Victoria & Albert's - a magical once-in-a-lifetime Disney dining experience

Last year we went to Disney to celebrate @aushellbell's FORTIETH birthday (eeeek)! Since it was such a special occasion, we wanted to go all-out. We had heard so many good things about Victoria and Albert's and that it was at a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience.

It is extremely hard to get reservations as they have very limited seating each night. You can start reserving six months in advance. Perhaps it was the time of year we went (February), or we just had the right timing, as we got reservations on her actual birthday (and it was a Friday night!). It is one of only a few AAA Five Diamond restaurants in our country; and last year was ranked the number TWO restaurant in the United States (Travel's Choice Awards on tripadvisor). Who would have thought it would be located at the happiest place on earth - Disney!?! They do have a policy where guests must be above 10 years, so do keep that in mind. It was perfect for us. :-)

We had the perfect day. We spent the morning at the park, the afternoon at the pool, then just relaxed before getting all dolled up for our night. (There is a dress code, so also keep that in mind as you can't wear your favorite Mickey tee! :-))

Victoria and Albert's is located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The resort in itself is beautiful. Fresh flowers, live music...it's a real treat.

They were waiting for us when we arrived. When you enter the doors, it's like you are transported to a different world. There are only a handful of tables (why it's so hard to get in), so it's like you have your own little private dinner -- with fancy harp music in the background!

They think of everything. For the ladies, they even give you a stool to put your purse on. GUYS. 

We were given two "waiters/waitresses" for the night. Even though it was super duper fancy, they made us feel right at home. It was quiet, but not uncomfortable, and we settled in for our feast. Of course, what comes first, is the menu. We definitely can say this is the only time we've received a personalized menu! Each one of them had our names and the date at the top. @aushellbell's even had a birthday greeting on it! So very nice. 

You do have a few options as far as the menu is concerned. They serve a 10 Course, a 7 course, with wine pairings, without wine... We opted for the 7 course without the wine pairing. We just ordered a bottle for the table to share. Cheers!

The menu changes almost daily as they serve what is most fresh and received for the season. Most all courses have at least two or three options to choose from, and we tried to have a good mix so that we could taste a little of everything. Below are a few of the courses and selections we chose. Enjoy these culinary masterpieces!

 

 

Isn't everything so beautiful?! You could tell every ingredient and combination was thought through to the nth degree. It was an explosion of flavor in each and every bite!

One thing that needs a shout-out of its own is the bread service. THE BREAD SERVICE. Between certain courses, they would bring a variety of bread each with their own paired butter. Maybe one day they will offer a menu that's just bread and butter. SIGN US UP!

Happy, full, and content -- we still had our dessert course to go. We each selected something different and talk about melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Light, airy, fluffy, scrumptious! Aren't these works of art!?

One other thing we had read was a must-have was the coffee service. It comes in a vacuum press coffee pot. We had never seen anything like it. After later research, we read that some say it's one of, if not the best method to brew your coffee.  

 

Enjoying our freshly brewed coffee, we enjoyed a cheese plate and THEN, they brought around a wooden box filled with the most delightful and beautiful chocolate bites. A little bitty perfect ending to the night

I'm not sure we can properly put into words this experience. I would definitely say it's truly a once-in-a-lifetime treat if you are foodies (and Disney) fans like us. The tastes and service cannot be rivaled. 

As we were preparing to leave, they gave us each a rose and a LOAF of breakfast bread to enjoy the next morning. Say what?! Every. Detail.

It was a magical magical night. Thank you Disney and Victoria & Albert's for making this a birthday we'll never forget! 

XO (see ya real soon!),