One of the oldest restaurants at Downtown Disney in California is closing down

Catal Restaurant at Downtown Disney.

Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

• Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar at Disneyland California's Downtown Disney are closing on 14 April.
• The restaurant has been in business since the Downtown Disney District opened in 2001.
• It will be replaced by a Mexican restaurant headed up by Michelin-starred chef Carlos Gaytan.

One of the oldest restaurants in Disneyland California's Downtown Disney district is closing down this month.

Catal Restaurant and its accompanying outdoor bar – Uva Bar – have been permanent fixtures since the opening of Downtown Disney in 2001. The restaurant – run by the Patina Group, which operates other restaurants in this area of Disneyland – announced on Instagram that it would be closing down on April 14.

Catal, which has a terrace with views over the district, has a Mediterranean-style menu that includes paella, salads, calamari, octopus, and steak, while Uva serves Spanish-style tapas and a range of cocktails.

The theme park says that the restaurant and bar are closing "to make way for an exciting new addition to the Downtown Disney District." It previously announced that the space would be occupied by a restaurant and bar called Paseo and Céntrico, selling "upscale Mexican cuisine" from Michelin-starred chef Carlos Gaytan, as well as tequila-based cocktails.

The change is part of a large redevelopment of the Downtown Disney District, which is home to a number of restaurants, shops, and entertainment options. Customers can enter this area of the theme park without buying a ticket. 

"Drawing inspiration from Southern California mid-century modern architecture, the west-end area will be a beautiful blend of vibrant color palettes, design elements and patterns influenced by the region, and will include an open lawn for relaxation and future events, and an even broader and diverse collection of dining and shopping," Kelsey Lynch, the resort's director of public relations, said in a blog post last year.

Other changes being made to the site include opening branches of the Din Tai Fung soup dumplings restaurant and of the Southern California bakery chain, Porto's Bakery & Café.

In comments on the Instagram post, people expressed their sadness that Catal Restaurant was closing. It appears to have no evening booking availability before its closure.

The restaurant has a 4.0-star rating on TripAdvisor, where it's ranked 23rd of 516 restaurants listed in Anaheim.

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