Today we continue our series of posts, ranking all of the Disney restaurants we’ve eaten at. I’ll turn my attention to table-service restaurants at Disneyland for this post. If you missed our Disneyland counter-service rankings, click here.

These rankings include any restaurant we’ve eaten at in Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney and the hotels. If you’re familiar with the parks at all then you likely know that there are far more table-service restaurants at Disney World than Disneyland so we don’t have nearly as many restaurants ranked here as the Disney World version of this post.

Before we jump into the rankings, there are a few caveats  First of all, as the title tries to state, this post only includes restaurants we’ve eaten at. If one that you love isn’t on the list then please drop us a note in the comments and we’ll be sure to try it on the next trip.

I will try to balance all of the restaurant factors – value, quality of food, atmosphere, etc. To be honest, I rely heavily on the quality of food as opposed to other factors because table-service restaurants tend to have a similar price range. On that same note, I will include signature and regular table-service restaurants into this post. Let’s get to the rankings!

14. River Belle Terrace (Disneyland)

The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere if you sit out on the patio and watch the Mark Twain River Boat pass by. Unfortunately, the food and the inside of the restaurant doesn’t live up to those lovely settings. Serving American food, the restaurant felt a little bit hit and miss with their items. That said, there do seem to be some promising options and I think you could do worse than this restaurant. The desserts are pretty good!

13. Goofy’s Kitchen

Character meet & greets are in short supply at Disneyland Resort. One of the most popular options is Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel. Most of the characters meeting guests are a part of the Fab Five, as the restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For families, this is a pretty good spot as the food is somewhat interesting for being a character buffet while the atmosphere is festive. For those without young kids, I’d probably pass on this spot as it’s very loud and the food is not good enough to compete with the rest of the spots on this list.

12. Splitsville Luxury Lanes

A table-service restaurant that’s also a bowling alley? A bowling alley that serves, and maybe even specializes in sushi? There’s also pizza on the menu? What is this? Well, to be honest, I’m not sure. The restaurant is doing a bit too much but the food is decent really. I don’t think any of the different options are amazing but they are a step above the chain restaurants that serve an eclectic menu. Splitsville is also the best spot in Disneyland Resort to watch a game, if that’s your thing. I’ve held off on a full review here because other restaurants are far more popular but if you are interested then leave a comment below and I’ll get to this one.

11. Storyteller’s Cafe (Grand Californian Hotel)

We’ve done the buffet dinner at Storyteller’s and came away perfectly whelmed. It wasn’t great, it wasn’t bad, it was just right down the middle. The restaurant is quite beautiful with intricate murals and a somewhat rustic look. This is a great place to escape the hubbub of the parks and relax for a while. As with most Disney buffets, this is overpriced and there’s no marquee item. Storyteller’s is an enjoyable meal but not one I’ll be rushing back to.

10. Naples Ristorante e Bar (Downtown Disney)

This pizza and pasta restaurant has good food at decent prices, at least as far as Disney restaurants go. The design of Naples is fairly modern, with large windows filling the restaurant with natural light. There’s also a large outdoor seating area with a large bar nearby. If Italian sounds good then you could certainly do worse than Naples, the reason it ranks fairly low is due to nothing really standing out about the restaurant. It’s solid but misses out on being something more.

9. Wine Country Trattoria

The restaurant has a beautiful location, nestled between Cars Land and the pier. The food doesn’t quite live up to the scenery but there is some value and dependability here; it’s a safe choice. Wine Country Trattoria mainly focuses on Italian cuisine. Some dishes we’ve had are bland while others were pretty tasty. It is one of the easiest walk up reservations to secure in the Disneyland app and a good table-service spot to go to on a whim.

8. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen (Downtown Disney)

This New Orleans inspired restaurant’s quality of food is easily the best of anywhere we’ve discussed so far on this list and the best in Downtown Disney. With different Cajun options on the menu, the restaurant has some delicious food and a decent atmosphere, although that’s taken a hit with the remodel. This ends up eighth on the list due to the top seven offering something more unique. The Jazz Kitchen is good but I’m not sure it’s anything different from what you can find out in the ‘real world’.

