Dining Review: Les Chefs de France

Les Chefs de France is the ground floor dining location in the France Pavilion at Epcot. It’s setup like a classic French restaurant. From the lighting to the location it’s really meant to make you feel like you are in France.


If you have never tried this dining location here is why you should give it a shot the next time you are in Disney World.

The Food: The food at Les Chefs de France is excellent. In fact it’s some of the best food I’ve found in Epcot. Of course there are some standout items like the French onion soup and the crème brulee. I normally make an effort to try something different each time I go to a restaurant but in this case I always have to order those two items.

There are some other odd items on the menu you might not really associate with French food such as the flat breads. It would be a mistake to skip over these. They are unlike the other flat breads you can find throughout Disney. They are distinctly French in flavor and worth a try.

As far as the main entrees go I’d recommend the short ribs, the tenderloin, the salmon, or the roasted chicken. I have a hard time recommending the scallops considering how expensive they are. I also have a hard time recommending the duck after my horrible duck experiences in Disney World. However next time I go I might bite the bullet and try it at Les Chefs de France.

Why would I be so daring?

I’ve eaten at Les Chefs de France multiple times. Unlike a number of Disney restaurants the food has been of the same quality every time I have eaten here. No matter why I order here it is consistently good. Only a handful of other Disney dining locations have pulled this feat off. Sadly it seems like more often than not the quality at most dining locations changes from year to year or even month to month.

The Atmosphere: The atmosphere is good by normal restaurant standards and average by Disney standards. The numerous windows looking out onto World Showcase are nice and it is fun to people watch as you enjoy your meal. Other than that nothing really positive stands out but there are a few drawbacks. Everyone is packed in tight. This is another location where Disney tried to pack as many tables as possible in to make the most money. The table clutter has naturally led to another issue. This location can be noisy at times.

The Service: The service here is somewhat stuffy. Don’t get me wrong it’s not bad service. The best way to describe it would be “French” service. In France most waiters have had formal and intensive training. It’s considered a serious career in France. This leads to a very formal style of service. If you are expecting a friendly, bubbly, server you will be disappointed. If you are expecting someone who makes sure everything is taken care of in a prompt manner you will love the service here.

Overall: Overall Les Chefs de France is one of the best dining locations in Epcot. I would also go as far as saying it could be in the top ten dining locations in Disney World. It’s a location that everyone should try at least once.

Jiko – Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Hidden Gem

There are a lot of restaurants in Walt Disney World. Some are good, some are ok, and some are just awful. A general rule of them is that the best restaurants are not in the parks. At times it seems like the further you get from the theme parks the better the restaurant is. This is the case with Jiko.


Jiko is located at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. That alone makes it a hike for anyone who wants to dine here and is not staying at the Lodge. Getting to Jiko is by far the worst part about dining at Jiko. One small tip that might help is the fact that it’s a short trip from the Animal Kingdom. If you are using Disney Transportation try to going to Jiko after visiting the Animal Kingdom. The only drawback of this tip is that you need pants (not shorts) to eat at Jiko. I solved this problem by wearing zip off cargo pants when I ate there.

Once you reach the AKL you still need to find Jiko. Out of all of the restaurants I’ve been to this was the only one I could not find on my own. I had to ask for directions. Most of the time it’s very easy to find a restaurant because there are a lot of signs of the restaurant just sticks out. This is not the case with Jiko. If you are heading over there I can help a little by saying you need to take the elevator down a floor from the main lobby to find Jiko.

Overall Jiko is a dark restaurant. It’s not as dark as the San Angel Inn but it is very dimly lit. It’s about as dark as Le Cellier. Unlike Le Cellier the ambient lighting comes from a few different sources not just the lights over head. For example the back wall is lit up with a cycling light that changes color. Most of the colors are reds, oranges, or other warm colors which adds nicely to the atmosphere.

One entire wall is made up of large windows that look out onto the grounds of the AKL. This would be nice during the summer but if you are going later in the year there is a good chance it’s going to be dark while you are there. Artist Pointe is also like this. Both would be awesome for lunch but who wants to go to an out of the way resort for lunch?

Unlike Artist Point Jiko has good food. Actually it’s not just good it’s some of the best you’ll find in Disney World. It doesn’t match the California Grill but it’s right up there. This is the real reason why Jiko is worth visiting.

What should you start with? We tried the Barbecue Flatbread and it was amazing but you can get a good flatbread in at a number of locations in Disney. We also tried the “Taste of Africa.” You will not find anything like this anywhere else in Disney World. This is an amazing dish with a wide range of flavors. You cannot go wrong with this dish.

For your entre it is a very hard choice. All of the offerings are good. If you want something you can’t get anywhere else try the Swahili Curry Shrimp. If you want something less adventurous you will not go wrong with the Barbecue Beef Short Ribs or the Oak-Grilled Filet.

For desert Jiko has a nice selection but they all tend to be overshadowed by the Tanzanian Chocolate Cheesecake. I don’t know if it’s because it’s Tanzanian or what but this is a great desert.

