Best Downtown Disney Restaurants: A Complete Dining Guide

Disneyland Resort has no shortage of great places to eat, from the atmospheric Blue Bayou to the iconic Carthay Circle. But you don’t need a park ticket to enjoy some of the best food on property. From Din Tai Fung to Salt & Straw, this guide covers the best Downtown Disney restaurants, with notes on atmosphere, pricing, and standout dishes, plus a few insider tips to help you plan. Whatever you’re craving, sweet, savory, or a little out of the ordinary, there’s something here worth stopping for.

What Is Downtown Disney?

Downtown Disney is a free-to-enter shopping, dining, and entertainment district at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It sits between the parks, the Disneyland Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian, making it a convenient stop for resort guests and locals alike. No park ticket required.

That said, you’re still on Disney property, and the prices reflect it. Many of the restaurants here are on the higher end, so it’s worth factoring that into your budget before you go. If you bought your Disney Vacation Club points on the resale market, this is a perfect place to spend some of what you saved.

Din Tai Fung: The Best Restaurant in Downtown Disney

Din Tai Fung is a must for fans of Taiwanese food, and honestly, for anyone who just likes eating well. The chain was founded in Taipei in 1958 and has earned a Michelin star at its Hong Kong location. The Downtown Disney outpost is their first stand-alone U.S. restaurant, and you can tell they put real thought into it.

The building was designed by the Rockwell Group as a contemporary take on a traditional Chinese pavilion. Inside, the dining room is warm and carefully put together, centered around a circular bar beneath a chandelier of cascading beads. It feels polished, but not the kind of place that makes you nervous to enjoy yourself.

The specialty is Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). Each handmade dumpling holds a rich pocket of broth, and the combination of texture and flavor is hard to improve on. Ask for black vinegar on the side and follow the instructions posted at your table for the best way to eat them.

Reservations move fast here, so book as early as the system allows.

Insider Tip: Xiao Long Bao is served dim sum style. Start with one round per two people and order more as you go. That said, don’t limit yourself to one dish. Dim sum is really about variety, so explore the menu while you’re at it.

Paseo: Upscale Mexican Cuisine Worth the Price

Southern California is full of excellent Mexican restaurants, so any place charging $66 for carne asada has something to prove. Paseo more than proves it.

The space is bright and modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows and hand-woven details throughout. The second-floor outdoor seating is a nice spot to slow down and people-watch. But the food is the real reason to come. Everything arrives looking like it was plated with care, and the flavors hold up.

The dish to order is Mama’s Cochinita Pibil: slow-roasted pork with habanero salsa, pickled red onion, and black bean puree, served with house-made corn tortillas. It’s tender, well-seasoned, and the kind of thing you’ll find yourself thinking about a few weeks later.

Insider Tip: For something more casual (and easier on the wallet), try Céntrico, Paseo’s sister taqueria right next door. They do a taco version of the cochinita pibil that hits the same notes at a lower price.

Naples Ristorante e Bar: The Best Pizza Restaurant in Downtown Disney

If you’ve visited Via Napoli at Walt Disney World, Naples Ristorante will feel familiar. Same Neapolitan style, similar menu, slightly more relaxed setting. It’s a solid option when you want a slower-paced meal after a day in the parks.

The outdoor bar on the second floor is one of the better places to sit in all of Downtown Disney. String lights, resort views, and a drink in hand make for an easy evening.

Pizza is the focus, and Neapolitan-style means a thin, soft crust with a lightly charred edge and restrained toppings. The Margherita (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil) is the cleanest version of the style and a good place to start. It’s a simple dish, and Naples does it right. Try that first, then go from there.

Insider Tip: No reservation? Swing by Napolini, Naples’ quick-service spot. Same pizza, no wait required.

Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes: Best Burgers and CrazyShakes

Sometimes you just want a burger. Black Tap is a good answer to that. The look is SoHo-inspired (graffiti walls, industrial details, diner energy), and the menu mixes classic American comfort food with a few unexpected combinations. Korean-style wings, a solid Texan Burger, shareable plates. It’s a practical choice for groups and won’t run up a tab the way a full sit-down restaurant will.

The CrazyShakes are what get people talking. Stacked with toppings, sometimes including a whole slice of cake, they’re as much of a spectacle as they are a dessert. Fair warning: they’re messy. The Mickey Mouse Shake is the Disney-specific option and worth trying at least once.

