nanadeb
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2006
- Messages
- 219
We ate at Les Chefs in September during Free Dining. Yes, the portions were smaller, but I could hardly have eaten all the food anyway if the portions had been normal sized.
The restaurant was just as crowded as any I have been in in Paris. The tables are just as small. The food--well, you need to understand that the food in Les Chef is not gourmet. You are eating Southern French country style food. Yes, the cuts of meat are the cheaper ones, but that is because they are country style. I had the short ribs of beef, and they were a bit gristly. but all short ribs are gristley. The sauce, however, was Provencal all the way. My daughter's chicken was standard roast chicken, albeit with a sauce. My husband had the pork chop. They were all good, wholesome country fare.
The key to it all was our server. I practiced my rusty high school French, to his delight, and we all engaged in a little banter. I was pleasantly surprised to find a Parisian waiter without an attitude and with the real Disney spirit.
We treated him like a real person and we received superb service. Not everyone around us did, though, because they treated the servers like near invisible servents.
We laughed, we talked, we complimented the chef to our waiter and had a roaring good time. We lived in Europe for 11 years and learned how to enjoy a meal European style. It is a social occasion to be savored. One's server is to be treated like an extension of the dining party and brought into the conversation.
Our server brought us ice water as well as our soft drinks. Our glasses were never less than half full at any time. He stopped by frequently and we received better service than anyone else around us. Our server was unfailingly polite to the other tables,as were the other servers, but no one else received the kind of atention we did. We were also not hustled out of the restaurant so that they could turn the table quickly.
Dining in a european estaurant is so very different from dining in an American restaurant. Since the World Showcase restaurants are run by natives of the represented country, you are getting as close to an authentic experience as you can get and still be in Disney World. Visibly showing enjoyment of your dining experience is a way of showing appreciation to the staff. You affirm that what they do is important in your life, that eating a meal is not the equivalent of a quick trip to the gas station for fuel.
Relax. Enjoy. You are in Disney World for a vacation, not an endurance event!
The restaurant was just as crowded as any I have been in in Paris. The tables are just as small. The food--well, you need to understand that the food in Les Chef is not gourmet. You are eating Southern French country style food. Yes, the cuts of meat are the cheaper ones, but that is because they are country style. I had the short ribs of beef, and they were a bit gristly. but all short ribs are gristley. The sauce, however, was Provencal all the way. My daughter's chicken was standard roast chicken, albeit with a sauce. My husband had the pork chop. They were all good, wholesome country fare.
The key to it all was our server. I practiced my rusty high school French, to his delight, and we all engaged in a little banter. I was pleasantly surprised to find a Parisian waiter without an attitude and with the real Disney spirit.
We treated him like a real person and we received superb service. Not everyone around us did, though, because they treated the servers like near invisible servents.
We laughed, we talked, we complimented the chef to our waiter and had a roaring good time. We lived in Europe for 11 years and learned how to enjoy a meal European style. It is a social occasion to be savored. One's server is to be treated like an extension of the dining party and brought into the conversation.
Our server brought us ice water as well as our soft drinks. Our glasses were never less than half full at any time. He stopped by frequently and we received better service than anyone else around us. Our server was unfailingly polite to the other tables,as were the other servers, but no one else received the kind of atention we did. We were also not hustled out of the restaurant so that they could turn the table quickly.
Dining in a european estaurant is so very different from dining in an American restaurant. Since the World Showcase restaurants are run by natives of the represented country, you are getting as close to an authentic experience as you can get and still be in Disney World. Visibly showing enjoyment of your dining experience is a way of showing appreciation to the staff. You affirm that what they do is important in your life, that eating a meal is not the equivalent of a quick trip to the gas station for fuel.
Relax. Enjoy. You are in Disney World for a vacation, not an endurance event!
Our meal was just no good (except the sorbet, which we really enjoyed). I guess you can't really expect much from a place where they are serving butter in foil packets. Felt more like the $9.99 All You Can Eat Buffet on I-Drive to me.... 
We wanted to be close to see Illuminations too!
and he has never done a character meal and he will love it!!
