Plaza Gardens Restaurant Review
Plaza Gardens Restaurant is a buffet restaurant at Disneyland Paris on Main Street USA in a Victorian setting. It’s one of the more popular restaurants at Disneyland Paris, so reservations are recommended. It’s also on the pricey side, but it’s all you can eat, including soft drinks.
I’ve been a pretty harsh critic of Disneyland Paris restaurants in the past. By “harsh,” I mean Disneyland Paris dining is largely atrocious, and I’ve fairly and justifiably called restaurants out for their suck-age. I went so far as describing the burgers at Cafe Hyperion as tasting like “old dead hyena that has been sitting on the side of the road for a few weeks before it’s cooked.” In hindsight, my 3.5/10 score for that restaurant was way too generous.
Personally, I think it’s downright insulting and bordering on contemptuous that a Disney park in a park located outside arguably the culinary capital of the world, the food so often tastes like old man feet, the menus are overpriced, and so many restaurants are rarely open (although the last thing might be a positive given the two previous strikes).
I’ve found a few exceptions to the “Disneyland Paris ‘food’ tastes like feet” rule, and I’m happy to report that Plaza Gardens Restaurant is one such exception. What is it doing right? Let’s take a look…
We’ll start with ambiance. Honestly, this is one aspect of the experience almost every Disneyland Paris restaurant nails. Disneyland fans might quickly recognize the look of this restaurant as vaguely reminiscent of the Fried Chicken Mecca that is Plaza Inn. Not only are both Victorian, but Plaza Gardens Restaurant occupies the same location in the park as Disneyland’s Plaza Inn, and has a similar design.
Despite a line waiting to get in and one side of the restaurant being fairly busy, the other side was not open to seat guests. Typical. I would have loved to taken a closer look at the mural on that far wall, which appears to depict Disneyland Hotel with balloons flying over it in a period setting.
This room in particular, right down to the stained glass ceiling, looks a lot like Disneyland’s Plaza Inn. Like many things at Disneyland Paris, I’d describe this as a more lavish take on the Plaza Inn. Lots of ornate details and finishings here that take things up a notch.
This review is going to be (mostly) praise, but there is one thing that really bothers me about Plaza Gardens Restaurant, and it’s endemic of Disneyland Paris, on the whole. The above photo was taken on our 2012 visit to Disneyland Paris…
…This photo was taken on my 2014 visit. Almost 2 years after the previous photo. Notice anything?
In the first photo, you can see the “Plaza Gardens” sign in the background has an embarrassing number of burnt out popcorn lights. In the second photo, the sign is just flat out turned off. It was never on during my visit, and I suspect that’s because most of the lights are burnt out. Now, perhaps in the interim the sign’s lights were fixed and burnt out again, but based on the overall condition of popcorn lights at Disneyland Paris, I’m guessing not. Two years is a long time for such basic maintenance…
On a more positive note, the food was excellent. There were a number of salad choices, from pasta to potato to regular ole leaf salad, and plenty of meats, as well.
Likewise, a few different soup options…
This being Paris, there was a charcuterie with several different choices. These meats were fairly average, but that’s more or less what I expected from a buffet.
The cheese plate, however, was on point. Dining everywhere in Disneyland Paris is expensive, but I think I beat the house here thanks to all of the cheese I ate. I’m sure the Parisians looked on in horror at the gluttonous American. (Insert eyeroll GIF.)
The hot meats were also pretty good, save for a couple of notable duds. Namely, the “meat patty” (middle) and the “whale stick” (lower right-ish). Frankly, I should have known better with both of these items. Everything else was of good quality and didn’t taste like it had been sitting around under a heat lamp for hours. (This restaurant is pretty busy, so that shouldn’t be an issue.)
All of the desserts I tried were pretty average and unambitious. This was a disappointment since it is Paris, but Disneyland Paris seems closer to Kansas in a culinary sense than it does Paris, France.
