Lamplight Lounge
Lamplight Lounge was one of the few in-park Disney restaurants that we wanted to try because we heard some decent things about. I was able to nab a reservation pretty easily for 2 for 7:00 PM on a Friday night. The food is similar to a gastropub, and in the winter if you get a late enough reservation, you can actually watch the water show from your counter without cramming onto the bridge or other busy viewpoints.
Ambiance & Service
The ambiance felt very laid back and casual. We were seated downstairs in the outside covered patio area. They had some of the heat lamps on, but some abruptly turned off. We seated around 7:00 PM, and the water and light show started at 8:55 PM sharp. The service was pretty fast, but expect this to be a fast casual service type of restaurant.
Food
The 2319 ($8) was a non-alcoholic frozen beverage with strawberry puree, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and topped with coca-cola. This initially tasted good, but later, the coconut cream definitely stood out.
The Wild Horse Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($22) came from Pasa Robles, California. This was a decent cabernet that I wanted to pair with the prime rib later. It had noticeable vanilla flavors and black fruits. It’s definitely very straight forward.
The Barbacoa Tamales ($21) came with pumpkin mole, pickled onions, crema, queso fresco, and toasted pumpkin seeds. This tamale didn’t have much specialty flavors to it.
The Prime Rib ($38) was herb salt-crusted and came with cheesy potatoes, haricots verts, wasabi cream, and au jus. I ordered medium rare, and the prime rib came out like it was old and laying there for a while. The flavor was mediocre at best, and the meat was a little chewy. It reminded me of another steakhouse at Walt Disney World, called Steakhouse 71, which had meat that wasn’t decent quality. The cheesy potatoes was forgettable, and the wasabi cream for whatever reason was salty. I definitely do not recommend getting the prime rib.
The Holiday Half Chicken ($28) came with Kabocha squash puree, glazed brussels sprouts, roasted hen of the woods mushroom, chicken nage, and pea tendrils. This chicken was pretty dry, and the sauce exhibited mushroom-y flavors all over. My partner who normally likes chicken said they weren’t thrilled about this one.
The Apple Crisp a la Mode Donuts ($13) came with 5 apple pie inspired donuts with cinnamon streusel adn vanilla bean ice cream. The apple pie inspired donuts were pretty good, though I wish they came out a bit hotter. Because the weather was chilly, they cooled really quickly.
Final Verdict
Lamplight Lounge was rather disappointing for us from a food perspective. Maybe it was because we didn’t get the lobster nachos, but the food we did order was pretty basic and not memorable. The California Adventure side of the park definitely is lacking in decent sit down restaurants outside of Carthay Circle, which it in itself is a hit or miss as well. If you really don’t have much of a choice, then obviously this is OK. Also if you want an up close view to the water show in the evening, this was a decent close-up spot without the congestion. Otherwise, I’d recommend you look elsewhere if you want something decent.
Yelp Jabs
We usually share the Brussel sprouts which are in my opinion the most delicious Brussels I’ve ever tasted. Then we tried the prime rib which was a large portion and easy to share as well
If you look at this Elitist’s picture of the prime rib, it looked like it came from a Denny’s. The prime rib looked sad and overcooked unfortunately. If you’re from a major city with a serious food scene, this restaurant will likely not satiate your appetite. If you are from somewhere else without the variety, then maybe you’d find this restaurant decent.
Have to say probably the best of the food and drink experience in Disneyland California Adventure.
In California Adventure, it’s going to be Carthay Circle for the food for sure. Their cocktails might be less adventurous, but it’s clear the food is better, albeit pricier.
Revisions
- Dec 20, 2024 - Initial revision.