Dining Review: Brunch and Dinner at the Lamplight Lounge on Pixar Pier in California Adventure
You will see the Lamplight Lounge on your right as you enter Pixar Pier.
Join us for dinner as we enjoy the designed Lamplight Lounge on Pixar Pier in California Adventure.
Although this space isn't entirely new, it was once the Cove Bar and Ariel's Grotto, it has been entirely redone into a fresh Pixar theme. Disney describes the theme of the Lamplight Lounge as:
Renovated from an old warehouse factory, this eclectic eatery boasts cool architectural elements like concrete and exposed brick walls that reveal its storied past—all while creating an airy, bright and organic-yet-sophisticated ambiance. Guests will be excited to see a trove of Pixar treasures sprinkled into the California casual décor, including concept art, napkin sketches, knick-knacks, collectible toys and other mementos “left behind” by the filmmakers.
Disney did not disappoint with their goal of bringing Pixar treasures into a bright and sophisticated warehouse factory setting. Come see for yourself!
We consider Lamplight Lounge to be the best table service in Disney California Adventure—you can see why we love this location and our other top picks in our guide to the best Disney California Adventure restaurants.
Discount Disneyland Tickets
Our favorite Disney-approved re-seller, Get Away Today,offers the best Disneyland discount tickets around. In addition to great discount prices, their customer service and easy support is absolutely fantastic. They have an entire department dedicated to making sure every order has a wonderful experience and they are on-call to help you during your vacation if you need them.
Get your discount Disneyland tickets here through our exclusive link!
Buying tickets from Get Away Today is easy and convenient since all their tickets are sent electronically. You can take their vouchers and head straight to the gate without needing to wait in any ticket booth lines. They also offer layaway plans so you can pay off your vacation over time.
You can read our editor's review on her personal experiences booking through Get Away Today and how much you can save here!
The Artistic Atmosphere
Let's start with the atmosphere and decor of this beautiful restaurant. The renovation has been a clear Disney success with touches of Pixar appearing everywhere from the entrance to the bathrooms to the floors. Come take a walk with us as we explore these hidden touches.
Right when you walk in you will see artistic touches decorating all of the walls by the check-in podium.
Such beautiful decor all throughout this restaurant.
Take your time admiring the artwork while you wait to check in- it's breathtaking.
Look down on the floor as you walk in to see the famous Luxor Jr. and the Luxo Ball featured in the tile.
To the right of the check in desk, you will see stairs that take you downstairs to the lounge which offers the full restaurant menu.
Look up to see the beautiful Pixar sketch chandelier.
The wall behind the check-in desk for the downstairs lounge.
The t-shirt wall adorned with Pixar themed t-shirts.
Make sure you take the time to use the restroom while you're there… We all know Disney's restrooms have a tendency to be beautifully decorated and this one is no exception!
Find this cool wall (perhaps a new Instagram wall in the making?) at the end of the hallway by the restrooms.
The walk to the restrooms features these walls with Pixar quotes.
Each brick wall in the downstairs lounge features finished artwork (such as posters) and original sketch replicas.
These lamps are featured throughout the restaurant.
Even the chairs have Pixar touches.
We were seated by the Coco wall for dinner.
So many details!
I love this wall.
Up fans will enjoy this decor.
The bathrooms are to the right of this staircase.
Lamplight Lounge Basics
The Lamplight Lounge features two areas for varying appetites: the upstairs lounge and the downstairs lounge. Both areas feature outdoor and indoor dining options. The outdoor dining areas are equipped with fans to help keep guests cool on hotter days.
The upstairs lounge features appetizers and drinks such as shareable appetizers including (the notorious) lobster nachos. This area is for lighter appetites as there is no full menu or desert served here.
The downstairs lounge features the full menu including entrées, appetizers, kids meals, and a full drink menu. You can also find their dessert option here- fluffy donuts served with dipping sauces.
I highly recommend making a reservation in advance. Each time we have passed the Lamplight Lounge, there has been a long line waiting for availability. They do take walk-ins but it's likely there will be more space for their upstairs lounge than the downstairs. To ensure your spot, book a reservation. You can book up to 60 days in advance.
To book online, use the Check Availability tool to reserve a table for your specified date. You may also call (714) 781-DINE or (714) 781-3463 between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM daily (Pacific Time)
You can enjoy brunch from 9:15AM-1:30PM, lunch from 2:30PM- 3:55PM, and dinner from 4-8PM. You may want to look at the different menus on the Disneyland website prior to your visit to decide which menu option you prefer.
Lamplight Lounge Brunch Review
The view from our table on the bottom patio.
Lamplight Lounge recently added brunch to their menu options and we enjoyed this new experience on our visit this summer to California Adventure! Here is their menu for brunch:
The brunch menu- no, you can't order anything that's not on this menu. So if you have your heart set on lobster nachos- better come after brunch is over at 130.
We were seated on the downstairs patio with a fantastic view of the ferris wheel and Pixar Pier. It was pleasant down here even though it was a hot day there was a nice breeze going through the restaurant.
We loved this view!
You will get a choice of the brunch specific drinks offered on the brunch menu but they also give you their regular drink menu to accompany it so you still have all those regular choices too.
The Infinity Fizz mocktail. It bubbles and fizzes as you drink it.
Cinnamon Toast Cocktail- it was delicious!
