The 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is HERE — but with so many food items to pick from, where do you even begin?

Should you grab any of the NEW menu items? Are there classics you shouldn’t miss? How do you make sure that you’re really eating the best of the best? Take a deep breath! We’re friends, and friends make sure friends eat the very BEST items at the Festival. So we’ve got you covered! Here’s our complete list of the very BEST eats and drinks at the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Arts.

New Bests

Angry Crab at Moderne

We’re starting off our new bests at a NEW booth for 2023 — Moderne! The NEW Angry Crab dish here seriously impressed us. This is a whole crispy soft-shell crab with green papaya salad, mango-sriracha fluid gel, and coconut-lime foam with pomegranate and mango crush pearls, and is priced at $7.25.

The dish was very crunchy, and had a fishy taste as well (not necessarily a bad thing!), which was balanced out well by the sweet mousse! The slaw was slightly acidic, but not overpowering. Overall, this was a delicious dish we’d TOTALLY get again, so definitely consider it if you’re a fan of crab.

See our FULL review for the Moderne booth here!

Rainbow Cake at Figment’s Inspiration Station at The Odyssey

You are NOT READY FOLKS. Not only is there a new Figment-inspired booth at the Festival this year (epic) there’s a dish here that you simply MUST try. Introducing the NEW Rainbow Cake with freeze-dried SKITTLES bite-sized candies. Yes, you read that right, rainbow cake + freeze-dried SKITTLES.

This was sort of like a Zebra cake, but BETTER. The cake was wonderfully moist thanks to all of those layers of icing in there, but it wasn’t overly sweet. The freeze-dried SKITTLES were a little strange (in terms of consistency) on their own but were nice when combined with the cake. This is a gorgeous dessert that’ll light up your Instagram and your taste buds! Get it for $4.75.

Click here to see our full review of Figment’s Inspiration Station!

Carne Asada at El Artista Hambriento

Buckle up folks, El Artista Hambriento is coming in HOT with some incredible dishes. First up we have the NEW Carne Asada. This features Chipotle-marinated beef sirloin, sweet potato purée, and crispy-fried onions, and is priced at $10. 

HOLY MOLY. The meat was cooked medium-rare perfectly, it had a lovely grilled flavor, the onions were a bit more caramelized than crispy (but still DELICIOUS!), and the sweet potato puree paired really nicely with all of the other flavors (and added a touch of sweetness). If you like sirloin, please, please…PLEASE get this!

See our FULL review of El Artista Hambriento here

Huarache de Champiñones from El Artista Hambriento

Yup, we’re sticking at the same booth for ANOTHER new Best of the Fest item! The Huarache de Champiñones is made with Guajillo chile and corn masa huarache with pinto beans, oyster mushrooms, Nopales, queso fresco, and pea tendrils, and is priced at $7.50. And folks, it is one of the BEST things we’ve ever eaten at an EPCOT Festival…EVER.

The Guajillo chile is wonderfully smoky and not too spicy, and it goes really well with the earthiness of the mushrooms. Plus, you’ve got the crunch from the cracker, the delicious queso fresco, and the corn and other ingredients just creating a mix of lovely flavors.

See more about the entire booth here!

Flan de Coco from El Artista Hambriento

We’re back at El Artista Hambriento AGAIN because the food here is just THAT GOOD. The Flan de Coco has Coconut flan, guava sauce, and whipped cream, and is priced at $6.50. Friends, we have ZERO complaints about this.

The coconut and guava flavors created an incredible combination of creaminess and tanginess. Plus, the coconut shavings added a nice crunch. Do not miss out on this one if you want a sweet treat!

See our full review of the booth here!

Tomato Soup With Pimento Cheese, Bacon, and Fried Green Tomato Grilled Cheese at Pop Eats

Our next item takes us to Pop Eats for a NEW grilled cheese creation! This beauty has pimento cheese, bacon, and fried green tomatoes — YUM!! Plus it comes with the lovely little soup and is $6.50.

There are SO many good things to say about this. First, the soup is on the savory side, mild, creamy, and PERFECT for dipping your grilled cheese into. Plus you get to keep the cute themed cup!

