If you’re like us, you’ve probably heard rave reviews about Le Cellier — the famous steakhouse located inside the Canada pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase. For many Walt Disney World enthusiasts, it’s the best table-service restaurant in all of Disney World. But is it?

For my husband’s and my fourteenth anniversary, we decided to check it out for ourselves to see if it lived up to all of the hype.

Location and History of Le Cellier

Le Cellier is one of Epcot’s original restaurants — opening with the park inside the Canada Pavilion 1982, where it still stands today. However, it wasn’t always a steakhouse.

When it first opened, Le Cellier served Canadian fare cafeteria style — with salmon dishes and maple-syrup pie. It closed for a renovation in 1994 and then reopened in 1995 with a new focus on sandwiches, before again closing in 1997 and reopening once again — this time as a steakhouse.

Atmosphere of Le Cellier

When I first walked into Le Cellier, I was slightly surprised at how small the restaurant actually is. The photos of the dining room can be deceiving. On one hand, the size of the dining room lends itself to a more intimate setting for special occasions and celebrations — especially romantic ones. However, on the flip side, the booths and tables are pretty open in general. It’s a double-edged sword.

The official Walt Disney World website uses the following sentence to describe the atmosphere: “Under sweeping stone arches and flickering candle sconces, this sizzling steakhouse recalls the wine cellars of grand château-style hotels like Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and Fairmont Château Laurier.”

I would say this is a pretty accurate description for the most part. There are flickering candles, stone arches, and even iron maple leaves decorating the chandeliers. It’s a slightly sophisticated, warm and cozy atmosphere — just not private.

Menu of Le Cellier

Disney describes the food as “Canadian favorites with a modern twist.” Personally, I was most excited about trying their signature filet mignon, made with AAA Canadian prime beef, and their Canadian cheddar-cheese soup — which I always get during Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival. You can view the full menu here.

I started off with the Canadian cheddar-cheese soup, while my husband tried the baby iceberg wedge salad. The soup was every bit as good (really better) that the small portion I always indulge in during Food & Wine. I even had a giant pretzel bread stick to dip into it. My husband said the wedge was, “very good, but not outstanding.” I think his sole reservation was that the dressing was buttermilk ranch (instead of blue cheese).

My husband and I both ordered the filet mignons — mine with mashed potatoes instead of the mushroom risotto. Our steaks were cooked to perfection, but the kitchen accidentally switched them by mistake. I had ordered medium, but got my husband’s medium well. However, the steak was still absolutely delicious, and I was very surprised at how tender and juicy the steak was for a medium-well cook.

My husband sang the praises of the mushroom risotto, and my mashed potatoes were incredible — perfectly creamy and buttery. We also shared the five cheese macaroni, which was a true ooey gooey delight. But the real (and surprising) stand out was the maple whiskey-glazed brussel sprouts. They almost tasted like candy! How green vegetables can taste so good, I’ll never know!

To top everything off, we ended with the maple crème brûlée — topped with maple whip cream and a shortbread maple leaf cookie. The crème brûlée itself was a little too sweet for me (if there is such a thing). However, the maple whip cream as incredible — as was the shortbread cookie.

Final Thoughts of Le Cellier

Our entire meal cost about $200; and for the most part, I would say it’s definitely worth it. I don’t think the food here is as good as Steakhouse 55 at Disneyland (our favorite steakhouse at ANY Disney property), but I do think it’s one of the best steaks you can get at Disney World. I would say it’s better than Yachtsman Steakhouse, and nearly as good as Jiko the Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

As always, if you’re thinking about planning your Walt Disney World vacation, find out what we can do for you here.