We had a great day eating and drinking our way around the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts!

This year’s festival runs January 14th through February 21st and celebrates culinary, visual, and performing arts. We’re allllll about those culinary arts, so we got our SNACK on at 15 FOOD BOOTHS (including three new-to-the-festival booths!).

Well, we wouldn’t want to disappoint you so we made it through EVERY. SINGLE. MENU. and you know what that means! We now have the HONOR of bringing you the very best of the best. So, without further ado, here is the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts BEST of the FEST!

New Bests

We tried most of these items for the first time EVER at this year’s festival and they wowed us enough to make our list of bests!

Tomato Soup with Bacon, Apple, and Brie Grilled Cheese at Pop Eats

Because of the popularity of the Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket (more on that later!) the line for Pop Eats was pretty WILD. Still, the payoff of eating the DELICIOUS Tomato Soup with Bacon, Apple, and Brie Grilled Cheese for $6.25 was fully WORTH IT.

The flavors melded SO PERFECTLY in the grilled cheese. Really, is there anything better than melted brie? Couple that with the Pop Eats Tomato Soup that has been a favorite for YEARS and we are happy campers.

Click here to see our REVIEW of Pop Eats!

Huarache Verde at El Artista Hambriento

We’ve got SEVERAL picks from the Mexico booth, El Artista Hambriento, starting with the Huarache Verde for $7.50. This option is cilantro huarache with cochinita pibil, fresh pineapple, and pickled onion.

Our reporter literally described this dish as “chef’s kiss.” The meat is so moist and tasty and the pickled onion and sweet pineapple help to make a delectable overall bite.

To see more of El Artista Hambriento, click here!

Carne Asada at El Artista Hambriento

The other savory dish at Mexico’s booth was a winner too. Meat lovers, get ready for Carne Asada! This $9.50 dish is made with seared beef tenderloin, grilled queso fresco, refried beans, scallion, and ranchera salsa.

This dish won our hearts by being perfectly cooked and incorporating a little bit of heat too. 10/10, would devour again.

Click here to see our REVIEW of El Artista Hambriento!

The Lily at El Artista Hambriento

Aaaaaaaand we’ve got The Lily cocktail, a blend of Blanco tequila, violet essence infusion, rose petal liqueur, cranberry, and lime juice by model Lily Aldridge.

Snag it for $16 and get ready for an EXCELLENT and floral margarita. The flavors are subtle but still distinct and it strikes a good balance between strong and sweet.

Want to see our full review of El Artista Hambriento? Click here!

Char Siu Pork Bun at The Painted Panda

Over in the China Pavilion, The Painted Panda brought its A-game, but we were especially pleased with the Char Siu Pork Bun. Even with the higher price of $10.75, this eat was one we would get again.

Ours was LOADED with meat and it had the perfect level of moisture. Add a soft and delicious bun, and we are HAPPY to chow down on this bite.

To see more of The Painted Panda, click here!

Decadent Valrhona Chocolate at Deco Delights

Looking for a sweet treat? Look no further than the Decadent Valrhona Chocolate at Deco Delights. This $5 eat is just as tasty as it is beautiful and that is SAYING something.

Combine that dark chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie, and cassis mousse and you’ve got an appropriately named, decadent dessert.

Click here to see our REVIEW of Deco Delights!

Pate de Campagne at The Craftsman’s Courtyard

Alright and a NEW BOOTH really brought it this year with THREE new bests. The Craftsman’s Courtyard introduced the Pate de Campagne. Though this $6.75 eat looks a little less pretty than some other eats, the flavors were PERFECT.

It’s a country pork pate with pistachios, truffles, toasted ciabatta, red onion marmalade, pickled mustard seed, and caperberries. It has a SUPER strong flavor without being overwhelming. If you don’t mind pate, give this eat a try!

Want to see our full review of The Craftsman’s Courtyard? Click here!

Cast Iron-roasted P.E.I. Mussels at The Craftsman’s Courtyard

Do you like shellfish? Well, we’ve got good news! The Cast Iron-roasted P.E.I. Mussels for $7.50 at The Craftsman’s Courtyard shot straight onto our best of the fest list.

You can really tell the ingredients are high quality and the accompaniments of sautéed tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs make this a dish we could keep coming back to eat.

To see more of The Craftsman’s Courtyard, click here!