While the classic grilled cheese sandwich paired with the soup (another option at this booth) is tasty, this elevated grilled cheese takes things to another level! There’s a bit of spice (not heat, just spice) from the pimento, and all of the flavors pair SO well together. But take our advice — dip that grilled cheese in the soup! It’s a partnership here and the elements combined are what make this a STAR.

See more about Pop Eats here!

Hummingbird Cake at The Artist’s Table

If you’ve had the Hummingbird Cake from Homecomin’ in Disney Springs, you likely know just how incredibly delicious this treat can be. So when we saw that there was a Hummingbird Cake at the Festival of the Arts, we HAD to give it a try! This is a Banana cake with pineapple, coconut, pecans, and cream cheese frosting with banana sorbet, and is priced at $4.75. And folks, it’s AMAZING.

It’s on the sweeter side but is SOOO good. The pineapple tasted like there was a brown sugar element to it, the fruit was fresh, and the cake was light and fluffy — it was a JOY! Just be warned that the sorbet served with it melts quickly so you’re going to want to eat that fast.

See our full review of The Artist’s Table here!

Returning Bests

Beef Wellington at The Craftsman’s Courtyard

The Beef Wellington was at The Arist’s Table in 2022, but it has shifted places in 2023 to The Craftsman’s Courtyard. No matter where this dish travels to, it remains a MUST-get!

The dish features Mushroom duxelles, prosciutto, and puff pastry with red wine demi-glace and baby vegetables, and is priced at $8.50. It’s a popular dish and a frequent favorite of ours.

The beef is cooked really nicely, totally just falls apart, and has a great flavor! Plus, the puff pastry is wonderfully flaky, and the mushrooms, tasty veggies, and demi-glace are the perfect addition to the dish. Basically, it’s a plate of savory goodness you can’t skip!

Click here for more about The Craftsman’s Courtyard

Spicy Ajiaco Soup at Vibrante & Vívido

The Spicy Ajiaco Soup at Vibrante & Vivido is AMAZING. This soup has guajillo and árbol chili-spiced chicken, potato, avocado, corn, and crème fraîche, and is priced at $6.50.

This returning item wasn’t on our best-of-the-fest list last year, but it made it on the list this year! It is PACKED full of flavor, the corn is delicious, it’s wonderfully warm, and it actually delivers on those spicy flavors! Sometimes “spicy” Disney food is more mild, but this has more spice in the BEST way possible!

Get details about the Vibrante & Vívido booth HERE!

Deconstructed Key Lime Pie at The Deconstructed Dish

Need a sweet treat to balance the savory snacks? Stop by The Deconstructed Dish for the Deconstructed Key Lime Pie! This dish is made with Flexible Key lime curd, “Key lime” mousse, graham cracker cake, and meringues. It’s $6.25 and is also part of the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine (get 5 of the 7 designated items and you can get a free prize!). 

This dish has generally been fabulous and this year it WOWED us once again. The mousse is light and refreshing, the graham cracker cake goes well with the dish as a whole, and it’s just delicious. If you’re a key lime pie fan, don’t miss your chance to have it in this unique and beautiful way!

Click here to get more details about The Deconstructed Dish!

Deconstructed BLT at The Deconstructed Dish

But Key Lime Pie isn’t the only deconstructed dish making our returning bests list this year. The Deconstructed BLT is BACK this year and we couldn’t be happier!

This year, the dish is made with Pork belly, soft-poached egg, onion bread pudding, watercress espuma, and tomato jam. The only difference is that it has that onion bread pudding instead of the brioche. It’s priced at $7.

This has been a stand-out dish for a long time and there’s a good reason why! While the elements are yummy on their own, they’re SPECTACULAR when combined. The pork is typically tender and juicy, the tomato jam adds a touch of sweetness, and the dish as a whole strikes an awesome balance between sweet and savory flavors. It’s one we keep coming back to and do NOT regret.

Get full details about The Deconstructed Dish here!

Deconstructed French Onion Soup at The Deconstructed Dish

This next item is a returning dish to the festival but wasn’t on our Best of the Fest list last year. In fact, the Deconstructed French Onion Soup was a bit of a disappointment in 2022. But in 2023, it BLEW us away.

