Get those stomachs ready — a whole BUNCH of new food is coming at you soon!

Downtown Disney is undergoing a big transformation at Disneyland Resort. We’ve already seen some spots close, while other spots have reopened in new locations or are getting a facelift. And there’s more fun where that came from — Downtown Disney will be getting 4 NEW restaurants soon. What will they serve? Which do you want to try? Let’s go through ALL the details here.

1 — Porto’s Bakery

At the D23 Expo in 2022, Disney announced that Porto’s Bakery & Cafe would be coming in the future to Downtown Disney. Let’s go through some details about this spot.

What Is Porto’s?

Porto’s Bakery is a Southern California favorite. According to the restaurant’s website, it all came about due to Rosa Porto’s love of sharing cakes and pastries with family and friends. Rosa was born in Cuba and grew up surrounded by her mother’s baking and recipes that had been passed down through her family (who was originally from the Galicia region of Spain).

Rosa and her husband petitioned to leave Cuba and she found herself out of a job, so she started selling cakes to friends and family. Eventually, Rosa and her family moved to California (with just the clothes on their backs). Rosa continued making baked goods for her friends and family, and later, they opened their first store. The rest, as they say, is history.

To this day, the Porto family is “committed to using the finest ingredients from all over the world ensuring that quality remains the cornerstone of the Porto tradition.”

Rosa passed away in 2019, but her recipes continue to be used along with her motto “quality is the number one ingredient in everything we do.” They’re known for their signature pastries and savory Cuban food.

Porto’s has 6 locations in California, but they also ship select items nationwide so you can try some of their snacks from the comfort of your home before the restaurant even opens a location in Downtown Disney!

They got the top spot in “Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the US,” and in 2021 they were voted “Best Bakery in the Southland” according to the Los Angeles Times.

What Will It Serve?

The menu for Porto’s Bakery in Downtown Disney has NOT yet been revealed. But, we do know what their other locations serve up based on their online menu. Other Porto’s locations generally have 3 different menu “sections” to select from.

First, there’s the bakery (with seasonal items, sweets, savory selections, and breads). You’ll find cookies, a cheese roll, Guava and Cheese Strudels (Refugiado), Chicken Empanadas, and much more.

Under the cafe & beverages section, there are savory items, breakfast items, sandwiches and platos, house soups and salads, and drinks. The items here include Papa Rellena (potato balls), croquetas, tamales, a Cuban Sandwich, and much more.

And finally, there’s the cakes section which includes seasonal specialties and signature offerings. Some of the cake flavors include pineapple Cuban cake, chocolate cake, mango mousse cake, and more.

It’s very possible that the Downtown Disney location will have a much more paired-down menu or that it’ll have specialties of its own. Again, the menu for Downtown Disney has NOT yet been shared, but we’re on the lookout for details.

Where Will It Be Located?

The Porto’s Bakery & Cafe location in Downtown Disney will be located where La Brea Bakery was previously.

When Will It Open?

The opening date for the Porto’s Downtown Disney location has not been shared yet. But it could be quite some time before it arrives. A temporary, pop-up version of Earl of Sandwich has taken over the La Brea Bakery space which will eventually be home to Porto’s. For now, it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down or closing. So, again, it could take a while before Porto’s occupies this spot.

The Downtown Disney website only notes that this (and the other spots mentioned below) will open in the “years ahead.”

We will keep an eye out for updates and let you know what we find. For now, remember that you can visit the Porto’s website to order their treats to be sent directly to you, so you can warm them up at home and give them a try!

2 — Din Tai Fung

Another restaurant coming to Downtown Disney is Din Tai Fung. This was also announced at the 2022 D23 Expo. This restaurant has a BIG following. Here’s what you should know.

What Is Din Tai Fung?

Din Tai Fung is an award-winning, family-owned restaurant FAMOUS for its soup dumplings, which are “hand-crafted right on sight.”

The restaurant originally opened in Taipei, Taiwan. According to the website, Mr. Bing-Yi Yang immigrated to Taiwan and opened a shop selling cooking oil. He named the shop Din Tai Fung. He and his wife sold dumplings in their shop too, called Xiao Long Bao (steamed pork soup dumplings). These dumplings became so popular that Mr. Yang “phased out his oil business” and Din Tai Fung became a full-blown restaurant.

The restaurant now has locations in Las Vegas, Costa Mesa, and other places in Southern California, Oregon, and Washington. Plus, it has international locations in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Europe, and Thailand.

Many of the Din Tai Fung restaurants have won awards for outstanding food, and the Hong Kong and London locations have received Michelin Stars. The restaurant has also been named the world’s “second-best chain restaurant” by CNN and one of the world’s top 10 gourmet restaurants by the New York Times.

But the food comes at a lengthy price — some of Din Tai Fung’s existing locations are famous for operating on a no-reservations policy. And that has meant that lines to get in stretch for HOURS. Some people have reported waiting 1 to 4 HOURS to get a table in some spots.

Certain Din Tai Fung locations do accept reservations, and we’re expecting the Disneyland location to do so due to the expected high demand. If reservations are available, you’ll want to be sure to grab those ASAP.

What Will It Serve?

Thus far, Disney has said that the Chinese restaurant will serve dishes family-style. Disney has also confirmed that they will “offer guests their soup dumplings hand crafted right on site.”

The full Downtown Disney restaurant menu has NOT yet been shared but other locations feature a lot to pick from. In the appetizers portion, you’ll find cucumber salad, hot and sour soup, and more.

Then there is the Xia Long Bao section where you’ll find some filled with pork, crab, and chicken.

There are also steamed dumplings and buns filled with chicken, cod, shrimp, and more.