Cast Iron-seared Steelhead Trout at The Craftsman’s Courtyard

AND, the Cast Iron-seared Steelhead Trout for $6.75 from this booth is a winner too! Our reporter isn’t even a huge seafood person but she loved EVERYTHING on this plate.

The beautiful cut of fish comes with parsley salad, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, and lemon aïoli. Wow. We could eat this all day.

Click here to see our REVIEW of The Craftsman’s Courtyard!

Ravioli alla Boscaiola at L’Arte di Mangiare

The Italy booth doesn’t always bring it home for us at EPCOT festivals, but this year L’Arte di Mangiare brought us a positively AMAZING eat with the Ravioli alla Boscaiola — sweet sausage ravioli, mushrooms, caramelized onions, and creamy Parmesan sauce.

If you like sausage and mushrooms, this is a MUST. TRY. The pasta is PACKED with flavor from the filling and it makes for an extremely satisfying bite. Keep in mind, it’s a pricier portion at $13!

Want to see our full review of L’Arte di Mangiare? Click here!

House-made Chorizo and Potato Empanada at Vibrante & Vívido

We were pretty excited about the prospect of an Encanto booth and even MORE excited when it had empanadas on the menu. It turns out, our excitement was ENTIRELY warranted. We were FLOORED by the delicious bites we got from this eat!

The House-made Chorizo and Potato Empanada is made with turmeric aïoli and annatto aïoli for a beautiful presentation and flavors that are both complex AND familiar. Pick it up for $6.50.

To see more of Vibrante & Vívido, click here!

Deconstructed Key Lime Pie at The Deconstructed Dish

And another sweet treat made our new bests! Head on over to The Deconstructed Dish to try the Deconstructed Key Lime Pie for $4.75. If you’re a fan of this Florida classic dessert in standard pie form, we have a feeling you’ll LOVE this deconstructed take.

It’s flexible Key lime curd, “Key lime” mousse, graham cracker cake, and meringues. We thought it was fabulous and a very light way to satisfy one’s sweet tooth!

Click here to see our REVIEW of this booth!

Returning Bests

These items are BACK and as TASTY as ever, once again landing a spot on our Best of the Fest list!

Sushi Donut at Goshiki

Our first returning favorite is the beloved Sushi Donut at Goshiki in the Japan Pavilion! This eat is $8.50 and has been a Best of the Fest staple for a few years now.

It’s Donut-shaped sushi featuring salmon, tuna, shrimp, cucumber, and sesame seed over a decorated plate of wasabi aïoli, sriracha, and eel sauce. And yes, like most of our other eats, it DOES taste as good as it looks!

Click here to see our REVIEW of Goshiki!

Crème de Brie en Petit Pain at L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise

Stepping on over to L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise in the France Pavilion and you’ll find another LONGTIME favorite with the Crème de Brie en Petit Pain. Yes, that IS warm creamy Brie in a house-made bread bowl.

We absolutely WOULD drink this cheese (or any cheese really) with a straw. It’s hard for us to pass on cheese in a bread bowl so it makes sense that this has landed on our bests list once again. Snag it for $8.50!

Want to see our full review of L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise? Click here!

Frozen French Martini at L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise

This booth has another returning best with the Frozen French Martini for $15. Expect a delicious combo of Grey Goose, vodka, Chambord liqueur, pineapple, orange, and grape juice with lemon-lime foam.

There’s a reason this sip keeps making our bests list too. It’s got a crowd-pleasing combination of fruit flavors that makes for a zippy and refreshing sip. It’s the perfect way to cool off a bit mid-fest day. Bonus! It kinda tastes like liquid Smarties.

To see more of L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise, click here!

Tomato Soup Can Bloody Mary at Pop Eats

You KNOW that this absolutely ICONIC Festival of the Arts cocktail is landing a spot on this list again! The Tomato Soup Can Bloody Mary at Pop Eats is served in an adorable souvenir cup and packs some SERIOUS flavors too. Warning, it’s got a kick!

Bloody Mary lovers are sure to find a favorite in this $14 cocktail. A few years ago, we even went so far as to call this one of the best drinks we’ve EVER HAD in Disney World.

Click here to see our REVIEW of Pop Eats!

