Coral Reef Restaurant — Restaurant in Bay Lake

It has been sometime since I've eaten here - probably on the order of 4 years. This used to be a family favorite spot because of the food and the setting, being able to view the aquarium while you eat. It seems a bit odd to eat seafood while watching it swim by, but it works.

This particular day, the crowd was a little lower than we remembered, but it was a weekday lunchtime. We were able to get to our seats pretty quickly after checking in (with reservations). From there, the staff was very friendly and helpful.

We started the meal with drinks and a bowl of Lobster Bisque, which was very good and finished it with our main courses of Shrimp and Grits and the Seared Salmon. In all honesty, the Salmon was one of the best pieces of fish I have ever had. It definitely makes me want to come back for more of this.

The setting itself seems to be a bit in need of update, to me. It's still an attractive undersea appearance but the fixtures, tables and other items seem to need a refreshing. This doesn't detract much for me as it comes with a bit of nostalgia and the food is still very good, although the menu has been modified and reduced from what was offered in the past.

People coming for the first time will probably still be impressed, especially if you can manage a table right against the aquarium. Dinner with a show - or maybe dinner that is a show?

Update 03/23/21: This place did not use to be a favorite of ours but somewhere over the last few years, things changed to the point that we eat here pretty regularly while visiting Epcot. The interior has not changed much since we first came over 10 years ago, with the exception of the COVID restrictions on the seating and queue areas. I suppose it could handle an update, but I'm not sure what that would be, other than being able to fully open it for use.

It does seem a bit odd to think about eating seafood right next to an aquarium...where seafood is swimming, but it is not bothersome. In fact, Sea Turtles, sharks of various kinds and other things, including the occasional diver, come swimming by. If you're lucky enough to land a seat next to the aquarium window, you will probably be distracted from your food at least once.

That's not necessarily a good thing, either. I have eaten quite a bit of fish in my day, but the Seared Salmon here is incredible. Really. It is likely the best piece of fish I have ever eaten. Consequently, I don't venture away from it while dining here. You know, that old, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" thing. Until the menu changes and this is not available, it will be my mainstay. I recommend it to everyone - at least if you like fish. If you don't like fish, I'm not sure why you're even eating here.

They do offer non pescatarian food choices as well. Our latest guests did not all enjoy finned dinners so one had the children's chicken, which she enjoyed. The others enjoyed my recommended Salmon, while my wife stayed with her ever regular Shrimp and Grits.

So there you have it - great food, a fun and relaxing environment and, oh yeah, friendly and helpful staff. Always a great experience. If you can land a reservation, hook it...

The best part about the Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot is the ginormous aquarium views while enjoying your meal. Watching the sea life while eating is an awesome experience. The service was slow, the food was bland, and not worth the price.

We booked the Candlelight Processional Dining Package and had a 5:20 reservation for the 8:30 show. The dining package includes the choice of one appetizer, entree, and dessert per person.

We checked in and were taken to our table after about a 10 minute wait. We were greeted by our server after a few minutes and ordered drinks which took over 20 minutes to arrive. Based on my photo time stamps, our apps arrived at 6:05 and dinner at 6:09. We didn’t have time to eat our appetizers before the entrees arrived and the table was packed as our entrees sat getting cold. The food didn’t have much flavor at all. There were 4 of us dining so we tried a variety of the menu. Apps— Caesar salad, clam chowder, and the dip trio. Entrees — Prime Rib, Mahi Mahi, and Cajun Chicken Pasta Drinks — Magical Star Cocktail, Reef Amber Draft, and the EARidescent Sipabration. The sipabration had a Mickey Mouse to be dropped into the cup. It didn’t dissolve even after stirring so my daughter ended up dumping it out into her empty water glass and washing the souvenir cup. Our waters were not refilled at all and sat empty for over half our meal. We pulled out a water bottle from my purse because our server didn’t come back to the table.

The desserts took forever and were delivered at 7:15. The key lime pie has a chocolate disk placed in the middle it was placed upside down. That pretty much sums up our dining experience…upside down. We fixed it for the photos (you can see on the top where it was placed upside down).

Bottom line. For $74.00 per person, we expected a better quality experience. By the time we finished dessert and paid, we had to head to the line for the processional which didn’t allow us time to experience anything else in Epcot. Do yourself a favor and don’t book the Dining Package. Just wait in the standby line and enjoy some delicious food around...

Had a 6:30pm reservation. Checked in early and was sat right away. Had a lovely view of 2 of the aquarium windows and coukd see a lot. Nice sized both we fit 3 adults in it but it was set for 5 which if it was 5 adults may feel like your on top of each other. Bread was good but almost seemed stale on the outside a weird crunch that just seemed a bit stiff. Sweet like Hawaiian role and the butter had a sweetness as well but all in all wasn't that bad. The coconut shrimp was nice size with a good crunch from the coconut breading and the mango salsa complimented it well. Subbed the shrimp from chicken on the fettuccine which still worked. There was a lot of sauce which I love and a nice lemon after taste that worked with the creaminess of the sauce. The chicken was plain very little seasoning but I think it worked well that way with the sauce. Friends got the salad and soup as an entree and enjoyed them both, did say the salad with the plantain chips/dressing/capers it was a but on the salty side. The bisque was flavorful and creamy with a nice lobster flavor. The mojo chicken was juicy and flavorful and the plantain chips added a nice crunch to go with the rice beans and chicken. The dessert were perfection. The key lime tart was flavorful, light and that perfect tart flavor. The bread pudding was to die for. The ice cream atop the crusty outside but gooey inside was perfect. The Carmel rum sauce was an excellent addition that wasn't to sweet and complimented bothe the bread pudding and the vanilla ice cream perfectly. I know some say the portions are small but I think they were just right I was able to eat my entire meal and almost all the dessert and was full but not overflowing. And when your headed back to the park you don't really want to carry leftovers. Is a little but more on the pricier side of things but overall I think it was a good meal with an original atmosphere with watching the aquarium occupants...