Is Nine Dragons the Worst Restaurant in Epcot?

Nine Dragons Restaurant is a table-service restaurant in Epcot. Come explore this dining location with me, and I’ll share more about the food and give my full review.

Nine Dragons Restaurant

Located in the China Pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase, Nine Dragons Restaurant is a table-service dining establishment that serves contemporary Chinese cuisine.

Locating it is very easy! Nine Dragons is towards the front of the pavilion facing the promenade and lagoon. It is located on the left as soon as you enter the large gate.

Do make sure you make time to explore the rest of the pavilion! There is a large shop in the back, and you can meet Mulan! Strolling around the beautiful China gardens and landscape, it’s easy to imagine transforming yourself half way around the world.

See our full guide to the China pavilion in this post.

Reservations and Check In

It is very easy to secure an Advanced Dining Reservation at Nine Dragons. The restaurant is not exactly the most popular dining location in the World Showcase (those belong to Akershus and Le Cellier). Now I see why that is…but more on that in a bit.

I was able to easily modify the reservation about a week before my visit, and availability was still plentiful in the days leading up to my reservation.

Be aware that breakfast is not served here, and lunch does not begin until 12:00 pm. Breakfast is pretty hard to come by in Epcot, but I recommend Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie in France and Akershus in Norway if you are wanting to eat breakfast in the World Showcase.

Checking in to the reservation was very easy at Nine Dragons. Like other restaurants at Disney World, you can check in on the app. Be sure to include any dietary needs and special requests.

Atmosphere and Decor

When you enter the restaurant, take in the stunning glass dragons chasing a glowing pearl!

Nine Dragons restaurant is filled with ornate wood carvings, traditional lanterns, and exquisitely-made glasswork. I highly recommend excusing yourself to the restroom and taking the long way back to admire the beautiful decorations and handiwork.

The restaurant has a variety of table seating and booths. Like some of the other restaurants in the World Showcase, there is window seating so you can take in views of the promenade and lagoon.

While you probably won’t have the best view of Luminious fireworks from inside the restaurant, you may consider a later reservation if you wish to view the fireworks from your table.

Appetizers Menu and Review

The menu at Nine Dragons is considered contemporary cuisine. Specifically, you can enjoy Cantonese, Mongolian, Szechuan, Hunan and Kiangche-style dishes.

Start your meal off with appetizers like spring rolls, dumplings, pot stickers, or soup. My table sampled the spring rolls, and this is where I began to realize I may have made a bad choice dining here.

The spring rolls were just okay. There was not a lot of flavor it to at all actually, so I relied on the dipping sauce to help me finish off the spring rolls.

If you want to try the fried rice as an appetizer, I recommend ordering it as a side to your meal. You’ll pay less for the same amount. But, I actually advise you not to order the fried rice. Also more on that in a bit.

Entrees Menu and Review

Entrees include the following:

• Crispy Duck Fried Rice
• Canton Pepper Beef
• Honey Sesame Chicken
• Spicy Honey Crispy Chicken
• Kung Pao Duo
• Spicy Mala Happy Family
• Salt and Pepper Shrimp
• Kowloon Spare Ribs
• Vegetable & Tofu Stir Fry

There are three children’s items on the menu: Honey Chicken Nuggets, Sweet-and-Sour Shrimp with Lo Mein Noodles, and Deluxe Fried Rice.

My table ordered the Canton Pepper Beef, Honey Sesame Chicken, and the Spicy Honey Crispy Chicken. The best dish of the table was the beef. It comes in thin slices of beef and is served with grilled peppers and onions. Like the other entrees we ordered, it is served with a side of white rice.

The Spicy Honey Chicken and Honey Sesame Chicken were the exact same with the only difference being the taste of the chicken. The Spicy Honey was not spicy at all. Usually I (Monica) cannot handle spice, and I had no problem eating this dish.

The Honey Sesame Chicken was the worst dish of what we ordered. It really had no flavor, and the breading kept falling off the chicken.

I also made the mistake of ordering the fried rice instead of the white rice. It was the worst fried rice I’ve ever had in my life. There was no flavor to it, so I had to use a lot of soy sauce. Something unusual about it tasted like tap water as well – like they used a lot of Florida tap water to soak the rice. After one particularly bad bite, I was done.

Dessert and Drinks Menu and Review

Finish off your meal with a dessert like Strawberry-Red Bean Ice Cream or Caramel-Ginger Ice Cream. My table was not paticularly thrilled with anything we ordered, so we decided to skip the desserts and grab something sweet elsewhere in the World Showcase.

There are quite a few specialty drinks like ByJo Mo, Jade Beauty, and Lychee Blossom. I have never been a fan of Asian alcohol, so that was another thing we skipped.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I was very dispapointed in the meal at Nine Dragons. The service was quick, but the food was not good at all. You would be better off saving a few bucks and eating at the quick-service Chinese restaurant, Lotus Blossom.

I absolutely will not eat at Nine Dragons, and I think most people feel the same way. The restaurant was only half full during our entire dining experience, and we were there during peak dinner hours.

There are too many other fantastic dining options in the World Showcase to enjoy, so unless Chinese food is your absolute favorite cuisine, I suggest skipping Nine Dragons.

Have you ever eaten at Nine Dragons? Share your thoughts with us below. And, be sure to pass this review along to someone who may be considering a reservation here.