Dining Review: Jaleo by José Andrés at Disney Springs

Hi everyone!

I was invited to Jaleo at Disney Springs for what turned out to be a 4 hour group lunch, trying out a variety of small plates and drinks (Jaleo serves a menu of tapas). Jaleo is the newest restaurant in a wide variety of wonderful choices at Disney Springs, which is where we go for most of our Walt Disney World dining now. And José Andrés is just one of many well-known chefs who now head up restaurants there. Andrés is a James Beard Award–winning chef who is also a philanthropist, including being a big part of serving 3.5 million meals in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Jaleo itself first opened in 1993 in Washington D.C., and there will be 6 locations soon when the Dubai restaurant opens. The Jaleo website says of the restaurant that Jaleo brings alive the spirit and flavors of Spain by showcasing the rich regional diversity of Spanish cuisine. It is also in a very relaxed atmosphere, you could dress up but don’t need to.

Before I show the food, we were told that many of the items are on the José’s Way tasting menu. If you are looking to try a menu sampling, I would ask about that option. And I don’t post a lot of prices, that is standard for me in articles because prices can change. You can find the current menu and prices of everything at the Jaleo website.

The design of the building itself is inspired by an artichoke.

Jeff also had gone to the opening night event, and we have a video from that – José Andrés addresses the crowd in a portion of the video too.

Jaleo at Disney Springs is the largest of all the Jaleo restaurants.

Red is the first color that is noticable upon entering. Hospitalitydesign.com says in an article that “Red is prevalent as a tribute to the wood-fired grill cranking out the restaurant’s signature paella”.

We dined here early for lunch, when it wasn’t too crowded and I am sure the ambience is very different at night. I do want to go back soon to try some of the menu items that stuck out on the menu for me, including the Patatas bravas and Carne asada con piquillos (grilled flat iron steak). What was ordered for us is different than what I’d order for myself, which worked out well actually.

The website also talks about this artwork by photographer Rafael Vargas that “illuminates a bullfighter’s ornate costume”.

Jaleo is a beautifully designed restaurant.

This is a bar that was close to our tables.

Some tables overlook Disney Springs – both outside and inside.

Jaleo culinary director Ramon Martinez was in the kitchen making paellas. This is something Jaleo is well known for.

The menus are even colorful.

There is a nice variety of cocktails, sangrias and other drinks.

The Salt Air Margarita was a gorgeous choice, I didn’t order it but everyone raved about it. It includes Milagro Blanco tequila, Combier L’Original, lime and salt air.

The top looks like a foam, as opposed to salt on a rim.

I ordered the Ultimate Gin and Tonic, which comes with Hendrick’s gin, Fever Tree Indian Tonic, lemon verbena, juniper, lemon and lime. This is an excellent gin and tonic.

Fever Tree tonic water.

Here is a look at the drink once poured.

Jose’s Taco with ibérico de bellota and Supreme caviar was up first. Jamón Ibérico is called “the finest ham in the world”. The ham here is soft like butter.

Here is a close up on Jose’s Taco.

Oysters with ‘Gin and Tonic’. These are oysters with lemon, gin and tonic. I don’t eat seafood. I rarely eat pork but I made many exceptions during this meal.

Next up is the Jamón Ibérico de bellota cortado a mano. This is 36 to 48 month cured ham from “legendary free range, acorn-fed, black-footed ibérico pigs of Spain”. Any dish here that consists of Jamón Ibérico should be considered, I think I’ve just had it at two other restaurants (Capa at the Four Seasons Orlando and Remy aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship).

Endivias con queso de cabra y naranjas – Endives, goat cheese, oranges and almonds. Surprisingly delicious, I would have never ordered these just on description and looks alone. But the flavors work together well. It is a light, refreshing dish.

This is the Pan de cristal con tomate, toasted slices of uniquely crispy and ethereal bread brushed with fresh tomato. The bread was crispy and I enjoyed this, but… for $12.00 I am not sure I’d order it when there are other wonderful choices for similar pricing. It won’t last on the table as long as other items, since the tomato would soften it quickly. But I like bread, and this was tasty.

