Mouse Extra

Largely regarded as a top Disney World restaurant, Epcot’s Le Cellier is one of, if not the toughest ticket in all of the World Showcase.   If you are going to the Mouse, even in the slowest of seasons, you must make your reservations as early as possible if you want to try this terrific place.

I was an Epcot fanatic for years without ever even considering Le Cellier for a meal.  A Canadian steakhouse just didn’t seem to be all that interesting.  But as the Disney internet community began to grow, I became more and more intrigued.  The final straw came during my first trip to the Epcot Food and Wine festival.  There my wife and I both fell madly addicted to little cups of Le Cellier’s Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup.  We had to try the place.   Of course I soon found the rumors to be true as there was no chance of getting into the restaurant for a meal during that trip.  It would have to wait.

By the time our next trip came around the hype was overwhelming.  Between WDW Today’s Mike Scopa practically weeping tears of joy every time the name Le Cellier was even mentioned, all the glowing online reviews, and our own expectation, we may have been setting the bar a bit high.  Thankfully, that was not the case.  It cleared the bar with room to spare. 

The interior of Le Cellier is as gorgeous as the rest of the Canada Pavilion.  It is beautifully appointed, authentic and understated.   It doesn’t attempt to overwhelm you with flash and glitz.  But like the country it represents, it is complex, classy, and inviting.  The colors, lighting and architecture all set a wonderfully warm atmosphere that settles you instantly from a manic day at Disney World. 

Steak is the specialty of the house, but everything on this menu looks terrific.  I was there with a large party, and all were very satisfied with their meals.  Make sure you try the aforementioned cheese soup and the Maple Crème Brule, which is just heavenly.  For lunch, I truly enjoyed the Asian Grilled Chicken Sandwich, and I also heard raves about Calgary Barbecue Sliced Prime Rib from the table. 

The one and only issue, and this could be purely bad luck, was that the service seemed slow compared to other Epcot restaurants.  Not bad, just perhaps overwhelmed.  Considering Le Cellier never seems to slow down at all, that shouldn’t be surprising.  But with that aside, I recommend this place as highly as I can recommend any restaurant in all of Walt Disney World.  Just get your reservation early, and prepare to wait even if you do.