I was fortunate enough to dine at the brand new Wave Restaurant within Disney’s Contemporary Resort about a week ago. This was the restaurant’s third week being opened and I could not wait to give it a try. I am so happy to report that Walt Disney World has another winning dining experience within its repertoire of dining establishments with The Wave. Disney dining at its finest!
Upon entering the restaurant, you emerge into a brushed silver tunnel, with glass walls encasing “bubbles” on either side. You’ll notice that as you move on, the tunnel declines ever so slightly, giving you the subtle feeling that you are descending into a watery wonderland. The soft, blue lights that permeate the tunnel, also lend their ambiance to the “watery wonderland” that awaits you at the end of the tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, you’ll find the podium, with a huge, gorgeous, frosted glass wall as its backdrop. This glass wall encases ”waves and bubbles” within, leading you to imagine that the wall itself contains flowing water throughout.
The two lounge/waiting rooms are to the right of the restaurant as you exit the tunnel. These semi-circular rooms, with their long comfy couches aligning the entire wall, are quite dark, with a soft glow of blue light radiating from a circular “tray” in the ceiling. These rooms are so relaxing in nature, that you almost don’t mind the wait to be seated. While waiting, you’ll look on as glowing drinks are brought to guests, permeating the darker, soft blue glowing area and adding to the relaxing overall ambiance.
The bar itself is another beautiful area of the restaurant. Darker, warm, woods with lots of glass so the soft lighting, perfectly placed, plays off of the glass and lend its own brand of soft glow. Upon the ceiling are golden twinkling lights adding to the warmth of the ambiance. At the very end of the bar area you’ll see the hundreds of wine bottles through the windowed wall, allowing you a glimpse into one of the restaurants “quirky” claims to fame; the largest collection of fine “screw top” wines in the US. It is told that experts are now finding that the freshest and tastiest of wines are to be found beneath screw tops; not the long believed corks that generally top our possibly outdated idea of the finer wines of the past. You’ll also find organic wine and beer as a unique offering to sample, as well.
Moving into the dining area, you’ll find that this area takes on more of warm golden glow. It’s as if you’re transported from the watery wonderland into an underground mysterious cave of golden walls and waves flowing freely above. This is accomplished with very modern, contemporary touches such as interesting use of lighting, along with golden waves of metal, encasing the entire ceiling of both rooms. In the center of each table, you’ll find that the salt and pepper shakers lend their own artistic touch to your table. Circular brushed silver “pucks” settled into a brushed silver holder will have you initially wondering “what in the world?” Upon closer inspection you’ll find the tiny openings atop the “pucks” leading to the revelation that you’ve discovered the salt and pepper shakers. Contemporary art of soft golden colors adorns the walls in a conservative way, careful not to overdue and take away from the feeling of “calm” you’ll experience during your time within The Wave.
Clam Linguini with Tomato Broth
The food, mostly of organic nature, is extremely fresh, with vegetables arriving every other day from local farms. You’ll find nothing battered and dripping with grease here. Everything is either grilled, pan seared, or baked. As a southern girl and huge fan of all things battered and fried, I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive. However, upon the arrival of our food, we were more than pleasantly surprised. My filet bathed in a wonderful cabernet sauce, I’ll venture to say, was the best that I’ve had in quite some time. It was served with fresh warm, dressed greens, and roasted tomatoes and fingerling potatoes hiding beneath the filet itself. My companion for the evening, (my 9 year old son), opted for a linguini dish, adorned with shrimp, baby clams and a wonderful light tomato broth. We requested the broth on the side, and the server was happy to oblige. In all honesty, I was tempted to dig into the remaining broth in the bowl and enjoy it as a soup. It was that good. My son and I were both extremely pleased with our choices and were eager to give 2 very hearty thumbs up.
Desserts are served in 3 miniature bowls offering various samplings of delectable and interesting sugary delights. Samplings are grouped in various categories such as “Creamy Indulgence”, “Decadent Flavors”, “Crisp and Crunchy” and “Freshly Crafted Sorbets”. You are also welcomed to mix and match to create your own personalized, 3 miniature bowl, samplings. We opted for the cheesecase with raspberry coulis, coconut panna cotta with passion fruit drizzle and vanilla braised pineapple spears on one sampling “plate”. Then we decided on a second sampling of the homemade and freshly crafted sorbets (pineapple, strawberry, and lemon basil); Again, a “homerun” for The Wave in the dessert department. I’d say our favorite was the cheesecake and coconut panna cotta, with the vanilla braised pineapple spears coming in last. Not that they weren’t good……it’s just that for our sweet teeth, this choice didn’t quite offer the sugar-laden dessert that we have personally become accustomed to. However, this along with the sorbets make for a delightful choice for those desiring something subtly sweet.
Our dinner for 2 with desserts was around $70.00. However, I can tell you with confidence that it was money well-spent. We enjoyed every minute of our hour and a half within The Wave.
In wrapping up my review of The Wave, I must speak briefly about the service. Our server was Ali, a delightfully cheery fellow, whose disposition was a bit contagious, I must say. He seemed as if he had found his dream job in serving others at The Wave. He exuded just that much authentic “happiness” which honestly should be a necessity for all Walt Disney World cast-members. He was extremely attentive without being overly so. My son had ordered coke to drink. After several minutes into our meal, Ali brought over a drink and instructed my son to “just try this one…. on me….it is our own raspberry lemonade”. My son and I both agreed that this was one of the most heavenly drinks we’d had. After letting Ali know how much we enjoyed the drink, he continued to bring them to both of us. When the bill came, the lemonades were nowhere to be found. Ali is pure perfection when it comes to food service and I would highly recommend that you request a table in his section.
In summary, I suppose you’ve already concluded that The Wave has become a new favorite of mine and I absolutely can barely wait to visit again. Like I said – and it bears repeating: Disney dinging at its finest!
Note: The Wave serves breakfast, lunch and dinner
