Epcot has many different dining options. They range from counter service booths set up around the World Showcase, to Quick Service restaurants, to Table Service restaurants. One of our favorite Table Service restaurants in Epcot, and in all of Disney World, is Le Cellier.
Le Cellier is located in the Canada pavillion of the World Showcase and is not visible from the main path. It is tucked away and off the beaten path, creating a very secluded ambiance, which is perfect since it is a more upscale restaurant. You are able to get away from the crowds and feel like you are in your own little world.
When you first walk up to the Le Cellier, it does not seem like much from the outside. However, when you walk inside, you immediately see the grandeur of the restaurant. It is themed as a cellar in a fancy Canadian chateau. You truly feel like you are dining in a medieval wine celler with stone arches, low ceilings, and even flickering candles as the restaurant's light source.
This is one of the most expensive Table Service restaurants in Epcot and you can definitely tell from the ambiance. However, you will see people in their park outfits while eating here. It can definitely feel a little strange to be eating a $50 steak and look around to see people in shorts and tank tops. But hardly anyone would leave the park to change for dinner and then return again to eat. It just comes with the territory.
The fact that Le Cellier is located in the actual park is one of its biggest faults, for a number of reasons. First, people tend to not be able to properly dress up and make it a nice night out. That would take up too much precious park time to go back to your resort just to change into a nice dinner outfit. Plus it would be difficult to walk around the park for the rest of the night all dressed up. Second, you need a park ticket to Epcot to actually eat at Le Cellier. It would be much better if the restaurant was located outside the park so that people could go there to eat on a rest day. The third reason is an issue specific to Epcot. If you plan on having a meal at Le Cellier, or any Table Service restaurant in Epcot for that matter, you are pretty much forefeiting the ability to snack around the world. We have had this issue a few times, where we had dinner reservations at Le Cellier and therefore I couldn't sample foods in the different countries because I didn't want to ruin my appetite for dinner. When you go to Epcot you either have to choose between one sit down Table Service meal, or plan on snacking throughout the day in the various countries.
When you are first seated, you are greeted with a delicious basket of complimentary bread. There are homemade sourdough rolls as well as homemade pretzel rolls with a salted butter. The bread is so good and is a great first indication of how delicious the upcoming meal will be. Just don't eat too much because there is still so much more food to come.
Le Cellier is known for its steaks and seafood. There are only a handful of items on the menu, but you know you can't go wrong with any of the items. There is also an extensive wine menu, if you like to pair your food with wine. The appetizer menu features a beef tartare, canadian cheddar cheese soup, wedge salad, fried cauliflower, heirloom beets, shrimp cocktail, and mussels. I have never tried the canadian cheddar cheese soup but it sounds delicious.
We always get the poutine as our appetizer. It is my favorite items served at Le Cellier and is honestly amazing. We like the Le Cellier Signature Poutine which costs $15 and is fresh cut french fries, canadian cheddar cheese curds, truffle, and red wine reduction. It is SO good and I cannot imagine going to Le Cellier and not getting this.
The Entrees list comprises of three different steaks- rib eye steak for $59, strip steak for $54, and filet mignon for $62. The prices may seem shocking at first glance, but once you take a bite of the steak you immediately understand why it is so expensive. It is so tender, cooked perfectly, and has amazing flavor. It is definitely not your classic "theme park" food and is on par with, if not better than, a fancy steakhouse you might go to outside of Disney World. Also, $60 is about what you pay for a steak dinner at Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom, and Le Cellier is 100 times better than that. If you're not a steak lover, the menu also features a pork chop, a bison strip loin, and scallops.
KC got the strip steak, which was topped with garlic peppercorn butter and served with arugula and canadian cheddar-pretzel bread pudding. He loved the steak and said it was cooked perflectly and had great flavor. It was a very large portion, which made us feel a little better about the price. He wasn't a huge fan of the bread pudding, which tasted like a slightly different stuffing, but overall he was a big fan of his dinner.
I ordered the filet mignon, which was AAA canadian tenderloin topped with truffle butter sauce and served over mushroom risotto. This could easily be the best steak I have ever had. It was so tender that it was practically falling apart in my mouth and the flavor of the truffle butter was delicious. The risotto was very flavorful and creamy. The filet mignon was also a pretty large portion, which was surprising because a filet is normally served as a smaller size of meat. That is another plus of Le Cellier- you will never leave hungry like you might from other fancy restaurants that serve small portions.
If all of that food is not enough for you, Le Cellier's menu also features some enhancements. These are shareable sides that can feed 2-3 people. The enhancements include canadian cheddar creamed spinach, maple whiskey glazed brussels sprouts, bacon gouda mac & cheese, loaded mashed potatoes, and roasted baby carrots. We were both not huge fans of the sides that came with our steaks, so we opted to get the loaded mashed potatoes to split. This is another one of my favorite items at Le Cellier. It is delicious cheddar mashed potatoes topped with crispy potato skins, crispy bacon, and green onion. Definitely something I see us getting everytime we visit Le Cellier.
We have never once had room for desert at Le Cellier, which is sad because there are some great options. The restaurant features a maple creme brulee which I really want to try! Also, there is a pecan brown butter tart and chocolate mousse. Le Cellier is one of the restaurants at Disney World that will bring out a complimentary dessert if you are celebrating your birthday. We recently went to Le Cellier to celebrate my birthday and they brought out the chocolate mousse with maple leafs.
If you are hoping to eat at Le Cellier, be warned that it is one of the most difficult restaurants in Disney World to get a dining reservation. The reservations are snatched up fast and people never seem to give them up once they have them. If you do get a dining reservation to Le Cellier, it is more likely than not going to be at a less than desirable time. Both times that we have gone to Le Cellier, we have dinner reservations for 8pm. It just shows you how popular this restaurant really is.
All in all, Le Cellier is one of my favorite restaurants at Disney World. It is definitely pricey, so save it for a special occasion, but the food is worth it in my opinion. We have always gotten top notch service at the restaurant and they are accommodating to getting you in a little early if you show up before your reservation time. Also, the ambiance is great, and you truly feel like you are in a secluded Canadaian chateau, far away from the crowds of Disney World. Definitely check this one out next time you're in Epcot!
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