Disney World restaurants can stand out for a lot of different reasons: excellent food, fun theming, quintessential Disney vibes, and a unique atmosphere. But when a restaurant comes with a gorgeous VIEW, we could probably stay there for hours.

That was one of our first thoughts when we stopped by Dahlia Lounge at the top of Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

Atmosphere

Dahlia Lounge is located at the tippy-top of Gran Destino Tower, with breathtaking views of Disney World.

It’s only open in the evening hours, making it a great late-night option after your day in the parks.

It was an overcast day when we visited and we were still blown away by the views! It’s located right next door to the full-service Toledo — Tapas, Steak, & Seafood restaurant, which also offers great views.

There’s a lot to take in here. There are so many colors, shapes, and textures to admire throughout the space.

Throughout the lounge, you’ll notice a flair of Spanish Modernism in its interior design, which includes coffered ceilings and dandelion chandeliers. You might forget you’re in Disney World!

There is seating both indoors and outdoors as well.

Dahlia Lounge is currently only open in the evenings, which is probably the best time to go anyway — time your visit right and you’ll have great seats for the surrounding fireworks!

You can also take in all of the other sights once it gets dark, even if you don’t happen to see any fireworks when you’re there.

When we sat down, we were given a QR code to scan to view the menu.

So your view will be top-notch, but what about the food? Let’s see what Dahlia Lounge offers!

Menu

If you go to Dahlia Lounge, you’ll be ordering off of their Tapas menu — the only selections of food at this location. Selections include items like Chicken Wings, a Spanish Charcuterie, and Shrimp Pil Pil.

The rest of the menu is just drinks! If you’re looking for their “top-shelf” selections, you’ll be ordering from Treasures from Spain & California, which offers select wine samplings in 1-, 3-, or 5-oz pours.

Guests of all ages can enjoy a trip to Dahlia Lounge because they offer a variety of non-alcoholic beverages. Coffee fans should be pleased with the press pot coffee served here — for one or two guests.

There are also a couple of Zero-Proof Cocktails you can enjoy, or you can try Dahlia Lounge’s Hot Beverages with Alcohol.

They also serve Specialty Cocktails, including a Tequila Daisy, La Lavanda Gin Tonic, and Vino Daiquiri.

If you prefer wine, you can choose from Sparkling or White Wines…

…as well as Rose or Red Wines.

Dahlia Lounge also serves a selection of Sherry.

If you prefer beer, it’s available in bottles, cans, as well as draft.

WHEW! That’s some drink menu, no? Finally time to make our selections!

Food

For our beverage, we chose the Tequila Daisy for $14, which is a mixture of Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Torres Magdala Naranjas del Mediterráneo (an orange liqueur made with brandy), Grapefruit, Lime, Hibiscus, and Soda Water. We really enjoyed this drink on our last visit to Toledo, so we wanted to try it again in the lounge! This is kind of an upscale take on a margarita.

This is definitely on the lighter side if you’re looking for something that won’t bog you down! It wasn’t too strong but it was very flavorful. Our reporter isn’t a fan of grapefruit and still enjoyed the combination of flavors this cocktail had to offer. It’s also perfect for your Instagram feed, if that’s an important piece of criteria when selecting your beverage — the pink color of the drink had a nice ombré effect (be sure to give it a good stir before sipping!).

For food, we ordered a trio of items: the Ham and Cheese Bocadillo for $14, the Artisanal Cheese Board for $15, and the Croquettes for $10. First up was the Ham and Cheese Bocadillo, which comes served with Jamon Serrano, Manchego Cheese, Roasted Garlic Aïoli, and Honey on a Toasted Baguette. (Doesn’t that sound like a “Greatest Hits” album of Spanish foods?)

Overall we thought this was good, but a little dry and not nearly enough cheese (we’ll never say no to more cheese)! The Spanish ham has much more of a prosciutto flavor and is shaved thin the same way. (Basically, don’t expect spiral cut Honey Baked Ham type meat here!) The ham was incredibly flavorful, as was the cheese (we just wanted, you know, MORE of it!). The ham totally overpowered the flavor of what little cheese was there!

The bread was lightly toasted, but could have used a bit more color to it overall. Each bite was pretty bread-heavy. Great for carb lovers, but it did result in a slightly unbalanced sandwich. If you want to taste this higher-end ham in a more approachable way, you can’t go wrong with a thick sandwich you can chomp down on. This was good but, honestly, compared to the other foods on the menu, a bit forgettable.

