Here at DFB, we’ve been to EVERY restaurant in Disney World.
Yep, that’s right — every. single. one. We’ve tried signature meals, character meals, buffets, quick service spots, and everything in between. But once you’ve reviewed every restaurant one time, what do you do? Well, you go back and review them AGAIN! The only consistent thing about Disney World food is that it’s inconsistent, so that’s why we here at DFB like to revisit old restaurants every once in a while to see if they still live up to the hype (or disappoint us again!). And recently, we made a visit to a popular EPCOT spot.
Not too long ago, I stopped in for a lunch reservation at Chefs de France in EPCOT’s France Pavilion. This has been a spot that we’ve loved in the past and we’ve recommended it often. The menu here is pretty steady, but we wanted to make sure that the food and the experience were as good as we remembered. So let’s dive in!
Atmosphere
As I mentioned above, this sit-down restaurant is located in the France Pavilion. It’s recommended that you make dining reservations ahead of time through your Disney account, but typically the reservations aren’t terribly difficult to snag. We stopped by in the middle of the lunch hours.
You check in with the host’s stand outside the entrance, and then you’ll sit on the nearby benches and wait to be seated at your table. The process was pretty fast for me, and I was seated within a few minutes.
Inside the restaurant, there are multiple dining spaces separated by walls and windows. You might get seated in the big dining room in the middle…
…or you could end up in one of the two sunrooms with beautiful window views into EPCOT. The sunroom on the front side of the restaurant is probably my favorite place to sit because you can do some great people-watching with a view of the bridge to the pavilion. (Plus, the lighting for food photos is SUPERB by those windows!)
Each of the tables is set with silverware, bread plates, paper menus, and a cloth napkin. (We’re fancy up in here, y’all!)
Now it’s time to see what you can order!
Menu
The menu is pretty standard in that it has a variety of French-inspired appetizers, entrees, and desserts. For apps, you could go traditional and order something like escargot or French Onion Soup, but they also have two different salads available.
In terms of entrees, there are eight different options. Some of the popular choices are the Filet de Beouf, the Beouf Bourguignon, and the Gratin de Macaroni. For plant-based eaters, you can try the Ratatouille sur Quinoa.
Desserts include a creme brûlée, a citrus cake, a chocolate tart, or assorted sorbet.
But one thing that you’ll want to note if you’re planning to visit soon and order a lot of food is that they also have a prix fixe meal option! With this option, you pay one price ($72.95) and get an appetizer, entree, dessert, and beverage. The drink can either be a glass of Chardonnay, a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon Georges Duboeuf, or a non-alcoholic beverage.
Depending on what you order, this can be a really good deal…but you’ll want to do the math!
Eats
So what did I order during my visit? Well, I opted for the Prix Fixe meal so that we could review as many things as possible, but before I even ordered, I was brought the bread service! Here, you are given a WHOLE baguette with a pat of butter. Talk about dreams come true!
The bread was incredibly fresh and had that nice crunch on the outside, but was fluffy and soft on the inside. The butter was pretty standard, but sometimes all you want is some classic bread and butter. If that’s what you’re looking for…this bread service SERVES.
Now it’s time to make some decisions! I was feeling pretty adventurous, so I opted to get the Cassolette d’escargots de Bourgogne au beurre persillé (Escargot) as my appetizer. Yes siree, that’s snails!
With this appetizer, you get a tray filled with 6 little portions and a tiny three-pronged fork to eat them with. (Known as a “snail fork!”) These Burgundian escargots are baked in parsley and garlic butter and topped with tiny crostinis. And boy…they were GOOD.
The flavors of garlic and parsley really come through and season the snails well, and the crostinis on top added a delicious crunch that I enjoyed. The snails themselves were perfectly chewy, and had a really good mouth feel overall. Not slimy, not too earthy, just right.
My only mild complaint was that these were a tad on the oily side because there was SO much butter. But if you’re a butter lover, that won’t bother you at all! I remedied the excess oil by just tapping them lightly on the dish before eating.
Moving on to the entree, I got the Filet de saumon mariné au vin blanc et citron, riz, sauce champagne at the recommendation of my server. It’s a white wine and lemon marinated sustainable salmon, broiled and served with rice, sweet peas, and carrots on the side. It’s topped with a champagne sauce. And wow, I was blown away by the presentation of this entree when it landed on the table in front of me…just look at those colors!
Starting with the salmon, it was cooked to a perfect pink color, easy to pull apart with your fork, and deliciously moist. The sauce was very buttery and smooth, and it was a great complement to the fish. The sauce has a rather thin consistency. The salmon itself was some of the most delicious salmon I’ve had, especially in Disney World.
