Le Cellier Without Breaking the Bank
I’ve been a vocal critic of Le Cellier, but honestly, I’ve missed it. Back in the good ole days of the Disney Dining Plan, we used to dine at Le Cellier regularly, and were big fans. Unfortunately, that was a decade ago and a lot has changed since then.
Menu prices, Dining Plan credit allocations, and quality have all changed, with the former two going up while the last item paradoxically declined. It had been a while since we had gone to Le Cellier, being disappointed with our last couple of meals there (and what we paid for them).
In our Le Cellier Review, I’ve shared how I think Le Cellier was a victim of its own popularity, and how it’s a place that has earned “avoid” status for us. However, nostalgia is a powerful and sometimes puzzling thing. Despite our own warnings about Le Cellier, I really wanted to go back…
So, I began scheming. I had already been stalking the new(ish) poutine offerings at Le Cellier, and when I revisited Le Cellier’s menu, I noticed that a prix fixe menu was being offered for lunch, I realized that was my opening. Suddenly, there was a way to dine at Le Cellier without breaking the bank.
The poutine was inexpensive enough, costing only $10. Still pricey for fries, but reasonable as a major component of a meal at a nice Walt Disney World restaurant. The prix fixe menu was a larger part of the equation, as I figured we could order one of those in addition to the poutine, and be out the door without breaking the bank. Not exactly “Le Cellier on a dime,” but not bad.
Of course, Le Cellier’s menu does not list the price for the prix fixe menu, but I had done some online research and found that in May 2017, the Disney Mom’s Panel informed someone it cost $28.99. At that price-point, we began thinking maybe two prix fixe meals were in order.
So, we made an ADR for lunch at Le Cellier during our recent visit to Walt Disney World, hoping less expensive meal coupled with (perhaps?) the passage of time could improve our opinion of the fall great. After all, everyone loves a good redemption story.
Once upon a time, Le Cellier was one of the most difficult ADRs to score in all of Walt Disney World. If you didn’t book it 6 months in advance, you didn’t eat there. It’s still quite popular, but on this particular day, we were able to score a same-day ADR.
Perhaps that reputation that was cemented years ago–a reputation Le Cellier has been coasting on for at least 8 years since–is finally starting to erode? Given the prices and a wealth of other options in World Showcase, it’s actually surprising that Le Cellier has not seen a more precipitous decline in popularity. (It’s probably buoyed by recent mainstream articles like this one that proclaim Le Cellier is the best restaurant at Walt Disney World.)
Once we stepped back inside “da cellar” (as the kids undoubtedly call it), the memories came flooding back. We reminisced about dining here for our first (and second!) time back in 2007, our honeymoon meal here, and other visits over the years. At this point, even if the food was only okay, it probably would’ve been “worth it” for the fun trip down memory lane.
This was a good thing, as the visit went downhill as soon as we were handed the menus. Come to find out, the actual cost of the prix fixe menu was $50. Unless the cost nearly doubled over the course of a week, that Mom’s Panel answer was inaccurate when published. At that pace, the current cost is actually $279. (I joke, but I was actually quite pissed off. There’s literally only one official Disney page with the price, and it’s wrong?!)
Oh well, we figured. It seemed too good to be true from the beginning. We could still make the most of the experience. Sarah decided to go ahead and order the prix fixe menu anyway, while I ordered the poutine. Even with the (surprise!) $30 surcharge over what was advertised, we could still get out the door for ~$75 after AP discount, tax and tip, which is pretty good by Signature Restaurant standards.
Things picked back up once the bread service was brought out to us, and we tasted that delicious pretzel bread and that addictively good butter.
Too often, the bread service at a Walt Disney World meal is pointless filler. At Le Cellier, you could make the case that the glorious pretzel bread is the highlight of the meal. Fortunately, in this case, it was not the highlight…
For our prix fixe appetizer, we started with the Poached Forelle Pears, with blue cheese cream, candied walnuts, micro lettuce, and pear agrodolce. This was surprisingly good. The sweet flavors of the pears and candied walnuts were lightly contrasted by the blue cheese cream, in what amounted to a refreshing and complex dish.
I would not necessarily recommend it to a first-timer over Le Cellier’s excellent Cheddar Cheese Soup (also included in the prix fixe menu), but we’ve had that before and this was an incredibly hot summer day, so hot soup didn’t quite seem right.
For my “entree,” I had the Le Cellier Signature Poutine. This traditional Canadian dish consists of French fries, Canadian cheddar, truffles, and red wine reduction. This was a large portion size, and was really good.
The cheddar was plentiful and the truffles gave it a certain richness, with the fries and wine reduction providing a heartiness to the dish. I could see someone with a smaller appetite doing the poutine as an entree. Highly, highly recommended.
For her entree, Sarah had ordered the Wagyu Beef Burger ‘Oscar’ with Truffle Fries. Our original “script” here called for ordering the Beef Tenderloin because that seemed like a better move from the perspective of value maximization, but we saw a table nearby with that burger (and our server recommended it) so we called an audible.
