February 2001 – October 2001
LOCATION
Paradise Pier – Avalon Cove drew attention not just from its high-profile owner (Wolfgang Puck), but due to its massive building jutting out into Paradise Bay. You couldn’t miss this dining spot; it was the only table service restaurant on the boardwalk side of the land, and the only restaurant actually on the water. Today, this space houses Lamplight Lounge.
EXPERIENCE
Details:
- Service Type – table service
- Seating – upper bar and lower restaurant seating
- Entertainment – none
Avalon Cove pivoted California Adventure away from traditional theme park fare, and into finer dining experiences. The upper bar offered a huge drink menu and lighter appetizer and dining options, while the downstairs offered a full-scale premium menu. Diners overlooked the sweeping views of Paradise Bay, from Grizzly Peak to the glittering wheel.
CLOSURE
Avalon Cove is widely agreed to be a failure as a restaurant, but it actually wasn’t due to any fault with the dining spot itself. Instead, it was the larger failure of California Adventure as a whole. The park dramatically underperformed in its first year of operation (see my previous post here), and a largely empty restaurant didn’t exactly entice diners. When California Adventure began major revamping to draw interest, Avalon Cove transformed into Ariel’s Grotto. This princess theme brought character dining into both parks at the resort.
TRIVIA
Chef Wolfgang Puck owned & operated the restaurant for its 6-month run.
During construction of Pixar Pier and the Lamplight Lounge in 2018, a stained glass window displaying “Avalon Cove” temporarily resurfaced.