REVIEW: Narcoossee’s Reopens With New ‘Land and Sea’ Menu and Refurbished, Modernized Look at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Narcoossee’s has reopened at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa with a revamped interior and menu. The restaurant has been closed for refurbishment since June 2022.

narcoosees view 4589

Narcoossee’s is right on the water. Though the exterior appears the same, it was refurbished.

narcoossees entrance stock
Narcoossee's entrance and sign

Narcoossee’s Revamped Interior

narcoossees reopening 4391

Narcoosee’s is a Disney Signature Dining experience, which offers fine dining with a magical flair. Please be advised that there is a dress code for this restaurant. According to Disney’s website, “Guests are expected to dress accordingly in attire that respects the restaurant’s sophisticated and upscale aesthetic. Clothing should be clean, neat, and in good condition. Please no swimwear.”

narcoossees reopening 4394

Due to the popularity of this restaurant, advanced reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made up to 60 days in advance using your myDisney Experience app or by visiting their website. Reservations for Narcoossee’s will be unavailable on select days in May and June to add some “finishing touches.”

narcoossees reopening 4395

Disney’s Grand Floridian is currently undergoing refurbishment. Guests will hear or see construction during daytime hours. Most of the Resort’s amenities will remain available. Due to this ongoing construction, Disney has recommended that guests allow for additional travel time to avoid missing or being late for a reservation.

narcoossees reopening 4396

The updated space features a “land and sea” concept, which also inspired the new menu.

narcoossees reopening 4397

The new booths and seats are lined with blue velvet — which looks like waves from the ocean. The tables and chairs have light wood finishes, and the tables all have green stands — presumably to represent the land.

narcoossees reopening 4398

The newly redesigned restaurant features white-paneled walls and have blue-gray shutters and molding throughout.

narcoossees reopening 4400

The patio of Narcoossee’s is one of the restaurants on Walt Disney World property that offers a view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.

narcoossees reopening 4402
narcoossees reopening 4404
narcoossees reopening 4405
narcoossees reopening 4407
narcoossees reopening 4409
narcoossees reopening 4410
narcoossees reopening 4411
narcoossees reopening 4413
narcoossees reopening 4414
narcoossees reopening 4415
narcoossees reopening 4423
narcoossees reopening 4424
narcoossees reopening 4425
narcoossees reopening 4421
narcoossees reopening 4427

Narcoossee’s Menu

narcoossees reopening 4393

Artisan Boule of Sourdough

narcoossees reopening 4434

The sourdough was developed by Pastry Chef Kristine Farmer just for Narcoossee’s. The bread was amazing. It was warm and fragrant, with a nice crunch.

Appetizers

Shrimp and Grits – $19

Local Gulf Shrimp, Peach Barbecue Sauce, Low Country Grits, Applewood-smoked Bacon, Chow-chow

narcoossees reopening 4448

This appetizer was amazing. The peach BBQ sauce sounded odd at first, but it pairs well with the spicy shrimp.

narcoossees reopening 4451

The grits are well prepared, and the shrimp were perfectly cooked with a bit of crispiness. This is a winner overall.

Ocean-inspired Charcuterie Board – $28

Ahi Tuna Pastrami, Charred Octopus, Lobster Sausage

narcoossees reopening 4454

This was the most interesting thing on the menu. Being a seafood restaurant, they did an “ocean-inspired” take on a traditional charcuterie offering.

narcoossees reopening 4455

The lobster sausage is a very soft, spongy, cylinder that is grilled like a sausage. It‘s like a soft puffy chicken sausage. The taste was great. It had a nice lobster flavor with a bit of spice and a nice seared exterior.

narcoossees reopening 4458
narcoossees reopening 4456

The tuna was thinly sliced ahi tuna, which was dried to a leathery consistency, though it was not chewy at all.

narcoossees reopening 4460

A drizzle of mustard paired well with the fish “pastrami.” Though it was a bit of a weird concept, we liked it a lot.

narcoossees reopening 4457

The octopus was fantastic, possibly the best octopus we’ve had anywhere. It was tender and not chewy like octopus is wont to be. The char-grilled exterior gave it a perfect, slightly smoky flavor.

narcoossees reopening 4459

Overall the charcuterie board is a bit pricey, but if you’re looking for something a bit outside of the box, this is it.

Soups & Salads

Lobster Bisque – $18

Butter-poached Lobster, Vanilla, Coral

narcoossees reopening 4442

This is great and different from other lobster bisque we’ve had from Disney. This is less buttery, thicker, and more intensely spiced than the variants at Yachtsman Steakhouse or Flying Fish.

narcoossees reopening 4438

It’s good but we prefer the buttery type.

Entrées

Yuzu-Ginger Salmon – $46

Sambal White Asparagus, Coconut Jade Rice, Lemon Grass-Thai Basil Emulsion

narcoosees food 4506

The salmon was lusciously soft, almost like butter. It was perfectly cooked, with the citrus-ginger glaze giving it the slightest bit of sweetness.

narcoosees food 4505

The coconut rice was also spectacular and was a perfect accompaniment platform, both flavorful and functional.

narcoosees food 4507

We highly recommended this dish for any salmon aficionados.

