Disney’s BoardWalk is one of our favorite places to grab dinner. It’s only a short walk away from EPCOT, a quick ride on the Skyliner, or a fast boat ride to a pier filled with restaurants, from quick eats to sit-down. If I’m having a fun date night, it’s likely I’m heading to somewhere on the BoardWalk and watching the EPCOT fireworks on the dock. With all the options, where should you eat?

We recently visited Flying Fish at Disney’s BoardWalk to see if you should add this to your reservation list. Ready to get those fish flying?

Atmosphere

Flying Fish is one of Disney’s signature restaurants, a way of saying fine dining. While this restaurant is upscale and swanky, we didn’t find it intimidating like some of the ultra-fancy restaurants. The whole space is gorgeous, from the bubble chandeliers and the glass fish that look like they’re swimming around the room.

Even the flatware has small scales to tie in the fish elements. It feels romantic and elegant, but no need to pack your tux. It’s a bit on the louder side, and there were plenty of families dining, but we think this could be a great date night, with a balance between upscale dining and a comfortable Disney dinner.

There is a mix of regular chairs, high tops, booth seating, and bar seating — they have it all, here!

Menu

Despite being called Flying Fish, this spot has far more than just fish. While they do have options like Lobster Bisque, Mussels, Shrimp Cocktail, and more, there’s also Slow-roasted Pork Belly and Artisan Cheeses —just the appetizers!

The entrees range from Salmon, Sea Bass, and Red Snapper to Filet Mignon, Chicken, and New York Strip. We think there’s a wide variety of options for everyone, along with a kids’ menu for our smaller eaters. There are many familiar and traditional dishes with a bit of an upscale twist.

Eats

Of course, we started this meal with the Bread Basket.

We’re going to start off by saying that the bread came with life-changing butter. It was ultra-creamy, with big flakes of salt and green onion, and paired beautifully with the bread, which had a crisp outside and a soft inside. It was cut into perfectly thick slices, and we thought the salt helped cut through the butter’s richness. The bread was simple yet high-quality, setting the tone for the meal and signaling that it would be indulgent and elevated.

For our appetizer, we had the Fennel and Saffron Mussels for $20. They are topped with Smoked Trout Roe, Chili Oil, and Chardonnay Broth.

Look at that presentation! It looks gorgeous and perfect for fine dining. The broth had the classic white wine and garlic flavors with subtle notes of fennel that added some beautiful aromatics. The sauce is buttery and savory with a fishy taste from the fish roe. There was a touch of grit in a few of the mussels, and while it’s fairly common in shellfish, it didn’t ruin the dish but was noticeable. The flavors were familiar but done perfectly, and we loved digging into them.

Then we had the Filet Mignon for $62. This comes with Truffle Pain Perdu, Creamed Romaine, and Flying Fish Steak Sauce.

Yes, the priectag did surprise us, but once we got a taste, we understood. It’s served with a house-made steak sauce that tastes like A1, and an au poivre sauce had a baby. We loved the tanginess with a little bit of sweetness. It was rich but was used lightly, so it didn’t overwhelm anything. The truffle pain perdu reminded us of a truffle French toast! It was unique and delicious, beautifully dense, with a custard-like texture like bread pudding and a strong truffle flavor. The steak was cooked exactly to our preference (we went with medium) and was so tender and juicy. The smoky char gave it a light crisp on the edges, and we loved this twist on a traditional steak-and-potatoes dish. It was indulgent and unexpected, but all paired so well together.

After that, we tried the Potato-wrapped Red Snapper for $60. The red snapper comes with Leek Fondue and Cassis-Red Wine Reduction.

The snapper is wrapped in thin potato slices, which are fried to a perfect golden brown, giving it a crispy exterior while keeping the white fish inside delicate and meaty. We loved how savory and buttery it was, and it wasn’t overwhelmingly fishy, either. The leek fondue and sauces added sweetness and earthiness, but the leek fondue really stole the show. It was so creamy, rich, and so flavorful that we could drink it. We thought it felt like a Michelin-level dish without being proteinous. We’ve tried every restaurant at Disney World, but this might be one of our favorite fish dishes at Disney without having to go to top-tier fine dining like Victoria & Albert’s. We think the snapper edged out the steak because it was a little more unique and memorable.

To finish our meal off, we had the Lemonade Mousse for $14. This mousse features Elements of Raspberry, Lemon Pound Cake, and a White Chocolate Shell.

This is served table-side, which is always a fun way to get a dessert! It looked like an actual lemon. Come on, that’s awesome! The mousse had that classic tangy lemon flavor, and we loved the crisp outer shell and the raspberry coulis, which we could tell was made from fresh raspberries. It balanced the lemon perfectly. The base is shortbread-style cake with a little ice cream on the side, and everything worked so well together. It was fresh, tart, and balanced, and was so fun to eat, plus it was so pretty, too.

Nosh or Not

You should book that reservation at Flying Fish if…

• You want fine dining that still feels approachable
• You’re celebrating a special occasion
• You are trying to book a reservation that’s easier to get

You might want to skip if…

• You’re looking for a faster, more affordable meal
• You are dining with kids or pickier eaters
• You want a more casual dining experience

Overall

We really had a great time at Flying Fish! While it’s fine dining, it didn’t feel stuffy, and we thought the menu felt very thoughtful and not formulaic. The food was packed with flavor and featured many familiar dishes with a twist, which is great for those who want their comfort food but also a special experience. The whole space is beautiful and we really enjoyed all of our dishes. You might want to add Flying Fish to your itinerary.

In the meantime, make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more! We love bringing you all the details and tips you need to have the best Disney World vacation yet.

WE’VE EATEN AT EVERY EPCOT RESTAURANT. THESE ARE THE BEST.

Have you ever been to Flying Fish? Tell us about your experience in the comments and what we should order next time.