In 2022, we were hoping that by “popping” the ravioli, a bunch of soup would come gushing out. But that simply didn’t happen. Still, it did have a rich, beef flavor and caramelized onion.

This year, despite it still not being a true “soup,” we found that the inside of the ravioli was packed FULL of flavor, particularly onion, and we LOVED it. It was creative, beautiful, delicious, and everything the Festival of the Arts should be! Get it for $6.50.

Click here to see a full review of The Deconstructed Dish!

Wild Mushroom Risotto at Gourmet Landscapes

If you love mushrooms, cheese, and deliciously savory flavors in general, do NOT overlook the Wild Mushroom Risotto at Gourmet Landscapes. This has been a LONG time DFB favorite and it can be all yours for $9.75 this year.

The dish is served with aged Parmesan, truffle shavings, and zinfandel reduction and it’s worth every penny.

It is wonderfully rich and thick. Pair that with the mushroom flavor that really comes through and the delicious parmesan cheese and DING! DING! DING! you have a WINNER.

See more about Gourmet Landscapes here!

Pan-Seared Scallops at Moderne

A returning dish that has earned some extra love this year is the Pan-Seared Scallops! This year you’ll find them at the new Moderne booth though they are not new to the Festival as a whole.

These were SO good! The texture was really nice, with just a touch of chewiness in the best way possible — not too hard, and not too soft. The scallop certainly dominates the flavors but the purees add a nice vegetable touch that we adored. It’s light, delicious, and something we’d totally get again!

Get a full review of the Moderne booth here!

Red Wine-Braised Beef Short Rib at Pastoral Palate

If you love beef and want something savory, look no further. This returning short rib comes with parsnip purée, broccolini, baby tomatoes, and aged balsamic, is priced at $8.50, and is WONDERFUL!

The short ribs were full of flavor and not too salty, the aged balsamic was awesome, the parsnip puree was creamy, and when all combined together it made for a delicious bite! The broccolini could have used a bit more salt, but other than that this is a STANDOUT dish.

See our full review of the Pastoral Palate booth here!

Honorable Mentions

While these may not be “full” best of the fest winners, we did want to highlight them because they were particularly good!

Ravioli ai Funghi at L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy)

WOAH. If you love mushrooms and truffles, do yourself a favor and check out the new Ravioli at the Italy booth! The dish is described as Ravioli ai Funghi, Perle Tartufate, which is wild mushroom-stuffed pasta with truffle butter and truffle pearls. It is $9.25 and it’s DELICIOUS!

It has a strong mushroom flavor and a powerful truffle aftertaste, so be sure that you love mushrooms and truffles before trying this one. But if you do like those flavors, do NOT miss out on this! Just be aware that it is a bit expensive for what you get.

See our review of the Italy booth here!

Sushi Donut at Goshiki (Japan)

The Sushi Donut is a long-time favorite at the Goshiki booth, and for good reason! This is a Donut-shaped sushi item featuring salmon, tuna, shrimp, cucumber, and sesame seed over a decorated plate of wasabi aïoli, sriracha aïoli, and eel sauce.

It’s a popular pick that is particularly fun because of its shape. Plus, the colorful nature of the sushi donut makes it awesome to photograph. In terms of taste, when we’ve had it in the past, the fish has been really fresh and it practically melts in your mouth! Plus, the spicy sauces add a great layer of flavor.

It was basically the same this year, but we do think that it needs some additional soy sauce just because of how much rice there is. Still, it’s an iconic Festival eat. Don’t miss your chance to pick this up for a limited time for $8.25.

Get more details about the Goshiki booth here

Char Siu Pork Bun at The Painted Panda (China)

At The Painted Panda booth, you’ll find the tasty Char Siu Pork Bun! Essentially, this is pork with a tasty sauce on a bao bun — simple yet delicious!

In 2022, we described this item as “glorious” and this year it was quite good once again! The pork was tougher this year than it had been in the past though, and we do wish it had been served warmer. But, the sauce was great, the bun was wonderfully light and fluffy, and overall it was a super yummy dish.

