Dining Review: Brunch and Dinner at the Lamplight Lounge on Pixar Pier in California Adventure

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.

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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:

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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!

I ordered the Potato Skins and they were HEAVENLY.

My son ordered the PB&J Roll which he enjoyed. That's high praise from one of the pickiest eaters on the planet.

We also decided to order the donuts for dessert. These were absolutely delicious. Make room for dessert, I'd come back for these alone.

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. 

 

Here is more artwork from the drink menu that I found picture worthy.

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?

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• California Adventure Touring Strategy: Guide to Maximize Your Mornings
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• How to Plan Your Disneyland Trip
• Disneyland in the Summer
• 40+ Places to Find Cheap Food in Disneyland