Overall, despite some quibbles here and there, I would rank Plaza Gardens Restaurant as one of the best dining options at Disneyland Paris (the resort as a whole), and the best restaurant I’ve found thus far in the park. This would be an average-at-best buffet in Walt Disney World, but it’s all relative, and the complete dearth of quality dining in Disneyland Paris puts it near the top of the list there. It’s a bit pricey, but if you make this your one meal of the day in early afternoon, and eat “American-style” (plus a stop at Earl of Sandwich after the park closes), it becomes a good value. I recommend it. For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Want to see more photos or read about Disneyland Paris in agonizing detail? Check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Report! If you’ve dined at Plaza Gardens Restaurant, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Your comments are half the fun, so please share any questions or feedback about dining in Disneyland Paris that you have in the comments!
Great stuff…Thanks for sharing
Having worked for the summer in Plaza Gardens, I can confirm that the food served there is of the highest quality available in the park other than Walts, which is a far more expensive alternative. For an all you can eat buffet it certainly does not disappoint, with such a varied selection of food. It is the largest and busiest restaurant in the park serving thousands of customers each day. The breakfast in particular offers a wide selection to choose from.
Having worked for the summer in Plaza Gardens, I can confirm that the food served there is of the highest quality available in the park other than Walts, which is a far more expensive alternative. For an all you can eat buffet it certainly does not disappoint, with such a varied selection of food. It is the largest and busiest restaurant in the park serving thousands of customers each day. The breakfast in particular offers a wide selection to choose from.
I visited this restaurant last night and I was love the Plate decoration on which food had been served.Full Marks from my side.
The place is really awesome. And the food is super awesome. I am waiting for a break from work so i can visit again.
Plaza garden has a wonderful staff and it has its own beauty.Full Marks
Goodness, looks Amazing… as an exceptionally devoted devotee of Disneyland..definitely needs to come here and attempt such a rich nourishment.. !!
Wow, Looks Superb!! All Food Looks So Tempting. Definitely going to visit here. 🙂
wow… It’s so beautiful. Thanks for sharing this…
It is not awful , the decision of nourishment alright but rather Hunters Grill at Sequoia Lodge is vastly improved . We stayed at the inn in 2014 and found the smorgasbord to have a great deal more to cook for guests from numerous nations . Loads of fantastic primary feast choices , gateaux and cheeses . We were astonished at how great it was and frustrated with square gardens . I think you have not looked into Hunters Grill as you ate at the other eatery at Sequoia Lodge
Wow, looks Amazing… as a very die hard fan of Disneyland..definitely wants to come here & try such a lavish food.. !!
What chain restaurants actually cook their food in the restaurant?
Just returned from Disneyland Paris with 3 teenage daughters. We did not dine at Plaza Gardens, but the 4 of us all agreed that the food was definitely disappointing. The park is beautiful and worth a visit, but the forces of France seem to be stronger than the forces of Disney: smoking everywhere (though it’s technically not allowed but in designated areas), urine-smelling bathrooms, men in the women’s bathroom, restaurants that sat empty as if they hadn’t been functional in years, out-of-order vending machines and more. It really is well laid-out park and very well landscaped with a great evening fireworks show, but overall, it didn’t feel as well cared for as WDW and Disney Anaheim!
I’ve never had issues with the restrooms (not saying they don’t exist, I’ve just never experienced them), but I think the smoking is so prevalent because Disney simply can’t enforce an anti-smoking policy in Europe. People won’t obey it, and it’s sort of a lost cause.
I think you really should try Buffet Inventions (far more expensive/far better than Plaza Garden) and Agrabah café (just reopened) which are good buffet type restaurant s(especially Invention).
Having visited Disneyland recently, I must admit that the choice of average-to-good food is close to zero there, whereras in Paris you really have the choice : Three different buffets and at least five very good restauranst (california Grill, Walt, Auberge de Cendrillon, Blue Lagoon, and silver sur steakhouse)
Wait, are you saying that Disneyland in California has little average to good food? With that, I strongly disagree. The food at Disneyland is lightyears better than Disneyland Paris. Where did you dine in Disneyland?
