Foodie Friday: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall: Lunch with the Princesses!

We try to do a character meal for each of our kids' birthday, so we decided to try a new restaurant for my daughter, who just turned two.  None of us had been to Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, so it was the perfect plan.

It was not a busy day, so we were called about 10 minutes before our reservation time at 1:00pm.  We took a family photo with Belle, which is included in the price of the meal, and were then escorted to our table.  I was pleased to see that we were given the dinner menu to choose from.  I am not sure if this is the only menu they have now, but the lunch menu posted outside is completely different.

Inside the restaurant is beautiful.  It is themed like a castle with high ceilings and gorgeous chandeliers.  A non-alcoholic beverage is included with the meal, along with the appetizer buffet.  On the buffet you can find a variety of cold meats, cheeses, fruit, and various salads.  I am a very picky eater, so I only had the fruit and a ton of muenster cheese.  Yum!

Princesses wander around as you eat and visit with each table, which is typical at a character meal.  The Princesses at Askershus change daily, but we were able to see Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Ariel.  We were pretty much finished with our food by the time they started visiting, so there weren't any out for about the first 45 minutes.  There is a Princess Processional during the meal where the Princesses invite all of the children to parade around the restaurant.  Ariel was our designated Princess who led our group of kids.  I have to say I am so impressed with the face characters that talk.  They are always playing their part.  My son was the only boy in the group and she referred to him as a "sailor" and invited him to join the parade.  Too cute!

My daughter is on a mac n cheese kick right now and it seems to be the only thing she will eat.  There wasn't anything on the kids menu that was a cheesy pasta, so we asked the waiter if it was possible to make for her.  He checked with the chef and we were given the green light.  Woo hoo!  It was great!  The sauce they used tasted like a mushroom cream sauce.

My son ordered the pizza, which is so delicious.  Most of the restaurants around Disney World have switched to the flatbread pizza, but this was still the thick wheat crust kind.  (I love my carbs!)

I ordered the oven roasted chicken breast that comes on top of vegetable-barley risotto and asparagus with a mushroom cream sauce.  Remember when I said I was picky?  Wow, this was so good!  The chicken was so tender and juicy and the risotto was amazing.

My husband got the Traditional Kjottkake, or meatballs if you aren't Norwegian.  They come with mashed potatoes, vegetables and lingonberry sauce.  He must have loved it because he practically licked his plate clean.  (This is very similar to what you get at Ikea.)

Dessert comes as a shared plate.  There was a rice pudding with strawberry sauce, an apple strudel and a very rich chocolate mouse.  Everything was delicious!

It's a pricey meal, but definitely worth the Princess interaction and the gourmet food.  We were on the Disney Dining Plan, so this is a great pick for a table service restaurant!