Next was the Artisanal Cheese Board! It comes with Orange Blossom Honey, Quince Paste, Marcona Almonds, and Spanish Torta.

All of the ingredients on their own were fine, but the real magic happens when you combine them together. The cheese on this board was delicious! The focus here is various ages of Manchego cheese. While there was nothing terribly special about them when you ate them alone, when paired with other items they worked so, so well. The crispy flatbread had a sweet flavor to it and balanced really well with that manchego cheese. We especially liked the hearty serving of Marcona almonds (sometimes known as the “Queen of Almonds” for their sweet flavor). This plate is a good one for someone a bit shy about trying loads of new cheeses. Manchego is fairly approachable for everyone and all the goodies on the plate make it easy to get a feel for what combos your taste buds prefer.

Finally, we tried the Croquettes, which was served with a Jalapeño-Cilantro Pistou. Croquettes are Spanish food in one of its most simple and practical forms. Typically made with an extra thick bechamel sauce (basically white gravy!) and often hunks of meat, they’re fried and the result is a creamy, crispy sort of fritter of goodness.

The croquettes had a nice crispy outside and a soft inside that almost tasted like mashed potatoes but with much more flavor. There were bits of spinach and what seemed to be more of that ham dotting the croquettes as well (ham is a very common croquette filling, so it would make sense!). On their own, we could have used a little more salt, but when dipped in the Jalapeño-Cilantro Pistou it was perfect!

Pistou is similar to a pesto but made here with jalapeño and cilantro. You can take a wild guess if cilantro-haters will enjoy the dipping sauce — gonna go likely no on that one. Our reporter doesn’t mind cilantro, so she enjoyed it!

We didn’t find the sauce to be too spicy, so don’t let the jalapeño in the name scare you away! Fans of spicy food, however, maybe a bit disappointed in the lack of heat.

A couple of goodies in our belly later, we were ready to call it a night at Dahlia Lounge.

Nosh or Not?

Ride the elevator up to Dahlia Lounge if…

• You want some of the best views in all of Disney World!
• You’re staying at Coronado Springs and you want to wind down after a long day in the parks.
• You want to try unique cocktails and food items you won’t find anywhere else in Disney World.

Seek another option if…

• You have a big appetite and you’re looking for a full-service meal. You’ll only find small plates here, and the portions are on the smaller side! Consider snagging a table at Toledo next door for a sit-down, full meal version of this same sort of food.
• You’re limited on time and don’t want to make the trek to Coronado Springs. Coronado Springs isn’t the easiest resort to get to!
• You aren’t a fan of Spanish-inspired cuisine.

Overall

Dahlia Lounge is a very chill spot in Disney World, especially when you consider that Coronado Springs Resort doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic from visiting guests the way some of the other Disney resorts do. Coronado Springs is a convention resort, so it may get more crowded and in demand if a convention is going on. When we went, however, it was nice and quiet!

While this is a lounge, we think most guests would enjoy a visit here. On our visit, we noticed all sorts of guests, from couples on dates to families with small kids. The food offers something unique and different than your typical Disney World chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers without being too off-putting. If you’re staying at Coronado Springs, definitely stop by one evening (or multiple!), and if you’re looking for an evening off from the parks, it may be worth a bus ride over. Compared to other Disney World lounges, we think this one is still quite unique. The atmosphere is beautiful, the food is unique and true to its roots, and the drinks aren’t your average Disney bar menu drinks. You can find truly unique eats and drinks here which, for us, is a huge plus.

Like we said, this spot is definitely still in “hidden gem” territory — unless you’re staying at Coronado Springs, chances are it’s not on your radar! But that’s part of what we found appealing! It’s like a little secret retreat that’s warm, inviting, and has pretty solid drinks and small bites to match. If you need a hot minute to not be swimming in a sea of Mickey Mouse and magic and castles and princesses, this is the spot. It’s chill without being overly in your face that you’re in Disney World. If you lean back and sit for a while, you might think you’re at a posh lounge in L.A. or maybe even Spain! It is important to point out that as of this writing, perks such as Annual Passholder discounts or Cast Member discounts are currently not being accepted at Dahlia Lounge. Keep that in mind when choosing where to dine!

That’s a wrap from Dahlia Lounge! Be sure to follow along for more restaurant reviews from across Disney World.

Click here to read our review of one of Disney World’s newest lounges!

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Have you ever visited Dahlia Lounge? Let us know in the comments!

The post Review: Need a Break From All the “Disneyness” of Disney World? Go Here. first appeared on the disney food blog.