It delivers year after year and we’re SO glad it’s back. This beauty can be all yours for $8.50.

See more about The Painted Panda booth here!

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

Mussels in the middle of a theme park? The dream can be a reality if you stop by the Craftsman’s Courtyard! These mussels are served with sautéed tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs and can be yours for $7.50.

When we’ve had these in the past, they’ve been SUPER tasty! And this year they were good once again. Our reporter this year felt that while there was nothing particularly special about them, they were still quite good. Plus you get an awesome portion size and the thick and buttery bread served with them is an awesome accompaniment. If you like mussels this is a total win!

Click here for full details on The Craftsman’s Courtyard

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

Warm creamy brie in a house-made bread bowl — seriously, what’s NOT to love?! This dish is typically a hit and we were thrilled to see it return. But we will say that it was pretty small this year and the cheese wasn’t exactly strong in that brie flavor (in other words, the brie wasn’t overly flavorful).

But, if you love melty cheese and bread, get this ASAP. You can try it for $9.75.

Click here for full details on the Cuisine Francaise booth!

Decadent Valrhona Chocolate at Deco Delights

Made with dark chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie, and cassis mousse, the Decadent Valrhona Chocolate is one of the cheaper items at $5. And it’s quite tasty too.

This dessert is RICHHHH, but not so rich that it’ll weigh you down. The ice cream also lightens things up a bit, which is nice! Overall, it was basically a very good brownie, with some fun chocolate “dirt” (basically what tasted like cookie crumbs), so if you’re a chocolate fan, check it out! But be aware that you may want to share this one — since it’s pretty big and rich it can be tough to eat alone!

See more about the Deco Delights booth Here

Chorizo and Potato Empanada at Vibrante & Vívido

C’mon folks, just LOOK at this beauty!!! The Chorizo and Potato Empanada is a delicious pick at the Festival of the Arts. It is served with turmeric aïoli and annatto aïoli and is a Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine item too so it’ll help you work toward that FREE prize!

It’s deliciously spicy, the serving size is pretty good, it is wonderfully flaky, and the aioli it comes with is wonderful. We have a feeling it could please a lot of people out there. Get it for $6.75.

Get full details on the Vibrante & Vívido booth HERE!

Passion Fruit Mousse at Vibrante & Vívido

Staying at Vibrante & Vivido for a moment, we HAVE to talk about the Passion Fruit Mousse! This is served with dragon fruit jam and is gluten/wheat friendly. Plus it’s one of the cheaper-ish items at $5.

Not only is the treat gorgeous, but it’s a delight to eat — light and refreshing! If you like fruity sweets, this is a great one to try. (And nice to cool down your palate after some spicier dishes.)

Get more info about the Vibrante & Vívido booth HERE!

Frozen French Martini at L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise (France)

If you are looking for a cool, delicious, and refreshing drink to enjoy at the Festival on a hot Florida day, we have it right here! The Frozen French Martini is a returning favorite made with Grey Goose Vodka, vodka, chambord liqueur, pineapple, orange, and grape juices with lemon-lime foam.

The combination of flavors is lovely here and results in a sweet and refreshing drink that’s easy to sip on as you stroll through EPCOT. Grab the drink for $15!

See the full menu of this booth and more details here!

Sipping Chocolate Flight at The Artist’s Table

If you love chocolate so much you just wish you could DRINK it all of the time, the Sipping Chocolate Flight at The Arist’s Table is a MUST-get for you! It comes with white, milk, and dark chocolates for $9 and is oh-so-delicious and creamy.

Plus, you can kick things up a notch by getting the Symphony in Chocolate Flight which comes with Mozart Chocolate Liqueurs paired with the sipping chocolates for $13.50. Talk about a sweet way to spend your day in EPCOT!

Get more details about The Artist’s Table here

Best Booth

And the BEST booth of the Festival is…

WINNER — El Artista Hambriento (The Hungry Artist)

WOWZA. This booth featured 3 NEW food items in 2023 and each one was an absolute WINNER. The Carne Asada had a wonderful grilled flavor, the Huarache was one of the BEST things we’ve ever eaten at an EPCOT Festival, and the Flan de Coco was the cherry on top!

