Billed as the “Height of Dining”, we made it out to EPCOT recently to check out the Space 220 Restaurant! The restaurant, which is run by third-party operator Patina Group, is located near Mission: SPACE and sits in the World Discovery neighborhood of EPCOT at Walt Disney World. In our Space 220 review, we’ll cover many of the food and drink options from lunch, dinner, and the lounge. BlogMickey.com paid 100% out of pocket for this review and was not part of any media invitation.
Space 220 Review
Pricing and Menu
Space 220 has implemented a prix fixe menu with some add-on options.
- Lunch pricing: $55 adult/$29 children 9 and under
- Dinner pricing: $79 adult/$29 children 9 and under
Lunch is a two-course prix fixe menu and dinner is a three-course prix fixe menu. The price for the children’s meal is the same at lunch and dinner.
Here’s a look at the lunch menu.
Here are the dinner menus.
Check-in and “Stellarvator” Space Elevator Experience
Space 220 officially opened at EPCOT on September 20th. During opening week, Space 220 Restaurant only accepted walk-up parties – no reservations. Starting today, reservations are available to book for dates beginning September 26. As of publish time, reservations are fully booked and will be quite hard to get going forward. We expect that Space 220 will be a popular addition to EPCOT as a highly themed dining experience, but more on that in a bit.
Space 220 is essentially tucked behind the Mission: SPACE attraction, and could actually be quite difficult to find. For as bland as the exterior theming is, the second the doors open, you find yourself immersed in all things “space”.
Signs in front of the restaurant simply allude to something, but the restaurant otherwise doesn’t have a visual presence. Perhaps this subtle approach is for the best – the Mission: SPACE facade is already striking enough, so there really doesn’t have to be a flashy facade for the restaurant.
Check-in for the restaurant is beneath another rather unassuming sign. That said, we expect that there will actually be a queue for the restaurant, perhaps even when the restaurant is reservation-only in a week. Simply put, once you’re seated, you really don’t want to leave. That might make timing seatings difficult and we wouldn’t be surprised by even a small queue for the first few weeks.
A sleek podium is where you’ll first check into your experience. A somewhat odd three-step check-in process awaits, but this is your first stop.
From there, an unassuming walk down what used to be a Cast Member-only walkway takes you to another unassuming building. We can’t stress enough how bland this building is, but it quickly won’t matter once you’re inside.
There is a small expanded courtyard for stroller parking.
Once you walk inside, the theming of the space reveals itself. You’re still on Earth, but at the base of a Stellarvator, or space elevator, that will take you up to the Centauri Space Station for your dining experience.
This is the second check-in area before you board one of two space elevators that will take you 220 miles into space.
There is a small seating area inside where guests can wait for their party’s turn to board the Stellarvator.
Once it’s your party’s turn to board the Stellarvator, you are given a boarding pass and welcomed aboard for a 75-second ride to the Centauri Space Station.
During the ride, you’ll be treated to brief views of EPCOT as Florida fades away below you and you reach the restaurant. In reality, you’re only traveling up one floor to the upper floor of the restaurant, but the trip is effective enough and the utilization of two different doors is smart.
Upper and lower port holes allow you to either see where you’re going, or where you just came from – in short, space up, ground below.
As we noted weeks ago, Disney has cleverly hidden The Pit of EPCOT via a strategically placed cloud. Hopefully this will change once a more concrete plan has been established for the World Celebration neighborhood of the park.
For a video of the ride up to Centauri Space Station, a quick overview of the space, and the ride back to EPCOT, check out our video below. You may have to disable any ad-blockers or watch on YouTube.
Centauri Space Station
The Centauri Space Station is your destination when visiting the Space 220 Restaurant. The backstory isn’t made obvious, but we were told that Space 220 Restaurant is really only a small part of the Centauri Space Station and that there are even some long-term inhabitants of the station. We think of it as Space 220 being a hotel restaurant of sorts, with plenty of lodging on the upper portions of the structure. Of course, that part of the story is unseen, but you will see evidence of space tourists floating outside of the large windows doing everything from “walking” their dogs to having a lightsaber battle (presumably after going to Savi’s Workshop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios).
As guests exit the Stellarvator, a series of corridors will take them past a rotating display of crops that harkens back to the early days of EPCOT, as well as a collection of wine bottles housed in individual displays before reaching the restaurant.
