This review was sponsored by Unlocked Magic.
Le Cellier Steakhouse, a restaurant located in the Canada Pavilion in the World Showcase neighborhood of EPCOT, is consistently one of the most difficult reservations to obtain at Walt Disney World Resort due to its limited capacity (and the quality of its food).
We recently had the opportunity to dine at the steakhouse thanks to Unlocked Magic, an app that tracks the availability of reservations at any Walt Disney World restaurant you choose. All you have to do is set up alerts for a specific date and time at any restaurant, and Unlocked Magic will alert you when a reservation that matches your settings becomes available. Try one month free.
Know before you go: Hotel du Canada (the building in which Le Cellier Steakhouse is located) is currently undergoing extensive renovations. Le Cellier remains open while work on the building’s exterior progresses.
Menu
Bread Service
Pretzel and sourdough bread served with maple syrup whipped butter
If you’ve been to Le Cellier before, you know that the pretzel bread is the star of the show when it comes to bread service. It’s still fantastic. Ours was served piping hot, which was an unexpected but welcomed touch. The heat of the bread melted the maple syrup butter, allowing the sweet and salty flavors to combine in a way that was simply delicious.
The sourdough bread was tasty, though a bit dry. The maple syrup butter did a lot of the heavy lifting flavor-wise, which it’s more than capable of doing.
Appetizers
Fried Cauliflower (Vegan) – $16.00
Tahini Espuma, Pine Nuts, Radish
The cauliflower was perfectly cooked and quite tender. The saltiness of the accompaniments combines with the sweetness of pine nut brittle to create a sweet and savory taste that’s simply fantastic. We think this is the best cauliflower dish at Walt Disney World.
Prime Beef Tartare – $19.00
Kibbeh Nayeh, Radish, Mint, Garlic Aïoli, Toasted Focaccia Bread
Beef tartare is not a common menu item across Walt Disney World, and thus, we were curious about the quality of the Le Cellier offering. We liked it; it’s mildly seasoned, allowing the subtle natural flavors to come through. The garlic aïoli is also subtle in flavor, but to the point that we didn’t even notice it. The toasted focaccia was soft and buttery and served as a great canvas for the tartare. The dish is a nice mild way to kick off your meal if you’re feeling adventurous; just be mindful of the jalapeño.
Le Cellier Signature Poutine – $14.00
Fresh-cut French Fries, Canadian Cheddar Cheese Curds, Truffle, Red Wine Reduction
It’s difficult to mess up a dish that contains french fries, cheese curds, and gravy, and Le Cellier certainly does not. It’s really tasty. The fries are quite long, allowing the gravy to cover a large surface area. All of the elements combine to create a cohesive flavor, and if poutine is your thing, you certainly won’t be disappointed with this dish.
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup – $13.00
Moosehead Pale Ale and Nueske’s Applewood-smoked Bacon
This has been on the Le Cellier menu since 1982, and for good reason. It’s spectacular. The heavy cheese flavor is subtly complemented by the Moosehead Pale Ale, and the two combine for an incredible flavor that has stood the test of time. We don’t even think the bacon is necessary, but has bacon ever harmed a dish?
Though the two items are stellar on their own, we would recommend dipping the pretzel bread from the bread service in the soup, creating a fondue-like experience.
Entrées
Bison Strip Loin – $54.00
Kabocha Squash, Roasted Cauliflower, Jerusalem Artichoke, Black Garlic-Sage Béarnaise
Bison generally possesses a gamey flavor and, thus, isn’t for everybody, but we thought this dish was quite subtle. It was cooked to a picture-perfect medium rare and was incredibly tender; the knife they gave us to cut through the meat was unnecessary. Simply put, the bison was spectacular.
The creamy béarnaise was the perfect topping for the meat. The cauliflower served alongside this dish was a bit overcooked compared to the perfectly executed cauliflower we received in our appetizer, but it was still good. The sweet potatoes were a bit undersalted.
Rib-Eye Steak, USDA Prime – $59.00
Herbed Gruyère-Yukon Gold Potatoes, Onion-Cognac Gravy, Crispy Onions
This is a well-executed dish. It’s a great cut of meat, and ours was cooked to a perfect medium. We expected this dish to impress given the quality of the cut and the reputation of Le Cellier, and it didn’t disappoint.
The potatoes are served underneath the steak and are delicious both on their own and when paired with the protein. The crispy onions are as good as crispy onions can be, and though we don’t think the steak needs the gravy, it certainly didn’t harm or overpower the dish.