The service at Jiko was the best we received on our entire trip. They beat the great waiter we got at the Hoop Dee Doo. They beat the California Grille. They were the best. However, I would not expect to get this service again. The lady who waited on us was on loan from the dinner show at the Poly. She used to work at Jiko but got transferred. I feel bad for her. I don’t know what she did to deserve a transfer like that but she was the best we had. Too bad we had her before we went to the Brown Derby or else she would have easily restored our faith in the wait staff at Disney World.

Overall Jiko is worth the trip and that says a lot considering how long it can take to get there if you using Disney Transportation.

Dining Review: Biergarten

Biergarten is the restaurant located in the Germany Pavilion in Epcot.  For years I avoided this location.  I thought it was going to be a bunch of sausages and mediocre food.

To be honest my opinion may have never changed if not for Disney podcasts.  I listen to about seven different Disney podcasts.  Time and time again I heard how good Biergarten was.  In particular WDW Today really had a positive opinion of this location.

When I made our ADR my wife thought I was nuts but I assured her it had positive reviews.  After saying this I couldn't help but hold my breath and hope it didn't end up being a total mess. 

When we first entered Biergarten our waiter explained that it was tradition to sit with people you didn't know.  This seems like an ok idea when it works.  In our case it didn't really work.  We were seated with a another party that didn't speak or understand English.  They didn't know Spanish either so we didn't really have any way beyond gestures to communicate with them.

As we were brought to our table something hit us.  

Biergarten is one of the best, if not the best, themed restaurant in Walt Disney World.  Like the Mexico Pavilion you in the blink of an eye you are transported to night time.   In this case an outdoor banquet hall in Germany in the fall.  The detail level is amazing.  Click on the picture on the right and check out the details.  There are going to be a number of additional photos to expand on some of the cool details.  I'll be honest I was blown away because after all of the times I have been to Disney World I didn't think there could be such a detailed corner that I had not seen.  It just goes to show that no matter how many times you go to Disney World there will always be something new to experience.  Experiences like this make me excited to go back again and find another hidden gem.  They are out there.  Just being open to new experiences can lead you to a some amazing memories.

  

Here is a close up of a fall tree and a water wheel that could be overlooked.   It's just another example of how the imagineers go above and beyond when they design something.

In the corner you can find a full moon.  It's a really nice touch and I'm not 100% sure how they pull it off.  I don't know if it's an illuminated painting or a projection.

Now for the food.  I low expectations for the food.  After all I'd never really heard good things about German cuisine.  I honestly thought Germany mastered the art of beer making because bad food taste better after enough beer.  I now know that I was not only an idiot for believing that but I was completely pig headed.  The food at Biergarten is not just good it's great. 

Sure there are some sausages but there is a ton of other options too.  Oh and I should mention, the sausages are awesome.  To explain how good the food is I have to make some comparisons.  I have been to a bunch of buffets in Disney World.  I have been to Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, Tusker House, and Akershus.  Biergarten beats all of them hands down.  Yes the food is that good.

Now when you go to Germany you have to do what the Germans do.  You need to drink beer! Now Biergarten has some of the best beers you will find in Disney World bet there is something else that  makes the beers special.  You can get them in liters.  Yes a one liter sized beer as seen in this picture.  When the beers came all I could think of was the scene in the Lord of the Rings when one of the hobits comes back to the table with a pint sized beer causing one of the others to say "It comes in pints!?!"  That is how I felt as I lifted my beer.  Best of all you burn calories with a beer like this.  Just picking it up is like doing a bicep curl.  If take small sips you'll need to change arms before you are done.  So now you have an excuse to order a beer bigger than your head.  You need the exercise!

Next the service.  The service was top notch.  In fact it was the best service I'd ever received at a buffet.  Our waiter was very friendly and attentive.  I also tested him right off the bat.  I tested him on the beers on the menu.  I wanted to order the most bitter beer they had.  I like a good IPA so I wanted something close.  He hit the nail on the head.  We also asked him about the lightest beer because one of the members of our party didn't really like beer but we threatened to disown her if she didn't order one.  He did a good job with that too.  Overall he did an amazing job.

Unlike most restaurant reviews I have to add another section to this review, the entertainment. Yes Biergarten offers some entertainment.

The entertainment consists of a ompa band.  It's fun music and fits right into the theming but they really go beyond just playing some music.  They really do entertain.  There is one part where the tuba player goes out and scares people who are not paying attention, another part where they play an Alps Horn, and a fun part when one of the members plays the bells at an insanely fast pace. Click here to see the tuba guy scare people and click here to see the fastest bell player in the "World."  Overall the entertainment is really fun and almost everyone will enjoy it.

The end result is Biergarten is one of the best restaurants in Disney World and I don't say that lightly.  For what you pay it's hard to find a better dining deal in all of Disney World.  The food is great, the service is great, the theming is amazing, and the entertainment is fun.  Biergarten is truly a hidden gem.