Disney California Adventure · Buena Vista Street
Carthay Circle Restaurant
The best restaurant at the Disneyland Resort, upstairs in the tower at the end of Buena Vista Street.
The facts
- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner
- Typical cost
- Most entrees run roughly $34 to $58 as of July 2026; a two-course lunch lands around $60 per adult before drinksVerified July 2026
- Mobile order
- No
- Dining plan
- Not accepted
- Alcohol
- Served
- Air conditioned
- Yes
- Dietary
- Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-friendly, Allergy-friendly menu
Last verified July 2026
What it is
Carthay Circle occupies a scaled reproduction of the 1926 Carthay Circle Theatre, the Los Angeles cinema where Snow White premiered in 1937. The ground floor is a lounge; the restaurant is upstairs, reached by an elevator or a staircase, in a set of white-linen dining rooms with tall windows over the street.
The kitchen is doing genuine work. The menu is Californian with Southern and Mediterranean pulls, changing seasonally, and the execution is a full tier above anything else inside either gate. Fish is cooked properly. Sauces are made rather than dispensed. The bread service is real.
It is also the only dining room at either park where the noise level lets you have a conversation. That, plus air conditioning and a two-hour seat, is worth as much on a July afternoon as the food is.
Our verdict
The only restaurant inside either Disneyland Resort gate that would be worth eating at if it were on a normal street in Anaheim. Expensive, and worth it once per trip.
What to order
The dishes this kitchen is actually known for. Menus change seasonally, so treat this as what to look for rather than a guaranteed list.
- Carthay Circle fried biscuits
- Thyme-roasted chicken
- Pan-seared local fish
- Braised short rib
- Seasonal California vegetable plate
Tips for Carthay Circle Restaurant
- Book at 60 days out the moment the window opens. Dinner tables on weekends are gone within minutes; a 2pm lunch is by far the easiest reservation to land.
- Ask for a window table on the Buena Vista Street side when you check in. They will not always have one, but nobody who does not ask ever gets one.
- Lunch is the value play. Much of the same kitchen output, noticeably lower prices, and a room that is half as full.
- Nighttime show dining packages are offered here periodically. Do the math honestly — you are paying a premium on an already expensive meal for a viewing area that is good rather than best-in-venue.
- If you cannot get a table, the lounge downstairs serves a shorter version of the same menu with no reservation.
Who it suits
- Good for
- Date Night · Special Occasion · Splurge · Air Conditioned Break · View
Carthay Circle Restaurant: common questions
How far in advance should I book Carthay Circle?
Reservations open 60 days ahead and weekend dinner slots disappear within minutes. Lunch is far easier — a 1:30pm or 2pm table is often available a week out, and the food is the same kitchen.
Is there a dress code?
No formal dress code. People turn up in shorts and it is fine. The room is dressier than the rest of the park, so you will feel slightly more at home in a collared shirt, but nobody is turned away.
What is the difference between the restaurant and the lounge?
The restaurant is upstairs, requires a reservation, and serves the full menu at white-linen tables. The lounge is on the ground floor, takes walk-ups, and serves a shorter menu plus the full bar. The fried biscuits are available at both.
Is it worth it with kids?
With kids old enough to sit through a two-hour meal, yes — the room is calm and the service is patient. With a restless toddler it is an expensive way to be stressed. The lounge downstairs is the better call in that case.