Does Le Cellier really live up to the hype?

[mousegear]

We've been to LeCellier almost every trip. They have good steaks (not the best) for theme park. We always stay a week and it's one of our fav. I an not willing to do 2ts credits this year so it's lunch for us.

 

[Starlilly]

I am planning my trip of January 2012, and managed to get a dinner reservation for Le Cellier! However, I was nervous about it, because ive heard my fare share of reviews that is nice. but not THAT nice...and i wanted a special experience for my BF (his first time going to wdw) and I ultimitly CANCELLED my reservation, and booked Yachtsmans Steakhouse instead.

I am confident I will be happy with my decision

 

[eliza61]

After doing a search and reading through some older threads, I know that there is a certain crowd that is devoted to Le Cellier. I know that the ressies are tough to get, and rarely given up once gotten. I have tried on past trips to get a ressie, no luck. DH and one of 2 DS's love steak. Myself and other DS...not so much. My questions:

Is it really your must -get reservation?

What does a non-steak eater/vegetarian like myself get? (we do eat fish)

Should I even bother trying to get a res this time?

Not really. There are much better steaks on site. I haven't been since it changed to a 2 credit dinner so maybe it has gotten better.

let me just say, that we went 3x's and all 3 times we were underwhelmed. I totally agree that the cheddar soup is good but since I don't go to a steakhouse for soup I have a problem with that.

I'm a huge steak lover so not sure about the vegetarian selection.

I'm glad I tried it but like I said there are much better places on site to get steak so really no reason for me to fight to get an adr.

 

[lin7]

For those discouraged from going cause of the bad reviews I suggest you try it ourself to know for sure. Go during lunch, since it requires one credit. I think their food is a lot better than many of the restaurants @ disney. However maybe not worth 2 credits

 

[Brian Noble]

The steak was not any better then a steak at Outback Steakhouse IMHO.

I can't speak to the steaks post-change---I didn't order one. But, as I said, the venison dish was actually pretty good, and qualitatively better than the meals I've had at Outback but not yet at the Serious-Steakhouse-Level. It had maybe one too many things going on in the dish, but on balance it was pretty good.

 

[Bob NC]

Does Le Cellier really live up to the hype?

No, not even close.

 

[caribear]

I love Le Cellier and have tried to make an ADR for a weekend visit for over 2 years...and finally was able to grab one for lunch last month. The beer cheese soup was not as yummy as I remembered because I thought it was too salty....the pretzel bread was incredible and our table of 4 went through about 12 sticks!!!....my Filet with Mushroom Risotto was out of this world...I didn't even need a knife to cut it! I cannot wait to go back...but I always order the same thing...so I can't really comment on the rest of the menu!

 

[LeCras]

For us - no. It doesn't live up to the hype. The first time we went was years ago, and it wasn't good. DH's steak was so salty it was inedible, and the tables were so close together we had to move ours so the people next to us could get out when they were done. They still had to shuffle out sideways.

We went back a few weeks ago, and it was better but still not great and we're in no hurry to go back. The steak was ok, but we've had much better in other onsite restaurants. In fact, both Mama Melrose and San Angel Inn did better steaks on our last trip! The flavour just wasn't there at Le Cellier. The service at Le Cellier was great though, really couldn't fault that.

Charlotte

 

[mopee3]

We have eaten pre and post, to me I was never happy with the place.... With that said my bride of 40+ longgggg suffering years rates the "pretzel" breadsticks as the best bread she has ever eaten. She is a bread person and I often ask her on a scale of 1-5, with 5 the best she has eaten, where are those pretzel sticks. No hesitation, a 5. No matter where we eat when we have bread before meals she rarely gives out that rating for bread.

She goes there just for the sticks. When we couldn't get ADR's one year I had to buy them from the kids at the ressie desk! Go figure!

The steaks are ok, but Schula's, Yachtsman, Jiko, and the strip steak at Coral Reef to me are much better.

Moe

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Maybe the Le Cellier "hype" should just be put to rest. Some people love it, some people like it (like me), some people think "eh," and some people hate it...just like all of the other WDW restaurants. No, it's not easy to get a reservation there, but that doesn't mean the food is supposed to be the best in the universe (see Cinderella's Royal Table, Chef Mickey's, etc). It's worth it to try at least once, and I still think Le Cellier lunch is very good for a 1-credit Disney table service restaurant (and the food from our three most recent Le Cellier dinners beat the food from our two most recent California Grill dinners).

 

[sunshineNJ]

We LOVE Lecellier. We all had the fillet twice last month for lunch. It's not a huge meal but it's sooooo good!!! the pretzel bread fills you up. We have never been dissapointed in Lecellier.

