Cali Grill or Bistro de Paris?

[Stinkerbell317]

It's our anniversary on 2/17. I already have the ressie at Cali Grill, but Bistro de Paris is a lot closer to our resort (BCV) where we will be shelling out $22 an hour for childcare at the Sandcastle Club! We like both types of cuisine, so is it worth the extra time and $$ to travel over to Cali Grill? Or is Bistro just as good? WHat do you think?

 

[Pakey]

I'm assuming you are not on DDP since it's not accepted at Bistro. If you are paying OOP for dinner, I think Bistro is a much nicer experience. The food is more consistent in quality (never had a bad meal here where I certainly feel that Ca Grill is hit or miss) and the environment is more romantic, less noisy. You will seldom see kids at Bistro and it's really not the environment for them whereas Ca Grill is generally teeming with parties with young children.

The only negative I can say about Bistro is that you won't have all of the glass windows overlooking MK that you have at Ca Grill. If you are lucky enough to snag a window table at Bistro, you will have a lovely view of the Epcot lagoon but if you are seated in the center of the dining area, you will not experience a great view. The excellent service, very professional waitstaff and high quality food will make up for it though.

And if you like chocolate, the souffle there is excellent. If you couldn't tell, Bistro is one of my fav restaurants at WDW.

 

[gismo1554]

I've not been to Bistro but given everything I'd say go there. I hated California Grill mainly because Im a fussy eater but I also found the food wasn't really worth the money or the hype. 3 of us went and although the other 2 liked what they had they said they wouldn't have gone back there. I personally found the food very tasteless. I had the flat bread and it was so bland I couldn't eat it (and this coming from someone that lives on bread!). Also had some sort of cheese stuffed ravaoli and this just tasted like socks and to my dismay had ham in it which the menu did not state (although it was not down as a veggie option so should have guessed really). I ended up having to go back to our resort and get some fries as the desserts didn't appeal to me at all. Looking at the menu for Bistro I think the food selection seems a bit more upmarket as some items on the Cal Grill menu seem like things you could easily get elsewhere. I would go for Bistro and ask them to mark its an anniversary and then get there early and ask for a window seat. That way fingers crossed youll get it or at least they will attempt to put you there.

 

[Dana49]

Bistro. IMHO, the atmosphere, service and food are much better than California Grill. California Grill's atmosphere can get a bit hectic at times.

 

[Stinkerbell317]

Great! I think we'll go with Bistro. It's just much more convenient for us. And as long as we won't be disappointed with the food, it doesn't sound like we'll be missing too much at Cali Grill. I just have to remember to call 30 days ahead!!!

 

[Imagineer5]

Just thought I'd put in my 2cents and say California Grill. Despite trying many, many new restaurants on our recent Honeymoon trip, California Grill was still BY FAR our favorite and is one of the only must-do's for every trip. I am a picky eater, DH is not, and we both enjoy everything about the restaurant. We always make sure to have a ressie about an hour before the fireworks though, and get there a little early for a window table

 

[Stinkerbell317]

The main reason I was having a difficult time making the decision is bc the restaurant reviews in the Unofficial Guide to WDW for both restaurants didn't make sense to me. The general rating for Cali Grill was higher than at Bistro (4 1/2 stars opposed to 3 stars), yet the actual customer rating percentages were just abt equal (mid 80s for both). The 3 stars at Bistro worried me a bit, but all experiences listed here are positive. I feel better abt it now!

 

[VrBchJ]

I would prefer Bistro. It is really a lovely restaurant and the food in quite good. The last two times we've eaten at CG it was so crowded and noisy that it really detracted from the enjoyment of our dinner. It just seems so chaotic sometimes. And since you're at the BCV you can have a romantic walk over the bridge and back to the hotel.

 

[oybolshoi]

Just adding my voice to the Bistro chorus - we ate there in October and it really was one of the best meals we had during our entire visit.

The restaurant is lovely, the service is great, and the food ... well, I wish I was eating it right now.

One of the other things I liked about Bistro is that they offer a chef's tasting menu in addition to their regular menu. My husband and I ordered from the tasting menu and were able to try all kinds of yummy dishes (they also offer a wine pairing with the tasting menu).

We also stayed at the BCV and really enjoyed our walk back to the resort after dinner that night - Epcot was closed for the evening by the time we finished dinner and it felt like we had the park to ourselves. Very romantic and peaceful.

 

[Pakey]

The main reason I was having a difficult time making the decision is bc the restaurant reviews in the Unofficial Guide to WDW for both restaurants didn't make sense to me. The general rating for Cali Grill was higher than at Bistro (4 1/2 stars opposed to 3 stars), yet the actual customer rating percentages were just abt equal (mid 80s for both). The 3 stars at Bistro worried me a bit, but all experiences listed here are positive. I feel better abt it now!

We've eaten at each several times and I think the ratings with Ca Grill is going to depend on the night. As I'd stated in my previous post, this place can be very hit or miss. You could go one night and have a stellar meal with a quiet atmosphere and then the next time you go, your food is overcooked and it's so noisy you feel like you are on the set of Romper Room. I can easily see Ca Grill getting a very high rating on a night where the food is good and it's quiet. Unfortunately, you don't know ahead of time which Ca Grill experience you are going to get.

The menu at Bistro is not as diverse but for your first visit, you will not notice that. We too enjoy the chef's tasting menu from time to time but the regular menu also offers some very nice choices.

 

[OKW Lover]

Bistro gets the nod for its quieter atmosphere.

 

[Dawn68PA]

I've really enjoyed reading these reviews. Both of these restaurants are on our dining list for November.