If you are looking to escape the hustle and bustle of a Disney Cruiseline ship head to Palo for a quiet romantic meal. Palo is a lush, luxurious Italian restaurant. The major draw for the adults on the ship is that children are not allowed to dine here. As an optional dining experience, there is a $30 surcharge for dining at Palo. We think this is well worth the expense as you will see in our comments below. Our Palo dinner dining review is based on our experiences while sailing on the Disney Magic.
Palo Quick Breakdown
- Service: Optional, Adult Only, $30 per person
- Type of Food: Steak, Chicken, Fish
- Ships: Fantasy, Dream, Wonder, Magic
A Tour Around Palo
You won’t miss Palo when you are outside of it. You will notice all the luxurious marble as well as their beautiful logo.
The views are stunning at Palo. On the Disney Magic, the 180-degree windows look out the back of the ship. We noticed they filled up the window seats first so we were thankful for our early dinner reservation. If you want a seat with a oceanview try eating when they open at 5pm.
Palo Dishes
The following is a look at some of the food we have tried out at Palo.
Your meal at Palo will begin with your server bringing over this Antipasto Cart. They will ask if there is anything from the cart you don’t want and make a plate for the table.
We said we were game for everything. They even drizzled some balsamic on the top to finish it off.
They also brought out this bread with the antipasto. Fair warning, the bread is so good, but do not fill up on this you still have so much left to eat! And everything here is so good. The key this restaurant is pacing yourself.
Deep-fried Shrimp and Calamari with Lemon-Garlic Mayonnaise and Marinara dippings. This dish was amazing, everything was so tender. I love calamari and this was by far the best I ever had. I was having a hard time deciding which appetizer to get, so the waiter ended up also bringing me out the gnocchi too!
Here is a look at the gnocchi. It comes tossed in Piennolo Tomato Sauce, garnished with Kale and caramelized Grape Tomatoes.
Tomato Mozzarella Caprese. My husband loved the Sliced Beefsteak Tomatoes with Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil, Virgin Olive Oil and Arugula Leaves.
If you have read some of our other Disney dining reviews you have probably noticed my husband and I are suckers for Filet. We both ended up ordering this dish at Palo. The beef tenderloin comes with Pancetta Potato, Sautéed Spinach, Barone Chianti Wine Sauce. If we could do it again we would not get the cheese on the top it was very strong and took away from the flavor of everything else.
Believe it or not, we were still able to fit in dessert after all that! Of course, we had to order the Chocolate Soufflé with Vanilla Bean and Chocolate Sauce. This is the famed dessert off of the menu at Palo. It is SOOOO good, I highly recommend trying this.
My husband went with the Tiramisu since the last time we ate here he got the souffle. He enjoyed the dish but as the waiter warned us it is very small. My husband insisted that he didn’t want anything else but the waiter brought him out a surprise anyhow.
We got these adorable mini gelatos! They were very good, the raspberry was my favorite!
Palo Recommendation
So that concludes our Palo dining review. We love eating here at least once over the course of a cruise. It is well worth the extra expense and you really can tell the difference in the food versus your standard rotational dining. This spot is best for a couple looking for a romantic meal, marking a special occasion or anyone who wants a fine dining experience. If you have dined on a Disney Cruise before you already know the service is unparalleled. When you dine at Palo the service is just that much better! Once again Disney manages to turn something as simple as dinner into an entire experience.
Want more Disney cruising tips? Read What’s Not Included on a Disney Cruise and also check out 10 Ways to Save on Your Next Disney Cruise.
I have been visiting the parks annually since my parents first brought me at just a year old. Recently I was able to fulfill my life long dream of being a Florida local and moved from the wintery Northeast to the sunshine and fun of central Florida. Now I am hoping to share my Disney knowledge with you so you can have the best vacation possible!
