Restaurants Outside DLP and Getting There

[WDW Princess 71]

My dad and I are visiting DLP in July 2013. We plan to eat some meals at DLP but also want to try some authentic local French restaurants in the nearby towns. What are your recommendations for local restaurants? Are there any outdoor on the river? Approximately how much would a taxi cost to and from the restaurant? We are trying to decide if it is worth it to rent a car for our stay to travel to and from the airport and use it to drive to restaurants off site, or if we will just use the VEA shuttle to DLP and taxis to restaurants.

 

[Ware Bears]

There's this thread here which is discussing restaurants in Val d'Europe which is the nearest town although it's not on a river. It's very easy to get there on the train, only one stop, so not necessary to have a car.

Provins is a world heritage medieval town which might interest you, again there's no need to have a car as you can catch a bus from Disney.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

My dad and I are visiting DLP in July 2013. We plan to eat some meals at DLP but also want to try some authentic local French restaurants in the nearby towns. What are your recommendations for local restaurants? Are there any outdoor on the river? Approximately how much would a taxi cost to and from the restaurant? We are trying to decide if it is worth it to rent a car for our stay to travel to and from the airport and use it to drive to restaurants off site, or if we will just use the VEA shuttle to DLP and taxis to restaurants.

There aren't any local French restaurants in the nearby towns really as the whole area was built by Disney. Before that you had acres and acres of farmland and the odd little village here and there.

Val d'Europe has a lot of restaurants but they are either all chain restaurants or cheap(ish) ethnique cooking.

Nearest place would be Meaux where you could find French restaurants and you can also eat by the river over there.

You have also Provins which is further afield but like Meaux can be reached by bus.

The largest selection of restaurants without going into Paris would be down in Fontainebleau which you could do as a (half)day trip if you wanted by visiting the castle there.

http://www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr/spip.php?page=sommaire&lang=en

http://www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com/index.php/en/

It's about 70 km so an hour or so from DLP

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Thank you both for the responses. I was trying to figure out the recommendations in the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland Paris book I have- the book says there are a number of authentic French restaurants in the "seine et Marne departement" and lists nearby villages of Lagny sur Marne, Conde Sainte Libiare, Couilly pont aux Dames, Chalifert, Montevrain, Jablines, Thorigny sur Marne, and Villeneuve le Comte as suggested towns for restaurants. Do you have any advice about these places? Are they worth driving to and are the restaurants authentic?

Also to get to these places, the book recommends a taxi or a car. It says there are buses but the "schedules are erratic and confusing and fares are not that much cheaper than taxis" is that true?

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Thank you both for the responses. I was trying to figure out the recommendations in the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland Paris book I have- the book says there are a number of authentic French restaurants in the "seine et Marne departement" and lists nearby villages of Lagny sur Marne, Conde Sainte Libiare, Couilly pont aux Dames, Chalifert, Montevrain, Jablines, Thorigny sur Marne, and Villeneuve le Comte as suggested towns for restaurants. Do you have any advice about these places? Are they worth driving to and are the restaurants authentic?

Also to get to these places, the book recommends a taxi or a car. It says there are buses but the "schedules are erratic and confusing and fares are not that much cheaper than taxis" is that true?

Montevrain is Val d'Europe more or less.

Lagny sur Marne and Thorigny sur Marne touch each other and can be reached by bus (line 23) from the bus station at DLP.

Jablines is also accesible by bus from DLP or at least the leisure park is. It's a village with a pizza restaurant that I know of.

Conde Sainte Libiare would need a car unless there is a bus from the station at Montry (station that is on the Paris-Meaux route from Gare de l'Est). Another village but larger than Jablines.

Couilly pont aux Dames same as above on the same train line but further out

Villeneuve le Comte going out towards Provins - not on a train line - you would need a car -

Chalifert is on the same bus line (24) as Jablines. It's not that far from Val d'Europe.

There's not really a lot going on in any of them besides Lagny and Thorigny and even then it's not great.

