Le Cellier or Le Cat Food

[scrump]

I never understood the hype for this restaurant. It has always been just ok for us, but I am surprised at how many negative reviews I have seen for this place recently.

 

[Houston_Disney_Fan]

We've tried Le Cellier twice, and found it so-so both times. I agree that the chefs are probably being forced to rush things, and the atmosphere of being both underground and crowded is not our cup of tea. Anytime someone posts a poll on here "Le Cellier or _______?", it's easy for me to vote for whatever the other choice is. Unless, of course, it's Hollywood and Vine.

 

[square pond]

We also booked Le Cellier on our last trip after hearing all the praise and had the worst meal of our entire trip! The service was terrible. We were VERY rushed...the waiter brought our food before we were even done with the bread sticks and salad and took my husbands salad while he was still eating it! My filet had the oddest taste to it?? I even tasted my husbands to see if it was just me but we both agreed it tasted like a dirty grill!! I actually emailed Disney and they did call to ask what happened. I have to admit we did not complain there. I have heard many a horror story about sending food back.

 

[Inkmahm]

My DH and I were talking about this thread at dinner last night. I'm very picky with my steak quality because we live in the midwest, where there is rarely a bad steak encountered except at chain restaurants. We've never been to Le Cellier and have our first reservation there for dinner in December based on the comments here at the DIS. We're still planning on going, even with the offsetting negative reviews. If it's bad, at least we'll have tried it to know for ourselves. If it's great, we'll add another favorite steak restaurant to our already crowded list of Jiko's, Cali Grill, Brown Derby, and Yachtsmen steakhouse.

I do have a question about the cheese soup though. DH and I are wondering if the people who love it so much don't have access to good cheese soup at home. We live in WI so there are many restaurants here with great cheese soup. My favorite is beer cheese soup, of course. It won't be a novelty to us and we are likely to be picky about the quality of the soup since we know great cheese soup already. So, is it the novelty of the cheese soup that makes it so popular or do the people who love it at Le Cellier also have good cheese soup at home?

 

[hmp2z]

We have no horror stories, but we also find the place to be way over-hyped. Fine by me, though, as it frees up reservations at the few decent restaurants left at WDW The pretzel bread is quite good, but everything else is just "eh."

Cheers!
Heather W

 

[honeymo78]

We too are skipping Le Cellier this trip, as we did in March as well. It just isn't the same. Service has been fine, if not excellent. However, with the steak being just okay and the quiet relaxing atmosphere gone (I mean seriously how much closer is my neighbor's table going to get?) we've opted to eat elsewhere when we are in the Epcot area.

 

[mrp4352]

Once upon a time, Le Cellier had fantastic food and a lovely, quiet, calm atmosphere. Then the dining plan came. (No, this isn't a knock against the dining plan - I use it and love it!) The plan has changed the demographics eating in some of the restaurants and the restaurants have had to change to keep up with the new demand. These restaurants are now more affordable to families with 2-3 children because they're included in the package price; when in the past, the price of the meal might have kept them from eating there.

I miss my old Le Cellier - we've not gone back inside to eat the last couple of trips because of experiences with children running wild (one literally running laps around three tables, one of which was ours). Most of the children behave, but there always seems to be one family...

The food is good, though. And to answer someone's question - no, we don't get much good cheese soup around here, so that's part of what makes Le Cellier's so special. So, I will continue to order my soup and breadsticks to go and dine by the lagoon.

 

[zulaya]

We, too, fell for the "hype" of Le Cellier. Once in 2000...what a joke. Skipped it for many years and decided to try it again in 2006. While I can't say we had a ton of fat on our meat, my filet was NOT a filet.

I'm sure people are sick of me saying it, but Le Cellier is NOT the best steakhouse on property. It is NOT worth killing yourself to get an ADR there. I have a better steakhouse locally here in MN that could knock the socks off Le Cellier in ambience, service, food and price.

We will NEVER be going to Le Cellier again and we encourage people to not fall for the hype that they read about.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Like I said in the second post on this thread, Le Cellier is a favorite of ours. We just ate there in June and all three of us had the filet. All three of us had an excellent cut of steak and all the sides were delicious as well. Our server was so pleasant and he gave us extra bread to take back to our villa with us. My husband had the creme brulet duet and he thought it was very good. I had the sorbets and also thought they were very good. The cheese soup was very tasty (and I have had some excellent cheese soup up North). The only drawback was the young family with several small children that the parents allowed to disturb the other guests. Lucky for us that they left about midway through our meal.

We have had times when it took a while to seat us, but we were seated immediately and there were other guests still waiting to be seated (maybe no ADR). We were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and our server brought my husband and I each a small glass of champagne on the restaurant.

We're going back in Nov.

 

[Slapster]

Inconsistency is what keeps good restaurants from becoming great ones. Too bad Le Cellier seems to be affected by this. We've had two great meals there, but don't plan to go back on on the next trip. Too many others to try!

 

[EpcotLove]

Yeah it just sounds really inconsistent. It has so much potential too, minus the close seating...