The drinks didn’t really “WOW” us here but if you want to know what the Haunted Mansion tastes like you might want to try the Bombon Margarita “Marshmallow,” or you can opt for the more standard citrus margarita, Las Californias. Still, the three food items here absolutely make this the very BEST booth in 2023. Don’t overlook it!

Click here for our FULL review of the booth!

Runner Up — Moderne

Moderne is new to the Festival this year and bringing the GOOD EATS! The NEW Angry Crab dish was a stand-out, as was the returning Pan-Seared Scallops. They’re both things we’d TOTALLY get again and have each earned their place as individual Best of the Fest items. The Tropics dessert was another winner — it was deliciously creamy, tart, and moist!

Our only complaints? The Compressed Watermelon Tataki was light and refreshing, though not necessarily a standout (and watch for the wasabi!). The Watermelon Mary drink was very strong on the vodka and we weren’t a big fan of the mini boba in there. Still, overall, this booth was a BIG winner and one we think you’ll want to check out!

Click here for our FULL review of the booth!

Runner Up — The Deconstructed Dish

The Deconstructed Dish proves that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! The Deconstructed BLT and Deconstructed Key Lime Pie are BIG favorites of ours and they delivered once again this year. Plus, the Deconstructed French Onion Soup (despite not being a true “soup”) was absolutely PACKED full of flavor.

Though the drink here — the Deconstructed Apple Pie a la Mode — has been a bit bizarre in the past and not our favorite, the 3 dishes here more than make up for that. If you want creative, uniquely presented, and DELICIOUS food, stop here.

Click here for our FULL BOOTH review!

Runner Up — Vibrante & Vívido

There are SO many good food booths, we can’t help but add another one here! Vibrante & Vivido REALLY delivered on the flavors with its returning dishes. The empanada is wonderfully spicy and flaky, the soup was AMAZING and had even more spice to it, and that passion fruit mousse was wonderfully light.

Combine that with the frozen pina colada (great flavor), the passion fruit daiquiri (good for people who love passion fruit), and the coconut and passion fruit smoothie (refreshing!), and you’ve got a great booth. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Click here to learn more about this booth!

Most Anticipated Booths

Our most anticipated booths this year were definitely the 2 NEW additions — Moderne and Figment’s Inspiration Station at The Odyssey, with Figment’s Inspiration Station likely inching toward the top of the list because…well…it’s a booth themed to FIGMENT!

We’ll start with Moderne — this booth seriously DELIVERED! The Tropics dessert (Lilikoi mousse, guava cake, coconut crémeux, compressed pineapple, and mango gel) was deliciously creamy and tart. Plus, the scallops (a returning dish) were FANTASTIC! And we loved the NEW Angry Crab dish (whole crispy soft-shell crab with green papaya salad, mango-sriracha fluid gel, and coconut-lime foam with pomegranate and mango crush pearls).

At Figment’s Inspiration Station, the Rainbow Cake with Freeze-Dried SKITTLES was phenomenal, and the Pop’t Art (sugar cookie with blueberry filling) was good as well. Plus, the cider and beer flights offer colorful and fun drinks for you to try. And we have a feeling kiddos will LOVE that Grape Smoothie with freeze-dried SKITTLES, along with the souvenir cup!

Yes, the fruit pizza left something to be desired and some of the drinks individually weren’t our favorites. But, as a whole, if you’re looking to try something new, this is a good space to knock out several things at once.

Best of the Fest for Kids

Select Joffrey’s Coffee Festival Drinks (Various Locations)

If your kiddos LOVE sweet drinks, there are quite a few that’ll probably make their day at the Festival!

The Amber Frost drink at World Discovery (Near Mission: SPACE) is a good pick. This has an artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, blood orange, and orange popping boba pearls. Basically, it was an EXTREMELY sweet lemonade with a touch of tanginess. It is priced at $6.39.

The Jade Frost is another good pick! This is made with an artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, green apple, and green apple popping boba pearls. This is $6.39. It was our favorite out of all of the versions of the drinks and had a good combo of sour and sweet!

