{"id":152163,"date":"2026-01-27T21:18:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T21:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/152163\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T21:18:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T21:18:19","slug":"after-8-months-disneys-napa-rose-returns-with-new-magic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/152163\/","title":{"rendered":"After 8 Months, Disney\u2019s Napa Rose Returns With New Magic"},"content":{"rendered":"

After eight months of renovations, Napa Rose at Disney\u2019s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa reopens on February 6. Napa Rose temporarily closed in April 2025 after more than two decades in operation. The reopening coincides with Napa Rose\u2019s 25th anniversary; reservations will go live on January 27 at 9 a.m.<\/a><\/p>\n

Napa Rose opened in January 2001 with a menu showcasing California wine country cuisine. At opening, former Los Angeles Times critic S. Irene Virbila gave the restaurant a positive review<\/a>, awarding it two stars. Before Napa Rose, fine dining at Disneyland didn\u2019t exist for the public; a select few were invited to the legendary Club 33<\/a>, but most of the other food options were theme park casual.<\/p>\n

Over the decades, expectations for upscale restaurants evolved; diners sought a broader range of flavors and ingredients, beyond the more limited scope of wine country cuisine. At the same time, other restaurants in Disney\u2019s portfolio gained attention, like Victoria & Albert\u2019s at Disney\u2019s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and Capa at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, which were both awarded a Michelin star. After a critical review from Los Angeles Times critic Bill Addison in 2023 that questioned if Napa Rose\u2019s \u201cmagic needed a refresh,\u201d<\/a> plans for a remodel eventually came to fruition.<\/p>\n

Napa Rose\u2019s renovation adds additional patio seating on the outdoor terrace and fireplaces in the dining room. Warm wood floors and carved walls evoke a luxe lodge atmosphere. Napa Rose\u2019s expansion reflects the restaurant\u2019s need to accommodate larger parties and special events. Its popular chef\u2019s counter expanded to seat 18 guests and a remodeled 16-seat dining room is available for private parties.<\/p>\n

Andrew Sutton, an alum of Napa Valley\u2019s Auberge du Soleil and the opening chef at Napa Rose, continues to oversee the restaurant. For Sutton, Napa Rose\u2019s new evolution was crucial. \u201cReopening Napa Rose feels deeply personal,\u201d says Sutton. \u201cWe took the time to do this right \u2026 The room feels warmer and more open, the energy more connected, and the experience more expressive of who we are as a team right now.\u201d Sutton is joined at the restaurant by executive chef Clint Chin, who oversees the day-to-day kitchen operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working at the strongest level we ever have \u2014 as cooks, as a dining room, and as a collective,\u201d says Sutton. \u201cThe menu and wine program are intentionally broader and more international in perspective, always grounded in craftsmanship, seasonality, and respect for the ingredients. Everything \u2014 the food, the service, the wines \u2014 comes together with a sense of harmony that feels honest to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chocolate<\/a><\/p>\n

Elevated and Reminiscent Valrhona Chocolate Bar. Disneyland Resort\/Ron DeAngelis<\/p>\n

The new seasonal prix fixe menu includes American wagyu New York steak with grape fennel mostarda, oak-roasted forest mushrooms, and handmade sorpresine (\u201clittle surprises\u201d) pasta with Dungeness crab and Santa Barbara uni butter. Custom wine pairings will be selected by Napa Rose wine director Patrick Kirchen, who pulls from the restaurant\u2019s 1,500-label collection. Since Napa Rose is still located at a theme park, the restaurant offers a new children\u2019s menu for kids nine and younger. Reservations are highly recommended for the dining room.<\/p>\n

Executive pastry chef Jorge Sotelo and pastry chef Nubia Renteria remain in charge of the desserts, a highlight at Napa Rose. The duo also oversees construction of the hotel\u2019s massive seven-foot gingerbread<\/a> houses for the holidays. Their desserts lean toward playful classics infused with California produce, such as Nantes carrot cake cremeux.<\/p>\n

Napa Rose offers a separate menu at the bar and lounge, which does not take reservations. (Grabbing a seat at Napa Rose\u2019s bar has long been a favorite way for Magic Key passholders and regulars to slip into the typically booked restaurant on a whim.) The new bar menu leans into nostalgic favorites, like beef tartare with Osetra caviar and bone marrow custard with toasted baguette slices. Laughing Tiger, a reimagined version of the restaurant\u2019s longstanding popular Smiling Tiger Salad with spicy beef, shrimp fritters, and coconut vinaigrette, returns, too.<\/p>\n

When asked if he has dreams of Napa Rose gaining a Michelin star, Sutton says, \u201cWe\u2019re focused on delivering a dining experience that feels thoughtful, precise, and worthy of its place in California\u2019s culinary landscape. If that journey leads to Michelin or James Beard recognition, it would be an honor, but the work always comes first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Napa Rose is located at 1600 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, CA 92802. Reservations are available online<\/a> or through the Disneyland app.<\/p>\n

\"Sliced<\/a><\/p>\n

Oak-roasted forest mushrooms. Disneyland Resort\/Ron DeAngelis<\/p>\n

\"Sliced<\/a><\/p>\n

Laughing Tiger. Disneyland Resort\/Ron DeAngelis<\/p>\n

\"Pasta<\/a><\/p>\n

Sopresine pasta with Dungeness crab and uni butter. Disneyland Resort\/Ron DeAngelis<\/p>\n

\"Beef<\/a><\/p>\n

Beef tartare with caviar. Disneyland Resort\/Ron DeAngelis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After eight months of renovations, Napa Rose at Disney\u2019s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa reopens on February 6.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152164,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,9146],"class_list":["post-152163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-la-restaurant-openings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}