Downtown Disney Expansion Guide- Over Nine NEW Dining Locations Coming Soon!

Downtown Disney has been in the process of a transformation as old restaurants have been replaced by new and more diverse dining opportunities. There are more than seven NEW dining locations in the works at Downtown Disney including a new, permanent location for Earl of Sandwich.

Downtown Disney's expansion and refurbishment have led to the closures of old restaurants (Tortilla Jo's, Catal Restaurant, Uva Bar) and these new, diverse dining options will replace the prior locations. The new changes to Downtown Disney also include a stronger emphasis on open air, outdoor dining, live music, and new art sculptures.

We visit Downtown Disney weekly and will be sharing all updates to this new expansion and new dining locations. Keep reading for the full overview of all the Downtown Disney expansion changes!

NEW Downtown Disney Dining

Downtown Disney is going through a complete overhaul when it comes to its dining selections. Past restaurants have closed to make room for new dining like Catal Restaurant, Uva Bar, Tortilla Jo's, and La Brea Bakery. These restaurants have all closed permanently and are being replaced with more diverse and trendy options likely to be popular with guests and locals.

Here is the full list of all NEW dining coming soon:

• Parkside Market- Quick Service, marketplace style
  • Seoul Sister
  • Sip & Sonder
  • GG's Chicken Shop
  • Second Story Bar called Vista PArksi
• Portos Bakery- quick service Bakery and Café, and sit-down table service and a full bar
• Earl of Sandwich- new two-story location (quick service first floor, table service second floor)
• Steakhouse and barbecue eatery (table service and quick service respectively)

Here is the list of recently added dining experiences in Downtown Disney:

• Paseo – Table Service
  • Céntrico- Courtyard Bar and Lounge
  • Tiendita – Quick Service Option
• Din Tai Fung- Table Service

There will also be some new shopping locations coming to Downtown Disney! You can read more about these in our article on new shops coming to Downtown Disney.

• Avengers Reserve
• D-Lander Shop
• Marceline's Confectionary reimagined into “Disney Wonderful World of Sweets”

Let's break down all of these new dining options including where these locations will be located.

When Does the New Downtown Disney Dining Open?

Din Tai Fung, as well as the three new Mexican restaurants Paseo, Céntrico, and Tiendita, are now open. No official opening date has been announced yet for Parkside Market, Porto's Bakery, or the new steakhouse and adjacent barbecue eatery.

Earl of Sandwich will receive a new two-story dining location, and this opening date is also likely far off on the horizon. As for Porto's Bakery, Earl of Sandwich has been moved to its new popup location near Star Wars Trading Post and construction will begin in 2025 to renovate the prior La Brea Bakery location to this new popular bakery (opening in 2025). Disney recently shared that Parkside Market will be opening this winter.

The steakhouse and barbecue eatery from Michelin-starred Chef Joe Isidori will be coming to the former Tortilla Jo's space. There has not yet been an opening timeline announced for these new restaurants.

Where Is The New Downtown Disney Dining Located?

Based on updates revealed by Disney, here is our map of where these new dining locations will be built in Downtown Disney.

All of the above locations are confirmed except for the new two-story Earl of Sandwich. Parkside Market, Porto's Bakery, and the steakhouse and barbecue eatery are all still in progress. Earl of Sandwich will be temporarily located as a pop-up near Star Wars: Trading Post until it receives its new two-story dining location.

New Steakhouse and Barbecue Eatery

There are two new restaurant concepts in the works from Michelin-starred Chef Joe Isidori coming to the former Tortilla Jo's footprint. A new full-service steakhouse called Arthur & Sons Steak and Bourbon will offer a menu of prime cuts of beef, chops, fresh seafood, sandwiches, and chopped salads, as well as a selection of cocktails, in a space with a “warm and sophisticated ambiance.”

Adjacent to this restaurant will be a new quick-service location called Pearl's Roadside BBQ that will offer traditional barbecue dishes including pulled pork, beef brisket, and smoked wings with “unique spices and house-made sauces.” This location will also have an outdoor bar with a selection of craft beers and moonshine cocktails.

Parkside Market- Four New Dining Locations

Parkside Market will feature a collection of diverse dining options brought to life by Levy. Levy Foods also manages restaurants in Walt Disney World including Paddlefish and Terralina Crafted Italian. This isn't completely surprising as many restaurants in Downtown Disney are managed by third parties.

The Parkside Market will include four different offerings under one roof in part of the expansion on the west end of Downtown Disney. These new offerings include Seoul Sister, Sip & Sonder, GG's Chicken Shop, and a second-story bar.

Let's break down the four different offerings that will be available at Parkside Market!

Seoul Sister

Seoul Sister is a fast-casual modern eatery with a Korean-inspired menu based on bibimbap (Korean rice bowls) with a Californian twist. The Chef, Kelly Kim, will showcase bold Korean flavors through marinated meats, colorful vegetables, and savory sauces over rice, noodles, or salad. There will also be an Asian-inspired breakfast menu and hand-crafted drinks. It's great to see another breakfast offering added to Downtown Disney!