Deconstructed BLT at The Deconstructed Dish

The Deconstructed Dish came in as a runner-up to best booth of the fest last year with the help of the Deconstructed BLT. Well, good news! It’s BACK.

This eat is crispy pork belly, soft-poached egg, Brioche, watercress Espuma and tomato jam for $7. Whether you’re creating your own combo bites or eating each element on its own, there are some AMAZING flavors to be tried in this dish.

Want to see our full review of The Deconstructed Dish? Click here!

Sipping Chocolate Flight at The Artist’s Table

Alright, chocolate lovers, this next one is for you. The Sipping Chocolate Flight at The Artist’s Table is back as a best again due to its delicious creaminess and range of chocolatey flavors.

Expect white, milk, and dark chocolate for $8.50. Did you know you can also get this alcoholic with cream liqueurs for $13?

To see more of The Artist’s Table, click here!

Beef Wellington at The Artist’s Table

This spot also brought back the Beef Wellington, a delectable dish served with mushroom duxelle, prosciutto, and puff pastry with red wine demi-glace and baby vegetables. This is one of the heartier bites of the fest and it’s SUPER tasty too.

For $8.50, you can try this savory plate. We love this dish for being cooked perfectly with amazing flavor. It makes us super happy that the Beef Wellington keeps coming back!

Click here to see our REVIEW of The Artist’s Table!

Passion Fruit Mousse at Vibrante & Vívido

Alright, this returner has an all-new presentation but it’s bringing back the same great flavors. The Passion Fruit Mousse with Dragon Fruit Jam at Vibrante & Vívido is back again, but this time it’s got an Encanto theme (just like the rest of the booth!).

It might look a little different from its debut last year but it’s still got a lovable flavor. Even our reporters that don’t love passion fruit have RAVED about this treat! And, we’d say it still looks pretty too. Pick it up for $5!

Want to see our full review of Vibrante & Vívido? Click here!

Blue Raspberry Blonde at Refreshment Outpost

The famous BLUE BEER is back at Festival of the Arts too. The Blue Raspberry Blonde is certainly Instagrammable, but it’s super tasty for beer drinkers too. You can find it at Refreshment Outpost for $10.75.

This is a lighter beer which makes it SUPER refreshing and easy to drink. We certainly appreciate that when we’ve been loading ourselves up with festival foods all day.

To see more of Refreshment Outpost, click here!

Opera Cake at Pastoral Palate

And our FINAL returner is over at Germany’s Pastoral Palate booth. Take a look at the Opera Cake — almond Joconde, coffee buttercream, and chocolate ganache for $4.75.

This dessert is THE pick for coffee fans and we are VERY ok with that. If you like robust and sweet coffee flavors and a perfect combination of textures, we recommend giving this one a try.

Click here to see our REVIEW of Pastoral Palate!

Wild Mushroom Risotto at Gourmet Landscapes

Over at the Canada Pavilion’s Gourmet Landscapes, we LOVED the Wild Mushroom Risotto. It had a lot of mushrooms loaded in and a delightful nutty flavor.

Get ready for this mushroomy rice to come with aged Parmesan, truffle shavings, and Zinfandel reduction. It is an AWESOME dish, so give it a try for $9.25 if that sounds good to you!

Want to see more of Gourmet Landscapes? Click here!

Best BOOTH of the FEST

Alright, now that we’ve gone through ALL of the worthy items, it’s time to take things a step further. We’re revealing our picks for BEST of the booths at the fest. If you’re only visiting a few booths, we say these should be the ones!

El Artista Hambriento

A BIG round of applause for our BEST BOOTH: El Artista Hambriento in the Mexico Pavilion! This booth brought amazing savory flavors and complex but tasty drinks. That sounds like a winner in our books!

From perfect preparation of the eats to balanced flavor profiles, we’d recommend a stop at this booth for eats that truly capture the “culinary art” vibe of this fest. Plus, you can wash them down with a great marg .

Want to see our full review of El Artista Hambriento? Click here!

Runners-up for Best Booth of the Fest

The Craftsman’s Courtyard

And our runner-up? It’s The Craftsman’s Courtyard! Yep, a brand NEW booth rocketed right up into our winner’s circle. Seriously, this booth had us feeling like we were dining at a five-star restaurant!

From the delectable pate to the perfectly-prepared trout, this booth didn’t miss when it comes to complex and delicious flavors. You can bet you’ll see us making a few more return trips to this new spot.

