Anyone else not impressed by Le Cellier???

[FSUSammy]

I know it gets great reviews on here and its one of those restaurants that is VERY hard to get into even 90 days out. So we went there last night for dinner and the food and service was great, but honestly I've had better elsewhere. I guess I had built it up to be this AWESOME experience since everyone loves it but it was just eh ok. Would I go again, definitely, would I make sure I call 90 days out to get a reservation, yup only because I have to. Would I be heartbroken if I can't get an ADR, not at all.

Anyone else feel this way?

 

[MaryKatesMom]

If your question is "Anyone else think this is the most over-hyped restaurant?" I'll raise my hand.

We go every trip but I wouldn't think it would be a big loss if we couldn't get in. My DH thought the filet was better at Yachtsman and the rib eye better at BD.

Sitting a beautiful pavilion - better at Tutto
Close to a real bistro - better at Chef's de France
Better steaks - Yachtsman
Better over all food- Il Mulino

I'm not saying it is bad, we've got a lot of memories there, but I can't really think of one thing that it is the "best" at. Really, some day's I do feel like I'm eating in a cellar.

 

[Califgirl]

I really love their muscles with applewood bacon, with their ice wine martini (or theTorantopolitan). A great combination. And of course with pretzle bread .. well let's just say 'Yum!" The best steak? I preferred Jiko ...

 

[TJA]

We LOVE the mushroom filet mignon, but don't even really like any other meal there. DH has tried several different meals and (according to him....) they pale in comparison to the mushroom filet. So....if LeCellier ever got rid of that certain meal, then we wouldn't eat there.

 

[Pakey]

My husband and I do not like this place at all. Like PP's, it's not terrible but we've certainly had better and do not get the hype. There is nothing special about anything we've tried there (on numerous visits) and that includes the most beloved pretzel bread and cheese soup. I also don't like that you are practically sitting on the people at the next table (last time we actually struck up conversation with them because they were so close).

I'm happy for all those who think it's the "end all" but I'l happily eat at some of the less populated places so that it's not necessary for me to get out of bed at 4am left coast time to make a reservation here.

 

[MeLaNie9]

This was by far our favorite meal of our Dec 07 trip so we went back in Dec 08 and it was truly horrible...horrible service and the food was terrible with my meal being virtually inedible. We were so disappointed. All those other folks can have our ADRs in the future!!!

 

[connie1042]

We went last year . I thought it was good, but nothing special. We are not going there this year. Our server pretty much ignored us the whole time. I am sure she wanted bigger tables, so that she could get a bigger tip. We are trying Chef's de France this year.

 

[flyinglizard]

I've just recently joined the "unimpressed". We had dinner there on March 5, and everyone in my group decided we would not be back.

See my story in the Restaurant Review board titled, "Our Last Trip to Le Cellier".

MaryKatesMom-Where is "BD" with the best rib eye?

 

[Amy&Dan]

I'd have to agree that Le Cellier isn't the end all, be all. We have enjoyed ourselves there, but I no longer even try for an ADR because there are other places I like much better. I do think the mushroom filet is very good, but honestly, I have had better steaks at other places around WDW, namely Turf Club and Yachtsmen.

 

[jenjersnap]

It's not our favorite WDW restaurant by a long shot. It's extremely over-hyped. Now that said, we've gone back and we will again because it's decent but I don't understand it's immense popularity, to be honest.

 

[TinkerBelle_325]

I loved it from about 2003-2006 and I felt that it went a bit downhill from there. I still love the cheese soup, but otherwise it is underwhelming. I still enjoy lunch there.

 

[RMulieri]

I enjoyed my meal here but it is nothing special, is overhyped and I don't feel the need to return every trip

 

[crisi]

I know it gets great reviews on here and its one of those restaurants that is VERY hard to get into even 90 days out. So we went there last night for dinner and the food and service was great, but honestly I've had better elsewhere. I guess I had built it up to be this AWESOME experience since everyone loves it but it was just eh ok. Would I go again, definitely, would I make sure I call 90 days out to get a reservation, yup only because I have to. Would I be heartbroken if I can't get an ADR, not at all.

Anyone else feel this way?

One of my biggest DIS pet peeves is the unreasonable build up. And right now its Le Cellier's turn for DISers telling people "Its the best steak ever!!!!" We enjoy it, its generally been good, but we've had far better steaks. I've even had better steaks at the local Outback.

A number of years ago we got the DIS buildup on two other restaurants - Boma was the darling of the DIS. Had I had reasonable expectations of a buffet, I wouldn't have been disappointed. However, it was hyped as being SO GOOD - the food quality, I was told repeatedly, more like a sit down, even a signature sitdown. Nope, Boma, even then, is a good buffet, but it isn't anything more than a good buffet - and a crowded and noisy experience for that buffet. It isn't Jiko. It isn't even Le Cellier. And Zebra Domes are rather 'eh' as far as desserts go. Boma is less hyped now a days - but from that disappointing experience, I try very hard to temper any of my reviews.

The other one was Beaches and Cream, which is still over hyped. Fortunately, someone (Ducklite, who I haven't seen around for a long time) set me straight before we went and I went with more reasonable expectations - and was still disappointed - it didn't even meet those! "Great" sundaes are not made with grocery store ice cream.

 

[NMAmy]

My dd really enjoys it so we usually make a reservation for lunch there. However, we were there two weeks ago and while the food was fine, the service really left a lot to be desired.

I think on our next trip, I'm just going to say I was unable to get an ADR.

 

[skater]

I think Le Cellier used to be better. It seems like they have skimped on the meat quality the last couple years. Although I still love the cheese soup, we will not be returning there this Sept.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

Here's my take:

There are many of us who can really appreciate the different between Prime, Choice and Select cuts of beef. When someone tells me that they have just had the best steak of their life, I automatically assume that they have had a Prime cut of beef.

If I follow their recommendation and eat at that restaurant and get a Choice steak, I am going to be unimpressed if not downright disappointed.

 

[Todd&Copper]

Since we went there the day after a truly disappointing Les Chefs dinner (I will NEVER go back to that dump again) I thought it was quite good.
Can I get a better meal at home for the same price? Sure.
Was it exceptional for a Disney theme park, 1 TS restaurant? Absolutely.
Would I be crushed if I couldn't get an ADR? No unless the only other place I could get was Les Chefs.

 

[mommapea]

We were there 2 yrs ago, and must have hit on a very good night. My father, who is very picky about steak, and grew up on a farm, said this was one of the best filets he's ever had. I had to agree. We're going back in June and wanted to add this to our ADR's. I wonder if we'll be disappointed. I'll look for an alternate, just in case...

 

[moparop]

I totally agree. It is on our every 3rd or 4th trip rotation. In the end it was just steak and just cheese soup.

 

[Stacy_C]

We were also unimpressed and have no desire to go back. It was an average meal, but nothing that warranted another meal there. Been there, done that.