The Cinnamon Toast Cocktail was my favorite out of all the drinks I've enjoyed at the Lamplight Lounge. It was delicious, not too strong but not too weak, and fit perfect for brunch. I'd highly recommend it.
Next it was time for our food and as always, the presentation was perfect.
Lamplight Chilaquiles
Brunch Burger
Mini Brunch Burger- Kids Meal
Indulgent French Toast
Indulgent French Toast- Kids Meal
The food was absolutely delicious. I loved the Indulgent French Toast! The kids meals did feel a little small, at least for my growing nine year old, so in the future I would just order him the adult portion of it.
Pay attention to your cute coasters! I always keep these to take home.
Overall, the brunch option is amazing and I highly recommend it for your visit. It offers a nice variety to the typical offerings for lunch and dinner and the brunch themed cocktails are perfect. If you've dined at the Lamplight Lounge before, you will definitely enjoy the brunch options as the food is as high quality as what you'd expect after enjoying lunch or dinner. If it's your first time dining at the Lamplight Lounge, I would recommend considering coming for lunch or dinner if only to try their famous Lobster Nachos and the food items that are a staple at this restaurant.
Lamplight Lounge Dinner Review
The drink menu is an entire book!
To see the full menu options for the Lamplight Lounge, check out Disney's website here.
The food menu itself is a piece of art with beautiful sketches throughout each page. We spent a considerable amount of time admiring the sketches before ordering!
The full food menu.
I ordered the Potato Skins and they were HEAVENLY.
Potato Skins
My son ordered the PB&J Roll which he enjoyed. That's high praise from one of the pickiest eaters on the planet.
PB&J Roll
We also decided to order the donuts for dessert. These were absolutely delicious. Make room for dessert, I'd come back for these alone.
Donuts served with chocolate dipping sauce and strawberry sauce with Pop Rocks!
The drink menu is fantastic. There's a large variety of mocktails, cocktails, and draft beers. Most of the cocktails and mocktails have Pixar themes. To see their entire list of drinks check out their online menu.
Cocktail options.
More cocktail options!
My son got the Infinity Fizz with the Pixar Lamp and Ball Straw.
There is dry ice in the bottom of the drink- separated by the plastic-that makes the drink fizz and the cherries dance.
Here is more artwork from the drink menu that I found picture worthy.
I could stare at this menu all day. I might have done just that.
You will find artwork every other page alternating with the drink menu.
The coasters are cute and feature a variety of sketches on each side.
Final Thoughts- Dinner Review
Overall, I adored the Lamplight Lounge. If you enjoy cocktails and love upscale pub food, this is a great place to dine. And if you're a Pixar fan, this is an absolute MUST. We spent so much time enjoying the artwork and finding hidden Pixar elements everywhere we looked. It was such a bright and happy atmosphere.
The food was delicious and reasonably priced for the portions you got. I ordered an appetizer (the Potato Skins) and I felt reasonably full afterwards. But with still room for donuts! Which are a MUST. Get. the. donuts.
The only downside from the menu that I saw was being a vegetarian, I didn't have too many options other than a salad, potato skins, or the deviled egg toast. I loved the potato skins so that was fine but I could see vegans having a hard time here. It'd be great if they eventually added a veggie burger- I was surprised not to see one.
The mocktails were cute and reasonably priced. I did end up ordering my son a second drink because he finished his mocktail in five minutes flat. So depending on the kid I wouldn't expect their drink to last all through dinner. The Pixar Ball & Straw was a cute souvenir. The Pixar Ball comes off as a key chain.
I didn't try a cocktail (I know, I'm so boring) but next time I will. It was hot and I was feeling dehydrated when we were there so I stuck to the super healthy/hydrating choice of Diet Coke. Let us know in the comments what you think of their cocktails! We saw many pass by our table and they looked delicious.
The service was outstanding but that is often my experience at most table service Disney restaurants. They didn't rush you through dinner and the waiter had excellent recommendations.
Overall, I'd give the Lamplight Lounge five stars. Even if you stop in for just a drink, make the time to do so! The atmosphere alone is worth it.
Ready to Visit the Lamplight Lounge?
There is always a lot of information to consider before planning an Disneyland vacation. Make sure to spend time planning your days in the theme parks and become familiar with everything Disneyland has to offer. Don’t forget to subscribe to our FREE Deals Newsletter to stay on top of the current planning tips, strategies, and deals.
You can discover more about planning your trip to Disneyland from these links:
- California Adventure Touring Strategy: Guide to Maximize Your Mornings
- Disneyland Morning Touring Strategy: Guide to Maximize Your Mornings
- How to Plan Your Disneyland Trip
- Disneyland in the Summer
- 40+ Places to Find Cheap Food in Disneyland
Disclosure: We have used all the products recommended on Mickey Visit. We may receive compensation when you click on links to some products featured.
Thank you for commenting on the vegetarian limitations. I have been debating this as an option based on the limitations. It’s nice to read comments in regards to this. Super helpful!
Glad to be of help! I loved the potato skins!
The lobster nachos have a vegetarian and vegan option and you can also get chicken or steak instead of the lobster. Delicious!! We got to watch world of color from our seats on the patio after dinner.
I will have to try the vegetarian option next time! Thanks for reading.
I prefer Docking Bay 7 as they are vegetarian and vegan friendly and you can sit while enjoying your meal. Lamplight Lounge is great and I love the off menu vegan burger!