Space 220 Restaurant Theming
The theming of the Space 220 Restaurant evolved slightly from the original announcement back at the 2017 D23 Expo. Here’s a look at the original concept art, followed by the most recent concept art.
The final concept art made the windows smaller and introduced about double the amount of seating. This most recent concept art matches the final product closely. Here’s a look at the evolution of the restaurant from initial concept through to final product.
Let’s continue our tour of the restaurant and lounge area. The space is split into two levels, with the lower level just a few steps below the upper. This slight drop in elevation ensures that even tables near the back of the restaurant have good views of space.
Perhaps the best part of your dining experience at Space 220 will be the first reveal of the expansive view of Earth. It’s this first view that allows a moment of suspension of disbelief and sets the tone for the rest of your meal.
The upper-level seating is so good that even though we dined in the lower level, we found ourselves mostly taking photos from the top.
The upper level is split into half lounge seating and half reservation seating. All seating on the lower level is considered to be reservation-only seating. For guests who were unable to secure a reservation, there will be some walk-up availability for lounge seating.
Lift-Offs (Appetizers)
We’ll start at the beginning with the lift-off (appetizer) selections. Some of these items will overlap across meal periods, so we’ll be sure to denote exactly when you can get each food or drink item.
Big Bang Burrata (Lunch, Dinner)
Burrata di Mozzarella, Grilled Artichoke Hearts, Arugula, Sunflower Seed Romesco
The Big Bang Burrata is one of a few wonderful starters that aren’t going to weigh you down for the rest of the meal. That said, you’ll find a wonderful portion of fresh mozzarella that may border on too salty, but that can be remedied by mixing in some arugula and romesco. Overall, a wonderful dish that we can recommend if you’re a fan of burrata.
Blue Moon Cauliflower (Lunch, Dinner, $17 Lounge)
Tempura Fried Cauliflower, Housemade Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese Dust
Maybe the surprise star of the lift-off menu, the Blue Moon Caulifower will trick anyone into enjoying cauliflower. Our table was split on the idea of cauliflower, but everyone came out really enjoying this dish. The tempura batter does all of the heavy lifting to mask the flavor of the otherwise strong cauliflower taste.
The housemade hot sauce was not too spicy at all and continued the all-important work of removing the cauliflower taste. In our second visit to Space 220, we couldn’t help but notice that there was a lot of cauliflower traveling to various tables, so word must be getting out on just how good this offering really is. It is also one of the offerings that your server will likely recommend, and for very good reason. We highly recommend the Blue Moon Cauliflower.
Neptuna Tartare (Lunch, Dinner)
Yellowfin Tuna, Yuzu Ginger Miso, Soy, Avocado, Raddish, Apple, Sesame Crackers
After two strong options out of the gate, we’re going to find ourselves with a middle-of-the-road offering in the Naptune Tartare. The negative marks on the dish were simply due to how flavorful just about everything else was. The tuna was certainly high quality and fresh, but the dish as a whole just didn’t pop like the others did.
Centauri Caesar Salad (Lunch, Dinner)
Miniature Romaine, Classic Caesar Dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano
We’ve already established that the Centauri Space Station is much more than just a restaurant – it also contains living quarters. Thus, the “Centauri Caesar Salad” can literally be translated to house caesar salad – and that’s just what it is. It’s a safe bet and certainly delivers on the caesar salad flavor, but there are better appetizers.
Space Greens (Lunch, Dinner)
Bibb Lettuce, Dried Cranberries, Roasted Pears, Spiced Pecans, Apple Cider Dressing
Of the salads offered, the Space Greens stand out for the outstanding apple cider dressing. There is a tangy zest to it that pairs wonderfully with pecans. Pears and cranberries round out what is a very flavorful offering. We can recommend this dish.
Galaxy Grain Salad (Lunch, Dinner)
Quinoa, Beluga Lentils, Roasted Red and Golden Beets, Oranges, King Oyster Mushroom, Cashew Hummus
A massive mushroom is the first thing you’ll notice when looking at the Galaxy Grain Salad, but it’s the cashew hummus that will stick with you. A wonderful base of hummus and quinoa actually ends up being a bigger portion than the photos would suggest.
Star Course (Entree)
The star course will contain your entree selections. It’s worth noting that at dinner you can supplement 1.5lbs Baked Whole Lobster stuffed with Jumbo Crab for $20, or a 24oz. Bone in Ribeye for $18.
