Interesting review of Le Cellier on Theme park insider

[eliza61]

Let me give full disclosure, I'm not a big fan of Le Cellier. Just found this interesting article on themeparkinsider.com. It did say the restaurant got a good rating in the polls.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201104/2421/

 

[plwheel]

Let me give full disclosure, I'm not a big fan of Le Cellier. Just found this interesting article on themeparkinsider.com. It did say the restaurant got a good rating in the polls.


I have to agree with the reviewer in the article. I found the food very salty, and the best thing I had on my last visit was the mussels. That said, my family is giving it one more try on our next trip. If it is more of the same, we'll take it off our list. My fingers are crossed that it will live up to its reputation ... I really want to love this restaurant.

 

[brernick]

I think the name Le Cellier give the decor away. Basement - Celler. And that's what it looks like.

The food quality seemed to drop off for a bit, but it stiil very hard to get reservations. Someone must like it.

 

[goofy4prez]

That is now the third review that I have read about Le'Cellier and not one of them has even been remotely enthusiastic in their writings. I have not been there since it has gone signature, but my experience was the same as the reviewer; an inability to cook the meet properly and more salt on the Minute Rice..... Oops I mean risotto,than found in the dead sea.

 

[minnie56]

I have been there since it went Signature for lunch and dinner...and thoroughly enjoyed both

 

[Brian Noble]

I ate their on "opening night" of the new menu. The heirloom tomato salad was very very good. I also had the venison, which was just a little bit "fussy" in the "Hi, I'm now a Signature Resturant!" sort of way, but the dish was still very good.

I'm a cash guest, not a DDP guest, so I can't comment on the two-creditness of the place, but I thought my $70 for app, entree and a couple glasses of wine (with a TIW card) was a fair price for theme park eats given the quality of the meal. It was not my-trip-will-be-ruined-if-I-don't-go good, and Epcot does have so many other interesting options, but I would not mind going back.

 

[squirrel]

I have been three times so far before the change to Signature. I haven't found the food salty and everytime my steak was cooked perfectly-unlike some of the other restaurants.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Well that review certainly makes me feel better about myself, since it reflects my opinions about my favorite items I tried: the lobster salad, salmon entree, and poutine.

Nobody seems willing to give LC a break. But after 3 excellent dinners there, the most I can hope for is that dinner becomes super easy to book. I find it ironic that when I hated the place, most people loved it, and now that I love it, most people don't.

 

[quirty30]

We visited for dinner a few weeks ago. I think they still have to work a little harder to "achieve" true Signature status, but it was a much improved experience from several previous visits prior to the change. Three changes that I noticed especially:

1) Significantly less salt in the meals - our last visit prior to the change was last October and DD & I had to send back steaks that might as well have had a salt crust on them - they were that bad.

2) Significantly better quality of steaks. The strip steak I had a few weeks ago was butter tender and cooked perfectly medium rare. Had a few bites of DD's filet and it was also cooked perfectly and just melt in your mouth kind of texture.

3) Expanded wine list - not up to par with other Signatures, but definitely much better selection than before. I found a 2007 BV Tapestry for $58 - with my TiW discount that's less than $47 and it sells at my local liquor store for $50. That alone really pleased me and it was a wonderful pairing with my steak.

I honestly don't get all the complaints about the atmosphere at Le Cellier. I have always enjoyed it and thought it was a nice change of scenery from the hot sunny theme park. I've always dined there with my kids, but I would love to have a romantic dinner here - and think it would be the perfect setting.

I also agree with Brian that the value with the TiW discount was not bad. I happened to be on the DxDP last visit so we burned the 2 credits. As I've said in previous posts on this subject, I don't think any of the Signatures are a particularly good value on the dining plan. My youngest turns 10 before our next visit, so no more dining plans for us - we'll get good use out of that TiW card.

 

[carrie1626]

I had the Mushroom Filet this past AUG and it was absolutely one of the BEST meals I've ever had.
Everyone enjoyed their meal. I would definely go back!

 

[tortoni]

We've been to Le Cellier many times and never had a bad meal. Looking forward to our two ADRs for August!

 

[KungFoomF]

Everything popular will eventually face backlash and going to 2 credits was going to make this happen faster. I've never had a bad or overly salty meal.

 

[BGK]

I really want to love this restaurant.

Making it very clear up front that I'm not trolling, may I ask why? I mean, if you really don't like it, is that your failing?

