What should you know?

Given what you’ve already spent on the cruise, dropping another $40 or so dollars to dine at Palo requires no thought whatsoever. Because it’s cooked to order, the food tastes substantially better than anything coming from the main dining rooms, and that’s not a surprise. But Palo’s menu has a wide selection, and many of its dishes - especially the soups - are done very well. It’s no wonder that Disney only allows guests to make one reservation before boarding.

Note: An additional charge per person charge will be added to your cruise bill for each meal at Palo. If you need to cancel a reservation, it must be done before 2:00 PM on the day of your reservation or the full per-person charge will be applied to your bill. Children are not permitted in Palo – guests must be 18 and up.

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What’s it like inside?

Palo is located on the starboard side at the back of Deck 12, opposite the French restaurant Remy, and adjacent the Meridian bar. Although all four Disney ships have a restaurant named Palo, the restaurants on the Dream and Fantasy have the nicest furnishings.

The entrance to Palo on the Dream has a pretty gold-and-ruby colored glass chandelier, surely one of the most photographed parts of the restaurant. Guests entering Palo walk past glass-enclosed wine closet and see the main dining room, decorated with deep mahogany wood paneled walls and columns, and rich burgundy carpet. One half of the room features patterned, deep green fabric on the booths and chairs, with paintings of the Italian countryside and seashore along the walls. The other half of Palo uses a saturated red fabric for its seating; illustrations of Italian villas hang on the walls. Also within the Dream’s Palo, and unique to Disney’s larger ships, are small, private dining rooms with custom fabrics, wallpaper and lighting. Stick your head inside if one is not in use, and you’ll see how the wealthy merchants of Venice might have lived.

Naturally, tables next to Palo’s floor-to-ceiling windows afford the best views. However, tables near the back wall sit on an elevated platform, allowing diners there to see over the tables nearest the windows. Our favorite table is to the left of the entrance, tucked by itself in a rounded corner along the inside wall and surrounded by a mural depicting Venice from the water. It’s a bit of a high profile, however; quieter seats are available at the far ends of either side of the restaurant. A Brunch offers open seating, so sit wherever the view is best.

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