Try a Restaurant You've Never Been To

“Be adventurous and try a restaurant you’ve never been to–it might become a new favorite!”

You’re only in Disney for a few days so you have your old favorites you keep coming back to–we all fall into that trap.  Who doesn’t want to eat at Le Cellier?  However, by always going back to the same restaurants you may be missing out on some fantastic experiences!  There are a lot of hidden gems, especially in Epcot, that people just walk on by.  One of these is Restaurant Marrakesh in the Morocco pavilion of the World Showcase.

We ate here entirely by accident one day when we did not have ADRs for dinner and everything was turning people away.  Cranky and annoyed, we wandered around trying to figure out where we could eat.  While wandering through the maze that is Morocco, we stumbled upon this tucked away treasure and stopped inside, fully expecting to be turned away yet again.

To our surprise, they welcomed us right in and sat us immediately–whereas every other place in Epcot was packed, this place was nearly empty!  We started to get a bit anxious that it was because the food was “weird” or maybe just not good.  But as we waited for our drinks to arrive we looked around and realized that this was probably the most detailed, absolutely gorgeous restaurant at Epcot.  There was a small band playing in the center and minutes after they started, a belly dancer came out!  It was great!  We relaxed a bit and decided to order the multi-course meal on the menu since we wanted to try a little bit of everything and were pretty hungry from wandering around.  

Now, I am the world’s pickiest eater.  If it’s not a bacon cheeseburger, I am usually not interested.  So when there’s things on the menu that I can’t pronounce I usually get sulky and refuse to eat things that I deem to be “weird.”   So believe me when I say every last thing we had that day was delicious!  We couldn’t believe it!  Everything was sooooooooo good!  Why wasn’t this place packed like every other restaurant?

We decided it was for two reasons:  1. The “weird” menu that certainly was worlds away from hamburgers and steaks and people don’t like to step outside their food comfort zone, and 2. Restaurant Marrakesh is tucked so far back in the pavilion that we honestly don’t think anyone knows it is there.  You literally have to go to the very back to see the sign for it.  In recent years they appear to have sort of realized this and now have a podium and sign right up front so you can make reservations.  I hope this means they’re a bit more popular, but then again I don’t because it’s nice to be able to walk into an utterly fantastic restaurant without an ADR!

So there you have it:  go eat somewhere you haven’t.  Even if you don’t recognize something on the menu.  The worst that happens is that you don’t like it and can cross it off your list for future places to eat.  At least once you have tried it, you never have to wonder about it again.  And who knows, it might become your new can’t miss dining experience!