A Mediterranean Marvel
Cítricos at Disney’s
Grand Floridian
By Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron R. Fodiman
Photography by Noraa
The Oak-grilled Beef Filet is served with potato purée and delta asparagus.
170 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2017
CUAISRITNE
Dining at Disney is one of our
favorite things, and Cítricos is
one of our favorite restaurants
at Disney. Located on the second
floor of the Grand Floridian Resort and
Spa, it shares a reservations station with
the world famous Victoria and Albert’s,
which is the epitome of fine dining.
Cítricos’ contemporary Mediterranean
décor in earth tones and its comfortable
chairs add a special touch to this gracious
restaurant. The staff makes you feel as
though they have known and served you
for years. They greet you or bid you adieu
with big, genuine smiles.
Although the menu here is not extensive,
every item is extraordinary, thanks to Chef
Dominique Filoni. He has been adding
his own style and flair to the dishes that
he describes as “French Mediterranean
with fresh seasonal ingredients, cooked
simply.” Hailing from Saint-Tropez, he
also has an Italian heritage, as evidenced
by his Arancini Risotto, which is crisp on
respect for the restaurant’s sommelier, who
also served us an excellent LaFleur D’or
Sauternes 2011 with dessert.
Unable to choose one, we sampled several
desserts, a warm chocolate banana
torte that was served with vanilla ice cream
and a chocolate crown, a Florida Key lime
pie in a graham cracker tart shell, tiramisu
with Italian Galbani mascarpone and a
lemon-scented cheesecake. They were all
winners, and we wouldn’t have wanted
to miss any of them.
We chose to sit near the windows so
that we could see the fireworks over the
Magic Kingdom, although ordinarily, we
like to dine where we can see into the open
kitchen. Either way, dining at Cítricos is
a pleasure. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: For reservations at Cítricos
in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, call (407)
WDW-DINE (939-3463).
the outside, but soft and creamy on the
inside. His Pate de Campagne is earthy and
pairs well with his Heirloom Tomato Salad
with its mozzarella burrata and lemon
vinaigrette. But it was his sous vide cooked
octopus with basil aioli that especially captured
our hearts.
We then sampled his Wild Caught Halibut
with clams and calico scallops, and
his Scallops Risotto with English peas,
fava beans and wild mushrooms. Each
was perfection and showed his skill with
seafood. The real test was to see how he
would handle braised beef short ribs and
an oak-grilled beef filet. Both were perfect.
The short ribs were loaded with flavor
and tender to the touch, while the beef
was enhanced with a cipollini onion jam
and bordelaise sauce that gave it real flair.
It was recommended that we pair the
seafood with a Domaine Weinbach Sainte
Catherine Pinot Gris Alsace 2015, and the
beef with a Chateau Vignot Saint Emillion
Grand Cru 2009. Both of these gave us great
Chef Dominique Filoni of Cítricos