 

[GoofySon'sMom]

We just ate there last week for dinner and were happy with our meal. We loved it pre-change and hoped we would feel the same. The mushroom filet was great but I didnt' really taste a difference from the pre-signature status. DS loved the cheese soup. We put it 3rd for the signatures we tried this trip. Behind the Yachtman and Cali Grille. (Also ate at Flying Fish, Artist Point and Jiko)

So I guess for us, yeah it lives up to the hype. Will it continue to be a must do every trip? Not sure. We may try lunch next year as we have always done dinner.

 

[kristenrice]

Let me start by saying that I like LeCellier...

...but I think a lot of the "hype" about it came about when it was a 1-credit restaurant for dinner. I think that it was looked at as a "great deal" for a 1-credit dinner. I like a good steak, but I'm not really that picky. I have a fairly loose definition of "good". I've also eaten at Yachtsman and now that dinner at LeCellier is 2 credits, I think that it has lost ground. If I wanted to burn 2 credits, I would choose Yachtsman over LeCellier, hands down.

 

[princessSunshine]

After doing a search and reading through some older threads, I know that there is a certain crowd that is devoted to Le Cellier. I know that the ressies are tough to get, and rarely given up once gotten. I have tried on past trips to get a ressie, no luck. DH and one of 2 DS's love steak. Myself and other DS...not so much. My questions:

Is it really your must -get reservation?

What does a non-steak eater/vegetarian like myself get? (we do eat fish)

Should I even bother trying to get a res this time?

I don't think it lives up to the hype - yes the breads/pretzel bread/sticks are delicious and I found the steak was fine (I have better in my freezer at home - home grown). As for vegetarian - I got the salmon last year and HATED in, too sweet with the nuts encrusted on it. That said, the creme brulee is the BEST I've had at all the restaurants that I had tried, and the mousse is really good to.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

It is our favorite place to eat for FOOD (i.e. the best quality food). It is DH's favorite steak restaurant and that is saying a LOT since we get our own beef from the family ranch. Their filet is FANTASTIC. I have eaten there when it was 1 TS and when it was 2 TS and it was even better when it went to 2 TS (the risotto was not as salty). I have also eaten here and not gotten a steak. I loved the appetizer trio I got with the tomato stack, lump crab, and cheddar cheese soup (which is even better with the pretzel bread dipped in it). So yes, you can find some yummy non-red meat options here.

As for whether you want to USE your dining credits (at 2 TS for dinner), you MUST do the math!!! If you are going to get less expensive meals or even an appetizer as your entree, you might save your credits. Just do the math to determine whether it is right to spend your dining credits here. For us, we get the steaks (even the kids do) so it is worth it.

 

[Wandalemur]

We LOVED it, but everyone has a different opinion. We thought the whole meal was really good. I server told us about where she was from and they gave us an extra little surprise for our anniversary.

 

[mcd2745]

I think part of the hype comes from it being a "meat and potatoes" place, versus weird French food or, heaven forbid, Moroccan! Honestly, how many "picky eater" threads are there on here? So it's safe, and the food is decent for a theme park restaurant that is packed all day. But as someone else mentioned, you're practically sitting on your neighbor's lap.

I think that is the key factor right there. I admit, you'll never see me eating at Marrakesh. And yes, it is also one of the smallest restaurants, so that adds to the difficulty in getting ADRs. Despite it going to signature, it is still an extemely tough dinner ADR to score.

We ate there exactly one week ago. I found that the both the soup and the risotto were less salty than when I had them a year ago. So maybe they're listening to that criticism. Is it worth the hype? As you've seen through these four pages, there's no consensus - to each his/her own. All I can say is, it is definitely on my short list of restaurants I'll definitely want to go to each time when I'm in WDW (with 'Ohana and Via Napoli).

 

[dvcHammer]

No it does not live up to the hype

Good Food? Yes.

Overcrowded? At every meal.

Would I eat there? Sure, but, I would not wait an hour to eat there unless Off-Kilter was playing outside while I waited.

 

[always]

We have eaten there twice and both times really enjoyed our meals but the service was just so-so each time. The slow service really is what detracted from our experience, not the food.

Also, we waited about a 25 minutes passed our reservation for 2 to be seated last time. Many parties of 2, 4, 5, and more were seated before us. Don't know if they forgot about us or what but that was not a good way to start the dining experience. If it was only up me we would not be returning.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

Opinions are really all over the place for this one! .

Our family REALLY enjoys it. The FILET, in our opinion has always been delicious. I can't speak for any other steaks since this is all we've had there. We LOVE the over-hyped cheese soup and breadsticks. We do not have ADRs there this time but I'm hoping to be able to walk up and order soup to go. (Fingers crossed.)

Because, it is now 2CR we decided to try something else this time (Brown Derby), so do we like it, yes. Do we need to eat there every trip, no.

ETA: I agree service is just so-so.