To see more of The Craftsman’s Courtyard, click here!

Vibrante & Vívido

The Encanto-themed booth REALLY brought it when it comes to great flavors and a beautiful presentation. The returning passion fruit mousse and the new empanada truly captured our attention at the fest.

Vibrante & Vívido is worth a stop if you’re looking for great eats — or even if you just loved Encanto! We think it has CERTAINLY earned its spot as a runner-up to best booth of the fest!

Want to see more of Vibrante & Vívido, click here!

Best of the Fest for Kids

Now let’s talk about the best option for kiddos!

Vanilla Donut at Donut Box

Donut Box is a staple at MANY EPCOT festivals and, as you can probably tell from the name, fun donuts are kinda the game here. Well, we have to recommend that kiddos swing by this booth (maybe post-Test Track!) to try out the Vanilla Donut for $5.50!

We may not have been wowed by the other donuts at this spot but this treat with strawberry sugar, strawberry ice cream, fresh strawberries, and strawberry gele was the perfect fruity sweet treat. We think this one is a GREAT choice for kids.

Click here to see our REVIEW of Donut Box!

Best Plant-Based Item of the Fest

Festival of the Arts doesn’t have a TON of plant-based options, but of the ones we spotted there was certainly a winner!

Carrots Three Ways at Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina

The Carrots Three Ways at Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina had some surprising and satisfying flavors. We noticed a lot of Garam Masala and enjoyed experiencing carrots in a more creative way than usual!

The dish is berbere-spiced grilled carrots, pickled carrots, and carrot ginger purée. With only TWO explicitly plant-based items on the fest menus, we’re glad this one was so tasty! Try it for $4.25.

To see our REVIEW of this booth, click here!

Instagram Winner

It’s true, we tasted some SERIOUSLY amazing flavors today, but some of these eats and sips had some seriously good looks too. A few years back, we introduced the most Instagrammable item of the Fest to give some love to the PRETTIEST items with the best presentation or “wow” factor, even if they may not taste that great.

Orange Mousse at Deco Delights

It is pretty hard to pick an Instagram winner at Festival of the Arts (Everything is so pretty!), but we certainly think that the Orange Mousse from Deco Delights fits the bill. Plus, it’s got the added bonus of being pretty tasty!

The mousse comes alongside lemon cake and raspberry meringues and makes for a work of art on a plate. You can try it yourself — and snap that perfect pic — for $4.50!

Want to see our full review of Deco Delights? Click here!

Most Wanted of the Fest

This festival had a pretty high-demand item, SO high-demand in fact that we decided to add a new category. Without further ado, here’s the Most-Wanted of the Fest!

Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket at Pop Eats

The Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket had Figment fans going WILD in EPCOT today. In fact, it had fans going wild OUT of EPCOT today too! A line formed at Pop Eats to snag the Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket with Rainbow Popcorn for $25 before the park even opened!

After a few hours, a Cast Member estimated that the wait had reached 6.5 HOURS and we spotted Figment Buckets being sold on eBay for several hundred dollars. Whew! This little guy was DEFINITELY most wanted.

To see more of the Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket, click here!

Most Surprising of the Fest

One item stood out to us out of everything we ate today as a pretty surprising eat!

Mousseline de Bisque de Homard Froide at L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise

Head on over to L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise in EPCOT’s France to try the Mousseline de Bisque de Homard Froide, Brioche Feuilletée à l’Aneth, A.K.A. chilled lobster bisque mousse served with dill brioche for $10.50.

Yep, this dish is basically lobster soup jello. Savory mousses have been around for a while and often feature shellfish, but we were pretty surprised to find ourselves eating semi-solid soup today. While it wasn’t what we’d recommend to everyone, we did actually enjoy it. So, if you like lobster, maybe our most surprising pick is for you!

Click here for our FULL REVIEW of this booth!

Thanks for joining us for our trip through ALL of the wonderful artwork and eats! We had SO much fun and we’ve gotta say, we’re ready for another visit to the fest already. Don’t forget, we’ll be right here throughout the festival for all of the tips and planning needs you might have!

Click here to see ALL the updated details for the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts!

What items do YOU want to try? Tell us in the comments! 

The post BEST of the FEST! What to Eat and Drink at the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! first appeared on the disney food blog.