At the beginning of the month when we visited Disneyland and covered their Lunar New Year Festival we also stopped by Lamplight Lounge at Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure. The restaurant opened last June after DCA’s revamp of the pier area. The restaurant was previously Ariel’s Grotto and Cove Bar. The restaurant itself underwent renovations as well as a menu change. 
The hype for Lamplight Lounge has been huge! So much so that it is nearly impossible to get a reservation for the restaurant unless you make one around 30 days out. They do accept walk-up diners but the opportunities are limited. But the question remains, is it worth it? The answer is a resounding YES! You probably want to know what we loved about it, right? Well, you’re in luck! We’ve got a full review of our lunch below!
What We Ate at Lamplight Lounge
- Crab and Tuna Roll (Stone Crab with Avocado, Jicama, Yellowfin Tuna, and Fireball-Yuzu Sauce)- The Crab and Tuna Roll was really delicious. The use of real crab as opposed to imitation “crab” mix is quite apparent. The fish was high enough quality that it didn’t really need the Fireball-Yuzu Sauce.
Crab and Tuna Roll
- Salmon PLT (Grilled Salmon with crispy Pancetta, Romaine Lettuce, Roasted Plum Tomato, Lemon-Bacon Aïoli, and Toasted Focaccia served with Malted Fries)- The Salmon PLT featured perfectly cooked salmon which benefited from the combination of the salty pancetta and tanginess of the lemon-bacon aioli. This isn’t your mom’s BLT!
Salmon PLT
- Ratatouille (Roasted Eggplant and Bell Pepper Ragoût with Zucchini Noodles, Burrata Cheese, Mushrooms, Smoked Tomato Sauce, and Basil Aïoli)- Perhaps the biggest surprise was the Ratatouille. Neither of us like eggplant but this dish has been talked up so much we had to try it. We were so skeptical we’d like it, we added chicken just in case. Luckily, the dish was fantastic! You get none of the awful texture or flavor that usually accompanies eggplant. This really is a must eat dish!
Ratatouille
The Service
Lamplight Lounge is a fairly small restaurant. Due to that and the fact that there were only 2 of us, we had our lunch at the bar. Our server/bartender Jeremy was really friendly and helpful. A fair amount of Disney table service restaurants feel somewhat rushed like they are trying to get you in and out quickly. Lamplight Lounge doesn’t feel this way at all. When Jeremy overhead us discussing the ratatouille, it was his suggestion to add chicken. He also was readily available for any questions and refills we needed. 
Overall, Lamplight Lounge features some of the best dining the Disneyland Resort has to offer. It will definitely become a mainstay in our dining rotation. Have you dined at Lamplight Lounge? What did you try? Let us know in the comments below or tag us on social media with the hash tag #GeekEats! Until next time!
*The Geeks were not compensated or given any comped items to facilitate this write-up; All opinions are wholly our own. View our Disclosure Policy for more info.
My girlfriend just took me to Disney for my 52nd birthday. First let me qualify I’ve owned 3 high quality restaurants in northern California. I too am not a big fan of egg plant and added the chicken. I can not begin to explain the explosion of flavors in my mouth and none of them were adverse or even slightly disagreeable. Possibly one of the best food experiences in my life!! Absolutely fantastic..