Galactic Lobster Globe (Lunch Only, $18 Additional Fee)
Maine Lobster Salad, Quinoa, Bulgur Wheat, Avocado, Lettuce, Mango, Citrus Dressing, Crispy Wonton
We’ll start with perhaps the most photogenic dish at Space 220 – the Galactic Lobster Globe. First, let’s talk about the logistics because we had a bit of a communications issue up in space. This is your entree and it comes with an $18 surcharge, bringing your lunch total to $73.
Where we had a miscommunication was that the Galactic Lobster Globe technically falls under the “Space Station Supplemental” section of the menu, leading us to believe that the lobster could be added to an existing entree for $18. That wasn’t the case. This will replace your entree selection. Perhaps a better name would be the “Space Station Substitution”.
Either way, the lobster was a truly out-of-this-world portion and could easily pass and an entree. What looks like a busy bowl actually contains surprise portion after surprise portion of delicious Maine Lobster.
Moments of citrus dressing and mango are wonderful diversions from the otherwise unremarkable salad and other accompaniments. As long as Space 220 doesn’t begin to ration the lobster portions, this is a wonderful option. If reports from space begin to say that lobster portions are dwindling, you can probably pass on this dish.
Seared Tuna (Lunch)
Spiced Yellowfin Tuna, Avocado, Marinated Egg, Brown Rice, Edamame, Pineapple, Radishes
Two generous portions of seared, spiced yellowfin tuna sit upon a diverse bed of accompaniments. If there’s one thing that Space 220 should get high marks for, it’s how they prepare and source their seafood. Everything was remarkably fresh and well prepared. That said, if you’re in the mood for seafood that isn’t the lobster we’ve already discussed, we’d recommend the salmon below.
Bluehouse Salmon (Lunch, Dinner)
Glazed Carrots, King Oyster Mushrooms, Baby Bok Choy, Ginger, Beurre Blanc
Definitely a more modest presentation compared o the tuna, the bluehouse salmon is actually bursting with flavor thanks to a smoked tableside delivery and classic french buttery beurre blanc sauce. Everything works here and this is one of their standout seafood dishes.
Roasted Free-Range Chicken (Lunch, Dinner)
Chicken Roulade, Mashed Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Garlic Thyme Jus
A rather basic dish, the roasted free-range chicken was executed really well. Soft and juicy, this dish is smartly served in a bowl as the roasted garlic thyme jus permeates through the mashed potatoes and even the chicken. Again, the roasted chicken is a basic, but well-presented dish.
Flat Iron Steak (Lunch)
Coffee Space Rub, Smashed Fingerling Potatoes, Cabernet Butter, Haricots Verts
While there is no doubt that the 8oz filet mignon at dinner will be the top steak option, this flat iron steak is wonderful in its own right. We ordered our steak medium rare and the temperature was spot on. The steak was soft, but understandably not as soft as a filet mignon. That said, we really enjoyed the coffee space rub and cabernet butter. The fingerling potatoes many have trended a touch too salty, but overall the dish is an excellent lunch option.
Terra-Bolognese (Lunch, Dinner)
Corn Linguine, Tempeh Ragu, Macadamia Nut “Ricotta”, Zucchini, Mushroom
Earlier, we noted a trend that Space 220 does a wonderful job of preparing their seafood options. Another trend that stood out to us was how much we enjoyed their vegan/plant-based options.
As someone who doesn’t necessarily choose plant-based or vegan options often, the bar for if something is “good” is typically how well it can fool me. In this case, the terra-bolognese may not have completely fooled me, but it also didn’t leave me wanting the “traditional” version of the dish. This is another excellent option and one that we can recommend.
8oz Filet Mignon (Dinner)
Cabernet Butter, Potato Leek Croquette, Haricots Verts
Add U10 Shrimp $9 / Half Lobster $15
When paying $79 for a dinner, our eyes immediately went to the filet mignon as perhaps the most bang for your buck. We’re happy to say that the filet did not disappoint.
It was a delicious cut of meat that we’re sure you’ll enjoy. The cabernet butter was also a wonderful addition that added some sweetness to the dish.