After a couple of bites, Sarah proclaimed this the best burger at Walt Disney World. I’m inclined to agree. I cannot say whether this is actual Wagyu beef or “Wagyu” (air quotes) beef, but it was incredibly high-quality. Slightly fatty and flavorful, it was great. Ditto the crab and hollandaise on top.
The truffle fries were likewise delicious. I’ll admit that I was a bit apprehensive about the cost of this burger going into the meal (once you subtract the known cost of the appetizer and dessert we ordered, this entree is $27.
Ultimately, I think it was actually worth it. I say this with full knowledge that a similarly delicious–but cheaper–burger is only a short walk away at Crew’s Cup Lounge.
For dessert, we had the Maple Crème Brûlée. This is one of Le Cellier’s signature dishes, and we’ve had it many times. It did not disappointment. There’s a reason it has been a mainstay of the menu for decades–it’s incredible.
All things considered, we had an excellent meal at Le Cellier. We’re definitely stretching the definition of “without breaking the bank” by ordering a $27 burger, but I think the whole meal still works out to be a good value by Walt Disney World Signature Restaurant standards. Granted, it would’ve been better from an objective perspective had the prix fixe menu actually cost $29, had we only ordered poutine dishes, or if we chose the Beef Tenderloin for our prix fixe entree, but we nonetheless left happy.
Actually, I think what we should have done once we heard the actual price of the prix fixe menu would’ve been to order both styles of poutine, the loaded mac & cheese, plus perhaps the soup and creme brulee. We could’ve done these 5 items had a very filling meal, and spent only ~$50.
It’s wholly inappropriate to call this a tale of redemption or to say the old Le Cellier is back given that we didn’t order a single steak, but this experience made us cautiously optimistic. We are still not sure whether we are prepared to go all-in on a full meal at Le Cellier, but we’re contemplating doing the Deluxe Dining Plan this fall for the sake of research, and if we do that, Le Cellier will definitely be on our short list of restaurant options. Not exactly the most “illuminating” Walt Disney World restaurant review, but hopefully this was at least an interesting read!
Want more dining tips? Check out our 101 Delicious Walt Disney World Dining Tips. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of Le Cellier? If you’ve dined at Le Cellier in the last couple of years, what did you think of the experience (namely, the steak)? If you dined at Le Cellier during its “glory days” have you revisited it recently? Do you think Le Cellier is still overrated, or has its once-sterling reputation been tarnished by years of price increases and menu changes? Where does it rank in terms of dining at Walt Disney World for you? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your Le Cellier experiences or questions in the comments below!
So … how much money did y’all actually spend (for just two of you?)
We ate at Le Cellier in 2004 and 2006 because it was pretty much the only place you could just walk up and eat without a reservation at Epcot at that time. It was also a good choice for my dad because he has celiac disease and there are a lot of meat choices there without having to have anything with gluten. We found it to be pretty good, but I was shocked when it became a signature restaurant. It wasn’t THAT good, unless the menu has changed drastically. I haven’t eaten there since.
Le Cellier used to be one of the only table service restaurants we’d do at WDW (the other being Brown Derby for the Cobb salad). We always went for lunch and I was usually the only one in my family to get a meal as the rest would just get the cheese soup. I was very disappointed when they did away with the lunch menu and we haven’t been back since. And unless we win the lotto, we have no plans to go back in the future.
I unabashedly love Le Celier, especially the filet with truffle risotto. I would say 75% of the time it is incredible, 25% of the time it’s over salted. My husband and I often split the filet between us so we can order the poutine as well, which would be way too much between the two us. I know our opinion is in the minority these days of Disney bloggers, but it’s too good to pass up. I don’t think we’ve been for a few years (maybe Christmas 2015 was the last time?) so probably time to hit it up again. 🙂 Thanks for the great review! Always nice for an update from you guys.
We (my wife and I) are moderately frugal and mostly vegetarian, and we LOVE Le Cellier, mostly because they often have some of the most creative and delicate apps on property. I think the Maple-Whisky Cured Salmon (RIP) remains one of the best things I’ve eaten anywhere. We usually get a mix of apps, poutine, and deserts, and leave happy under $70.
I agree with Bridget and her earlier comment. We go annually to WDW and in past years always dined at Le Cellier. The filet is delicious. However, we have had a few hostess’ and server’s there that seemed a bit snooty. Those are the ones we remember, not the good ones. Also, the tables are too close together. Ultimately, the 2 dining credits for a meal are what put a stop to Le Cellier for us. While they have a delicious steak, you lose an entire additional meal by using 2 credits there. There are just too many other great places to eat at WDW that using 2 credits for one meal is just not the best value for my family on the dining plan. We have had delicious steaks at other WDW restaurants and only had to use 1 dining credit.
We ate there November of last year and really enjoyed it. We were a party of 5 and we loved everything about our meal. Is it a good value on the dining plan? Not really, but neither is any other signature restaurant. We all really enjoyed our poutine and steaks and would definitely eat there again. For my family, the ambiance was a big part of the fun. It’s probably not the “best steak” at Disney, but we enjoyed it and would do it again.
My main suggestion for Le Cellier is to go there for Dinner. The heavy, filling menu items just don’t work for a hot Florida afternoon. The day we went in April of last year, I ordered a salad of all things as my entree. Steak was just not appealing given the wheather.
