Rose & Crown -- Dinner -- Table Service -- Epcot
*This dining experience took place in August 2017.
Dinner at Rose & Crown
The Rose & Crown Dining Room, located in the UK Pavilion in the World Showcase at Epcot, is a table service restaurant that offers classic British fare to guests. It's a favorite among our family and one that we try to get to at least once or twice a year. On this particular occasion, we decided to stop by for a random dinner, as we were in Epcot meeting up with blog reader Sarah C. for a quick hello. Since Sarah C. and her family are from England, it seemed only right to have dinner in the UK!
Atmosphere
The theming of the Rose & Crown is a traditional English Pub. Having spent a month in the UK during my university years, I always feel right at home when I dine at the Rose & Crown. It really does capture the essence of a pub.
The Rose & Crown offers both indoor and outdoor seating. We love outdoor seating on cooler months, especially if we time it right to watch IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. But, in the summertime, it's downright hot. So, we asked for a seat inside. Sometimes during the hotter months, you might have to wait a bit longer to eat inside, but for us, it was worth the wait.
The interior of the restaurant is charming with booths and tables that give you a homey feel. The wood is dark and there's bright, cheerful decor and classic English wallpaper. Some of the tables are a bit close together, so you'll get that cozy pub vibe if the restaurant is busy, for sure.
There's also a lot of great detail in the restaurant. We had the rare chance of being the only diners left in the restaurant eating, as we stopped by about 45 minutes before the restaurant officially closed. It was actually quite cool to be the only ones in the restaurant! Check out the video that Brandon took below to see more of the interior of the restaurant, with no one in it!
The Food
Of course, the main reason we went to the Rose & Crown was the food. We were both starving and wanted something substantial. But, first things first. We always have to order hard cider when we go.
My hard cider preference is Strongbow, which is served on tap at the Rose & Crown. We had a weird experience that night with our server though. He did not want to serve me hard cider from the tap, insisting that there was a high chance of cross-contamination. That was a first for me. So, I ended up with a pear cider from the bottle. It wasn't my favorite; it was pretty sweet. But, it's good to know there are other options.
Brandon loves the Cheese Plate at the Rose & Crown. And, we noticed on the allergy-friendly dinner menu that it was listed gluten free. The bummer was that when we received it, it was served minus any of the accompaniments. So, it was pretty plain. Our server did bring all of the gluten-filled sides, including the accompaniments for each cheese, on the side for Brandon, which he enjoyed a lot.I can't say I'd order this again, unless we were splitting it, as the price was a bit much for what we got. I wasn't even offered bread for the meal, which was odd too.
For my entree, I ordered the Corned Beef and Cabbage entree which is both gluten free and dairy free on the menu. Overall, I thought this dish was good, but not amazing. The portion size was good, but the meal was just a bit bland. I think I might have preferred the baked fish and chips, which I usually get when we go. That's bland too, but for some reason it appeals to me more than this dish did.
Overall
The Rose & Crown is always a solid choice for charming atmosphere and decent food. Because it's owned by Disney (unlike many of the World Showcase restaurants), they have an allergy-friendly menu, and you can also always speak with a chef. That in and of itself is a huge benefit. Plus, it's just a nice relaxing place to dine. Next time, I'll probably skip what I ordered on this visit, but I'm glad I tried something different.Have you been to the Rose & Crown Dining Room? What have you ordered on your visits?
Rose & Crown Dining Room -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Epcot
*This dining experience took place in June 2016.
Rose & Crown Dining Room, a table service restaurant at Epcot's UK Pavilion in the World Showcase, offers a taste of classic British pub fare, including fish and chips, bangers and mash, and more.It's been 3 years since I've dined here, and after reading a recent dining review from Alexis's Gluten Free Adventures, I was looking forward to checking out the options. Rose & Crown Dining Room is a Disney owned restaurant (not many in the World Showcase are, as they are operated by outside companies), and because of this, they do have an allergy friendly menu.
While going through the menu, I opted to get a Strongbow hard cider. It's naturally gluten free and delicious. We were also seated outside, so it made for a refreshing drink on a hot summer day.Our server, Joe, was amazing and one of the best servers we've ever had at Disney World. On top of being an amazing server in general, he also happens to be gluten free too and was able to talk about his favorite dishes and easy modifications.Sadly, a lot of the dishes I was interested in were not easily modified but Joe did mention that those who are gluten free only can get a Shepherd's Pie made gluten free, though it does take about 20 minutes to prepare. Joe said his favorite dish was the baked gluten free fish & chips, so I decided to order that. I had been going back and forth between this and the curry, but since I didn't enjoy the version of the curry I had back in 2013, I decided to skip it.
I really enjoyed the baked fish and chips from Rose & Crown. I wouldn't say it was anything special but that it was all cooked well. The baked cod was delicious and well-seasoned. The steak fries (aka chips) were crispy and delicious. I made sure to sprinkle fresh lemon juice over both the fish and chips to add some extra flavor.My dish was served with a side of ketchup, though I would have loved to have had some safe cocktail sauce or tartar sauce like that prepared at Raglan Road Irish Pub.If I'm craving proper fried fish & chips, I will definitely head to Raglan Road or Cookes of Dublin, but it's nice to have a safe (although baked) option in Epcot.Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Rose & Crown. It was simple but delicious and a nice solid meal option in the World Showcase.Have you been to Rose & Crown? What did you order when you dined there?