I don't make it a badge of reverse-snobbery honor, but I'm not big on Le Cellier either. I went for the first and last time in August of 2003, when I went for dinner with a friend on the weekend of the passholder previews for Mission: Space. Internet chatter in those days was mostly the usenet r.a.d.p group, and the main buzz about Le Cellier was that it was a "hidden gem" and that the cheese soup was transcendent. Same- or next-day reservations were still easy enough to get in those days, so we went.

The food was good, but not memorably so. Service was friendly but scatterbrained. The cellar theme was interesting without being trite. The cheese soup was, again, good but not memorable. Then, as now, I wished it no ill will, but found no reason to go back.

 

[Paticake]

We also really enjoy Le Cellier, but $9 for the cheese soup? I think we will just book lunch there when I do my October ADRs next week.

 

[can]

We ate at Le Cellier on Fri., 4/1, and while it has always been our very favorite, I am not so sure we will return there. We liked the menu the way it was, not so happy about the changed menu. The server did explain to us about it now being a "signature" menu and at the end of the dinner before we left when he asked what we thought I told him that quite honestly we would have preferred the old menu.

My daughter isn't a big steak eater, she ordered the roasted chicken, for $30. I just don't see where a NY strip steak with an au gratin style potato justifies a $42 price tag. Have had just as good, if not better, with more to the meal for the same price or less.

Our server did say more and more people were asking for Le Cellier to be an "upscale" restaurant. Not sure why, no one dresses "upscale" when visiting the parks. Certainly can't see how a family of four or more not on a Disney Dining plan could afford. There were four of us, two had meals, two had soup or salad and a side with all of us having dessert and our dinner bill with tip was $205.

The other thing my daughter pointed out was that we had a 6 pm reservation, and when we left about 7:20-7:30 pm, there were quite a few open tables and not many waiting outside to be seated. This was unusual as we have been there just before closing with every table filled and people still waiting to get in.

So, next time we visit WDW, we will probably try a different restaurant as the changes Le Cellier has made weren't what we felt as favorable or positive.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I just don't see where a NY strip steak with an au gratin style potato justifies a $42 price tag.

Then you probably wouldn't like Disney's other signature restaurants, where strip steak also costs $42 (Flying Fish/Yachtsman) and the entrees are on average more expensive than Le Cellier's. The Yachtsman strip steak (which is "prime" just like Le Cellier's) doesn't even come with wilted spinach, just the potato gratin.

 

[GeorgeG]

I find it curious that since Disney "created" signature restaurants the quality has gone down and the prices have gone up. You have to admit they are a marketing genious. Tell the tourists they are getting something speciall and they will not only believe it, they will also pay more for it.

We had lunch at Le Cellier not long ago and were very dissapointed. They used to have what was probably one of the best burgers in WDW. I can only assume the new executive chef was on crack when he decided to gourmet the new offering into a pile of slop. It is now one of the most expensive burgers in WDW, which would be okay with me for the old burger. My wife had chicken crepe that did not impress her at all. And the NY Strip? Someone at the table next to us had one and it looked like a basic $13 steak! Really, folks, $42 for any NY Strip, anywhere, is robbery!

The service was excellent and the atmosphere was, well, what it is, even though I'm sure plenty of tourists must think all Canadians dine in their basements on a regular basis.

I predict that before the year is out the new executive chef will be sent off to rehab and Le Cellier will return to what made it so popular in the first place. Until then, Le Cellier is off our list.

 

[minnie56]

I had the burger at lunchtime a few weeks back and it was delicious..

It was so large I only ate half but the flavour was wonderful..I guess we all have a different 'take' on the menu sometimes!

 

[goofy4prez]

I had the burger at lunchtime a few weeks back and it was delicious..

It was so large I only ate half but the flavour was wonderful..I guess we all have a different 'take' on the menu sometimes!

I'm believing the real indifference to Le Cellier and this review that was posted is in reference to LC's new dinner menu and going signature. Even with my average opinion of Le Cellier, I will not dispute using a 1ts is not a bad option. As for the burger, I can't speak for it since I have never tried one there; now using 2ts for dinner, forget it.

 

[GeorgeG]

I had the burger at lunchtime a few weeks back and it was delicious..

It was so large I only ate half but the flavour was wonderful..I guess we all have a different 'take' on the menu sometimes!

I see you're from Canada so I have to ask...

Is that typical of burgers in Canada? I've never seen a burger with spniach leaves and maple syrup before, but I've never had a burger in Canada. I'm also a very "plain" eater and like more basic foods (burger, bun, catsup, and maybe cheese). I agree that we all have different tastes.