Disneyland has plenty of great restaurants right inside its gates, but often, these can feel heavy or lacking in real nutrition, especially after multiple days in a row. Unlike Disney World in Florida, Disneyland is designed as a pedestrian resort, which means that you can walk from the parks to the adjacent shopping and dining district in a matter of minutes.
Downtown Disney is in the middle of a big transformation that has introduced several great new restaurants over the past few years, with even more on the way. While there are lots of great restaurants to choose from inside Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, many guests feel a desire to switch it up from the theme park food for a meal or two. Below, we will break down what visitors claim are the best Downtown Disney restaurants according to Yelp, and whether we agree with these reviews based on our own personal experience. Keep reading for all of the details!
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Best Downtown Disney Restaurants According to Yelp
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Over the past few years, Downtown Disney has undergone some significant changes to its dining lineup. Longtime locations have closed to make way for new additions, most of which have been very well received by visitors. While Downtown Disney has a few classics that still have very positive reviews, you may be surprised to learn that the highest-rated restaurants on Yelp are new additions.
If you haven’t been to Downtown Disney in a while, things may look and feel pretty different, but you should definitely take the time to check out some of these additions. I would recommend trying one of the table-service restaurants below for lunch or dinner, maybe on your arrival day or during a meal away from the parks, and saving room for dessert to try one of the standouts below.
For the purposes of the list, we only included restaurants that had over 4.2 stars with more than 100 reviews. That means that some of the newest additions, like Parkside Market, are not included because they don’t yet have that many reviews. We would still recommend checking out that location, as it has some good, quick options for your consideration.
Naples Ristorante e Bar – 4.2 on Yelp
The first restaurant on our list is a longtime Downtown Disney location that has held strong over the years in the eyes of visitors. It originally opened in 2001 with the district, but was renovated and opened with a new menu and interior improvements in 2019.
On Yelp, visitors praise the kind servers and quick, attentive service, availability without a reservation, and generally good quality of food. The reviews are all generally very positive, making this a solid and reliable option. At the time of writing, Naples Ristorante e Bar has 4.2 stars on Yelp with over 8,000 reviews.
Naples Ristorante e Bar offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its breakfast menu offers a generous selection of favorites like French toast and avocado toast, breakfast burritos, and more. For lunch and dinner, the restaurant features a selection of Italian dishes including house-made pastas and thin-crust, wood-fired pizzas. The location has a huge menu, especially when it comes to its pizzas, which are sure to go over well with kids and picky eaters, as well as a generous selection of alcoholic beverages for adults.
We agree that this is a good option in Downtown Disney, especially if you have a big group or kids in your party, and it’s one of our go-to favorites. Plus, there are often special offerings at this location, like cocktail classes, seasonal experiences like Pumpkins and Pancakes during the fall and Breakfast With Santa in December, and more.
Céntrico – 4.5 on Yelp
Right from the time it debuted in 2024, Céntrico was one of our favorite recent additions to Downtown Disney. This open-air Mexican restaurant and bar, from Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán, serves Mexican cuisine in a charming setting right in the heart of Downtown Disney. It replaced what was formerly Uva Bar & Cafe.
On Yelp, visitors praise the wait staff, ambiance, and great quality of food and drinks. They express that this location is great whether you’re looking for a full meal, a drink, or a break from the parks in the middle or end of the day. At the time of writing, Centrico currently has 4.5 stars on Yelp with over 2,000 reviews.
We agree with the reviews that the atmosphere really makes this location shine. The setup is meant to evoke the feeling of a Mexican hacienda, and it’s a lovely place to soak in the perfect Southern California weather. The location feels casual but still elevated. On the menu, we love the Guacamole and the Fish Tacos. I’ve come back here for the Fish Tacos more than once, and they always deliver. We agree with the Yelp reviews for this one! You can see our full review of Centrico here.
Paseo – 4.5 on Yelp
Alongside Centrico, another major dining location by Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán opened in 2024. Paseo is the upscale restaurant, serving authentic Mexican dishes, that replaced Catal.
