Lamplight Lounge Review in Disney California Adventure

A review of the delicious and fun Lamplight Lounge Restaurant in Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort.

The former Cove Bar was our favorite dining spot in Disney California Adventure. There was something unique and cool about sitting outside on the pier, sipping on a Disney-inspired cocktail, and watching the roller coaster launch nearby. So when Disney announced that Pixar Pier would takeover Paradise Pier in 2018, guests were saddened by the Cove Bar changing into the Pixar-themed Lamplight Lounge.

However, after seeing these changes for ourselves, Lamplight Lounge still keeps all of the fun of the former Cove Bar—with some added Pixar-themed inspiration. Like the rest of Pixar Pier, Lamplight Lounge comes with popular updates that aimed to please all guests. For example, Lamplight now has an expanded menu with many of the same dining and drink choices offered at Cove Bar, while adding menu choices and the option to make a reservation — which was not previously possible at mega-popular Cove Bar (the line often exceeded over an hour).

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Since its opened, we’ve eaten several times at this still-popular dining spot. Why is Lamplight so popular? Well, it’s a lot of Pixar-themed fun! We adore the simple color palates of black, red, and blue that gives the dining location a gastro pub feeling. There’s also Pixar concept art on the walls from nearly every film and plenty of seating since the lounge also took over the space previously occupied by Ariel’s Grotto. Guests can sit around an outdoor fire pit or on barstools overlooking the Pier from one of two levels. Even kids had a blast watching the Incredicoaster launch as they dined. Almost right away, it seemed clear why Disney made the change: Lamplight Lounge is much more family friendly while still appealing to adults who enjoyed Cove Bar — and the decor is a great improvement from Cove Bar’s simple seaside-style feel.

If you’re looking for Cove Bar favorites, chances are you’ll still find them. The famous lobster nachos are back and so are many of the cocktails (though the lounge has a full bar). However, there’s a newer nacho dish to try that we think is even better! The Spotlight Nachos are barbacoa (beef) and wonderfully savory. We never thought we’d trade in lobster for beef, but here we are!

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The Lamplight Lounge’s potato skins are like none we’ve ever had! These were incredibly hearty chunks of yukon potato with brown butter-caper yogurt, smoked paprika aïoli, and manchego cheese. They really packed a tasty punch but were somewhat rich so we recommend sharing.

A great paring drink is the 2319 (pictured in back of the potato skins), a non-alcoholic drink made with strawberry purée, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice, topped with Coca-Cola. The Coke sounded strange but it actually brought the flavors together incredibly well. This is something both adults and kids will enjoy because it’s not too sweet.

We also tried the kids’ PB and J Roll, which is a peanut butter sandwich rolled and cut to look like sushi — and drizzled with strawberry jelly. While it also came with some veggies and hummus, it was just a standard PB and J sandwich, but still fun to eat.

Nonetheless, we did love the secret menu adult beverage item, The Fun Wheel. Named after the previous title of the Ferris wheel attraction (now called Pixar Pal-a-Round), The Fun Wheel is three layers of drinkable delight. It’s pineapple juice on the bottom, passion fruit vodka in the middle, and blue curaçao on top. We recommend first taking a photo of this beauty and then mixing everything together for the best taste!

More Lamplight Lounge secret menu alcoholic drinks:

• Neverland Tea —Sprite, pineapple juice, peach schnapps, midori, vodka, and gin. It’s as green as Peter Pan’s clothes!
• The Black Pearl — A Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired cocktail made with Sprite, chambord, vodka, gin, sweet and sour, and, of course, rum.

If you’re dying to try the Lamplight Lounge, make a reservation as soon as possible and request seating near the water. At night, you’ll even have a side view of stunning water show, World of Color (which is currently under refurbishment due to a malfunction). Larger groups might get seated in the “secret room” which is indoors, but behind a vault door!

Tip: If you don’t get a reservation, head to Lamplight as soon as possible to secure a “walk-up” reservation. These go quickly! We hope you enjoyed this review of Lamplight Lounge. To get Disneyland updates and valuable tips for visiting , sign up for our free e-mail newsletter! You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter.