Victoria and Albert's vs Le Cellier

[SarahInMN]

Thanks for all the fantastic input!

We have no problem paying for a really pricey dinner for special occasions as long as the food is excellent (which was our concern based on what the waiter said). I also like the convenience factor: we'll be staying at the Grand Floridian for our entire stay which gives us flexibility and convenience when getting V and A reservations. I have, based on the Zagat's review I found and this post, been able to switch my fiance's opinion and we will be getting ADR's once we hit the 180 +10 mark in Julu. So YAY!

perhaps the waiter was concerned that you are a young couple and will be newly wedded, so finances can often be tight...figure on at least $300 for the meal, and more if you want the wine pairings

Also a good point! Although if he thought we were young, that is very flattering: we're both in our 30's which doesn't seem young when I see people in their 20s!

We are definitely getting the wine pairings!

I love Le Celier. I think the atmosphere is perfect. The food has a quality twice its price. And it is by far the greatest taste/value relationship on property.

That is good to hear! It sounds like Le cellier is not the place though for us to celebrate a "just the 2 of us" dinner but it sounds like a great place for us to go at some other point during our stay with friends/family.

Thanks again!

 

[Cobbo]

DW & I are going to be back in the World for our 5th Anniversay in just a few weeks! We went to V&As the day after our wedding 5 years ago, and have returned twice since on annivesaries. It is a can't miss opportunity - you are guaranteed the best meal you are going to have on vacation. The only issue is the cost. I bring this up because we had this exact conversation last night - do we really want to go back to V&As and spend 3 hours and 400+ dollars on dinner? We brainstormed alternatives, and Le Cellier was NOT one of them. Jikos, Artist Point, bluezoo, Citricos (ironically enough), and even California Grill entered into the conversation, although I would not choose CG for a romantic night - too noisy and crowded. Had we thought longer, perhaps we would have come up with others (Le Chef de France, Wolfgang Punk (upstairs), and Shulas comes to mind) and I would put all of those ahead of Le Cellier.

After a conversation, we both agreed that there is no alternative to V&As in Florida, let alone in WDW. The only issue left to measure is cost.

Congrats on your upcoming anniversary....DW & I like to enjoy ours at V&A's also (and will be there again in August)....but since you're going soon, I wanted to give you a heads up for another meal to consider (not in place of, but in addition to or as you see fit)...instead of looking at Le Chef de France, look into the Bistro de Paris...it's upstairs from Le Chef and is a much nicer, quieter, romantic experience (not to mention much better food). IMHO, it's probably the nicest/most romantic in-park restaurant, and the only negative I can come up with is that they don't do the 180-day ADR schedule there, so you can only book your ressie 30 days out. In all fairness, though, I should point out my obvious bias to the place, since it is where I proposed to DW years ago (had a wonderful table by the window overlooking the fireworks...and was a meal we'll never forget, no matter how many times we eat at V&As)...


Oh, and to the OP - eat at V&A's. There is no comparison and Le Cellier is not in the same ballpark. You'll love the wine pairings too (even my lightweight drinking DW indulges when we go there)...and worst case scenario is that you get hooked on the wagyu kobe and have to keep coming back for a $$$$ meal....in which case, it's still worth it, but beware...dining at V&As is habit forming....

 

[Lynn5700]

Were going to try it now next year for our anniversary! You all sold me lol.

 

[NejTheLion]

I have to comment on the misconception that V&A is stuffy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Now, we have dined at other high-end restaurants around the world: AAA Five Diamond, Michelin 3 Star...New York, Las Vegas, Italy, France, Spain. And yes, many restaurants of this caliber can be stuffy. But those restaurants don't have the Disney touch.

What's so special about V&A is that you get one of the best meals in the world along with that Disney magic. Our servers have always been exceptional, both in terms of service and friendliness.

V&A is beyond romantic - intimate lighting, beautiful flowers, an excellent harpist, and a service team that is always smiling and treating you like a long-lost friend. This is not a restaurant where you feel the staff has something better to do and you're not worthy to be dining there. It's Disney!!! And for foodies out there, I can say it's the happiest place within the happiest place on earth

 

[SarahInMN]

IV&A is beyond romantic - intimate lighting, beautiful flowers, an excellent harpist, and a service team that is always smiling...And for foodies out there, I can say it's the happiest place within the happiest place on earth

fantastic!!

Were going to try it now next year for our anniversary! You all sold me lol.

Lynn - They have totally sold us as well!

look into the Bistro de Paris...it's and to the OP - eat at V&A's. There is no comparison and Le Cellier is not in the same ballpark. You'll love the wine pairings too

We also have Bistro de Paris on our list as a place to get ADR's at while we're there for the wedding.

I'm glad the wine pairings at V and A's are great as well!

 

[Mickey_Man]

I wanted to give you a heads up for another meal to consider (not in place of, but in addition to or as you see fit)...instead of looking at Le Chef de France, look into the Bistro de Paris...it's upstairs from Le Chef and is a much nicer, quieter, romantic experience (not to mention much better food).

Thanks for the clarification - this is the restaurant i meant to say!

I'd love to hear more about fine dining experiences that people have had in and around WDW.

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

V&A vs. LeCel?

5 star vs. Applebees

'nuf said.

(Don't flame me, I love Applebees! but it is not 5 star dining.)

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm already booked at V&A for a birthday trip, I guess that's not even as special as a wedding, but I want to go anyway with my foodie friends.

 

[SarahInMN]

V&A vs. LeCel?

5 star vs. Applebees

I'm already booked at V&A for a birthday trip, I guess that's not even as special as a wedding, but I want to go anyway with my foodie friends

A birthday trip is definitely very special! Happy early birthday.

I like good food and wine, but my fiance is definitely a foodie!

So, it should be V and A's for us (barring any ADR issues/disasters).

 

[PaulaSB12]

I have been to Le Cellier 3 times and V&A's twice, I will not be going this year as ther are too many of us and we are going to discovery cove BUT for a romantic meal V&A's is the place to go its wonderfull I was made to feel very welcome as a solo diner and its smaller so less people it will be perfect for you.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Also, I just pulled out my Zagat's guide and V and A got great Zagat's reviews (better even than the Cali Grill).

There's a good reason for that. They're in different categories. There's regular, sit-down TS restaurants (LC fits in this category), then there's Signature dining (in which CG resides), last you have V&A (which is in a category all it's own). If that server was serious with his advice, I wouldn't want to depend on him to help with menu suggestions. Honestly, his recommendation makes no sense at all, unless he has no clue what V&A is. What's even more puzzling is that he didn't even recommend a Signature restaurant. He just blew right past those in favor of non-Signature establishment.

Just a thought -- perhaps the waiter was concerned that you are a young couple and will be newly wedded, so finances can often be tight, especially when one is about to set up a new household. He may have thought that V&A, being quite pricey, might stretch your finances and therefore recommended a more affordable alternative. For a V&A dinner, figure on at least $300 for the meal, and more if you want the wine pairings or other special options available. Yes, for a special occasion like the one mentioned, many would think the price is worth it. But for those who are very budget conscious, $300 or more for a single dinner might be high. I don't know, but maybe this was what crossed that waiter's mind. Clearly, V&A gets consistenly outstanding restaurant reviews and is definitely an exquisite dining experience.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

The only problem with that was the OP was speaking to a server at Citrico's. She was dining in a Signature restaurant which is a level higher than LC already. Why would she want a lesser meal for her honeymoon?

 

[NejTheLion]

I'll second or third that Bistro de Paris suggestion. Probably the most romantic and best fine dining within any of the parks. Completely different from Chefs de France. That 30-day ressie thing is kinda annoying since it's easy to forget. I always put ressie days in my work calendar and get an automatic reminder the day before

 

[Brian Noble]

when we were there a few weeks ago, our waiter at Citricos recommended that we bypass Victoria and Albert's and try Le Cellier.

I can't for the life of me imagine why.

LC is a good (but not great) steakhouse. Perfectly fine for what it is.

V&A's is an event. I've not eaten there yet, but have dined at a few similar places elsewhere, both here and abroad. It is ideal for that special celebration for two people who have a sincere interest in eating well.

 

[TDC Nala]

I understand a lot of visitors love Le Cellier, but I think it's spectacularly overrated. Of course, I don't order steak. I might feel differently if I ate their specialty.

I have an aversion to meat with fat or gristle on it. I like the buffalo from Artist Point - no fat whatsoever.

I'd also recommend Jiko, I once ate some of the filet there (only a bit) and it was good.

 

[B-Ride]

We are big fans of Le Cellier and have never eaten at V&A. That said, if money is no object then definitely go with V&A. We would give it a try ourselves if we had money to burn.