On Yelp, visitors had extremely high praise for the quality of food and drinks, beautiful interior and ambiance, and view of the fireworks from the upper patio. At the time of writing, Paseo has 4.5 stars on Yelp with over 1,000 reviews.
The restaurant’s interior stands out with rich woods, tiles, textures, leathers, and custom accents celebrating Mexico’s craftsmanship culture. Some of the popular items here include ceviches, Mama’s cochinita pibil (roasted marinated pork), lamb barbacoa, and the mejillones (mussels).
We have dined here a couple of times and actually do not give the restaurant as glowing reviews as visitors on Yelp do. While the location had fresh ingredients, the elements didn’t quite come together in the way we hoped for. We felt some of the dishes were too salty and the flavors didn’t work harmoniously. This was not quite what we anticipated for an upscale restaurant, especially when you compare it to the outdoor restaurant right next door, which we think outshines this. You can see our full review of Paseo here.
Din Tai Fung – 4.5 on Yelp
Din Tai Fung is a world-renowned Taiwanese restaurant, famous for its soup dumplings and noodles, that recently opened its first-ever standalone restaurant in Downtown Disney in 2024. This location became immediately popular upon its opening and has earned rave reviews from visitors.
On Yelp, visitors praise the friendly service and excellent food, with a variety of great options on the menu. Some reviews mention that wait times can sometimes be a bit long as this location is extremely popular, but the reviews are, on the whole, overwhelmingly positive. At the time of writing, Din Tai Fung has 4.5 stars on Yelp with over 3,000 reviews.
Din Tai Fung offers a huge menu of offerings with something for everyone, from dumplings and spicy wontons to wok-fired vegetables, fried rice, noodle dishes, cocktails, and more. We have never really had a meal at Din Tai Fung that hasn’t been completely delicious and satisfying.
Personally, I was thrilled when this location opened at Downtown Disney, so I agree wholeheartedly with the Yelp reviews. There is no doubt that this restaurant is on the pricier side, but it is definitely a refreshing change of pace from the theme park food. We’ve also had good luck getting into bar seating with a minimal wait.
Salt & Straw – 4.5 on Yelp
Moving on to desserts, there are a couple of different shops in Downtown Disney with very high ratings on Yelp. One of them is Salt and Straw, the area’s unique ice cream shop. Salt & Straw offers craft-made flavours that are made with fresh local ingredients in collaboration with artisans, chefs, and farmers.
On Yelp, visitors praise the unique seasonal flavors, efficient and welcoming staff, and quality of the ice cream. Reviewers do mention that the location has long lines and high prices, but the reviews are still very much positive across the board. At the time of writing, Salt & Straw has 4.5 stars on Yelp with over 1,000 reviews.
In addition to its mainstay menu, which has unique takes on classic flavors like “Sea Salt With Caramel Ribbons,” “Double Fold Vanilla,” and “Chocolate Gooey Brownie,” Salt & Straw has a rotating monthly menu with different seasonal series, like cereals, florals, holiday flavors, vegan flavors, etc. We wholeheartedly agree with the Yelp reviews for this location and think that this is a must-try if you have saved room for dessert or are hopping out of the parks for a treat.
Kayla’s Cake – 4.7 on Yelp
Kayla’s Cake takes the prize for the highest-rated food spot in Downtown Disney! The location serves premium French macarons and cakes-in-a-jar, as well as seasonal offerings.
On Yelp, visitors praise the flavor and texture of the macarons made from scratch, the wide selection of flavors, and the cute presentation. At the time of writing, Salt & Straw has 4.7 stars on Yelp with over 400 reviews.
The nice part about this location is how easy it is to walk up and get one of these high-quality treats. The stand is located right near the west entrance of Downtown Disney near the parks, so it’s easy to pop out and grab one of these without walking super far. It’s also a convenient option if you’d like to take some treats to-go!
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