As far as the restaurant itself, my visit last year was probably my first meal there in 30 years. We too got shut out many times due to the “Le Cellier Boom” from 2006-2016, and I was eager to eat there. I sampled a lot of dishes others ordered and the food was comparable to Yachtsman. My main negative takeaways were the hilariously dated ’82 bathroom and a terribly located table right at the bottom of the ramp they initially sat us at.
Ok, so I remember when Le Cellier was a basement cafeteria with large plates of fruit and cheese, meat pies, and bowls of cheese soup for good prices. I will wipe a tear as I remember my family slipping into Le Cellier during a major Florida afternoon storm, and my family eating delicious food that was yes, cafeteria style. The food was delicious, but a quicker dining experience. Le Cellier prices are out of control now. I make the same cheese soup at my home now and it is just as good! We still visit Disney each year, but we just don’t see the value in Le Cellier now.
Don’t “apologize” for a lack of an “illuminating” review. Much like myself, I’m sure some of your readers are learning about a lot of the places/features/values of WDW for the first time. This is literally the first time I’ve read or seen anything about this restaurant, hence it gives me a very nice picture on if it’s a place I’d want to bring my wife, and 6 and 2 year old boys in a December. I know I can (and will) look this up, but the only thing I didn’t get from this article is an understanding on if I can use my deluxe dining plan on it.
Thank you for all your articles. In the past 12 months of planning this (and our first trip last October), your site has been a valuable asset in our decision making processes. Although it is obvious that it is a labor of love, I’m sure it’s also hard work to have to be constantly thinking about every aspect of your trips, based on how you will present it to your readers. Stopping mid meal to remember to take a photo of your dish. And everything else that I can’t think of.
It is appreciated.
We ate there in 2012 and really enjoyed it. In fact I’ve been dreaming of that poutine with the red wine reduction ever since! We have an ADR there in just a few short weeks and I’m excited to try it again!
We’ve eaten at Le Cellier many times over the past 20 plus years. The increased prices, somewhat lower quality (I think some of it is perceived – law of diminishing returns) and hearing that there were better places for steak, had us looking to other places over the past couple of years. After trying other places and going back to Le Cellier in January 2017, we felt that Le Cellier was still the best. (We were really disappointed in the Yachtsman, both atmosphere and the steak.) And really, with pretzel bread, poutine fries, maple crème brulee to go along with the steak … come on!
I ate there in 2006, would that be considered before it went downhill?
So the prix fixe meal cost $50, what is the price range on the steaks?
For what its worth, as people who had been disappointed by there a few years earlier, we dined at Le Cellier again during our Honeymoon last November and it was fantastic. We decided to give it another chance just because we find the atmosphere to be romantic and were pleasantly surprised to see the food had significantly improved since our prior visit.
We ate at le cellier in 2013 and it was the best dinner in Disney and the best steak we had in any restaurant period. We ate during free dining and it took 2 credits and we would do it again in a heartbeat. My son wants to go to epcot just to eat here!
“Da Cellar”
We started going to Disney somewhere after Le Cellier had started to fall from grace, and reading so many bad reviews we’ve never eaten there. Maybe someday for completeness sake (we have some friends who are big fans), but not soon.
I can relate to the burger story – in NYC we had lunch at Nougatine, the casual cousin to the 3-Michelin-Star JeanGeorges restaurant. Among all the wonderful options on the prix-fixe menu… I had the burger. ($19 a la carte). Partly I was curious just how good a burger could be. Luckily, it turns out it can be pretty darn good!
I’ve eaten at Le Cellier many times (once every trip), and have discovered a great way to get the Le Cellier experience, without spending too much. I order the cheddar cheese soup and the maple creme brûlée…which adds up to only $20 before drinks/tax/tip. With the addition of the pretzel bread, I find this more than enough to eat. Being Canadian myself, I love the theming and feel of Le Cellier, and don’t need steak or any other pricey entree experience it.
We dined at Le Cellier on our honeymoon in January. It was a late night ADR but it was still very busy. Our table was SUPER close to the one next to us, left a lot to be desired…our server was also “meh.” She just seemed..distracted, like she was reciting lines, and really couldn’t be bothered with us. I know service can vary across WDW, but there is really no excuse at that price point. Ohhh but that poutine…it really was DELISH. I’d love to go again just for that! However, I can’t say our steaks were any better, or worse then those we had at other signatures during that trip. I’m still not sure it’s worth the price tag or status.
Great review. Very honest!
We just ate at Le Cellier for the first time on Friday. I’d failed to get reservations in 09 for our honeymoon and have been weary of trying it out since the documented shift.
We were honestly really happy with our meal. Service was great. We both ordered steak (filet for me and strip for him). Cooked perfectly and flavorful! I liked it better than steaks I’ve had at Yachtsman. Poutine was just really, really delicious. Also highly recommend!! We had two desserts – creme brûlée and a whiskey caramel dish. Both were good.
I would absolutely go back, but then I don’t have “old” Le Cellier to compare it to. I just know I was really happy with my meal!