The tartness helped to tone down the sugar a bit there, but we have a feeling most kids wouldn’t mind either way.

To see our ranking of ALL of the Joffrey’s Drinks at the Festival of the Arts — Click here!

Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie at Refreshment Outpost & Refreshment Port

If you want something that’ll keep your kiddos entertained, the Artist Palette Jumbo Cookie is a great choice! In terms of its taste, it’s a regular, standard chocolate chip cookie. So, there’s nothing special about that, but it is a good thing for those with picky palettes.

The design is really what makes it a standout for kiddos! It has different “paint” (icing) colors on it with a little paintbrush so kiddos can have a BLAST coloring their cookie before they devour it. Grab the cookie for $5.50.

Click here to see more about the cookie!

Grape Smoothie with Freeze-Dried SKITTLES at Figment’s Inspiration Station at The Odyssey

The freeze-dried SKITTLES return AGAIN! While the Rainbow Cake with these beauties is something we think everyone would enjoy, the Grape Smoothie with freeze-dried SKITTLES is a perfect pick for little ones. The drink definitely has a strong artificial grape flavor, so be warned. If that sounds like heaven for your little one, then do NOT miss this!

The best part about this item is that you get to keep the souvenir Figment cup it comes in. So, let your kid drink the smoothie and keep the cup for yourself!

Check out our FULL review of this Figment-inspired booth here

Mozzarella Fritta at L’Arte de Mangiare (Italy)

If, like with the cookie situation, you’ve got a little one that likes paint and creativity, and they like CHEESE, then check out the Mozzarella Fritta at L’Arte de Mangiare. This is a flash-fried breaded fresh mozzarella with artist palette condiments, and it is priced at $8.25.

Basically, it’s a fancy cheese puck with toppings that is a create-your-own art project! The presentation is fun, but it is expensive for what you get. Still, if you have a little one that likes cheese and sauces and art, this could be a fun buy!

See our full review of the Italy booth here!

Best Plant-Based Item

When it comes to plant-based items, two dishes stood out for different reasons.

Carrots Three Ways at Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina (Morocco) — Most Delicious!

The Carrots Three Ways dish features Chermoula-spiced grilled carrots, pickled carrots, and carrot ginger purée. It’s a plant-based item that is also gluten/wheat friendly and a GREAT pick for plant-based eaters. This was surprisingly delicious and we liked it even BETTER than last year!

The puree tasted like a carrot version of applesauce, but not necessarily in a bad way. One of our carrots was a little extra charred, which gave us garlic bread vibes…again, not a bad thing! Overall, we think the flavors and textures here are really interesting and make for an exciting plant-based dish! Get it for $4.25.

Learn more about Tangierine Cafe: Flavors of the Medina by clicking here

Plant-Based Bratwurst at Refreshment Outpost — Most Satisfying and Substantial!

If it’s a truly satisfying and substantial plant-based eat that you’re after, head over to Refreshment Outpost! That’s where you’ll find the Plant-Based Bratwurst with spicy turmeric aïoli, coffee barbecue jackfruit, and slaw. It’s $9.50, making it a bit on the pricier side but it could be a great one for plant-based eaters to try.

The rich coffee flavor of the jackfruit balanced out nicely with the sweet slaw, plus the brat was soft and had a good flavor! If you aren’t a plant-based eater, note that the texture of the brat might not be what you’d expect (or necessarily enjoy) so be warned. The turmeric aioli was mild in a good way, and we felt like it was well-spiced! It’s a great option to fill you up as you search for plant-based eats around the Festival.

See more about Refreshment Outpost here

And that’s our picks for the very BEST of the eats and drinks at the Festival of the Arts! Which items would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments!

For FULL reviews of every single booth at the Festival of the Arts, click here!

And to become a REAL Festival pro, check out our guide to the Festival, which is now available to purchase!

Which of these items are going on your must-get list? Tell us in the comments!

The post Everything You NEED to Eat and Drink at the 2023 EPCOT Festival of the Arts first appeared on the disney food blog.