Blackened Redfish – $48

Chorizo-Sunchoke Hash, Hominy, Florida Sweet Corn, Red Pepper Rouille

narcoosees food 4483

This is not anywhere near as spicy as you’d expect a “blackened” fish to be, but that makes this accessible to a wider audience while still giving a nice blackened flavor. The sauce does add a bit of the missing heat if that’s your thing. Overall a well-cooked fish, supported on a bed of hash that was a flavor mashup of chorizo, sunchoke, and corn that nicely offset the flaky fish. If you want a fish entree but don’t like salmon, this is for you.

12-oz Prime New York Strip Steak – $59

Potato Mash, Roasted Rainbow Vegetables, Red Wine Demi-Glace

narcoosees food 4493
narcoosees food 4494

This was the disappointment of the day. It’s an acceptable steak for the non-pescatarians in your party, but nowhere near as satisfying from a fine dining point of view.

narcoosees food 4495

Although we didn’t try the surf and turf or the pork chop on this visit, the mediocrity of the strip steak left us wishing we had opted for one of those instead.

Enhancements

Pan-seared Scallops – $21

narcoosees food 4514
narcoosees food 4517

These were quite possibly the best scallops we’ve ever had. They were fantastically prepared, with a nice crisp sear on the outside while still amazingly tender and soft on the inside.

narcoosees food 4518

The gnocchi was soft and pillowy, and the truffled lemon cream was delicious, although not very lemony. The peas and pea greens gave a fresh kick of flavor to the heavy starch and cream combination of the gnocchi.

Sides

Sweet-and-Sour Brussels Sprouts – $11

Applewood-smoked Bacon, Sorghum-Malt Gastrique

narcoosees food 4525

The Brussels sprouts were good, but nothing to write home about. They’re satisfying if you are seeking a green side, but the variants at Le Cellier Steakhouse and Maya Grill are better than these.

Wild Mushroom Risotto – $12

Fontina, Espellette Pepper

narcoosees food 4538

As mushroom risotto fans, we had high hopes for this. Disney does a life-changing mushroom risotto at Palo on Disney Cruise Line, and while the Narcoossee’s version is very good, with more whole mushrooms on top, it just wasn’t up to snuff compared to Palo. Don’t get us wrong, it was nice, and we liked it, but we’ve had better from Disney.

“Loaded” Mashed Potatoes – $14

Garlic-glazed Pork Belly, Smoked Cheddar, Crème Fraîche

narcoosees food 4528

These were a welcome surprise. The candied pork belly was a sweet and crunchy accompaniment to the savory cheesy potatoes.

Desserts

Almond-crusted Cheesecake – $16

Lambert Cherry Sauce, Chantilly

narcoosees food 4558

The signature dessert of Narcoossee’s pre-closing is back in basically the same form. It’s an almond-flavored cheesecake with sliced almonds instead of graham cracker crumbs as the crust. Fans of this will be happy that it’s essentially the same. It has a great almond flavor and added crunch from the almond crust. The cherries add a tartness to balance the sweet cheesecake. This is the best dessert of the lot.

Hazelnut-Chocolate Bar – $14

Chocolate Sponge, Cassis, Ganache (Plant-based)

narcoosees food 4545

This is vegan, which means the chocolate isn’t milk chocolate and is therefore not the creamy smooth Hershey’s favorite.

narcoosees food 4544

The hazelnut interior also features a bit of raspberry to add a nice fruity flavor. The ganache on top is smooth and chocolatey. Overall not our favorite dessert but not too bad for a vegan offering.

Berry Pavlova – $14

Yuzu Cremeux, Anglaise

narcoosees food 4563

This is a good option for someone who wants a light fruity option instead of a heavy cheesecake or chocolate.

narcoosees food 4564

The berries are fresh and flavorful and sit atop a solid crunchy, whipped meringue. The yuzu cream is tangy and offsets the rich sweet vanilla anglaise.

Pineapple Bavarois – $15

Shortbread, Blackberry-Buttermilk Ice Cream

narcoosees food 4549

This was the weirdest dessert. It’s a pineapple shortcake with a raspberry center and whipped cream. It’s covered with a sort of pineapple glaze.

narcoosees food 4551

There was a square of raspberry ice cream on top of a square of pineapple fruit leather on the side, which frankly felt unnecessary. This was extremely good, if a bit odd, but if you like pineapple, you’ll love it.

Drinks

narcoossees reopening 4418

A carafe of water sits on the table.

narcoossees reopening 4419
narcoosees menu 4420

The Grand Margarita – $17.50

Don Julio Añejo Tequila, Grand Marnier Liqueur, Cointreau Liqueur, Lime and Agave

narcoossees reopening 4463

This doesn’t have a strong tequila taste. It’s pretty mediocre, but none of the other drinks appealed to us.

What are you most looking forward to trying at Narcoossee’s? Let us know in the comments.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram.

The post REVIEW: Narcoossee’s Reopens With New ‘Land and Sea’ Menu and Refurbished, Modernized Look at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa appeared first on WDW News Today.