Before we get to the desserts, we’ll give a quick rundown of the items we haven’t tried yet:
Centauri Burger (Lunch)
Signature Beef Blend, White Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Shredded Lettuce, Tomatoes, Fried Potato Wedges, Sriracha Aioli
Baked Maccheroni (Lunch)
Candele Pasta, Sausage Ragu, Broccolini, Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Béchamel, Pecorino
Slow Rotation Short Rib (Dinner)
Braised Short Rib, Cheddar Grits, Bacon, Haricots Verts
Florida Red Snapper (Dinner)
San Marzano Tomato Broth, Fingerling Potatoes, Broccolini, Sicilian Tapenade
X2 Duck (Dinner)
Roasted and Confit Crescent Duck, Butternut Squash Flan, Brussels Sprouts, Orange Glaze
Flight Bites (Lounge Menu)
Next, we’ll try some Flight Bites off of the lounge menu. These bites are exclusive to the lounge area, and there might be some interesting enough options to consider a second visit for the lounge! Items are ordered a la carte.
Astro Deviled Eggs ($12 Lounge)
Free-Range Eggs, Maple Glazed Bacon, Scallion, Pickled Shallots, Micro Cilantro
The astro deviled eggs are first up on the lounge menu, and we’d like to think that’s because Patina Group knows just how good these are! Four two-bite eggs are joined by some really delicious maple glazed bacon. The eggs are wonderfully prepared, soft and light with a modest flavoring.
Blue Moon Cauliflower (Lunch, Dinner, $17 Lounge)
Tempura Fried Cauliflower, Housemade Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese Dust
We’re delighted to see the Blue Moon Cauliflower make it onto the lounge menu as an appetizer favorite from the Prix Fixe menus! Our table was split on the idea of cauliflower, but everyone came out really enjoying this dish. The tempura batter does all of the heavy lifting to mask the flavor of the otherwise strong cauliflower taste.
The housemade hot sauce was not too spicy at all and continued the all-important work of removing the cauliflower taste. In our second visit to Space 220, we couldn’t help but notice that there was a lot of cauliflower traveling to various tables, so word must be getting out on just how good this offering really is. It is also one of the offerings that your server will likely recommend, and for very good reason. We highly recommend the Blue Moon Cauliflower.
Chicken on Waffle ($18 Lounge)
Fried Chicken, Smoked Bacon and Roasted Corn Waffle, Spiced Coleslaw, Bourbon Maple Glaze
The Chicken on Waffle came highly recommended by Cast Members at Space 220 and while we think that it’s certainly a strong offering, if you’re only going to have one of the lounge items, you can pass on this. That said, we found the breading to provide a wonderful crunch and spot-on flavor for what you can expect from fried chicken. We didn’t get a lot of slaw, but what was there was probably just ok. The waffle was good to great and paired well with the fried chicken.
The standout on this dish for us was the bourbon maple glaze. There was some already on the fried chicken, but we probably would recommend asking for more if you can to use as a dip for the chicken and waffle.
Short Rib Sliders ($18 Lounge)
White Cheddar Cheese, Sriracha Aioli, Lettuce, Tomato, Butter Pickles
Two sliders provide a decent portion of short rib that was wonderfully soft and juicy. The standout here was the siracha aioli, which added a bit of a spicy kick to each bite. While the presentation of the sliders was certainly lacking, the flavor wasn’t. The fries that they came with were rather standard, and could even be compared to McDonald’s fries in taste. Some potato wedges, steak fries, or sweet potato fries would certainly add a bit of much-needed flair to this dish.
New England Lobster Roll ($34 Lounge)
Chilled Maine Lobster, Butter Toasted Bun, Celery, Chive, Lemon Mayonnaise
While we had planned on keeping talk of “value” to a minimum until the end of the review, we have to note the ridiculous $34 price here. Typically, when you start to head north of $30 or even $25, you should expect an entree-style serving. At Space 220 however, you can find a $34 “Flight Bite”. It’s simply too expensive.
That said, we really did enjoy the actual sandwich. A generous portion of lobster might get us closer to that $34 price tag, but we still think this is overpriced and we hope to see a bit of a correction in the future. The theme of noticeably fresh seafood continues with the New England Lobster Roll and a lemon mayonnaise stands out as a wonderfully zesty addition to the roll. The butter-toasted bun also played nicely with meeting expectations for a lobster roll. Again, the fries are rather pedestrian.
Supernova Sweets (Dessert)
Finally, we’ve arrived at the Supernova Sweets dessert portion of the meal. If you attend Space 220 for dinner, these desserts are included with your meal. If you come at lunchtime or dine in the lounge, the desserts go for $14 each.