@Tom Bricker
We visited plaza garden about a year ago and I cherish the area of this eatery and love the style inside. ?
Has anyone tried the plaza gardens buffet during their stay at disney? Do they serve prawns? Are the selection any good?
We missed the buffets
So sad
🙁
Regards
Priyanka
Wondering how you know what “old man feet” taste like.
The vomit: it burns.
I’m not agree with you
Not Concerning Plaza garden but Disneyland paris dining
you have a number of options that can prove to be quite interesting
Ok it’s not wdw and its fabulous catering offer but some may prove to be a good experience
For exemple,Inventions buffet at disneyland hotel , particulary during the Sunday Brunch is absolutly a great place
Walt’s restaurant offers fine dish in a beautiful atmosphere,Agrabah restaurant( magnificent theming inspired by the Arabian nights) is a good value too
California grill at Disneyland hotel is very expensive but you live there a real french culinary experience
I’m agree with you about counters service,it’s very disappointing and expensive but some table service may pleasantly surprise you 😉
I’ve heard very positive things about Inventions Buffet, but have never been able to get reservations for Sunday. As for Agrabah…it has only been open once when we have visited. I’d love to try it some time.
We visited Plaza Gardens in December 2014 and I personally loved whereas my other half thought it was just ok. I love the location of this restaurant and adore the decor inside. It was fairly quiet on a Friday evening in the Christmas season and this meant for a fairly calm meal – no children running around either!
I really enjoyed the selection of food there, especially the sausages and potatoes but was underwhelmed by pudding. However, it was nice not to feel rushed and I’m pretty sure I went back to the buffet about 3 times!
After our meal we took some time to walk around the restaurant admiring all the lovely art and interior design before stepping outside just in time for Disney Dreams of Christmas.
Overall I think this is a great place to eat – especially on a cold winter’s night.
I have to say I’m a bit surprised your visit was quiet. I’ve always seen lines outside this place.
I also thought the sausages were pretty good. Don’t recall having tried the pudding, but I’ll take your word for it.
It is not bad , the choice of food ok but Hunters Grill at Sequoia Lodge is much better . We stayed at the hotel in 2014 and found the buffet to have so much more to cater for visitors from many countries . Lots of excellent main meal options , gateaux and cheeses . We were amazed at how good it was and disappointed with plaza gardens . I think you have not reviewed Hunters Grill as you ate at the other restaurant at Sequoia Lodge
It seems there are several hotel restaurants that are a lot better–I didn’t realize Hunter’s Grill was one of those, but I’ll put it on my list of places to try. Thanks!
Don’t get me wrong–I’m not calling Plaza Gardens great. However, relative to other places I’ve eaten in Parc Disneyland, it rates very well for me.
I’m afraid I can’t agree on this one. It’s true there’s a wife variety of options, so that’s a plus. And yes, the place is pretty. But that’s pretty much it.
The food is unambitious, so it’s more of a “eat as much as you can so we don’t have to by a donut mid-afternoon” than a really tasty experience. I also hate the recent change they made, going from having the option of paying for a beverage or not, to only offering an open drinks bar. It’s just a terrible excuse to raise the prices, and since it’s always crowded and understuffed, I’ve had to struggle with CMs so they brought us ONE drink (and I got scolded for that). So they force you to pay an open bar and you barely get one drink. Typical Disneyland Paris customer service.
I’ve also heard of a few people who had food poisoning afterwards. I myself had a difficult afternoon after eating here…
In short, I’d recommend most counter service restaurants over this one.
Maybe I was a rude American, but I was under the impression you could walk up to the counter near the soda machine (which is behind the counter) and ask a Cast Member to fill your cup for you. Is that not the case or has that changed? I repeatedly got refills this way. Hope I didn’t make some faux pas…