Feeling inspired by Vermin's post, I'll chime in with my preferences to the best upscale, "sitdown" restaurants on Disney World property.
Few notes before I get to the list:
A. Outside of #1, these are not in any particular order. They are all our "go-to" restaurants for Disney meals.
B. I do not include any Quick Service dining in this list as we rarely eat at those locations. Our preference is to do a nice breakfast, a nice dinner, and snack in the parks.
C. Disclaimer -- outside of #1, do not confuse this list for "best dining anywhere" options. There are many good Disney restaurants, but nearly all won't displace even decent restaurants in the US Top-10 Metro areas.
D. If you love wine, Disney is a great place to find good wines at reasonable prices. Disney restaurants do not mark up their wines at the 2x-3x rate you will find in most fine dining establishments, so you will inevitably find some good values.
Now on to the list:
#1 -- Victoria and Albert's -- Located in the Grand Floridian, we consider this not only the best restaurant on Disney property, but one that can hold its own with many Michelin-starred restaurants. It's a must-do for a date night or other major celebration. As a bonus for Chicago-area Disney fans, Executive Chef Scott Hunnel went to school at Joliet Junior College. Unfortunately, it's closed to the pandemic, and there's no information as to when they will reopen.
#2 California Grill -- Located at the top of the Contemporary Resort, this is another excellent date night choice, particularly if you can snag a reservation around 7PM in anticipation of the Magic Kingdown Fireworks.
#3 Yachtsman Steakhouse -- Located at the Yacht Club hotel, we think this is the best steak on Disney property.
#4 Capa -- Technically not on Disney property, this Spanish-inspired steakhouse is located at the top of the nearby Four Seasons resort. Excellent food options and also great fireworks viewing.
#5 Topolino's Terrace -- This one is the newest on our list -- Italian-inspired fine dining at the top of the Rivera resort. Aside from an excellent menu, this is another great fireworks viewing spot. The veal chop is particularly good.
#6 BlueZoo -- breaking up the steak theme, BlueZoo is our second goto seafood restaurant on property, located at the Swalphin. If you are craving oysters, they are the place to go.
#7 Flying Fish -- Our #1 seafood restaurant choice, located at the Boardwalk Resort. They are unfortunately closed, and no word as to when they will reopen. When they do reopen, if you're looking for another date night, their Chef's Counter is an awesome choice due to the open kitchen.
#8 Morimoto's -- Our first Disney Springs option, Morimoto has very good pan-Asian options. My son and I always order the Peking Duck.
#9 Frontera Cocina -- Another Disney Springs choice, Frontera Cocina is a Rick Bayless restaurant serving the best Mexican food on property. Ask for the habanero salsa.
#10 Monsieur Paul -- located in the Epcot France pavilion, this is another ideal date restaurant once it reopens. Excellent modern French cuisine with great wine pairings.
#11 Via Napoli -- If you're craving pizza, this is your option. Loud and crowded, this restaurant in Epcot Italy has consistently good quality pizza.
#12 Brown Derby -- Located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, we've loved coming here since our honeymoon. Some of it is nostalgia, but they continue to have a very good, reliable menu anchored by the Cobb Salad and Asian Noodle Bowl.
#13 Le Cellier -- I bring up this steakhouse in Epcot Canada only because it had been a disappointment for so many years due to declining food quality before bouncing back during the pandemic. We visited here last Christmas and found it to be very good and benefitting from reduced capacity. I have no idea if it has backslid since then though...so approach with caution.
#14 Sanaa -- This is a must-do if you're at Animal Kingdom or staying at the Animal Kingdom resort. It's African/Indian-inspired with the highlight being the Spicy Durban Chicken. If you love spicy, this is one of the few places on Disney property to find truly spicy food.
Going to end the list here, but will be glad to answer questions or provide additional suggestions if folks are interested.