Carrot Cake (Dinner, $14 Lunch/Lounge)
Plant-Based Carrot Cake with Plant-Based Cream Cheese, Candied Walnuts, Toasted Pepitas
Just like the vegan Terra-Bolognese, we found ourselves really enjoying this plant-based option! Just as moist as you’d expect from a non-plant-based version, the carrot cake was a stand-out option off of the dessert menu. Spot on in flavor and texture, this really is the best dessert on the menu.
If you’ve ever wanted to venture off of the beaten path and try some vegan/plant-based options, Space 220 has some wonderful offerings. We can certainly recommend the carrot cake.
Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake (Dinner, $14 Lunch/Lounge)
Dark Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Crunchy Pearls, Salted Toffee Drizzle
A light cake and a generous portion of salted toffee drizzle paired nicely with a rather small portion of cake. We liked the flavors presented here, but felt that this was the underperforming dessert of the four offered. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s not exciting enough to move out of last position.
Chocolate Cheesecake (Dinner, $14 Lunch/Lounge)
Whipped Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Sauce, White Chocolate Crunchy Pearls, Cookie Crumbs, Dark Chocolate Shards
Lemon Mousse (Dinner, $14 Lunch/Lounge)
Lemon Mousse Sphere adorned with White Chocolate Rings, Lemon Custard, Marinated Blueberries, Lemon Curd
Finally, we’ve reached the Lemon Mousse. While we generally left disappointed in the presentation of the vast majority of the dishes from a “space theme” standpoint, the Lemon Mousse certainly delivers on the galactic theme. Looking like an out-of-this-world planet, the Lemon Mousse delivers on a citrus explosion taste. Perhaps a bit too tart for some palates, the dish delivers a unique offering among the dessert lineup. We’d still go for the Carrot Cake at the end of the day over anything else.
Atmospheric Spirits and Zero-Proof Cocktails
Before we wrap up this review, we wanted to take a look at a few of the drinks that are available to guests dining at Space 220. While some of the entrees can be somewhat bland in presentation, there are some unique beverages available – especially once you venture towards the zero-proof cocktails. A lineup of beers is also available.
We’ll start with alcoholic options.
Celestial Cosmopolitan – $15
Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Cointreau, Cranberry-Hibiscus Juice, Moon Dust
Stargarita – $16
Herradura Plata, Cointreau, House Made Agave Sour, B’lure
The Big Tang – $16
Avion Silver, Grand Marnier, Tang-Infused Agave Nectar, Grapefruit, Strawberry, Served with Astronaut Ice Cream
The Nebula – $15
Maker’s Mark, Pineapple, Honey, Passion Fruit, Angostura Bitters, Moon Dust
Red Star – $17
Jameson, Monin Dragon Fruit, Fresh Lemon, Onyx
Planetary Punch – $15
Bacardi Silver, Malibu, Blue Curacao, Guava, Coconut
Served over dry ice
For non-alcoholic options, we were given a pack of collectible trading cards! More on that in a minute.
Moon Rocks – $12
Coconut, Blue Cotton Candy Syrup, Lemonade, Moon Dust, Moon Rocks
The Milky Way – $12
Chilled Espresso, Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup, Caramel, Cream, Milky Way (fun-size)
Finally, let’s take a look at the limited-edition packs of cards that guests will receive with a purchase of any zero proof cocktail. These cards feature original artwork, trivia facts, and special Space 220 details. Here’s our pack of Space 220 cards.
Speaking of collectibles, there is a collectible cup available for children!
Is Space 220 Worth It?
At the end of the day, a review should not only answer the question of: what does the food or atmosphere look like? A review should also answer: is this worth my time/money? In short, is Space 220 worth it? Again, we have visited Space 220 multiple times and have paid 100% out of pocket each and every time. Even after spending hundreds of dollars, we will definitely return to Space 220! The ambiance alone is worth a visit and an experience that we’ll recommend to anyone who will listen. The execution of a highly themed meal like this is something that we’d expect from a dedicated space like a cruise ship or the upcoming Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel – not from a restaurant quite literally tucked away in a corner of a theme park.
If you’re looking to keep Space 220 within your budget, we recommend trying for walk-up lounge seating. You might have to dedicate a little bit more time to wait for a table compared to holding a reservation, but most of the lounge offerings are reasonable in price for the setting and are actually quite good. We can see ourselves visiting for lounge service more often than dinner or lunch.
Space 220 is going to be a hit for years to come, and while we think you have to do it at least once, we’re willing to bet that you’ll come back time and again.