V&A’s: 7 courses or 10?

[Mmw37]

Hello!
We are dining at V&A’s for the first time during our June visit. Just hubby and I. We are sitting in the main dining room, and just got an email stating we’ll get a call soon to discuss our dietary wishes, including whether we prefer 7 courses or 10. We are big foodie types, but don’t have huge appetites. I’d like to have the best dining experience possible, so would probably lean 10, as long as we’ll be able to enjoy all of the courses. If portions are more than a few bites though, I think we may be too full. Thoughts?

 

[kiford]

I've managed to do the 10 course meal twice and I'm not generally a big eater. The thing with 10 courses is that it takes much longer. You're not trying to cram in 10 courses into the same time as 7 courses. If you're willing to spend the extra time, I think you'll be fine. Having done the 10 courses, I think I would find it difficult to go back to the 7. The courses are just a few bites which is perfect for me because my palate gets bored quickly even if I'm not full. That's why I love the tasting menu and the 10 courses is such a great progression. I've got my fingers crossed that we're able to get a reservation at the Christmas holidays although I'm not hopeful. But we're getting annual passes and are planning at least 3 more trips in the next year so maybe I can get 3 more times at V&A!

 

[Mmw37]

Our sitter is reserved from 6-midnight (but open ended) for a 7:30 seating, so I think we’ll be ok on time. DH will go with whatever I choose. Our next day is Epcot, so we don’t have to be there exactly at RD either. Hmmmm...

 

[SSRFred]

I agree with the pp. Now that we have done the 10, I do not think we can go back to the 7. The 10 course was amazing. You will be fine with the sitter staying till midnight. I think the last time we were there around 4 hours. Enjoy!

 

[krum]

Do the 10. Worth it! Only took me maybe 2 hours and a half, but I went alone.

 

[FSU Girl]

I've done the 7 and 10 and I loved both. It depends on the menu items and what I liked better on the menus. You don't need to pick right away, you can decide when you get to the restaurant and look over the menu. If you prefer something on the 7 over an item on the 10 you can swap it, but you can't swap something from the 10 to the 7. Something you could do is order one 7 and one 10 and share so you get to try lots of different things. I'm usually pretty stuffed by the end, you can ask for the chocolates to go instead of eating them there.

 

[loves to dive]

My adult son and I did the 7 course and by the time we got to the dessert could only take a bite or two of it. We got the chocolates to go. I'm a very light eater and didn't finish any of the courses because I knew there was no way I was making it through all 7 of them. My son probably would have been ok but he was finishing most of my courses up until the entre then he was struggling himself. We also got the wine pairings so that might have had something to do with it. I toyed with the idea of the 10 course but after looking at the menu I knew my poor son would end up eating a couple of my courses as I'm not a big cavier or seafood fan.

 

[Lynn CC]

My son and his wife went on their honeymoon in 2012 & opted for the 10 course, in the main dining room. They have another of the same booked this summer. DH & I are having an evening with the grandchildren while they dine! Go for the 10 Your going to love it!!

 

[NYCgrrl]

I haven't eaten at V+A yet but it's certainly a something I hope to do in the future.

I've eaten and prepared multi course meals and in general the portion sizes are smaller and you should give yourself more time to eat than you normally would.
I normally prepare a 7 course meal when entertaining on New Year's Eve. The meal begins at 8:00 PM and ends around 1:00 AM to give you an idea of timing.

As to whether a 7 or 10 course meal? Look at the menu and decide what touches you. You can't go wrong no matter what you do for my thoughts.
Have fun!

 

[DisneyArkie]

What are the prices for the 7 and 10 course. With no wine included?

 

[kiford]

I think that the portion sizes are slightly smaller for the 10-course over the 7-course. IIRC, the last time we went we were staying at AKL. Dinner was at 5:30 pm and we took a taxi back to AKL and were back in our room by about 10:30. So dinner was about 4.5 hours. We did the wine pairing and they give you a decent amount of time between courses to finish your wine, chat to your companion, eat the bread (oooh the breads) which is why it can take that much time. And they start slowly with a pre-dinner drink (included - at least in the QVR) and a conversation about the food, the wine pairing if you want to do that (or whatever else you might like), etc.

When they call you up, they'll want to know about food allergies or things you really don't like. I have seafood allergies and a few other minor items. I don't bother to tell them what I don't like since I hate mushrooms but I had the best mushroom pasta at V&A's our first time there. So I'm pretty well ready to try whatever the chef wants as long as I'm not allergic.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

What are the prices for the 7 and 10 course. With no wine included?

I'd price the wine too. It was pricey but dang worth it. We were buzzed pretty good when it got to coffee.

 

[Jestocost]

DD and DW did both. One did the 10-course and one the seven. Both did the wine pairings and one or more of the food upgrades. Total bill for two about $1,000, including tip.

Oh for the days when V&A took the TiW card...

 

[gharter]

We have done both, and both are amazing. I think they may decrease the portion size slightly in the 10, because we didn't feel like we ate any more than we did in the 7. Just more variety.
Love it with the wine pairings.

 

[RADOPT]

I am going in October. Can you get a glass of wine or just the pairing? How much tip is appropriate?
Thanks!!

 

[FSU Girl]

What are the prices for the 7 and 10 course. With no wine included?

the 7 course is $185 per person and the 10 is $210 per person. This doesn't include tip, if you decide to do an upcharge item or any drinks.

 

[DisneyArkie]

the 7 course is $185 per person and the 10 is $210 per person. This doesn't include tip, if you decide to do an upcharge item or any drinks.

So the wine pairing is an extra $400-600? For a couple I mean.

 

[Jestocost]

So the wine pairing is an extra $400-600? For a couple I mean.

No. The wine pairing is not that much, but if you opt for various items--usually at least one fish and one beef--there are additional charges. In combination, those wine pairings, upgrades and tip account for the rest.

 

[dismoose23]

My DW and I did the 10 course meal with wine pairings for our honeymoon in 2016. As others have said, the portions are not that large for the 10 course. We were full after the whole experience but not overly stuffed. Hope you have a great experience. It is certainly one that DW and I will never forget.

 

[rosysubmarine]

I did the ten course when I went in March, and I highly recommend it. We had the same apprehension, but our server reassured us that we could take as long as we needed, and if we needed a break to digest and maybe sip on some wine, we were welcome to.

We were super-full, and actually had to take the chocolates to go. They were fine with that (except for the cherry, that one has to be eaten in-house and is totally fun).

I can't recommend it highly enough!