EPCOT in Walt Disney World is a veritable power house of Disney Dining. A dream come true for those of us (myself included) who enjoy the food at Disney World as much as they do anything else. But, all those choices come with a price: which special few should I pick to visit? Well, I’m here to help as I try to review all the places in Disney World that I’ve eaten at. Last week I reviewed Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom and this week we’ll talk about Le Cellier Steakhouse in EPCOT.
Note: if you’re looking for an overview of all the Disney reviews I’ve done (which can help provide context for scoring) give my review index a quick glimpse.
Theme & Ambiance – 9 out of 10 points
Oh man, there are so many things I loved about the ambiance of this restaurant. For starters, it’s in the Canada Pavilion which I think is one of the most beautiful in EPCOT. The caverns you can explore and the waterfall and the beautiful garden that’s adjacent to Le Cellier’s steakhouse. It’s truly magnificent and we haven’t even gotten inside the restaurant yet!
Once we get inside, the waiting area as I recall is OK but not as cool as the actual dining area. But, when you’re finally walked down to the dining area once again you are transported to a truly awesome feeling setting. It’s got a great, warm dark wood feeling with short ceilings and lots of stone arches. You really do feel like you’re in a cellar even though you’ve only walked down a short ramp to get there.
The theming is fantastic inside and outside, but I have to dock Le Cellier a point because the tables are all really close to one another which can sometimes detract from the overall ambiance. In fact, once when I went there was a pretty big group of rowdy drunken adults smack dab in the middle of the restaurant, and sadly, it detracted from the entire experience. It’s hard to have a quiet, romantic dinner with your loved one when you feel like there is a frat party going on behind you. That being said, I’m willing to revisit this lost point if I have a better (noise) experience on my next visit.
Menu & Food – 9 out of 10 points
I love a good buffet but you won’t find that here at Le Cellier but the pretty big menu size more than makes up for that. Obviously the main fare is steak-related, but they will almost always also have chicken, pork, fish, and pasta options. Their sides also help round out the menu as well as a special section for Poutine Fries (this is a Canadian specialty, where you drench french fries in some kind of rich sauce or gravy).
Typically I only order steak when I visit here and every time it’s been delicious and perfectly cooked (based on how I requested it which, for the record, is medium-rare). My girlfriend is actually a bigger steak fan than I am, and she has loved hers every time as well. Another gem on the menu: the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup. Yes, it’s $10 a bowl, but it is so, so, so worth it especially if you’re a cheese lover. I’m a big fan of the motto “if you’re gonna get wet, you may as well go swimming”. I highly recommend taking a delicious swim in the Cheddar Cheese soup!
The only downside to enjoying the Cheddar Cheese soup and an entree is that you rarely have room for dessert (unless you’re super human). I wish I could tell you how the desserts are here, but I’ve honestly never gotten that far, and I like to keep things honest here.
Though the food is absolutely delicious and the theme is great, it is also very expensive, which is why I’ve dinged Le Cellier a point here. At the end of the day, yes, I think it is worth it, but some people could easily argue that you can get the same quality steak elsewhere for quite a bit less. On a similar financial note, Le Cellier will also charge you TWO dining credits if you’re on the Disney Dining plan, which actually makes it a very poor choice for maximizing your money on the Dining plans. You’re better off paying cash here and using your dining credits elsewhere.
Extra Credit – 3.5 out of 5 points
These things don’t deserve their own paragraph (usually) but could still be point-worthy tidbits. Each item is worth -1 to 1 points, which means places can actually lose points here!
- Service: Wait staff here is always super friendly. I’m not saying it’s because they are Canadian… but seriously, it’s probably because they’re Canadian. (+ 1 point)
- Ideal environment for: A great place to spend a romantic “splurge” dinner with your loved one. Also good for families with older kids. Definitely not a good place for anyone under 13, in my opinion. (+ 0.5 points)
- Dessert: I wish I could tell you. I would assume they’re delicious. But I can’t officially award any points. (+ 0 points)
- Location: Actually a pretty good location in EPCOT. Easy to get to from the entrance, so if your feet hurt after a long day at Magic Kingdom and you park hop to EPCOT for dinner here, you don’t have to traverse the entire park. And, seriously, the scenery around Le Cellier is breath taking. (+ 1 point)
- Will return on future visit: Yes, this is one of our go-to romantic dinner date venues at Disney World (+1 point)
Le Cellier Steakhouse’s Total Score:
21.5 out of 25 points
Have you eaten at Le Cellier Steakhouse? If so, we’d love to hear your feedback in the comments, too! And, if you’re craving more Disney insight be sure to check out these other fun articles:
- Five Delicious Snacking Tips for Walt Disney World
- Five ways to enhance the experience on your favorite Disney World attractions
- Review of Liberty Tree Tavern restaurant
Thanks for reading!!
— Disney Dork Tom (follow me on Twitter and Facebook, too, for non-stop daily Disney action!)
December 13, 2017 at 12:37 pm
I had to jump through hoops to get a reservation at the Le Cellier Steakhouse in EPCOT on my wife’s birthday on DEC 10th. They only had an 8:30pm reservation so I took it. They didn’t take us until 9pm. My $55 steak was HORRIBLE! Outback has better steak than this place. My wife had $35 pasta dish that was a “child portion size of veggies”. There were screaming toddlers at the table next to us. Who brings babies to a high end steak house at 9 at night!? They waitress saw it was my wife’s birthday, (by the button he was wearing) so instead of bringing her a slice of cake like every other restaurant in the world does including diners! They gave her a small piece of chocolate, REALLY.. a piece of chocolate for what you pay for a dinner here, are you kidding me! Walt is rolling in his grave right now.
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