LeCellier in Epcot

[DisneyKidds]

It's not worth the money...

Don't get me wrong, it was decent food, but honestly our meals at Brown Derby and Ohana were much better quality and service. The steak at Le Cellier was not really all that exciting, nor was the cheese soup. Now the steak and desert at Brown Derby I still drool over when thinking about them!

This is the exact opposite of my opinion regarding Le Cellier and Brown Derby. At this point I'd put the "Not worth the money (and especially two TS credits)" tag on the Brown Derby.

Don't get me wrong. Since 1991 the Brown Derby has been a staple of our Disney dining diet. We've always loved the place. Still love the atmosphere. Unfortunately, it has slipped over the years. Now, with the dining plan it seems to have gone even more downhill. And 2 TS credits? No way. While I don't think Brown Derby is a horrible meal or a bad experience, after our meal there last November it has moved off our list of must eat restaurants. Not just because it's overpriced at 2 TS credits if you are on the plan, but the food was a disaapointment. Actually, the steak was a disappointment. And speaking of service, the level of service at Brown Derby has declined quite a bit from what it was back in the day when the Brown Derby was one of the best meals on property.

Le Cellier, on the other hand, has yet to disappoint us. It remains a must do restaurant, as it has for the past four or five years. The mushroom filet is very good. Great piece of meat, cooked to perfection. My only regret for our August trip (which was planned late) is that we can only get Le Cellier for lunch. I'd much rather have dinner, when the mushroom filet is on the menu.

So, I highly recommend you take that 7:50 dinner reservation and enjoy. As for getting out in time for Illuminations, I wouldn't worry. Chances are you may not be finished before the show starts, but that doesn't mean you have to miss it. Enjoy a liesurely meal and wait until just before 9:00 to order desert. Tell the server you are going to go outside to catch Illuminations (they won't mind, we've done it), enjoy the show, then come back in and enjoy your desert.

 

[LilyWDW]

Don't get me wrong. Since 1991 the Brown Derby has been a staple of our Disney dining diet. We've always loved the place. Still love the atmosphere. Unfortunately, it has slipped over the years. Now, with the dining plan it seems to have gone even more downhill. And 2 TS credits? No way. While I don't think Brown Derby is a horrible meal or a bad experience, after our meal there last November it has moved off our list of must eat restaurants. Not just because it's overpriced at 2 TS credits if you are on the plan, but the food was a disaapointment. Actually, the steak was a disappointment. And speaking of service, the level of service at Brown Derby has declined quite a bit from what it was back in the day when the Brown Derby was one of the best meals on property.

Le Cellier, on the other hand, has yet to disappoint us. It remains a must do restaurant, as it has for the past four or five years. The mushroom filet is very good. Great piece of meat, cooked to perfection. My only regret for our August trip (which was planned late) is that we can only get Le Cellier for lunch. I'd much rather have dinner, when the mushroom filet is on the menu.

And see, that's why everyone has to try it for themselves. Part of my issue with Le Cellier was the design of the restaurant. I HATE eating places where I feel like I am a part of another person's table that is not themed that way. The whole time there I could hear everyone else's conversations and if I stretched my arms out I could have touched the people at the tables at either side of me (I am only 5'6" so it's not like I am THAT tall). So, you add that into so so food and it was a non memorable meal that I have no want to repeat.

Any restaurant you go to will have good days and bad days. Every server will have good days and bad days. We had a wonderful day at Brown Derby, the best steak I have EVER had, and one of the best chicken dishes my mom had ever had (mom is a steak lover so for her to enjoy that chicken over the steak she had at Le Cellier screams to be the steak wasn't that great). We are not on the dining plan and felt that the cost was well in line for the food and service. The quality vs cost of Brown Derby was much better then for Le Cellier in my humble opinion.

The problem with asking restaurants is that people will have differences of opinion. Look all over this board and you will see that happening again and again. So, you have to take each one with a grain of salt and decide for yourself if this is where you want to go. I honestly didn't and followed the Le Cellier crowd and booked here, when I would have been happier somewhere else personally. It's no ones fault, not even my own, that I had a bad meal here. I tried it and it wasn't for me. *shrug* So I move on and know next time to skip it and try somewhere else. If I had followed "recent" reviews before my trip I may have skipped Ohana, but it was honestly one of our top three meals of the trip.

So, to each their own and I know you will enjoy your trip no matter if you eat at Le Cellier or don't.

 

[mickeymotto]

The signature dish for dinner is LeCellier Mushroom Filet Mignon and I highly recommend it. My husband has tried other steaks there and his opinion is that they pale in comparison to the mushroom filet. I personally have not been able to try anything other than the mushroom filet. Give it a try -- it's great!

I absolutely agree! Le Cellier is a must do for us every trip! This is all 3 of our DS's favorite restaurant too. The mushroom filet is one of the best steaks I have ever had and I have had some good steaks in my journeys. Anyway, I highly recommend this place and you are very fortunate to even get an ADR from what I hear lately.

 

[mb4cy]

My mom and I went last December for Candlelight Processional dinner package. Our server was Patrick and he was terrific! We are from Iowa so we love our steak and it was very tender. The appetizers were good and the pretzel breadstick (each table gets breadsticks) were great! Dessert was ok. The restaurant is lovely. Tables are close together, which we didn't mind. We had fund answering Canadian trivia while waiting for our table.

I made our ADRs 180 days out and had trouble getting reservations at LeCellier. We've been to WDW several times and last trip was our first LC experience, so obviously we were missing a well-known spot.

 

[crisi]

Frankly, I don't think it COULD live up to the hype. This is currently the most hyped restaurant on these boards. It would have to be butterknife tender Kobe beef to live up to the hype - and THAT its not.

We like it - I think its a good steak for the money at Disney. But I wouldn't miss Illuminations for a steak I can get at my local Outback. I can get a similar quality steak in any town in the U.S. (often for less money) - I can only see Illuminations at Disney.

I think you'd need to be extraordinarily lucky to have a 7:40 reservation and make Illuminations. - particularly in September with Free Dining going on.

 

[Inkmahm]

I second Brian Noble's recommendation for Yachtsman, although obviously a more expensive choice. I never go to WDW without a visit to the Yachtsman... the filet is just awesome, and the bread with the garlic to spread on it... omg...

Yachtsman is more expensive than Le Cellier? Great. We've eaten there many times and are just trying Le Cellier for the first time this December. Glad to hear it will be cheaper!