Monsieur Paul: expensive waste of time

[rocketriter]

We just returned from WDW and I'm sorry to say that our most disappointing meal was Monsieur Paul's. The night we ate there the kitchen went "in the weeds" and the food service was glacial.

The bread lady gave us each one small roll and walked away with the bread basket. We placed our orders and got our beverages. Then the staff ignored us for almost 90 minutes. The bread lady did bustle past occasionally but would not stop. We sat and stared. At most $45/entree restaurants, when something goes wrong the manager comes by, explains, and perhaps offers a little trifle from the kitchen to keep guests satisfied. But for us (and other customers that night), 90 minutes of nothing.

My wife and daughter had ordered the filet split between them, as both eat like birds. When it finally arrived, a huge white plate with a hockey puck of beef somewhere in the center was set before my wife and an empty plate landed in front of my daughter. We had to divide the meat ourselves. (The night before, at The Brown Derby, a similar order arrived beautifully divided and plated for two.)

We ordered two desserts to share. We asked for individual plates and the waiter brought two for the four of us and had to be sent back for two more.

The food, during the 10 minutes that it took to eat it, was tasty. Our waiter, during the 4 minutes he spent with us, was pleasant. But in the end, we felt that management at Monsieur Paul was more concerned with their routines and plating than with satisfying their clientele. Guests were ignored when something went wrong, and simple requests were not fulfilled with grace or thoughtfulness.

 

[vettegirl]

That's a shame

 

[Disneylover99]

That's too bad. Attentive service (for us) is sometimes more important then the food in determining weather or not we will revisit a restaurant.

 

[Eastern]

At the prices they charge, Disney restaurants have little room for error. I think they have reached maximum price capacity at most of their restaurants. I have had mostly pleasant experiences, but at the current prices, that is not enough.

I have cancelled all my table service for the rest of my trip (3 more full days).

I'm done paying $240 for pizza and sushi

I'm sure other customers will pick up the slack. Or, maybe not...

 

[DLFan123]

Your experience sounds very disappointing.

 

[RealBlast3]

What a shame! I am sorry to hear they were so awful.

This is Bistro de Paris, right, formerly? I had great experiences the 3 times I went there under the former name/management. However, I now know after the first time that is by far the most LEISURELY paced meal you will have anywhere in the parks - nothing comes close to how slow the service. So, I went in the last few times knowing I would be there a couple of hours but that's fine with me - one of the reasons I go to Disney is enjoy long meals - I hate being rushed.

And one of the waiters there once explained to us that it is French custom to let their patrons enjoy a long meal without bothering them.

For me, because I usually order wine, appetizers, entree and dessert - it never feels like an especially long time, even here. I also really lucked out each time with very friendly male waiters that I was able to engage in conversation. The last time I went, in particular, back in June 2012, the waiter was so delightful and cute and one time he excused himself with apologies that he had to go back to work but that he promised to come back soon to continue our conversation and he did!

I have no idea how much has changed since the refurbishment though. I tried Les Chefs de France which is downstairs from this and was dissapointed with both the food and service there - it was rushed - however rushed for me might mean the right speed for others but in the past I have felt that if you want gourmet French food, it's Bistro de Paris all the way.

 

[maxiesmom]

Unfortunately I've come to accept that the high cost of food at WDW does not indicate great service. Rather that you are on Disney property. Just like the high cost of the deluxe resorts in no way mean they would be deluxe resorts in the real world.

 

[rocketriter]

...And one of the waiters there once explained to us that it is French custom to let their patrons enjoy a long meal without bothering them.

You're right about continental custom, which is slower than in the US. However, our waiter admitted that the kitchen had fallen far behind on orders that night; and as we left, there were a lot of people jammed into the restaurant's tiny lobby who had been waiting more than an hour past their reservation time. That night the pace was an accident, not French custom. And my objection wasn't with slow service per se. It was with the restaurant's lack of graciousness and customer care when their kitchen's operation fell apart.