Insider Tip: Black Tap is walk-up only, no reservations needed. Lines can stretch, but if you’re just there for a shake, the dedicated CrazyShakes window at the back tends to move quicker.

Splitsville Luxury Lanes: Best for Entertainment and Group Dining

A bowling alley on a dining guide might raise an eyebrow, but Splitsville is worth it. The food is good, the space is fun, and it’s one of the better options when you’ve got a group that wants something to do alongside dinner.

The design leans into retro bowling alley culture (vintage photos, Googie-style details, mid-century touches) without feeling like a costume. The lanes are split into separate lounges, so it’s quieter than you’d expect from a bowling venue.

The menu covers more ground than standard bar food. Nachos and pizza, yes, but also American Wagyu steaks and Thai chili-glazed salmon. The sushi rolls are worth ordering; the kimchee ponzu sauce gives them a real kick.

Insider Tip: Lanes fill up, so book ahead. Budget around $31 to $37 per person, shoe rentals included. Weekday afternoons before 4 PM are the most affordable window.

Salt & Straw: Best Dessert Restaurant in Downtown Disney

If you want ice cream that goes beyond the usual, Salt & Straw is your spot. This family-run, small-batch shop is built around flavor combinations you won’t find anywhere else.

The classics are here (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry), but the more creative options are worth a look. Arbequina Olive Oil has a smooth, slightly tropical character that surprises people. Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper is a more interesting version of a familiar flavor. Pear and Blue Cheese sounds like a dare, but it works. Rotating seasonal flavors mean the menu shifts throughout the year, so there’s usually something new to try.

Salt & Straw also recently brought back The Tacolate, a chocolate taco made in collaboration with Taco Bell, filled with cinnamon-ancho ice cream and served with sweet dipping sauces in Taco Bell-style packets.

Insider Tip: It’s easy to default to the wildest-sounding flavor on the menu, but the classics here are genuinely good too. If you want a middle ground, ask for a spritz of their Culinary Perfume, an edible (and wearable) flavor enhancer that adds depth to any scoop. Sea Salt Caramel paired with A Cloud of Cocoa is a strong combination.

More Tips for Dining at the Best Downtown Disney Restaurants

Planning ahead makes a real difference here. A few things worth knowing:

Take Advantage of Advanced Dining Reservations

DVC resort guests can book dining reservations up to 60 days out through the Disneyland app. Popular spots like Paseo fill up quickly, so don’t sit on it. A couple of caveats: Din Tai Fung runs its own reservation system outside the app, so Disney resort guests don’t get early access there. And if you book Splitsville through the app, that covers the dining room only. Bowling lanes are a separate reservation.

Budget for Disney Pricing

Meals on Disney property cost more than you’d pay at the same restaurant off-site. If you’re staying in a DVC Villa with a kitchen, cooking a few meals in-room can help offset the cost of a nicer dinner out. Magic Key Holders can also score a 10% discount at select restaurants, but not every spot participates, so it’s worth checking before you commit.

Sharing Goes a Long Way

Portions here tend to be generous. Din Tai Fung and Black Tap are both well-suited to ordering a few things and splitting them around the table. Even the individual-sized pizzas at Naples are big enough for two.

Don’t Overlook Quick Service

If you can’t get a reservation or your schedule doesn’t leave much room, the quick-service options are worth knowing about. Black Tap and Salt & Straw are walk-up only by design, and Naples has a quick-service counter for when you need something fast.

Try Dining at Off-Peak Hours

Prime dining times fill up everywhere. Going a little earlier or later than the standard lunch and dinner rush usually means a shorter wait, a quieter room, and more attentive service. It also means you’re back at the parks sooner, while everyone else is standing in line for a table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Make Dining at the Best Downtown Disney Restaurants a Tradition

Downtown Disney covers a lot of ground, whether you want a carefully made soup dumpling, a solid burger, or an ice cream flavor that makes you stop and think. If you want to make this kind of trip a regular part of your year, buying Disney Vacation Club points on the resale market is a genuinely practical way to do it.

Owning points at The Villas at Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Grand Californian puts you steps from Downtown Disney, with easy access to everything the resort offers. Buying on the resale market means you get the same benefits at a meaningfully lower cost.

Interested in learning more? Browse our DVC listings or speak with one of our licensed real estate agents to find out what ownership could look like for you. Bon appétit!

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