GREAT STEAK at Le Cellier Steakhouse!
Written: Nov 22 '05 (Updated Aug 30 '07)
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Pros: All the food was great, friendly and attentive service, great location at Epcot
Cons: Can be expensive
The Bottom Line: This is a great pick for a special night out at WDW.
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| chelledun's Full Review: Le Cellier Steakhouse |
*This is an entry to disneyman's Birthday Write-Off, Disney Style!" because this restaurant is now one of my very favorite Disney experiences.
General Information
My mom and I were fortunate enough to dine at Le Cellier Steakhouse for the first time in October 2005. The name means “the cellar” and it is located below many of the buildings of the Canada pavilion at Epcot in Orlando, Florida. In order to visit Le Cellier, guests must have theme park tickets valid for that day. The restaurant is in the back half of the park, known as the World Showcase. Canada is the first country to the right when circling the lagoon.
This restaurant is very popular and it will almost certainly be necessary to make reservations well in advance. You can call 1-407-WDW-DINE as long as six months before your visit. We saw sad people on the night we visited who didn’t understand reservations were necessary for most of the Epcot restaurants. Le Cellier accepts the Disney Dining Plan and at only one table service credit it is probably the best bargain at any of the Disney Parks to use the plan for.
Atmosphere
Even with a reservation, the way Disney handles its reservation system means you will probably have to wait a few moments. It never hurts to check in early, particularly if you have a tight schedule for the rest of the evening. If it is a nice evening, check in and then enjoy sitting outside in the courtyard surrounded by Canadian “mountain” formations. You might even be able to overhear some live entertainment. We were seated right at our reservation time after arriving ten minutes early.
Despite our waiter’s teasing that “Le Cellier” is just a nice way of saying basement, the restaurant does not have a dank and gloomy atmosphere. It is very cozy and welcoming with low ceilings, wood, and warm colors. Tables are elegantly covered with a white tablecloth and in the center there is a bottle holding three different types of scrumptious breadsticks. Our waiter was absolutely wonderful and we ended up tipping him extra although the tip is included in the dining plan. I was trying to remember his name to mention it in the view but I guess a month is too long for my brain. Tim maybe? Anyway…
A note on kids...there were a few older children (eight and above) dining at Le Cellier when we visited. The kids menu is pretty extensive and I think older children would enjoy the food. However, the service moves at a relax pace and some children would probably get bored during the meal. There isn't much place for kids to walk around either and the restaurant is pretty quiet.
Food
As I already mentioned, we were greeted by three yummy varieties of breadsticks. Each has some type of symbolism of the regions of Canada, but I focused most of my attention on the pretzel variety. Our server was glad to bring us more of our favorites. As part of our dining plan we each got an appetizer. I had a Canadian Cheese selection which was very elegantly presented. The cheeses were ordered from mild to sharp and served with bread and fruit. If you really enjoy trying different types of cheese you would love this, although two of them were a bit too exotic for my uneducated taste buds. My mom had the Grilled Beef Tenderloin Kebab which was just a little bit spicy and very large. We both agreed it was yummy enough to be an entrée.
For my main course I couldn’t pass up the 7 oz. Filet Mignon considering this is, after all, a steakhouse. I ordered the glazed maple barbecue sauce on the side and used just a little so it wouldn’t be overly sweet. My steak was SO good. I had it prepared medium and it was one of the top five steaks I’ve ever eaten in my life. Not only was it perfectly tender but it was just the right level of pinkness inside. My mom had the Herb Crusted Prime Rib which she said was wonderful. We both loved the rich cream cheese mashed potatoes which came with the meal. They were much softer and creamier than most mashed potatoes I’ve tried and made a perfect match with the steak. If you are not a steak person, the menu features tempting entrees such as Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Canadian King Salmon, and Vegetable Lasagna Four Ways.
Of course, even a meal this great wouldn’t be complete without dessert. The dessert menu was incredibly tempting but we made our decisions by watching what people around us were having. I actually ended up ordering a S’mores dessert off the kids menu which was really cool. It was about eight inches tall and involved ice cream, graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, and sprinkles. My mom picked the Apple Cobbler which is definitely what I would get the next time. It came in a large skillet and was delicious which I know because I ate half of it in addition to my own dessert. Other dessert choices included Maple Crème Brulee which seemed to be very popular as well as a Canadian chocolate cake made with whiskey.
Le Cellier has a very abundant wine menu and pretty much every adult except us was drinking wine. What can I say, I was in a diet coke type of mood! The servers were very helpful in walking people through the wine lists.
Price
As I mentioned, we did not have to pay full price because we were using dining club credits. If you are paying cash, though, this place can be expensive. Our total bill would have come to about $111 for two people without alcohol for all the food I described above. While this is more than I usually spend for dinner it isn’t out of range with similar quality steakhouses I have been to with a filet going for $27 and a prime rib for $21. Desserts will cost about $7 for a very large portion.
Overall…
Although this isn’t a cheap place, I think the value is pretty excellent. Le Cellier offers the best food I have experienced at Disney outside of Victoria and Albert’s, which will run you twice as much. The atmosphere was lovely and our server was great. The dishes were familiar and comfortable but yet still had some unique Canadian style. I will be hurrying back to Le Cellier Steakhouse on my next visit!
*Still Hungry? Check out...
Top Ten Places to Eat at Disney World!
Victoria & Albert's
San Angel Inn
Cinderella's Royal Table
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Apple Cobler, Filet Mignon, cream cheese mashed potatoes
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
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