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 resort’s hotels. There are far more table-service restaurants at Disney World than Disneyland. We’ve made it up to 20 in the Disneyland post but that pales in comparison to the 50+ in the Disney World version of this post.

Before we jump into the rankings, there are a few caveats  First of all, we’ve only included the restaurants we’ve eaten at. At this point, I believe that’s all of them but there are several where it’s been a few years since we’ve dined there. We’ll work to update those but if you specifically have a restaurant you’re interested in knowing more about then drop us a comment and we’ll make our way over there.

I’ve left Trader Sam’s off the list because it’s more of a bar setting and has nearly the exact menu as the counter-service option next door. If I did include it then the restaurant would rank highly. The vibes are immaculate, as the kids say, and the food is delicious too.

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!

20. 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 alright. 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. It maybe doesn’t deserve to be last on the list but that speaks to most of the options at Disneyland Resort being, at the very least, decent.

19. Great Maple (Pixar Place Hotel)

This Southern California chain was added to the resort when Paradise Pier Hotel was reimagined to Pixar Place Hotel. The restaurant has a relaxed vibe with both indoor and patio seating. The menu consists of brunch items, comfort food and a little bit of Californian flair. This is one of the better table-service restaurants at the resort when it comes to getting a weekend brunch. With it being a little bit out of the way and the food being good but not great, I’d look elsewhere for dinner.

18. Ballast Point (Downtown Disney)

This brewery offers a similar vibe to Splitsville but we prefer this option. It’s among the best spots at Disneyland Resort to watch a sporting event. The restaurant sits upstairs, above Black Tap, and offers typical brewery fare with a touch of California inspiration. We weren’t wowed by any of the offerings but weren’t disappointed either. The atmosphere is casual and a little too industrial on the inside. Ballast Point’s patio seating is very nice though!

17. Goofy’s Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel)

Character dining is 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 and they meet 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.

16. 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 don’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! We also recently had brunch here and enjoyed that meal far more than dinner!

15. 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. Storytellers has also embraced character dining, offered at most meals nearly year around. 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 we rush back to unless there’s some exciting character additions.

14. 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 big 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. For what it’s worth, Melissa likes it more than I do.

13. Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio (Downtown Disney)

This New Orleans inspired restaurant’s quality of food is stronger than most we’ve listed so far. 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. That remodel sees the restaurant continue to fall in our rankings, both in terms of the food and décor.

12. Wine Country Trattoria (California Adventure)

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.

11. 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.

10. Carnation Cafe (Disneyland)

One of the most charming restaurants in any theme park, Carnation Café is a fun place for a value table-service meal. 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!

9. Palm Breeze Bar (Disneyland Hotel)

Between Trader Sam’s and this addition, Disneyland Hotel has really bolstered it’s dining options! Palm Breeze Bar opened with the new Discovery DVC Tower in 2023. Featuring a Californian menu full of sandwiches, salads and pizzas that are pretty successful, but we like the varied appetizer and dessert options more. Palm Breeze Bar is also very relaxed, sitting poolside and all in the shade. The restaurant is the perfect respite from the parks while offering good food!

8. 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. But for reasons that I’ll never understand, the Pommes Frites and Beignets were removed from the menu. If they returned, the restaurant would 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 $25 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 alone makes this a quality option.

7. Centrico (Downtown Disney)

This Downtown Disney spot isn’t quite as good as the neighboring Paseo but it’s a casual outdoor spot to grab a good Mexican meal at a fair price. We’ve ordered a number of items here and have always come away impressed. On top of that, there’s some value to be had in terms of a table-service restaurant. We’d recommend getting a few items to share and passing them around!

6. 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.

5. Din Tai Fung (Downtown Disney)

If we were just going by quality of food, Din Tai Fung might earn the top spot on this list. We were very impressed by the delicious dumplings and Pork Chop Fried Rice. Eating here is dependable and delicious. The building is no slouch either, even if the atmosphere can’t reach the heights of others in the top 10. Obviously, Din Tai Fung isn’t exclusively in Disneyland Resort so we’re missing the originality that the top 3 have. But the food is good enough to easily place in the top 5.

4. Lamplight Lounge (California Adventure)

Lamplight Lounge has seen a lot of menu changes over the last few years and we don’t necessarily think they make the restaurant better. For a while, this was our favorite spot to eat in either park. It’s still close to that but has fallen a bit. 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.

3. Carthay Circle Restaurant (California Adventure)

Another gorgeous restaurant and special atmosphere with somewhat overpriced food. Carthay Circle rests inside of Disney 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 menu is a mix of California and American inspired food and everything we’ve tried is excellent. While guests pay a pretty penny for this restaurant, it is slightly cheaper than Blue Bayou and a wonderful, delicious and elegant experience.

2. Paseo (Downtown Disney)

Making a strong debut on the list, Paseo is our favorite restaurant in Downtown Disney. The upscale Mexican food here is fantastic, with every single item earning high marks in presentation and taste. Paseo’s atmosphere doesn’t try to do too much but is a nice blend of chic and casual. Mama’s Conchita Pibil is one of the best entrees in all of Disneyland Resort. I debated whether this should be above Carthay Circle or not. Ultimately, I placed it above because there’s slightly more value here.

1. Napa Rose (Grand Californian Hotel) 

Napa Rose remains on top of the list but is going about it in a different way since reopening. The setting has been fancied up and the menu is shooting for something greater now. Of course, the price has shot up to go along with those changes. Napa Rose has a prix fixe menu that comes in at $188/person. That is more than what most people will want to spend for a dinner at Disneyland Resort. Fair enough! But the experience is unlike anything else at Disneyland Resort, from the service to the menu. Napa Rose has become more exclusive thanks to the price and atmosphere but it’s certainly not disappointing and the ambition has it coasting to a first place finish on this list.

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. Check out this site for discount Disneyland tickets! 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!