I liked the addition of the lemon and lime slices on top, and I squeezed them on top of the fish for a little extra tanginess and citrus flavor. However, my favorite way to eat this salmon was getting a piece together on my fork along with a carrot chunk…they work oddly well together!
The rice was very basic brown rice, but it was good for sopping up the runny sauce and it blended well with the other flavors on the plate. Not the star, but it worked nicely with the other elements.
And finally, it came time for dessert! My server recommended the Tarte au chocolat Valrhona, glace à la vanilla, AKA a chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream. This one had my mouth watering from the moment it arrived.
The shell is surprisingly not dry — that happens so often with tart desserts in Disney World. It was dark chocolate and had a strong cocoa flavor that made it taste really authentic. It’s filled with ganache, which is dark and cocoa-flavored, as well. The ganache is only lightly sweetened, but I actually really liked that choice because there are other sweet elements, and it was nice having a dessert that wasn’t too sugary! It was also very smooth and very thick…each bite felt hefty and very worth it.
On top of the ganache, you have the mousse. This is where a little more sweetness comes into play, and it’s a lighter chocolate than the base of the treat. It was (thankfully) not sickly sweet (just enough to balance out the flavors); it was fluffy and the crispy pearls added a fun new texture to the mix that I enjoyed.
And finally, we’ve got the ice cream, which was smooth and has a strong vanilla bean flavor to it. The perfect addition to the plate! Now, I’ve eaten a LOT of desserts in Disney World, but this one might just make it into my top 5! The textures and flavors were all perfect, it satisfied my craving for chocolate without being too much, and the sweetness level was on point. Plus, ICE CREAM. Need I say more?
Before I wrap up this review, I need to mention one more thing! Since I ordered the Prix Fixe meal, I got a drink included with my app, entree, and dessert. I opted for a refillable glass of Diet Coke, and asked the server to bring me a glass of water alongside it.
It’s not the most cost-effective drink option, since a soda is only a few bucks, but I was able to break even on the cost by ordering the most expensive appetizer and dessert, along with one of the pricier entrees. If you want to go cheaper on your food, getting an alcoholic beverage as your drink would help offset the savings from the other items.
Overall
Overall, this was a truly fantastic table service meal by my standards! I enjoyed everything I ate, and I would definitely go back and order each of those items again. The escargot in particular was significantly better than I expected, and the dessert was something that I might make a reservation just to order. (Sidebar — doesn’t an EPCOT dessert crawl sound amazing?!)
And on top of the delicious eats, the service was amazing! I had a very attentive server and the food was brought out each time within 5 minutes of ordering it. Very speedy! However, you should keep in mind that this meal might be a bit on the long side if you plan to order all three courses.
Nosh or Not?
Take a break with French cuisine and a view if…
- You’re a fan of French fare. This is some very delicious French food, and it’s more affordable than its next-door neighbor, Monsieur Paul. The atmosphere is cozy, but upscale, and we almost always have good meals here.
- You tend to order the pricey items on the menu. If you’re typically one who orders a steak and a hefty appetizer, the Prix Fixe meal could be a really good deal for you. You end up getting a lot of food, and you might find that it’s cheaper than your regular bill.
- You want a comfort meal. One of the things I loved about Chefs de France is that I felt truly relaxed during my time here (despite taking hundreds of photos of my food!). The peaceful view of EPCOT out the window, the relaxed atmosphere, and the excellent service really helped make me feel at home. It was. a good respite in the middle of a hectic park day.
Skip Chefs de France and continue traveling around the “World” if…
- You have a limited amount of time. The food was brought quickly to my table, but the nature of a Prix Fixe meal is that it’s a little slower. However, if you’re just planning to get an entree and that’s all, you might be okay to dine here on a time crunch. Ultimately, we would want to take the time to enjoy this meal though.
- You’re on a tight budget. While it’s not the priciest table service meal available, it’s also not the cheapest. Most of the entrees are $30 or more, and if you do the Prix Fixe it’s $72.95 per person. For that same price, you could eat at a character meal or a buffet elsewhere.
That’s a wrap on my visit to Chefs de France. I had a great time, and I hope to go back in the future with my family and friends to share the experience. If you’re heading to EPCOT soon, make sure to check out our other dining reviews to learn more about your options for some delicious eats!
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sam says
Use to be great here, but they have inflated everything so much its getting as bad Le Cellier. And neither are worth it. Management has told them to really hard sell push that $72 pre fix menu, its ridiculous. They wont even take the discount anymore at lunch, the place is a turn off.