 

[honey11dog]

My husband and I are finally getting a chance to eat alone in Disney without the kids for one night. We honeymooned in Disney in 95 and have missed the old days of having a relaxing meal to ourselves at Disney. I had made up my mind to try Le Cellier. But with these reviews, I am afraid to waste our one night alone at this restaurant. Any other suggestions on a nice place to eat that is consistently good? I hate to pay that much money for a so so meal too! HELP

 

[Blueyed Girl]

Like I said in the second post on this thread, Le Cellier is a favorite of ours. We just ate there in June and all three of us had the filet. All three of us had an excellent cut of steak and all the sides were delicious as well. Our server was so pleasant and he gave us extra bread to take back to our villa with us. My husband had the creme brulet duet and he thought it was very good. I had the sorbets and also thought they were very good. The cheese soup was very tasty (and I have had some excellent cheese soup up North). The only drawback was the young family with several small children that the parents allowed to disturb the other guests. Lucky for us that they left about midway through our meal.

We have had times when it took a while to seat us, but we were seated immediately and there were other guests still waiting to be seated (maybe no ADR). We were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary and our server brought my husband and I each a small glass of champagne on the restaurant.

We're going back in Nov.

Sounds like you were very lucky to have such a wonderful meal. Except for those pesky kids, of course.

 

[elastigirlfan]

Wow! We just ate there and liked it...would definetly go back. Loved the breadsticks, the cheese soup was delish, my steak was great!! Loved my moose dessert!!

 

[crisi]

My DH and I were talking about this thread at dinner last night. I'm very picky with my steak quality because we live in the midwest, where there is rarely a bad steak encountered except at chain restaurants. We've never been to Le Cellier and have our first reservation there for dinner in December based on the comments here at the DIS. We're still planning on going, even with the offsetting negative reviews. If it's bad, at least we'll have tried it to know for ourselves. If it's great, we'll add another favorite steak restaurant to our already crowded list of Jiko's, Cali Grill, Brown Derby, and Yachtsmen steakhouse.

I do have a question about the cheese soup though. DH and I are wondering if the people who love it so much don't have access to good cheese soup at home. We live in WI so there are many restaurants here with great cheese soup. My favorite is beer cheese soup, of course. It won't be a novelty to us and we are likely to be picky about the quality of the soup since we know great cheese soup already. So, is it the novelty of the cheese soup that makes it so popular or do the people who love it at Le Cellier also have good cheese soup at home?

I'm in Minnesota, so I'm familiar with good beer cheese soup (smuggled in from over the boarder, of course). And from a different thread today it sounds like we have similar taste.

We've always found our steak at Le Cellier to be acceptable - and a few times its actually been exceptional FOR THE PRICE. It was better than the Narcoosee's steak we had one trip, and cheaper. But it isn't Jiko quality steak, in my experience. However, its $10 less than the Jiko steak. You get what you pay for.

The cheese soup is - in my opinion - pretty good. Its a beer cheese soup with Moosehead - a little to "floury" for my taste (and I can't eat it any more - gluten intolerance) - but every time I've had it is a good cheddar and a good beer. However, it isn't exceptional - diners in Wisconsin carry soup as good or better (depending on the diner, of course). And no popcorn.

However, stick with the steak - I've had other dishes there and they've always been disappointing (usually salmon).

 

[andromedaslove]

This is my DH's favorite restaurant at WDW, well maybe second favorite. He loves the one at POR. We have NEVER had a bad meal there, and my kids 2 & 6 absolutely loved the kids steaks. I am so sorry you had such a horrible experience.

Dana

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

My husband and I are finally getting a chance to eat alone in Disney without the kids for one night. We honeymooned in Disney in 95 and have missed the old days of having a relaxing meal to ourselves at Disney. I had made up my mind to try Le Cellier. But with these reviews, I am afraid to waste our one night alone at this restaurant. Any other suggestions on a nice place to eat that is consistently good? I hate to pay that much money for a so so meal too! HELP

Flying Fish but it will be costly. Or, Spoodles, but like most WDW restaurants, it will be noisy. My husband (Mexican food nut) liked St. Angel Inn (Mexico EPCOT) very much last year as did the other 4 members of our party. Can't beat the ambience there

 

[DisneyBee]

We ate there last for lunch week on July 3rd and everything was just great. It was blazing hot and going inside was like instant refreshment - it was cool, calm and relaxed. Our server was exceptional - not rushed, even though every table was filled. She took her time and made us feel like we were important and answered all of our questions and even posed for a picture. We were on the dining plan, so we all ordered appetizers. I'll admit the soup tasted much like my own cheese soup, but my son still felt it was very good. I had the beefsteak tomato to start with and it was refreshing and very good. My husband had the beef barley soup and he thought it was above average. The courses were all brought out in an appropriate pace - we never once felt rushed, nor did we feel like we had been waiting too long.

Our entrees were all very good as well - my husband had the New York Strip and said it was excellent. My son wasn't wild about his prime rib sandwich, but I think he was expecting something else - we had it boxed and my husband had it later and said it was good. The whiskey cake was average, but still good. My creme brulee was very, very good, and my son had the chocolate "moose." It wasn't exceptional, but what one expect of something that comes out looking like a moose. All in all, it was a wonderful experience and we can't wait to go back. Oh, and I loved the pretzel bread!

To each his own, I suppose. I wouldn't eat at Cinderella's Royal Table again if you paid me. I thought that was horrid for what it cost. Others think it's fabulous. Just goes to show that there's something for everyone at Disney.

 

[Tink3Belle]

If they don't serve good food no one will want to go there without the dining plan - they better get their act together.

 

[cryssi]

everyone raves about the pretzel breadsticks, but...are they better than biergarten? I was telling DH about the cheese soup and pretzel breadsticks and he said "you can get the pretzel bread at biergarten" ...

We eat pretzel bread often, so what makes Le Cellier's so special? Just wondering. We have ADRs there, but I'm trying not to overhype it...