EPCOT Dining: Le Cellier

Between its reputation for serving up legendary steaks and its cozy dining room size – it can be a challenge to obtain an advance dining reservation at Le Cellier, in the Canada Pavilion at EPCOT. It took us three trips in order to do so, but it was worth both the effort and the wait!

Le Cellier – Using the Disney Dining Plan

We snagged a lunch reservation, since we were on the Disney Dining Plan and as of March 1, 2011, this has been reclassified as a Signature Dining Experience, taking 2 credits.  Lunch can still be enjoyed at 1 credit.  (12/18/13 Update:  Le Cellier now takes 2 Disney Dining Credits at lunch, too.)

All checked in, and ready to chow down.

Le Cellier – An Inside Tour

The atmosphere at Le Cellier is charming, your experience styled as a journey into the exclusive wine cellar of a Canadian château-style hotel.

After leaving the brightly colored day, you are lowered into another time and place.  We loved that this is a smaller than normal venue for Walt Disney World Park Dining – it felt calm and exclusive.

Le Cellier – The Menu and Food Review

So how was the food? Well, we are Midwestern Red Meat Eaters … so it was right up our alley, and there wasn’t much question as to what we would order!

I selected Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon, and my husband the Grilled Bone-in Ribeye. I will say I’ve had alot of great steak in my lifetime – and both of these choices measured up. Amazing flavor, and each bite melted in your mouth.

When obsessively planning each and every detail of my family’s Disney trips, I often comb the user comments and reviews on the the allears.net site. Curiously, prior to our trip they had a run of Le Cellier reviews commenting that the food was “excessively salty”.

While I found this interesting, it did not deter me in the slightest! But it did crack me up when after taking his initial bite, the first words out of my husband’s mouth were, “Huh. Salty.” He quickly amended his view, as really everything we tried was fantastic.

My daughter was also able to order a steak off of the kids menu, and was in Fat City. This is her absolute favorite food.

Note that if you are on the Dining Plan, with an included beverage, at this restaurant you can select ‘virgin’ drinks such as Strawberry Daiquiris and Pina Coladas! We tried one of each, and they were fabulous.

I took a few moments to look around and enjoy the details and design of the restaurant.

Glass vases above the fireplace mantle.

From the starting pretzel rolls, warmed and brought to the table, to the ending famous Chocolate Moose Mousse dessert … everything was flavorful and did not disappoint.

Signature dessert:  Chocolate Moose Mousse.  Don’t leave without trying it!

Le Cellier ~ EPCOT Canada’s Best, Not To Be Missed

We thoroughly enjoyed our culinary experience at Le Cellier Steakhouse, and will be dining there again every chance that we get. And when you go, don’t forget to head over and watch the “O Canada” 360 degree film, eh?

Very happy Minnie Mouse Girls!

*o* *o* *o*

If you are curious, here is the menu – courtesy of allears:

Le Cellier
Canada – Epcot’s World Showcase
Dinner Menu

Menu Date: June 2011

NOTE: AS OF MARCH 1, 2011, dinner at Le Cellier Steakhouse will be elevated to a Signature dining experience, offering an exciting new menu that will change seasonally and an expanded wine list. For Disney Dining Plan and Disney Deluxe Dining Plan Guests, this change for dinner will require two table-service meal entitlements per person. Lunch will remain one table-service meal entitlement per person.

Starters

Black and Blue Beef Steak Tartar – with a “Hot Spring Egg” and Pommes Gaufrette $16.00
Softshell Crab – arugula, lemon confit, Zellwood corn, and brown butter vinaigrette $14.00
Steakhouse Caesar – crisp romaine lettuce, aged parmesan, and pretzel croutons $9.00
Artisan Spicy Chicken and Chipotle Sausage – with Roasted Corn Polenta and Sweet Onion Jam $12.00
Heirloom Tomato Salad – macerated red Onions, Minus “8” vinegar and smokey blue cheese $12.00
Assortment of Artisanal Cheese – accompanied with Chef’s Selection of dried fruits and preserves $14.00
Grilled Jumbo Asparagus Gratinee – with sauce hollandaise, Canadian cheddar an crunch bacon $11.00
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup – Made with Moosehead Beer and Bacon Cup $9.00
Le Cellier Lobster Chopped Salad – mixed field greens, haricot verts, avocado, tomatoes and “Lake Meadows” egg $16.00

Entrees

Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon – 8 oz. Canadian AAA Beef Tenderloin with wild mushroom risotto, white truffle butter sauce and micro chervil $41.00 Grilled Bone-in Ribeye – 16 oz. bone-in ribeye with herb-parmesan potato wedges and maple-pink peppercorn butter $42.00
Canadian Prime New York Strip – 12 ounce strip steak with Gruyere-Yukon Gold Potato-Gratin, wilted spinach, and vin rouge reduction $42.00
Grilled Bison Strip Loin – with sunchoke puree, picked ramps, and huckleberry port reduction $41.00
Roasted Free-range Chicken – with marble potatoes, morel mushrooms, English Pea Nage and Roasted Shallot butter $30.00
Medallion of Beef Tenderloin – caramelized onions, pommes frites, and au poivre sauce $36.00
Pacific King Salmon – with parsnip puree, braised greens, pickled pearl onions and mustard sauce $34.00
Charred Pork Tenderloin – with maple polenta, sauteed pea tendrils, baby corn and warm bacon vinaigrette $32.00
Potato Leek and Goat Cheese Quiche – with melted leeks and truffle buttter sauce $23.00

Sides and Sauces

Poutine Fries – Canadian Cheddar, truffle salt and red wine reduction $8.00
Baked Macaroni and Cheese with white cheddar $7.00
Creamed Spinach with parmesan $7.00
Maple-glazed Rainbow Carrots in maple butter $7.00
Truffle Crushed Potatoes – Yukon Gold potatoes, truffle oil, European butter $8.00
Sauteed Mushrooms with herb butter $7.00

Non-Alcoholic Specialties

Tinker Bell and Friends or Buzz Lightyear Punch – Minute Maid light raspberry lemonade served in a souvenir Fairies or Toy Story 3 Cup with a glowing Tinker Bell or Buzz Lightyear Clip-on Light $6.49
Red Maple – Raspberry smoothie with a splash of Sprite $4.69
Niagara Refresher – Mango smoothie with a splash of Cranberry $4.69

Traditional Beers

Canadian Unibroue $6.75
La Fin du Monde
Maudite
Blanche de Chambly
Trois Pistoles
Molson Canadian $5.75
Labatt Blue $5.75
Labatt Light Blue $5.75
Draft Moosehead Pale Ale $5.25