Aceitunas modernas y clásicas – ‘Ferran Adrià’ liquid olives and gordal olives stuffed with piquillo pepper and anchovy. I don’t eat olives themselves but do use olive oil a lot. The liquid olives were just so-so for me, though this was a popular dish at our table.

Cebolla asada – Roasted sweet onions, pine nuts, and La Peral blue cheese. Another surprising yes for me here, I like onions but generally not blue cheese or nuts.

Croquetas de pollo – Traditional chicken fritters. The fritter was very creamy and I wouldn’t have guessed there was chicken inside. The taste was really unlike anything I remember having so they would be more of an acquired taste for me, but this dish is very well regarded so I would order it again. Instead of in a shoe like other Jaleo restaurants, these are served on a pillow that is reminiscent of Cinderella.

Pulpo a la Gallega – Boiled octopus with peewee potatoes, pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika) and extra virgin olive oil. $20. I don’t eat seafood but enjoyed the potatoes. Others at the table loved this dish, to me this seems like a very good value at $20 – if I ate octopus, this would be enough for an entree for me.

Gambas a la Zahara is a dish with head-on shrimp, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. The size of this dish for $28 is decently sized and could be eaten as an entree with the bread that comes with it.

This is the side of bread that came with the shrimp.

Secreto ibérico bellota con pan con tomate y salsa verde – skirt steak from black-footed ibérico pigs of Spain served with toasted tomato bread, mojo verde and ailoli. $69.00. WOW. If I came back for one dish, this is it. I am not a pork eater usually, I probably ate more pork at this meal than I do during a normal year. But this dish really reminded me that it isn’t always about the type of food but how it is cooked. The mojo verde was perfect with it.

Here is a closer look.

There are a variety of paellas, two of the five that Jaleo serves are available each night. We tried the Arroz de verduras y setas de temporada – it includes seasonal vegetables and mushroom for $25. There is also a paella with chicken and rabbit; one with shrimp and squid; also lobster and squid and then chicken with select mushrooms. Prices do vary.

Jaleo is known for its paellas. Again, there are just two served each night – not all five.

Paella is scooped onto plates. This was delicous.

I ordered a sangria. Honestly, while it was nice and fruity tasting, the Ultimate Gin and Tonic was a better overall drink for me.

Dessert was next, and we were served four different dishes to taste. Of the three I tried, by far this was my favorite – Flan al estilo tradicional de mamá Marisa con espuma de crema catalana. This is a recipe from Jose’s mother and is a classic Spanish custard with “espuma” of Catalan cream and oranges. This was the best flan I’ve probably ever had. I was also full from the meal, and this was a nice, light dessert to taste.

The Pan con chocolate is a chocolate custard with caramelized bread, olive oil and brioche ice cream. The combination of flavors is delicious but it was just a little heavy for me after the meal.

The Quesada Asturiana is a basque-style cheesecake made with goat cheese and with a side of seasonal sorbet. I didn’t feel I could eat anything else and didn’t taste it but many at our table thought this was the best dessert they tried.

I did take a small taste of the Cítricos con helado de acite de oliva, which is olive oil ice cream with grapefruit. I don’t like grapefruit and this didn’t change my mind – I think it is really necessary to like grapefruit for this dessert. There are 5 different dessert choices and there should be something for everyone.

Here are a couple of photos inside the restaurant.

Jaleo was a huge surprise for me in that I’m a pretty picky eater but several dishes that I didn’t expect to like I loved – and that is without trying what I know I’d enjoy. The food is beautifully presented and delicious. The meals are not inexpensive, but I could dine here without breaking the bank by ordering a few different tapas items. Jaleo is a very unique restaurant for Disney Springs and I do recommend it.

Another thing to note is that I usually do not like sharing food. If I order something, I want to eat it mostly myself. But with this meal, it was nice to try items I normally would not order and I discovered a few that I will have in the future.

I was hosted here, but all views are my own. We dine at Disney Springs pretty often and will be back to Jaleo.