than a pair of jeans, you may feel a bit underdressed as you look around.

Appetizers

Shrimp and Grits – $19.00
Local Gulf Shrimp, Peach Barbecue Sauce, Low Country Grits, Applewood-smoked Bacon, Chow-chow

These shrimp were perfectly cooked, still tender despite the crispy char on the outside. There was a hint of fire, but they weren’t truly spicy – even the wimps at our table enjoyed them. But it was the grits that were to die for in this dish, with the bits of bacon and peach sauce making the perfectly textured, creamy porridge into a bite that was greater than the sum of its parts.

Ocean-inspired Charcuterie Board – $28.00
Lobster Sausage, Ahi Tuna Pastrami, Octopus Capicola, Crab-stuffed Cherry Pepper

We are charcuterie lovers, and this was both unique and interesting. The sausage was lightly flavored; delicious but I don’t know that we would have picked this as a lobster dish without the label. The tuna pastrami was my favorite, the tuna had enough oomph to hold up to the cure while still being clearly tuna. But others at the table had different opinions. The octopus had a nice char, but the least seasoning.

Buttermilk-fried Calamari – $18.00
Pickled Garden Mix, Tomato Coulis

It’s perfectly good fried calamari, but compared to everything else on the table it was banal. We didn’t finish it because there were so many more interesting things to devote our time to. If you’ve got someone in your party who is not an adventurous eater but likes this familiar dish, this will be a good choice.

Brisket and Ricotta Tortelloni – $17.00
Parsnip, Brown Butter, Sultana Raisins

Give this dish to the person who is complaining that you dragged them to a seafood restaurant. Between the brisket and the brown butter, the flavors were deep and well developed, and “brown” with enough umami to be almost gamy. Just don’t give them the whole thing, because you won’t want to miss this.

Soups and Salads

Lobster Bisque – $19.00
Butter-poached Lobster, Vanilla, Coral

If you’ve never made a bisque, you may not realize that they are thickened with rice. This was the only bisque I’ve ever had where I could taste the rice. Because of that, it didn’t feel as rich and redolent of lobster as a typical lobster bisque, despite being well-flavored and balanced.

Romaine and Hearts of Palm – $16.00
Pecorino Toscano, Cured Egg Yolk, Black Garlic Feuilles de Brick, Fried Caper Vinaigrette

If you love Caesar salad and bemoan the pale imitations that are offered at mediocre chain restaurants everywhere, this salad is for you. It’s not quite a Caesar, but it definitely evokes one, touched up with a bit of extra vinegar in a lighter-style dressing. Highly recommended.

Entrees

Blackened Redfish – $49.00
Chorizo-Sunchoke Hash, Hominy, Florida Sweet Corn, Red Pepper Rouille

The blackened seasoning definitely brings a bit of heat, even with the hash and hominy to cool it. The flavors were very nice, touching on salty, sweet, and acid, but spice wimps in your party might want to give this one a pass.

Gulf Shrimp Bucatini – $42.00
House-made Bucatini Pasta, Roasted Tomatoes, Savoy Spinach, Parsley, Basil Pistou

Yum, yum, yum. I don’t know how you make a red sauce that somehow has a hint of actual brine, but it was the perfect foil for the shrimp. This was one of the biggest hits of an evening filled with hits. The spinach was perfectly wilted, the shrimp and pasta perfectly cooked, and yes you will be eating the rest of that sauce out of the bowl with your spoon.

Surf & Turf – $87.00
7 oz. Filet Mignon, Butter Poached Lobster Tail, Potato Mash, Roasted Rainbow Vegetables, Red Wine Demi-Glace

The filet mignon was beautifully cooked with the rare temperature that we ordered and a good sear, and the butter-poached lobster tail was also lovely. However, the potato mash, rainbow vegetables, and demi-glace were the stars of this plate. One can argue that lobster tail and filet is always “luxe”, but the demi-glace, the depth of flavor on the perfectly roasted vegetables — they brought a lusciousness that made this plate next-level.

Roasted Vegetable Paella – $36.00
Market Vegetables, Cannellini Beans, Preserved Artichoke, Charred Meyer Lemon (Plant-based)

Don’t expect the flavors of a traditional paella; we tasted an acidity and a balance of spices more reminiscent of India than Spain, with a touch of mustard. I don’t know that I would offhand describe this as a paella, but it was a delicious mix of vegetables and I would definitely order it again.

Sides

‘Loaded’ Mashed Potatoes – $14.50
Garlic-glazed Pork Belly, Smoked Cheddar, Crème Fraîche

These were totally excellent. But … honestly, the regular mashed potatoes were better. Perhaps this would have been better for a comfy snack on a warm night in front of an old movie. But they were a bit on the heavy side with a meal that was centered around so much seafood.

Desserts

Almond-crusted Cheesecake – $17.00
Lambert Cherry Sauce, Chantilly

This cheesecake has been a staple of the Narcoossee’s menu for years, and is so well-loved that a little Google will find you the recipe. Which, if you are so inclined, it is worth your while to make because this is a standout dessert. The cheesecake is creamy and not overly sweetened. The cherry sauce is also not overly sweetened, just enough to temper the tartness of the cherries. Very yum.

Hazelnut-Chocolate Bar – $15.00
Chocolate Sponge, Cassis, Ganache (Plant-based)

The crunchy outer shell was fun, but we were super-impressed with how light this dessert was. Despite the well-established chocolate and hazelnut flavors, the sponge kept this from being a super-heavy dessert at the end of a filling meal.

Berry Pavlova – $15.00
Yuzu Cremeux, Anglaise 

We really liked this different take on a traditional Pavlova, with the creme anglaise on the side standing in for the whipped cream. If you’re having trouble envisioning how the yuzu cremeux fits into this dish, think of it working like a lemon curd, bringing a touch of acidity, sweetness, and a creamy texture to the complete bite.

Pineapple Bavarois – $16.00
Shortbread, Blackberry-Buttermilk Ice Cream

This was our least favorite of the desserts. We loved the dried pineapple and white chocolate garnishes, the ice cream, and the shortbread cookie. But the dome-shaped dessert with a pineapple outer shell and a whipped cream/raspberry center inspired very mixed opinions from our group. If you are with a big group and can take a chance on something that might not be to everyone’s taste, get this – those who liked it really loved it. But in our group it was clearly the laggard.

Wrapping Up

Narcoossee’s might not have the nod from Michelin that its Grand Floridian compadres got, but based on the meal we ate we think it should have. The dishes were interesting, balanced, and well-prepared; the menu is definitely seafood-focused but there’s plenty there for those who don’t favor it. If you choose this spot for your special splurge restaurant, we think you’ll find it well worth the money.

Have you eaten at Narcoossee’s? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!