There are also a variety of wantons…

…vegetables (like mustard greens), specialties (like Truffle and Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao), noodles, noodle soups, wok options (like fried rice), and even desserts!

Again, it hasn’t yet been announced what the Downtown Disney version of the restaurant will serve, and it’s possible the menu will look somewhat different here or will be more limited.

We will keep an eye out for more updates!

Where Will It Be Located?

Din Tai Fung will open on the west side of Downtown Disney in what Disney has called “a creative space near our new lawn pavilion.”

When Will It Open?

An opening timeline for this restaurant has not been shared yet. Again, the Downtown Disney website only notes that this (and the other spots mentioned in this post) will open in the “years ahead.”

3 — Paseo

Next up, we have two related but still different spots. Disney has announced that 2 NEW Mexican restaurants will arrive in Downtown Disney soon. These will take the place of Catal & Uva Bar (which have already been permanently closed) and will be called Paseo and Centrico.

What is Paseo?

Both Paseo and Centrico will be Mexican spots created by Chef Carlos Gaytan — the first Michelin Star-awarded chef born in Mexico. He currently owns Chicago’s Tzuco restaurant.

The Tzuco website notes that “Gaytán was born in Huitzuco, a small town in Guerrero, Mexico in 1970.” When he was 20 he left for Chicago for a life change, and he started working at a hotel as a dishwasher. Eventually, he worked his way up, worked in restaurants, and then opened Mexique, a French-Mexican restaurant.

From there, he went on to become the first Mexican Chef to receive a Michelin star in 2013 and 2014, and now he seeks to “present the best of Mexico through his own vision, as infused with the French haute cuisine techniques he acquired during his practice.”

Paseo will be more of the “restaurant” side of this journey in Downtown Disney (as opposed to the more bar side — which will be Centrico, based on our understanding). Paseo and Centrico are meant to “offer guests a multi-sensory journey to the heart of Chef Gaytan’s homeland.”

The restaurant will be brought to life by the Patina Restaurant Group (which is involved in MANY restaurants in the Disney parks like Space 220, Morimoto Asia, Enzo’s Hideaway, Tutto Italia, and Via Napoli, to name a few).

What Will It Serve?

According to the Orange County Register, the restaurant side (which is the transformation of Catal essentially) will be an “upscale, gourmet Mexican restaurant.” “Upscale Mexican cuisine and tequila-based cocktails” appear to be some big things on the menu.

Thus far, the menu for the restaurant has NOT been shared, but the menu at Tzuco could serve as an indication of what to expect. There, you’ll find a Happy Hour with snacks like guacamole, pommes frites, and tostadas along with a margarita, Mexican negroni, and more.

In the “Back to My Roots” section Gaytán honors his journey years ago that brought him through various regions in Mexico. It appears this part of the menu changes to highlight different regions.

In the dinner section, you’ll find appetizers (like guacamole, a mushroom cazuela, and ceviche), entrees (like barbacoa lamb, a burger, carne asada, and more), and sides (including corn esquites).

Then there are desserts, dinner cocktails, wines, spirits, and even a brunch menu.

The Paseo restaurant website shows Chef with what appears to be a Tlayudas behind him, so it’s possible that’ll be a feature of the menu. The website describes the restaurant as a “new authentic Mexican restaurant.”

Again, the menu has NOT been revealed for Paseo (or Centrico) in Downtown Disney yet, but we’ll be excited to hear about it when it is released.

Where Will Paseo Be Located?

As mentioned above, Paseo and Centrico are meant to take the place of Catal and Uva Bar. The Downtown Disney Sprinkles Cupcakes location has closed as part of this transformation.

According to the Orange County Register, the Downtown Disney Sprinkles location that is next door to the Catal restaurant and on the courtyard of Uva bar will be used for Paseo and Centrico in the future.

Our understanding is that Paseo will be the more restaurant side while Centrico will be the bar portion of this. The Orange County Register notes, “Construction work on the nearby Disney Home and Wonderground Gallery recently concluded — extending the upcoming Paseo restaurant space across the second floor above the shops.” So it appears the restaurant side could take up much more room.

When Will It Open?

Thus far, an opening date has not been announced, but the Paseo website notes that it is coming in 2024. Considering that construction walls are up and Catal, Uva Bar, and Sprinkles Cupcakes have all already closed, it looks like things are coming along.

4 — Centrico

Much of what was shared above applies to Centrico, but we’ll highlight a few unique things.

What Is Centrico?

Centrico again will be the product of Chef Gaytan’s vision of Mexican cuisine. But our understanding is that Centrico will be more of the bar space — essentially taking up the former home of Uva Bar.

The Centrico Bar website says it will be an “open-air Mexican bar and restaurant.”

What Will It Serve?

According to The Orange County Register, the bar side (which should be the Centrico portion) will have a “new high-end Mexican-inspired small plate menu and bar transformation that puts an emphasis on tequila-based cocktails.”

The photo on the Centrico Bar website shows a pizza in the background, so it’s possible that’ll be featured on the menu.

Where Will It Be Located?

Centrico should mainly take up the space of Uva Bar and perhaps some of the surrounding areas now freed up by the nearby closures.

When Will It Open?

No opening date has been confirmed but the Centrico Bar website notes that the restaurant will be coming in 2024. Progress seems to be coming along given the closures and construction walls.

And that’s what we know about these spots so far! You can bet we’ll be on the lookout for more details and will share those with you. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter so you get ALL the updates sent directly to YOU. And stay tuned for more.

Click here to see our FULL review of the NEW Earl of Sandwich SIT DOWN restaurant in Downtown Disney

Which of these restaurants are you most excited to try? Tell us in the comments.

The post There Are Four NEW Restaurants Coming to Downtown Disney. Here’s What We Know first appeared on the disney food blog.