Victoria and Albert’s Gluten-Friendly Dinner
Victoria and Albert’s is Walt Disney World’s most exclusive dining destination. Tucked away inside of an intimate dining area in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is a dining experience like no other. To get a reservation here, you need to be looking to dine there months in advance. But if you happen to get a reservation, it is time to dress up for a night you will not forget. Prior to your visit, you will receive a call to go over any dietary and allergy restrictions as well as food preferences. The chef will then prepare for you both a Prix Fixe 7 and a 10 course menu packed with dishes that cater to all your allergy needs. Because I am gluten-free, I was provided with a superior Victoria and Albert’s gluten-friendly dinner experience.
Starting off the experience, your waiter will come over and provide you with your menus as well as your drink menus. I ordered a cranberry cocktail to go along with the meal.
They will also go over all the options and add-ons to the dining experience such as the wine pairings or premium dish upgrades. Throughout the meal they will also provide you a full breakdown of each dish, how it was prepared, and the flavors to expect. My water glass was never more than half empty, and even when I got up to go to the bathroom, my chair was pulled back and pushed back in for me, as well as receiving a fresh napkin at my place setting.
Opting for the Victoria and Albert’s gluten-friendly dinner ten-course menu, my meal started out with the Amuse-Bouche Delta Asparagus with Imperial Caviar. I was expecting to not enjoy this dish at all since I personally do not enjoy asparagus or caviar, but upon my first bite I was in culinary heaven. Tender yet crunchy asparagus paired with a delicate caviar, topped with a light egg film, and tiny drops of sweet cream. Pure perfection. A shame it was a small serving because I would eat this for a full meal by itself.
Following that was another dish I was not very excited for, Ahi Tuna with Pickled Daikon and Edamame Puree. The tuna itself was alright, but I am not a fan of raw fish. Both pieces were wrapped around a cream center, one blackened, the other not and topped with the pickled daikon. The blackened was fantastic paired with the edamame puree and the black garlic puree drops, however, I could have passed on the other one.
The next course in my Victoria and Albert’s gluten-friendly dinner was the Stiped Bass with Poppy Seed and Lemon. A delicious tender piece of fish in a light sauce and garnished with onion, seedless jalapenos, and leaves. A fantastic follow up and lead in to the main courses.
Afterwards came the Dover Sole with Chorizo Bouillabaisse. A delicious piece of fish, paired with a cooked shrimp, two small tomatoes, and some onion, served in a delicious chorizo sauce. I was not expecting the fish to pair so well with the sauce, but wow. The dish was incredible and was one of the best of the night.
Following that came the Marcho Farms Veal with Fava Beans and Summer Truffles. The Veal came as four different cuts of veal including both tongue and brain. Each piece was prepared a different way. The first was charred, the second roasted, the third, the tongue was blackened, and the fourth, the brain was fried in a gluten-free batter. All were served with the fava beans and topped with crispy truffles as well as a savory sauce. Going into this dish involved a lot of mental preparation since I would never try these cuts of meat outside of this restaurant, but they were fantastic. You would not even know you were eating brain unless someone told you.
Next up on my Victoria and Albert’s gluten-friendly dinner was the Charred Leek Dusted Wild Boar with Leek Fondue and Brussels Sprouts. Shredded brussels sprouts served with a charred piece of boar and a shredded leek with the leek sauce. Everything about this dish was incredible. Sweet flavors to accentuate the cut of boar. Fantastic.
And last on the main course was the Australian Kobe-Style Beef with Potato Pinwheels and Ramps along with the addition of the optional Miyazaki Japanese Beef. Three fantastic cuts of miyazaki beef, one large cut of kobe-style beef, two beautiful potato pinwheels, and a side of cauliflower and radish, served with a chimichurri sauce and steak sauce. The potatoes and vegetables were a nice side but the real star was the meat. Tender, juicy, melt in your mouth steak with fantastic sauces to complement them. You can never go wrong with steak in my opinion.
Served with the dishes are usually three different rolls which in this case were instead substituted for three gluten-friendly rolls. The first was a rice roll with unsalted butter and salt. The second was also a rice flour roll topped with seed and served with herb butter. Finally, a nut flour roll with seeds and salted butter. All three kinds of butter were house prepared, fresh, and creamy. The rolls were all fantastic, warm, and fresh out of the oven. I did wish the second roll did not have seeds but that was mainly a personal preference.
Dessert started off with complimentary tea or coffee service, using their unique gravity steeper which works by causing the boiling water to rise and then perfectly settle as it cools.
Of course, when at Disney, you have to pick the classic Mad Tea Party blend.
A Mango Sorbet pallet cleanser helped transition to dessert. It is made fresh like everything else, and if you have not had fresh sorbet, you are missing out. The consistency melted perfectly in your mouth with just the right amount of sweetness to break up the main dishes from the dessert courses.
My Victoria and Albert’s gluten-friendly dinner continued with the start of the dessert courses. First, a cart filled with artisan cheeses is brought around to the table. After selecting from a variety of cow, goat, and even sheep’s milk cheeses, a slice of each is served with some additions. Three drops of vinegar, a piece of honeycomb, almonds, dried grapes, and a fluffy slice of gluten-friendly almond cake. Part of me wishes they had brought over more for a second helping.
Next up came the Gluten-Friendly Apple Crisp. A deliciously flavored apple crisp with warm, tasted apples in the center and topped off with gluten-friendly crumbles. The crumbles were a bit dry and paired with the apples did not help much but this was still a fantastic dish.
The next dish served was a Mixed Berry Gateau. A rich gluten-friendly chocolate cake topped with fresh berries and wrapped in a chocolate wrap. Surrounding the dish was a berry compote with dried berry sprinkles and gold flakes. A delicious follow up that matches the tone of the evening quite well.
Rounding out the main desserts was the Panna Cotta, topped with sliced berries, and flowers. My favorite dessert of the night, a perfectly made panna cotta with the sweet berries to complement them resulted in a fantastic way to end the evening.
Before leaving though, the staff came around with a new cart full of assorted chocolates to try. Filled with different crème fillings, each guest was able to choose as many varieties of chocolates to sample.
As the tea was finished and the meal was done, we were presented with the copies of our menus after the four hour dining experience. While the dishes may seem small, I have never found myself so full before. If you are looking for a dining experience like no other that caters to all your dietary needs, look no further. But be warned, this experience does come with a price tag of a couple hundred dollars without the wine pairing and add-ons. But if you are looking for an incredible night, one that will not soon be forgotten, look no further.
Check out our other blog, showcasing the paleo version of this dinner. Also, since menu items do change, visit the Walt Disney World website for an up-to-date menu.