Grilled U-10 Wild Caught Scallops – $51.00
Zucchini Fritter, Sweety Drop Pepper, Patty Pan Squash, Paddlefish Caviar, Creamy Piquillo Sauce
There’s a slim margin of error when it comes to cooking scallops, and our stomachs are happy to report that Le Cellier knocked them out of the park. They’re phenomenal. They’re perfectly cooked and incredibly tender, with the unique method of cooking (they’re grilled) adding another layer of delicious flavor.
The paddlefish caviar on top is salty, but it doesn’t detract from the dish. The zucchini fritter is dense and also quite good, though a bit dry. The squash is adequate, but it’s a bit bland.
This dish is not lacking in flavor but is perhaps lacking in value. You get a lot more food in some of the other entrées at just a marginal additional cost.
Tourtière – $36.00
Canadian Tart, Braised Endive, Snap Peas, Fruit Ketchup, Plant-based Demi-glace (Plant-based)
Tourtière is typically a meat dish, but the Le Cellier offering is plant-based. The restaurant claims that the plant substitute replicates the taste of the meat version, and we can substantiate those claims. The flavor is spot on.
The fruit ketchup — the small dollops at the bottom of the above photo — is from a recipe created by the chef’s grandmother and adds a nice sweetness. The pastry, though not buttery due to the dish’s plant-based nature, is tasty and is effectively aided by the flavors and textures of the other elements in this dish.
The presentation is cohesive, and the plating and general color tones of the dish give it a welcomed homey feel. We think this is one of the better plant-based options at Walt Disney World Resort.
Enhancements
Maple Whiskey-glazed Brussels Sprouts – $10.00
There’s a strong sweetness present from the Maple Whiskey, but it complements the natural flavor of the Brussels sprouts as opposed to overpowering it. That said, they’re definitely sweet and taste almost candied. They’re very good and can perhaps best be described as an introductory-level Brussels sprout — if you don’t generally like the vegetable and want to try a new take on them, this is a good entry point.
Loaded Mashed Potatoes – $10.50
The mashed potatoes are topped with crunchy potato skins that taste akin to exceptionally well-done potato chips. Ours were a bit hard and borderline stale, but they weren’t bad. The potatoes themselves are tasty and well-executed; the cheese flavor expectedly sticks out as the paramount taste, and the potatoes are creamy without being too thick. We would definitely recommend this dish.
Dessert
Maple Crème Brûlée – $13.00
Maple Whipped Cream, Raspberries
The crème brûlée is sweet without being too rich, with the maple flavor serving as a noticeable and welcomed addition. The texture is very smooth and cements this dessert’s status as a well-executed, delicious treat. The raspberries are a nice touch from both an aesthetic and flavor perspective.
Canadian Coffee – $12.50
with Brown Jug Bourbon Cream
The Canadian coffee features a Le Cellier-specific blend of Joffrey’s Coffee, which isn’t bad, though far from earth-shattering. Variations within Joffrey’s offerings come down to the specific way in which they combine the same five or six beans; the blends are technically different, but they all taste generally the same. This particular blend is fine, and the bourbon cream is a nice touch.
Warm Pecan-Brown Butter Tart – $14.00
Maple Ice Cream, Brown Sugar Anglaise, Whisky Caramel
Every element of this dish combines to create a flavor that’s simply fantastic. The maple ice cream is sweet and creamy, with the whisky caramel drizzle adding another layer of flavor that’s equally sweet. The tart itself is stellar. We highly recommend this dessert.
Strawberry-Vanilla-Coconut Crème – $12.00
Vanilla-Coconut Crème Mousse, Strawberry-Coconut Granola, Fresh Strawberries, Macarons (Plant-based)
If you’re a fan of coconut, this is the dessert for you. The creamy mousse has a subtle, but prevalent coconut flavor, which we adored. The coconut is effectively balanced with the strawberry and vanilla flavors to create a sweet cohesive flavor that was spectacular. The granola on which the mousse is served is indistinct in flavor, but the rest of the dish more than makes up for its comparative lack of taste.
Chocolate Moose (on the children’s menu)
This is a staple of the Le Cellier menu (particularly in its kids section). It’s known for its unique presentation, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in flavor. It’s thick, rich, and incredibly sweet, and the M&Ms and Oreo crumbs it’s served with add a nice visual and textural touch. It is just chocolate mousse, but if that’s what you’re in the mood for, you can’t go wrong with this.
Check out a full video review of Le Cellier here:
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Have you ever dined at Le Cellier? Do you plan on eating there in the near future? Let us know in the comments.
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