We Ate a $450 Meal at a Hotel Restaurant in Disney World — And We Have THOUGHTS

While there are so many restaurants to choose from on your Disney vacation, finding the right one can be difficult.

You might be looking for something that has fun theming for the family. You might be looking to dine with characters or eat at a buffet. Maybe you already have your favorite restaurant that you visit every Disney trip. Today, we want to tell you about one of the fine dining restaurants on Disney property that you probably have never tried.

Background

Bull & Bear restaurant can be found at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel located on Disney World property. The Waldorf Astoria can be found in the Bonnet Creek section of Disney World. Though it is located within Disney World, it is owned and operated by Hilton.

This restaurant is modeled after the original Bull & Bear Restaurant in New York City. The restaurant recently underwent some renovations and now has an updated interior and some new menu items.

Atmosphere

When you walk into the restaurant, you’ll check in with the host and soon will be escorted to your table. The dark, moody interior of dark greens and brown will set the tone for an elegant meal.

The tables are all well spaced so it allows for more privacy. The chairs are comfortable and large, allowing you to relax for your meal.

The restaurant is surrounded by large windows giving you a gorgeous view of the pool and night sky. Depending on your reservation time and view, you might be able to catch a glimpse of fireworks from EPCOT.

Food & Drinks

To start off our evening, we were given a tablet with a list of cocktails and an extensive wine list to scroll through.

We were able to try a mocktail. Though it is not named, the servers told us they enjoy creating different mocktails for guests with different flavors. Ours had lime and pomegranate juices and was topped with beautiful edible flowers.

Next, we ordered the margarita. Now, we appreciate a good margarita and this one was unique. It comes with a chili pepper on the side that you can use to flavor the rim of your glass.

If that wasn’t enough spice, the drink is topped with chili oil, giving this margarita a lot of flavor and heat.

To begin, we were given four bread options to choose from. We started with the sourdough topped with poppy and sesame seeds and a fig & rye piece. While both of these were good, the real show-stoppers were next…

The brioche is topped with butter and rosemary. We’re still dreaming of this one. It was thick, sweet, and set our expectations high for the dinner. We also tried the parmesan focaccia, which was moist and buttery.

The chef then sent out an amuse-bouche which was the Pasta Explosion. This light bit is Pata Negra de Bellota with Parmigiano Reggiano for $23. The pasta explosion is meant to be consumed in one bite. Our servers suggested it sit on the roof of our mouth to dissolve. It was creamy and cheese.

For our first starter, we ordered the Florida Fresh Corn Chowder. The corn comes fresh from a farm in Jacksonville and in the middle of the soup, you’ll find a Truffle & Robiola Sandwich — think a miniature grilled cheese.  We’re not exaggerating when we say that this is one of the BEST soups we’ve tried. It was thick, sweet, and creamy.

Next, we ordered The Tomato for $24. This consisted of Confit Heirloom Cherry Tomato, Burrata Mozzarella, Pumpernickel, Arugula, White Balsamic Caviar, and Basil Foam.

From the outside, it looks like a juicy tomato, however once cut, you see that it is burrata. The outside of the burrata is actually covered in a gelatin-like coating that tastes like tomato. This was such a fun twist on a normal tomato salad. It was sweet, light, and refreshing. The basil foam was our favorite part.

Our final starter, which was recommended to us by the server, was the Wagyu Carpaccio. This $24 dish is Shaved Truffles, 18 Month Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, and Pushed Egg Yolk. While the dish does not come with the Bull & Bear Frites ($18), servers highly recommend ordering them together to balance out the dish.

The servers recommend wrapping the wagyu around the frites and dipping them in a combination of Truffle Red Wine Sauce and Peppercorn Sauce. The warmness of the frites with the chilled carpaccio made for a light bite. Paired with the sauce, they were tangy and very flavorful.

Now it was time for entrees, and there were so many on the menu to choose from. However, we decided on the Bull and Bear Carving Board. While this comes with a $300 price, you get a LOT of food for it. It comes with Tomahawk Steak, Fried Chicken, Maine Lobster Tail, and a Choice of Two Sides.

First, the presentation is phenomenal. The board comes with a beef fat candle that they use to pour over your steak. It also comes with gravy for the mashed potatoes.

The Tomahawk Steak is a 38oz Allen Brothers Prime that has been dry-aged for 32 Days. It’s massive and great for sharing. If you want the steak cooked at different temperatures, they will bring a skillet to the table to do that for you. The meat was well seasoned and melted when cut.

The Maine Lobster Tail was a large lobster tail. It was buttery and fresh. It was tender and flavorful. The perfect addition to any steak and it comes with clarified butter to pour over it.

Bull and Bear is known for their fried chicken. This had to be one of the most tender pieces of chicken we’ve ever cut into. It cut like butter and was thick and juicy. It is served on top of Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.

For our first side choice, we ordered the asparagus. The spears were flavorful and sauteed well. They were flavored in oil olive and pepper and were a nice, lighter addition to our meal.

The other side dish we chose was Applewood Smoked Bacon Mac & Cheese. This mac and cheese is baked and is very flavorful. We loved that the breadcrumbs were on top to add texture.

Believe it or not, it was time for dessert. There were so many things that looked delicious so the decision was hard.

Ultimately, we decided on the La Fraise for $25. This dessert is a Strawberry Shortcake, with Strawberry Sauce and Liquid Nitrogen Strawberry Ice Cream Prepared Tableside. The strawberry ice cream was indeed prepared tableside by our server. This was such a memorable way to enjoy dessert.

This was incredible and our favorite part of the meal. The ice cream was light and tasted very fresh. The shortcake was fluffy and moist. While strawberry shortcake is a very normal dessert, the presentation of this is what blew us away. This was the perfect way to end our meal.

Should You Go?

So, you want to know if you should go to Bull and Bear. If you are looking for a unique dining experience on Disney property and a meal you won’t forget, this is a great place for you. All of the food was delicious, and we would eat here again. If you are looking for a romantic meal that is upscale near Disney, this restaurant could be perfect.

Of course, the price point is high. This would likely be a meal you planned for and saved for. If you are on vacation with your family or young children, you might want to skip.

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What is your favorite restaurant to eat at near Disney World? Let us know below. 

Disclosure: We were invited by the Waldorf Astoria dine at Bull & Bear. This did not affect our reporting of the event — our opinions are our own.

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