Bistro de Paris -- anyone have any in depth opinions?

[AmandaChan]

Made a reservation for the 13th of May for 8pm at Bistro de Paris. Reading a lot of good reviews and some people mention the menu disgustation. What exactly is this? I see there is a ton of food listed, so do you get to try everything and is it $120 for one person or two? Any opinions on this restaurant would be appreciated.

[artyboy]

We love this place! We go every time we visit, but we are fanatics about French cuisine and wine.

Point One: It's not cheap...but it's amazing. The disgustation menu is a tasting menu...so you get small tastes of a great number of courses. It is hard to finish everything, as there is so much to try...but it's a splurge and a luxury that we try to indulge in each trip. Don't feel that you must be a member of the "clean plate club" here...you'll hate yourself when dessert comes out and you are too full to sample.

I'm fairly certain that it's $120 per person. (I don't recall if that included wine with select courses...someone will know). However, this is a LONG meal...we took nearly 2 1/4 hours last trip...and I'm not complaining. It was the most elegant and relaxing meal of the trip...and we're foodies, so part of the fun of a vacation is to have a couple extravagant meals.

If that's what you are looking for...don't miss it!

A Note: You cannot see Illuminations very well from anywhere in the room...so if you were thinking of combining the experiences like we were...think again.

[Natazu]

Bistro De Paris (Table Service – Non-Disney – No DDP) ☺☺☺☺☻
Rich with the culinary ideals still held true from Calais to Monaco, Bistro’s homage to French culinary accomplishment has become the maxim to which more restaurants should aspire. Perfectly cooked duck with just the right amount of tarragon or fresh scallops, lobster, and snapper. The hardest part is deciding what to order. So, for less than a hundred dollars a person, you can sample a true night of excellence in the form of a degustation menu. Why the price fixe menu? Simple, chefs love showing off their talents, and one of the ways in which they can best do this is by offering a menu de degustation, literally, a "tasting menu" in which the meal consists of at least 6 different courses. This gives you an opportunity to try a broader range of dishes than would normally be possible. A couple can easily sample 10 different items during one dinner and for a little more money, complete the experience with carefully chosen wine pairings. It's like being at a Chef's Table but without listening to him drone on about how "drizzle" is just a buzzword or how Rachael Ray has never run a kitchen.

[mdricks]

In my opinion this is one of the true gems of dining at Disney. Too often the culinary experience is "disneyfied". Not necessarily a bad thing (don’t flame me) but this is an experience that really has an ambiance all its own.

I travel solo at least once a year to Orlando on business and always take a day or two at the world. The highlight of my solo trips is a new experience (or two) at one of Disney’s fine dining establishments. I just went down in January and on my “non-negotiable must-dos” was the degustation with wine parings at Bistro.

From the time I went through the front door until the nearly 2 hours later that I waddled out I felt as if I was transported to another place. The service was impeccable and the food was divine. It wasn’t the over-the-top mass produced fare like some other places. The flavors were austere and delicate. Even the heavy cream sauces were perfectly balanced with the flavors of the prime ingredients. Escargot, Scallops, Beef.

You will see some criticize it as being bland but that is the very nature of fine cuisine. Each flavor has its place in a subtle symphony of taste. I have worked in many kitchens and I come from a restaurant family. I was impressed at the presentation and craft involved in each plate. The wine parings were also carefully thought out and, for the most part, were adequate for the task.

In the end, have I had better meals? Yes

Have I had better at WDW?????
(next trip is V&A's)

C’est magnifique!

[Pirate Granny]

Not true about the view...we were there in November and had a table by the window facing Mexico...it would've been a beautiful spot to watch Illimunations, but also, we had a 5pm or 5:30 reservation...and there was no way we could stretch that out...but the person arriving at 7pm had a great table...Personally I thought the service was not the greatest...IMO.
:pirate:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

The menu I saw said $120 per person with wine pairings....$75 per person without