Sip & Sonder

Sip & Sonder is a Black women-owned brand founded by Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas and has been recognized as one of the best cafés in L.A. by the Los Angeles Times. This new café will feature Sip & Sonder’s signature lattes plus fresh treats, frozen drinks, and Caribbean-inspired bites.

GG’s Chicken Shop

GG’s Chicken Shop, from Boka Restaurant Group, was founded by James Beard Award-winning restaurateurs Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm, alongside Michelin Star Chef Partner Lee Wolen. This location will serve a family-friendly menu of chicken sandwiches, salads, and classic dinner table sides. This will be the first location on the West Coast, the first GG's Chicken Shop opened earlier this year in Chicago.

Second Story Bar

Parkside Market will also feature a second-story bar that will be an “al fresco spot” offering great views to sip craft cocktails and mocktails with local ingredients that will pair with Parkside Market menus with full service to your table. Selections will include frozen lemonades, frozés, espresso martinis, shareable cocktails, and spirit-free elixirs.

Earl of Sandwich NEW Location

Earl of Sandwich is receiving its own brand new, two-story location in Downtown Disney with a quick-service Earl of Sandwich on the ground level and a table-service gastropub upstairs. This is such exciting news since Earl of Sandwich is such a popular dining option in Downtown Disney!

The Carnaby Tavern will have a design paying “homage to the swinging ‘60s “British Invasion” pop and rock bands from the U.K.” This new location will have a patio with an indoor/outdoor full-service bar.

In the meantime, guests can soon find a new Earl of Sandwich pop-up located near Star Wars Trading Post as it relocates from its current location to make room for the new Porto's Bakery, which will be opening in 2025.

Paseo and Céntrico- NEW Mexican Dining Option

Now open, Paseo and Céntrico have replaced the previous Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar.

This dining location has also received its own quick-service option called Tiendita. Tiendita joins the new Paseo and Céntrico with menus created by Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán. Paseo is the upstairs dining room and the first floor is the location of the new Céntrico courtyard bar and restaurant.

The menu is inspired from traditional Mexican flavors while also offering a modern take on classic dishes. Highlights include esquites, a beloved street food made with roasted corn, and tacos al pastor, which includes thin slices of flavorful pork, pineapple juices and is topped with roasted onions, cilantro and salsa. For dessert, Tiendita will offer creamy arroz con leche featuring aromatic flavors of cinnamon and vanilla and topped with raisins. This dessert option is an elevated twist on this nostalgic treat from Chef Gaytán’s childhood.

Tiendita will offer Chef Gaytán’s Mexican heritage flavors on the go next door as a new quick service location. This new dining location is set to open later this Spring.

Din Tai Fung- Famous Chinese Restaurant

Din Tai Fung is a world-famous Tawain restaurant located on the west end of Downtown Disney. Din Tai Fung is famous for its Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) and noodles and has been named one of the top ten gourmet restaurants in the world by the New York Times. Out of all the new dining locations recently added to Downtown Disney, this is the most upscale.

You can read our full thoughts on Din Tai Fung here along with our food review of its other location in Southern California. 

Porto's Bakery Replaces La Brea Bakery

The incredibly popular Porto's Bakery is replacing La Brea Bakery with construction underway soon. Earl of Sandwich has temporarily occupied this space but is moving to a new pop-up spot near Star Wars Trading Post so work can begin on Porto's Bakery. The news of Porto's Bakery was met with a huge positive response when it was first announced at the last D23 Convention.

Porto's Bakery and Cafe will be offering items like their signature Cheese Rolls, Refugiados (Guava and Cheese Strudels), Potato Balls, and more. Guests can get their favorites at the Bakery and Café, and this will also be
first Porto’s location with sit-down table service and a full bar.

The Ally- Splitsville Expansion

Splitsville Luxury Lanes also underwent its own expansion with the addition of The Ally. The courtyard next to Splitsville Luxury Lanes was transformed into a new space called The Ally. This area features interactive games, live music, lounge areas, and seating. This new addition to Splitsville is now complete.

Downtown Disney Live Stage Complete

Along with new dining, Disney has added a brand new stage and lawn for special events, musical entertainment, and more on the west side of Downtown Disney. There is also a new sculptural tower designed by Nikkolas Smith that pays tribute to the work of Southern California architects of color during the mid-20th century. The new sculpture features unique geometric patterns that will evoke the famed mid-century buildings they created.

This new area is now complete and just needs the restaurants that will be nearby, like the Disneyland Din Tai Fung location to be completed. See a guide to all Downtown Disney shopping and dining options for a breakdown of its current offerings and see our ranking of the current best Downtown Disney restaurants here.

Plan Your Disneyland Vacation

Guests can save a lot of money on their Disneyland vacation by subscribing to our Disneyland Mickey Visit discounts newsletter and through the information in other Disneyland planning articles throughout the website. Be sure to check out these other informative articles:

• How to Save Money on Discount Disneyland Tickets
• Best Hotels Near Disneyland