On a quiet evening of our last day of vacation, my mom and I wandered into France to have dinner at Le Bistro de Paris. Having studied French for six years and visited the country twice now, I thought it was time I checked out Epcot’s premier French restaurant to see how it measures up. Le Bistro is tucked away behind the bigger restaurant, Chefs de France. My mom and I checked in a few minutes before our ADR. Having one of the first sittings of the evening, we were shown upstairs to our table only a few minutes after.

The upper restaurant is elegant and quiet. It was very similar to the upscale bistros you would find around the Champs Elysée in Paris. We were seated at a small table looking out over the World Showcase Lagoon. Our waiter was ever present and arrived seconds after we were seated. He explained the menu in great detail and made his personal recommendations for us. The menu has all the dishes the French are most famous for such as escargot, rich fish and meat dishes. My mother and I decided to share the double consommé of chicken and beef for our appetizer. This arrived only a few minutes after we ordered it and was more than enough for two people. The puff pastry baked over top was light and perfect and was even better once soaked in the consommé underneath. The meat in the consommé was nice and tender and the broth just spicy enough to enhance the meat. The dish was hot and delicious and not too heavy so it was a perfect way to start off the meal.

After we’d cleaned out the dish of consommé (and not to mention polished off about two basketfuls worth of fabulous French rolls), we received a small cup of tomato soup, compliments of the chef. This soup was rich and creamy and perfect with the rolls (of which we got another basketful – we like bread, what can I say?). I almost wish the soup was included on the menu as an appetizer; it was one of my favorite parts of the meal. The soup was cleared only moments before our dinners arrived. The presentation of the meals at Le Bistro is almost as beautiful as the setting you eat them in. Though they look small, the meals are extremely rich and filling. Once the dishes were placed in front of us, our waiter explained everything that was on the plate and how it had been prepared.

My mom chose seared scallops with fresh mushrooms and mashed potatoes. She said it was fresh and delicious though she did not care for the fig sauce which had been placed on the side. I had been brave and ordered the Muscovy Duck Duo which had pieces of duck drizzled with a dark gravy-like sauce and fois gras over the mashed potatoes which also had pieces of mushroom added to them. Simply put, it was fabulous. The duck was tender and moist and the fois gras was very fresh. Though I’m not usually a fan of fois gras, I enjoyed the light sauce they soaked the fois gras in before serving it. I highly suggest asking your waiter for a wine recommendation for your dinner. I did and the wine selected, a light white, went beautifully with the duck.

When in France, you must have dessert. It’s most definitely written in a rule book somewhere. My mom insisted she was too full so I selected a dessert. Unfortunately, I did not write the name down but it was absolutely a must-have. (The dessert is called Poires Belle Hélène -Ed.) It was a baked pear drizzled with chocolate sauce with a fresh scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and frozen dark chocolate pieces. The pear was, honestly, too die for – perfectly baked and the chocolate sauce enhanced the favor tremendously. I am not a fan of dark chocolate normally but having it frozen in an almost paste ice cream was very different and very good. It was a perfect ending to my meal.

Le Bistro does have a business casual dress code, however, it was not strictly upheld. While we did see a family turned away with flip-flops and tank tops on, couples with clean jeans, shorts and nice polo shirts were welcomed. We also saw a family with a young child who was happily munching on a hamburger and French fries so there are children’s options available if you think the kids might balk at French cuisine. Le Bistro is pricey to forewarn you but absolutely worth the cost in my opinion. My advice is to be adventurous when you eat at Le Bistro. The French rarely make a bad dish and if you’re feeling a little lost, ask your waiter. They know the menu backwards and forwards and ours did not steer us wrong. The atmosphere and the food made me feel like I was back in the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, enjoying an evening in Paris. Personally, however, the view of Spaceship Earth from Le Bistro de Paris just made it that much better.

To discuss the Le Bistro de Paris or ask questions of Scottwdw about it, click here: Disney Echo's Bistro de Paris Discussion

To find out when you can plan your Advance Reservation for Le Bistro de Paris, go to the PS Report. Le Bistro de Paris is an exception when it comes to when you can make reservations. Instead of the normal 180 days ahead, Bistro de Paris is only 30 days.

Editor's Notes: I would like to thank Krystal Thomas (tink85 on the DISBoards) for volunteering to do this PS Spotlight. This is her seventh review, click here to see what she thought about Ohana's Character Breakfast, Mexico's San Angel Inn, Italy's Alfredo's, Boardwalk's Spoodles, Magic Kingdom's Crystal Palace and Plaza restaurants.