The Jaleo Experience in Disney Springs – A Celebration of Spanish Cuisine!

Jaleo by José Andrés is an exceptional restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs that specializes in Spanish cuisine. At Jaleo, the menu places a passionate emphasis on authentic Spanish recipes, encouraging its diners to notice the difference between Latin American dishes and Spanish dishes. Much of the menu focuses on tapas, a signature dining experience in Spain. Jaleo is currently offering the “Jaleo Experience,” which is an exquisite tasting menu consisting of over 10 authentic Spanish courses. Much of this menu is tapas style (small sharable plates) and truly was a joy to try! Below, I share an overview of the Jaleo Experience and hope you’ll be inspired to give it a try:

Jaleo, Disney Springs

One of the greatest parts of being at Jaleo is being surrounded by people who are excited about the food that you’re going to be eating. The dinner truly felt like more than food; it was an experience. Every plate sparked a conversation, and each recipe had its own story to tell. The staff were all extraordinarily knowledgeable about not only the menu but Spanish culture, as well. Our waitress, Ginger, explained every part of the tasting menu with incredible detail, giving us information about where the dish originated, what kinds of flavor profiles it might hit, and how it was made. 

Jaleo Drinks

The first thing to strike me when I was seated was the question of what kind of water I wanted. It seemed like such a simple question. But Jaleo offers a unique sparkling mineral water, Sant Aniol, which is volcanic in origin and comes from the Iberian Peninsula. You can actually taste the diversity of minerals in the water itself, and I found this simple glass of water to be the perfect start to a spectacular, unique meal.

Jaleo has an exceptional list of wines, sangrias, and cocktails. My husband ordered the Margarita Donostiarra, which he said was delicate, spicy, and much more refreshing than he anticipated. He encourages people who might be hesitant to try something spicy or smoky to give this margarita a shot since it isn’t as intense as many mezcal-forward cocktails.

I don’t typically drink cocktails, and while Jaleo does not have a mocktail menu, the bartender was happy to assist me in creating something special. He came over to our table, asked what flavor profiles I enjoyed, and mixed the most wonderful drink for me! The mocktail was a blend of fruit juices and spices, not too sweet and perfectly balanced. I found that it complimented the tasting menu incredibly well, and I was very happy to know that the restaurant easily caters to diners who don’t want to imbibe.

The time had come for us to get the full Jaleo Experience. Here’s what we tried throughout the tasting menu along with our thoughts.

Jaleo Experience Tasting Menu

The first course taken to our table had three items, the Super flauta, Cono de salmón crudo con huevas de trucha, & ‘Ferran Adrià’ liquid olives. We were encouraged by Ginger to start at the left and work our way to the right.

The Super flauta is flauta bread brushed with tomato and extra virgin olive oil, topped with paletilla ibérica de bellota and Manchego cheese. Flauta bread, as Ginger explained, is often referred to as “crystal bread” because the dough uses more water than flour and has such a light, crispy texture. The recipe comes from Barcelona, and the base for the flauta made in the restaurant comes directly from Spain. The tomato spread on top of the bread takes between four to five hours to make because of the care taken to press the tomatoes and turn them into a flavorful sauce. The Manchego cheese has a delicate sweetness to it, which balanced out the robust flavors of the paletilla ibérica de bellota. The paletilla ibérica de bellota is the 36-month cured ham shoulder from the legendary free-range, acorn-fed, black-footed ibérico pigs of Spain. This dish was balanced in every sense of the word. The crunch of the bread, the smoothness of the tomato sauce, the richness of the pork, and the sweetness of the cheese created the perfect bite.

The Cono de salmón crudo con huevas de trucha is a salmon tartare and trout roe cone. This single bite was an explosion of flavor; it felt like tasting the ocean. The tartare was smooth, the roe was salty, and the cone itself had a delightful crunch that gave the bite an excellent pop of texture.

By far, the most exciting and interesting part of this place was the ‘Ferran Adrià’ liquid olives. These perfect spheres are meant to be a palate cleanser. Ginger instructed us to lightly touch the “olives” to the roof of our mouths instead of biting into them. The little spheres literally burst, and the olive flavor was divine. If you have a love for anything briny, you will be impressed by this little food marvel.

The next item we tried was the Coca Idiazábal, which is a handmade rosemary and olive oil cracker topped with membrillo and Idiazábal cheese. Membrillo is thick, sliceable jelly made from the quince fruit. It added a wonderfully sweet and smooth contrast to the salty Idiazábal cheese on the top of the cracker.

One of the most shockingly delicious moments of the tasting menu for me was the Pimientos del piquillo rellenos con queso Caña de cabra, which is seared piquillo peppers filled with goat cheese. I do not enjoy peppers. I will normally not eat food items where peppers have even touched the plate. However, I am never going to say no to something when it is served to me, especially when it has clearly been created with so much love. These peppers have changed me entirely. They were so well cooked that they didn’t need a fork, never mind a knife, to be eaten. It was almost like eating a thick sauce instead of a vegetable. I was so impressed with this dish that my husband let me eat most of it myself, and I could have happily had seconds or thirds. The goat cheese filling was intense in flavor and fantastically smooth, balancing out the natural acidity of the pepper.

