Indulge in Mouth-Watering Tapas at Jaleo at Disney Springs

Disney Springs is filled with amazing dining options to please just about anyone. One of the newest restaurants to hit the district is Jaleo by José Andrés, located at Disney Springs’ West Side, and right on the beautiful Lake Buena Vista.

When guests walk up to Jaleo they are greeted by an architectural masterpiece. The building is meant to look like an artichoke and is two stories high, consisting of over 20,000 square feet. The smell of cooking paella fills your nose when you step into the restaurant.

As you're taken to your seat you’ll notice the giant paella pit, floor to ceiling windows, inviting bar space and the foosball tables. Yes, we said foosball tables. Jaleo has a few of these in the restaurant, which serve nicely as pre-dinner entertainment while waiting for your food to arrive.

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The menu can seem overwhelming, as it is quite expansive. However, we found the entire waitstaff to be extremely knowledgable and willing to answer any questions. If for some reason they didn’t know the answer, they found someone who did. The attention to detail by the entire staff was refreshing and welcoming.

Any good Spanish meal should start with sangría. Jaleo offers two options: red and sparkling white. The star, in my opinion, was the sparkling white, also know assangría de lujo cava. The fruity mix, topped off with cava sparkling wine, is light and refreshing, perfect for a hot Florida afternoon.

If wine isn’t your thing, then maybe a margarita is. While margaritas are not from Spain, Chef Andrés is putting his own spin on the classic cocktail. The salt air margarita is a standard margarita on the bottom but topped off with a foam that tastes just like salty beach air.

When you go to Jaleo, be sure to go in hungry and with an open mind. Many of the items on the menu are familiar dishes, but done in a very creative and unexpected way, which is part of the fun of dining at Jaleo. Ordering becomes a way to try new things you might not have tried before, especially since the majority of the menu is tapas, which are meant to be shared.

If you’ve never had tapas before, you're in for a real treat. The small plates generally allow a few bites per person, allowing diners to have a variety of tastes throughout a meal.

One of the most popular Spanish tapas is pan de cristal con tomate, toasted slices of bread brushed with fresh tomato. Jaleo gets the bread imported from Spain, so you know it’s going to be super authentic. The light dish is the perfect way to start a meal.

For another authentic taste of Spain, be sure to get the amón ibérico de bellota cortado a mano. This ham is cured for anywhere from 36 to 48 months and comes from free range, acorn fed, black-footed ibérico pigs of Spain. The ham is carved tableside for a fun Instagram moment, allowing you to marvel at the masters who work with the knife.

For the full Jaleo experience, consider a tasting menu option. They currently offer two different tasting menus, the Jaleo Experience and José’s Way. The Jaleo Experience offers guests select traditional and modern tapas. This is a better menu for people who don’t like to experiment as much with food and want a safer option.

José’s Way offers guests the option to eat just like José with tapas and full plate options. This is a menu for someone who isn’t afraid of food they might not be familiar with and are willing to try just about anything.

What Jaleo does amazingly well is paella. The Spanish restaurant has an open kitchen with a massive paella pit. Each night, there's a rotating menu of two out of their signature five paellas. Guests can order the rice dish by the plate or by the pan. For larger parties of eight or more, the pan of paella is the way to go due to its size and ability to feed multiple people.

Before you ask for your check, you’re going to want to take a look at the dessert menu. The star of the sweets is the pan con chocolate, a dessert featuring a chocolate custard paired with olive oil and brioche ice cream, and topped with a very thin slice of caramelized brioche bread. The combinations of sweet, crunchy, smooth and a little salty make for an incredible dessert.

Overall, Jaleo is sure to be a rising star in the Disney food scene. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner each night and reservations are highly recommended.