7. GCH Craftsman Bar (Grand Californian Hotel)

Surprisingly, this restaurant serves the exact same menu as the next door counter-service restaurant – GCH Craftsman Grill. On the bright side, that is my favorite counter-service restaurant at Disneyland Resort because the food is a level up. But serving the exact same thing is a little disappointing. The atmosphere is relaxing, sitting next to the Grand Californian pool and often having live music playing. You could certainly do worse than this spot, I’m just not sure it’s worth dedicating the time, getting a reservation and adding the cost of a tip when you can have the exact same food at the counter-service spot next door.

6. Carnation Cafe (Disneyland)

One of the most charming restaurants in any theme park, don’t let Carnation Café placing in the bottom half of the rankings fool you, this restaurant is quite good. The atmosphere is beautiful, especially if you’re able to sit outside on Main Street in all of its splendor. Carnation Café also offers the best value of any table-service restaurant regardless of whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. Now, the food isn’t quite as upscale or inventive as most of the other places on the list and that’s why it places below the others. With options that are cheaper than a lot of counter-service restaurants, this is a perfect place to go for a great value!

5. Café Orleans (Disneyland)

Cafe Orleans thrives due to its location, recognizable items, and value. Sitting outside at Café Orleans as the sun starts to set is a quintessential Disneyland moment. The Prommes Frites and Mickey Beignets are some of my favorite items to eat at Disneyland but have mysteriously been missing from the menu since the resort reopened. If they return, the restaurant could move up the rankings. While I find it a bit rich, the Monte Cristo is another fan favorite. On top of that, the value is certainly there at Café Orleans. Entrees are typically around $20 and some of the food is the same as what’s served at Blue Bayou. The one drawback of Café Orleans is that the entrée selection isn’t all that interesting or diverse. Still, the setting, value and famous menu items earn this high marks.

4. Blue Bayou Restaurant (Disneyland)

I’ll get this out-of-the-way, if this was a ranking of what restaurants Disneyland first-timers should go to then Blue Bayou would be in the top 3. That’s not what this post is though. Blue Bayou does one thing extraordinarily well and that’s offer the best atmosphere of any restaurant at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Eating inside of Pirates of the Caribbean is undoubtedly special and a Disney fan rite of passage. The food doesn’t quite measure up to the incredible atmosphere though and the price makes Blue Bayou a harder sell than it otherwise would be. I like the other upscale restaurants at Disneyland Resort a bit more but Blue Bayou is an excellent place for a meal, nonetheless.

3. Lamplight Lounge (California Adventure)

Lamplight Lounge continues to ascend on this list. The Lobster Nachos are right up there with the single best items I’ve had at Disneyland and the Potato Skins and Salmon PLT aren’t far behind. Lamplight Lounge has a nice atmosphere, giving guests their fill of Pixar memorabilia. The real star of the atmosphere is sitting alongside the water and staring out across the rest of the park. It’s a gorgeous setting with fantastic food.

2. Carthay Circle Restaurant (California Adventure)

Another gorgeous restaurant and special atmosphere with somewhat overpriced food. Carthay Circle rests inside of California Adventure’s park icon and the inside (and outside) of the faux-theatre are beautiful. The restaurant has lovely paintings on the ceiling and extravagant chandeliers. The food was very good and the menu a mix of California and American inspired food. While guests pay a pretty penny for this restaurant, it is slightly cheaper than Blue Bayou and a wonderful, delicious and elegant experience.

1. Napa Rose (Grand Californian Hotel) 

This isn’t much of a contest, Napa Rose is the best restaurant at Disneyland Resort. I’ll get the two negatives out-of-the-way. One, our first experience was one of the best meals I’ve ever had but the second experience wasn’t as good. Two, this is a very expensive place to eat. Entrees run between $40-$60. With that out-of-the-way, Napa Rose is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. The inside matches that of the beautiful Grand Californian and is bolstered by natural light through large windows. The menu is always interesting and diverse, featuring steak and fish among other options. Desserts are fantastic, as well. To this day, my first meal at Napa Rose is likely my favorite I’ve ever had. As the most upscale restaurant at Disneyland, I’d recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a nicer night out while on vacation or to anyone who just likes really good food.

Those are my rankings of Disneyland table-service meals. I’m looking forward to adding to the list over the years. What would you add or change? Let us know in the comments! Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our Planning Guide to help you get started. If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney please subscribe to the blog and like our Facebook page. You can find both of those on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!