My favorite fresh bite came from the Manzanas con hinojo y queso Manchego, which is a sliced apple and fennel salad with Manchego cheese, walnuts, and sherry dressing. This salad was more than just a salad; it was an awakening of the palate. Some salads seem like afterthoughts or sad vegetarian options, but this was a revelation. The tartness of the apples, the crunchiness of the fennel, the brightness of the dressing, the earthiness of the walnuts, and the saltiness of the cheese all combined to create one perfect bite every time. 

Not pictured in this article is my favorite dish of the night (mostly because I ate it so quickly that I couldn’t possibly stop to take a photo). The Red beet gazpacho with goat cheese, oranges, and pistachios is the perfect winter soup for any beet fan. It was a smooth, earthy cold soup that brought unexpected flavors to each bite. Our waitress Ginger discouraged us from mixing the soup at all, and instead recommended that we take each bite in one, smooth motion. Some bites had more goat cheese in them, others had more pistachio, others more orange, and all of them were fantastic. I will miss this soup when spring rolls around, but I will order it again next winter!

Another palate cleanser taken to the table before we started on our crunchy, salty course was the Endivias con queso de cabra y naranjas, which is endives with goat cheese, oranges, and almonds. These are meant to be eaten in two bites, and with the brightness of the orange and the crunch of the almonds, readies your palate for the meal ahead. I honestly could have had a dozen of these. They were refreshing and bold in the best way.

The Patatas bravas are fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and garlic alioli. Do not fear the spice! I normally stray away from anything claiming to be spicy, but I found this sauce to balance the sweetness of the tomatoes with the spices incorporated into the sauce in a way that wasn’t abrasive at all. The garlic sauce was the star of this dish for me, though, and added a depth of flavor that complimented the tomato sauce fantastically. The crispy potatoes gave a satisfying crunch and were perfectly cooked. I think that this dish is a crowd pleaser for almost any tables of diners.

The Croquetas de pollo, or chicken croquettes, came out on a literal pillow, which was appropriate since they were like little pillows themselves. Although they were fried and crispy, the béchamel sauce used inside of them was incredibly soft. This was another dish that I truly believe anyone could fall in love with, especially since the croquettes are so easy to eat. It’s hard to have just one!

The Gambas a la Zahara is a celebration of the sea. The simmering dish is brought to your table with the lid still on, and as soon as the lid is lifted, it smells as though the ocean was on your doorstep. This seemingly simple dish of head-on shrimp, with garlic and extra virgin olive oil is packed with flavor. You’ll be glad that they brought bread to the table because the garlic sauce is to die for.

Next, we tried the Carne asada con piquillos confitados which is a Josper grilled 6 oz prime flat iron beef steak with confit piquillo peppers. Alongside that, we had a Josper grilled artichoke with a romesco sauce. Both of these dishes had an extremely complex charred flavor due to the nature of cooking with a Josper grill, which is not used in many kitchens but was designed and is manufactured in Barcelona, Spain. The hybrid grill/oven is set to an extremely high temperature and is able to cook many items at once due to its design. Jaleo proudly has a Josper grill in its kitchen and utilizes it for many of its menu items.

Our meal ended with two fantastic desserts. The first of which is a recipe that comes straight from chef José Andrés’ grandmother, the Flan al estilo tradicional de mamá Marisa con espuma de crema catalana. The dish is a classic Spanish custard with ‘espuma’ of Catalan cream and has been in José Andrés’ family for many, many years. I have never experienced such a perfect flan, and I don’t suppose I ever will again (until I come back to Jaleo).

Our final dish was the Pan con chocolate, chocolate custard with caramelized bread, olive oil, and brioche ice cream. The bread and olive oil were such a welcome surprise to this plate, and I was shocked at how much I enjoyed the saltiness and texture combined with the custard and ice cream. A picture can do no justice to the remarkable, complex nature of this dessert, so you’ll just have to go and try it for yourself.

Jaleo Tasting Experience More Information

The Jaleo Experience is not to be missed. The menu is authentic and incredible, the staff is friendly and passionate, and the atmosphere is exciting and invigorating. The entire meal is a celebration of Spanish culture and cuisine, and it is one that I will not soon forget. 

If you’d like more information about the Jaleo Experience as well as the full menu that you have to choose from, you can find it here: Jaleo Restaurant Disney Springs 

Let’s Hear From You!

Have you had the Jaleo Experience? Or have you spent an evening at Jaleo enjoying their large plates? I can’t wait to return to this Walt Disney World marvel. I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! 

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