Restaurant review: Les Chefs de France, classic French from an original 'top chef'

June 10, 2009, 10:39 AM · The final finalist of this year's Theme Park Insider Award for best restaurant is Les Chefs de France at Epcot.

Les Chefs de France

Most of the guests who pass by the classically reproduced brasserie -- indeed most who dine there -- have no idea that one of its owners is considered to be the most famous chef in the world. In fact, Paul Bocuse could be said to be the world's first celebrity chef for something he did in 1965.

You can read the details and a full review at Scott Joseph's Orlando Restaurant Guide.

Then, if you have eaten at Les Chefs de France in the past 12 months, you are invited to submit a rating and comment on the restaurant's Theme Park Insider listing page.

Update from Robert: Here are Scott's previous reviews:

Replies (8)

June 10, 2009 at 11:30 AM · How were these resturants selected?


France is great, but I would not consider it a top four. I guess thats just my opinion!

June 10, 2009 at 11:54 AM · This is a truly amazing restaurant. My family and I eat there every time we go to Disney (which is about once a year). Sometimes we even eat there more than once on a 1 week trip. I definitely encourage everyone to try it. If you don't want the fancy upstairs, there's the casual downstairs that is equally as good.
June 10, 2009 at 12:39 PM · These were the five restaurants with the highest average reader rating, above a minimum number of votes cast, when I approached Scott about the project a couple months ago.

And they've remained the top five, though very tightly bunched now.

June 10, 2009 at 5:18 PM · Les Chefs is easily the best of any theme park restaurant I've eaten at in the last year. Oddly enough, Scott ordered my identical meal (escargots and salmon). The escargots were the best I've had, and the salmon was plenty tender and tasty.

Of the 5, my vote goes to Les Chefs.

June 10, 2009 at 10:20 PM · I do feel I must mention one thing about Les Chefs de France...

An animatronic *rat* visiting the tables? Seriously?

O.M.G.

June 11, 2009 at 8:04 AM · Audio animatronic rat? Yes please!

It actually was not that bad and if it fills the seats (especially at lunch), then do it.

I went there for lunch on the last trip and got the Hamburger. Ok, after you have picked yourselves off the floor, it was one of the best in WDW. It had a French twist, though, with Bornaise Sauce and French Prepared Onions.

June 12, 2009 at 6:38 PM · All these years we've been going to WDW, we've eaten at Les Chefs but once - it was last year though. Unfortunately, it was less than a stellar experience.

The food was fine, even above average. However, I certainly would rate it a notch or two below some fine French restaurants that formerly graced the Cincinnati (my home town)food scene - La Maisonette and Jean-Robert at Pigalls. The two eateries were long time Mobil Travel guide 5-star and 4-star restaurants respectively.

We have a child with food allergies and while the idea of people from France working at the French pavilion sounds cool, it was very difficult to express what was safe even to the manager. They finally figured out that what they called "naked" chicken was safe - grilled chicken. Damage done, the 4-year-old had to wait for her food while everyone else ate. This is not the Disney standard for food allergy safety.

I found the service lackluster, especially at the critical, "I'm waiting for the check" time. My brain mentally starts subtracting from the tip the longer I wait...

We loved Jiko on the same trip though. One of the best restaurant I'd ever been to.

June 12, 2009 at 6:40 PM · All these years we've been going to WDW, we've eaten at Les Chefs but once - it was last year though. Unfortunately, it was less than a stellar experience.

The food was fine, even above average. However, I certainly would rate it a notch or two below some fine French restaurants that formerly graced the Cincinnati (my home town)food scene - La Maisonette and Jean-Robert at Pigalls. The two eateries were long time Mobil Travel guide 5-star and 4-star restaurants respectively.

We have a child with food allergies and while the idea of people from France working at the French pavilion sounds cool, it was very difficult to express what was safe even to the manager. They finally figured out that what they called "naked" chicken was safe - grilled chicken. Damage done, the 4-year-old had to wait for her food while everyone else ate. This is not the Disney standard for food allergy safety.

I found the service lackluster, especially at the critical, "I'm waiting for the check" time. My brain mentally starts subtracting from the tip the longer I wait...

We loved Jiko on the same trip though. One of the best restaurant I'd ever been to.

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