Jaleo is a brand new restaurant in Disney Springs which features authentic Spanish cuisine owned by celebrity Chef José Andrés. You can find Jaleo on the West Side of Disney Springs across from Splitsville.
Upon entering Jaleo there’s a large check-in area and a lounge with bar which looks more casual than the dining room. We waited in line, asked the hostess to see the allergy menu, and if the lounge was open seating. She went over the menu with us and showed which items were clearly marked vegan. She said it was reservation only in the lounge and that we could check the actual bar or go to the back bar which isn’t easily seen from the entrance. We walked to the back to look for the second bar.
We immediately saw a traveling carving station, which you could see bone and hoof, as well as hanging pig shoulders along the side wall. We were very weary of staying after seeing this. It is honestly a horrific sight that was hard to put away to even think about eating anything. We initially walked out and then went back inside to at least try something.
We went back to the back bar which has zero view of the restaurant. The bartenders were super nice and informed about the menus. We ordered two drinks and the ‘Pan de cristal con tomate’ which comes vegan as is. It’s basically crispy bread with a tomato spread. It’s highly recommend here because the bread is flown in from Spain.
We thought it was going to be warm but the tomato spread was actually chilled which threw us off. To our surprise after the initial first bites it was really tasty. I almost wish I could have tried the bread plain since it’s such a specialty but, even with the spread it was still really good. It’s plain but not in a bad way and still has a lot of flavor. We felt it was the perfect bar snack or pre-dinner tapa to enjoy with your date or family.
We honestly probably will not be back here again. The dead animals really turned us off to the whole experience. We may be back only to dine at the back bar or out back where they have tables set up on the water. We would personally feel uncomfortable dining in the main restaurant due to the excessive animal appendages/parts being carved table-side. Be mindful of what you will likely see while dining here.
Price $$
Review from March 2019