France Booth Menu & Review: 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

France’s Global Marketplace is a perennial favorite and one of the best snack spots in Walt Disney World. This booth at the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival lives up to its namesake country’s rich culinary tradition year in and year out, and that remains just as true as ever.

In terms of World Showcase dining, France has enjoyed a strong reputation since the beginning, with EPCOT scoring a huge victory in the ‘celebrity chef’ department early on when Paul Bocuse signed on as one of the founders of Chefs des Frances (he’s also the “Paul” in Monsieur Paul).

Of course, the France Global Marketplace’s reputation stems just as much from a reputation that precedes the real-world France, arguably the most food-rich country in the world. Consequently, the France Global Marketplace tends to draw the longest lines of any booth in World Showcase, with switchbacks set up for the busier days. Deservedly so, as France has been one of our reliable favorites for at least the last 5 years.

A mainstay of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival for over 20 years, France normally offers a mix of new options and greatest hits. The menu typically features items inspired by the 18 regions of France.

Anyway, here’s a look at the 2023 food menu for France:

  • Beignet aux Trois Fromages: Warm Beignet filled with Three Cheese Blend
  • Croissant aux Escargots: Escargot Croissant with Garlic and Parsley
  • Boeuf Bourguignon, Pomme Dauphine: Braised Short Ribs in Cabernet with Puffed Potatoes
  • Crème Brûlée Vanille à la Confiture de Fraises: Vanilla Crème Brûlée with House-Made Strawberry Jam

Beverages

  • Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon Blend, Bordeaux, Château de Le Clos de Confreries (NEW)
  • Chardonnay, Maison Nicolas (NEW)
  • Parisian Cosmo Slush: Vodka, Grey Goose Le Ctiron Vodka, Grand Marnier and Cranberry Juice (NEW)
  • Strawberry Rose Mimosa: Pol Remy Sparkling Wine, Orange Juice and Monin Strawberry Rose
  • Evian Water

Now our photos and reviews of each item.

Beignet aux Trois Fromages ($6.95) – This is a warm Beignet filled with three cheeses. In theory, that idea sounds fantastic, melding two quintessentially French things into one sweet and savory dish. In theory.

In practice, this is a lot more like how the chef at a Cracker Barrel would reinterpret French cuisine. To be clear, I don’t mean that as disrespect.

This is basically a doughnut topped with cheese and filled with gravy. If you cannot imagine how that would taste because, like me up until a couple days ago, you’ve never had a doughnut topped with cheese and filled with gravy, I’m not sure I can help you out much.

Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about this. The doughnut was delicious, the cheese was delicious, and the gravy (I use that term loosely) was delicious. Putting all three together was a curious decision, but it sort of works. Either that, or the Florida sun was really getting to me, and I’m totally off my rocker on this one.

Regardless, we’d actually recommend you buy this and see for yourself. It’s one of the more “provocative” dishes at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, and opinions–both of what it tastes like and whether it’s any good–are sure to vary.

Boeuf Bourguignon, Pomme Dauphine ($7.75) – The braised short ribs in cabernet with puffed potatoes is another winner. The meat is tender, and has a richness from the braising that works really well. The potatoes are ordinary, but go together with the sauce and the meat quite well.

This is a tried and true favorite of the France booth, with different meats and types of potatoes swapped out over the years. It’s always a good option for “meat and potatoes” people who want an ambitious twist on that, while still playing it relatively safe. Recommended.

Brioche aux Escargots, Sauce Crème à l’ail et Persil ($7.50) — A returning fan favorite of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival makes a reappearance. This year, the pastry is more substantial and denser, while still having the buttery sweetness of the croissant. This provides a mild contrast to the garlic, while neither overpower the escargot.

We recommend this so highly that we’d recommend the table service restaurants in the France pavilion find a way to incorporate this into their menus. Heck, it’d also be a winner at Be Our Guest Restaurant on the prix fixe menu!

Crème Brûlée Vanille à la Confiture de Framboises ($5.95) — Rounding out the menu is the classically French creme brulee. As usual, it’s very good. We really appreciate that the dessert has a twist: the sweet vanilla custard being mixed with house-made raspberry jam.

While there are better and more inventive desserts at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, this is a good one that nails the fundamentals and offers a fun twist. The France pavilion certainly has experience in making crème brûlée, and tends not to screw it up. Recommended.

Ultimately, you probably didn’t need to read this review to know that France is a must-visit booth at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Nonetheless, hopefully this review was helpful in letting you know that everything is worth ordering here, as France doesn’t stumble with any of its dishes this year.

With other “popular” countries like China, Mexico, and Italy both being disappointments, it’s good to see France picking up the slack. As is common, we recommend the entire menu at the France booth, albeit with the caveat that the cheese topped, gravy-filled doughnut may not technically be good food. That is, unless you’ve always wondered what Cracker Barrel would taste like in France!

Check out our Global Marketplace Booth Menus & Photos for the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Booth Menus post if you want to see and read more about every menu this year! You’ll also want to read our full 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival Guide before you go to get an idea of what to do, strategy for the festival (yes, you will need a strategy), and much more!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. 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 France’s Global Marketplace? Have you tried any of the food items at this booth? What did you think of them? Do you agree with our take that France is a reliable winner at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival? Questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

8 Responses to “France Booth Menu & Review: 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival”
  1. AgentMay July 28, 2021
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  3. Mary Jane November 11, 2018
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  5. Leigh September 4, 2018
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    • Kayla September 4, 2018
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