What also do you mean by authentic ? Are you looking for brasseries and cafés or fine dining ? etc etc

The bus service is regular and not expensive as it's only 1.90€ a ticket per journey if the ticket is bought on the bus and you can buy a carnet of 10 tickets at the station at DLP for 12,70€

I don't know your guidebook so I can't comment on their choices...what are they suggesting as "authentic" French restaurants. ?

I would still be looking at Meaux as there are many restaurants or Provins or Fontainbleau

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Thank you for the suggestions. By "authentic" we mean real French cafes, restaurants, or brasseries- not the American style food at DLP. We will eat a few meals there, but I heard they are overpriced and the same kind of food we can get anywhere at home in the US. This is my dad's first trip to Europe and I want him to experience local cuisine. One of my best meals on a trip to Germany was a place off the tourist track that was where the locals went, the menu was in German so we had no idea what we were ordering, but everything turned out delicious and it was the best meal of our trip. It was also on beautiful river. That is the kind of restaurant I would like to dine at near DLP- real French food. We enjoy fine dining and also casual dining so we would be open to any suggestions.

The restaurants the book is recommending are: L'Auberge de la Brie (in Couilly), L'Ermitage (in Chalifert), Vallee de la Marne (in Libiare), Auberge le Tournesoleil (in Jablines), La Bonne Auberge (in montevrain), Le Gourmandin (in Thorigny), and La Bonne Marmite (in Villeneuve). Do you have any opinions on these?

 

[Carrie_Cat]

Thank you for the suggestions. By "authentic" we mean real French cafes, restaurants, or brasseries- not the American style food at DLP. We will eat a few meals there, but I heard they are overpriced and the same kind of food we can get anywhere at home in the US. This is my dad's first trip to Europe and I want him to experience local cuisine. One of my best meals on a trip to Germany was a place off the tourist track that was where the locals went, the menu was in German so we had no idea what we were ordering, but everything turned out delicious and it was the best meal of our trip. It was also on beautiful river. That is the kind of restaurant I would like to dine at near DLP- real French food. We enjoy fine dining and also casual dining so we would be open to any suggestions.

The restaurants the book is recommending are: L'Auberge de la Brie (in Couilly), L'Ermitage (in Chalifert), Vallee de la Marne (in Libiare), Auberge le Tournesoleil (in Jablines), La Bonne Auberge (in montevrain), Le Gourmandin (in Thorigny), and La Bonne Marmite (in Villeneuve). Do you have any opinions on these?

L'Auberge de la Brie gets good reviews - it's also the most attractive one surrounding wise

http://*******.com/d7e8nyn

http://maps.google.fr/maps?oe=utf-8...=X&ei=DkxCUJ_AHYfChAeFm4DIDw&ved=0CJoBEPwSMAA

L'Ermitage is now a dance club type of place with country/salsa/80's evening and cabaret nights .

Auberge le Tournesoleil as far as I know closed a few years ago.

La Bonne Auberge is by the side of a main road so not very quiet or picturesque - have no idea about the food there.

http://*******.com/bov74sg

http://maps.google.fr/maps?oe=utf-8...a=X&ei=F0tCUJ6fO6mg0QW6uYDgBg&ved=0CCIQ8gEwAA

Le Gourmandin - you would need a car, it's like the above on a roadside out of the center of town

http://*******.com/bljvwqd

http://maps.google.fr/maps?oe=utf-8...a=X&ei=vkhCULL9EI6AhQf2qIHIBQ&ved=0CCIQ8gEwAA

La Bonne Marmite is on the main street but again you'd need a car

http://*******.com/cs77uen

http://maps.google.fr/maps/ms?msid=...0&ll=48.813116,2.829548&spn=0.005158,0.009645

Vallee de la Marne - I've never been to Libiare and OH hasn't heard of the restaurant

If you look at the links I put up you'll be able to see via street view the restaurants and surroundings

ETA - for some reason the site doesn't like the word t i n y u r l

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Thanks Carrie, this is very helpful. Do you have any personal favorites to recommend preferably within 20-30 minutes of DLP, but up to an hour away if its really good? Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.