Adults covet time at Disney Springs, Walt Disney World Resort’s open-air entertainment, retail, and dining district. Joining its robust restaurant collection is the newest outpost of Jaleo from José Andrés, the powerhouse chef/owner behind ThinkFoodGroup. Jaleo, an ode to the cooking of Andrés’ native Spain, was brought to life once again by longtime design collaborator Capella Garcia Arquitectura. For this Lake Buena Vista, Florida location, the Barcelona-based firm combined the resort’s flair for the imaginative with a celebration of Spanish culture.
After the original Jaleo opened in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, DC in 1993, others sprouted in Bethesda, Maryland, and Arlington, Virginia, as well as Las Vegas. The bilevel Disney Springs addition, at 22,000-square-feet, is the largest and most ambitious yet. “Disney World is the place for fantasies and for dreams, so we had to do something different for this version of Jaleo,” says principal Juli Capella.
Its distinctive look begins with the architecture. Mimicking the shape of an artichoke, the copper-and-glass façade welcomes guests, its “petals” forming pergolas that extend to the outdoors. “So much of Spanish life takes place on the terrace, so our concept was thinking from the outside to the inside,” explains Capella. “You see indoors, all the way through to the lake, from the promenade.”
That connection is established by the restaurant’s lack of walls. Instead, the fluid space is punctuated by intimate zones like the bar clad in hexagon-shaped tiles and curved banquette seating, as well as the columns and screens fashioned from plastic, wood, and metal that ease transitions. Traditional Spanish ceramic tiles cover the floors and complement oak tables and custom hexagonal chairs.
Hues of lemon and orange, a nod to both Spain’s abundant citrus and sunshine, infuse Jaleo with warmth. Red is also prevalent as a tribute to the wood-fired grill cranking out the restaurant’s signature paella and, adds Capella, “the soul of Spanish fruits and vegetables. We are not afraid of bright colors in the Mediterranean.”
Creating a dialogue between the main and upper levels of Jaleo are such dramatic features as a central staircase and a sculptural, mirrored chandelier. “It’s voyeuristic,” Capella says of the luminous light fixture. “From any place in the restaurant, you can see every place.”
Two large-scale works of photography also help forge synergy. One, by Ciuco Gutiérrez, puts the spotlight on the sandy Beach of La Concha in San Sebastián; the other by Rafael Vargas illuminates a bullfighter’s ornate costume, simultaneously offering a glimpse into Spain’s artistic heritage. “They show two different sides of the country,” points out Cappella. “The landscape and the humanity.”
