Before heading to Flying Fish for dinner, we stopped by AbracadaBar next door, which we recommend avoiding. The drinks were weak, and the service was slow, making it a rather unpleasant start to our evening. Despite this, we were hungry and eager to try one of our most anticipated meals of the trip at Flying Fish in Disney's Boardwalk.
🤔 Overall a pretty good meal but ended up sending things back
⌠The restrooms are located in the AbracadaBar bar next door. There's something off about leaving a quiet and relaxing restaurant, to then walking through another bar packed with loud people to use the restroom
✅ The restaurant has lovely decor and a calming atmosphere. Lots of great theming like fish scales on the cutlery
✅ Delicious and fresh bread service
✅ Delicious pork belly starters. Not too fatty, not too salty, just right!
✅ Our server was very professional. Kept our drinks refilled and was present throughout the meal
🆗 Both the New York strip and filet had WAY TOO MUCH salt on them. Filet was just about acceptable for me, but the New York strip was inedible - we had to send it back.
✅ Espresso Martini was divine. First one I've had made with Joffrey's coffee, yummy!
The atmosphere and ambience of the restaurant was very enjoyable. The seats were comfortable and the design and features of the restaurant were incredible to explore.
Because this was one of our "fancier" meals - and one of the ones we were most looking forward to - we ordered a bottle of champagne.
Our server Katie was great. She was present throughout the entire meal. She was friendly and dealt with our problems in an acceptable and efficient manner in the best way she could. First, the bread service arrived which was fresh and delicious.
There wasn't too much on the starters menu that we liked the sound of, so we both decided to go for the slow-roasted Pork Belly with spiced apple and cherry gastrique. These pork belly starters were very nice. They weren't too fatty, they weren't not too salty, they were just right!
Moving onto the entree course, I opted for the Filet Mignon (Asparagus, Sweet Onion Risotto and Truffle Sauce). The Filet was tender and juicy, and the Truffle Sauce was exceptional. I'm usually not a big fan of Risotto, but surprisingly, I thoroughly enjoyed it in this dish. However, after a few bites, I noticed that the Filet was quite salty. While the salt level was tolerable for me, it did diminish the overall enjoyment of the dish. Although I would have preferred it less salty, it wasn't so excessive that I felt compelled to send it back. However...
Our other entree was the New York Strip (Mille-Feuille Potato Gratin, Cauliflower Colors, and Bearnaise Sauce). After taking a bite, I noticed that the other half didn't seem particularly impressed. I asked what was wrong with it and she said it's way too salty. Having already tasted my filet (without commenting on it) and arrived at the same conclusion, I decided to give her New York Strip a try. It was like eating a forkful of pure salt.
I flagged down our server, Katie, and told her that the New York Strip steak was excessively salty and completely inedible. She took it away to be replaced. She asked about my steak, and I said it was too salty as well, but I was fine with it. Despite my slow eating pace, I managed to finish my meal before the New York Strip returned. To make matters worse, it seemed they were aware of the delay because the Potato Gratin, which had been delicious on the first plate, was undercooked and inedible on the replacement meal. The replacement New York Strip steak itself was much better, but by then, her appetite had been dampened by the previous disappointing dish and the long wait.
After posting my reaction on social media, many others commented that they've experienced the overuse of salt here (and in some other places as well). I understand that palate differences exist, and I know Americans generally prefer their salt. However, this steak was by far the saltiest we've ever had at Walt Disney World. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the steak tasted like eating pure salt.
To finish we cleansed our palates with a glass of water and an Espresso Martini (made with Joffrey's coffee) each - which I have to say was one of the best Espresso Martini's I think I've ever had.
Our server removed the New York Strip from the bill, and the total came to about $275 including tip ($100 of which is the champagne). If the New York Strip had been included, our bill would have been around $350, or approximately $250 without the champagne. Even if the experience had been flawless, It's hard to say if this would have been worth it. The restaurant is beautiful, and the service is excellent. We might give it another try in a few years to give them another chance, as some people swear by this place.
