Manda O

Enjoying One of Epcot’s Finest Meals at Monsieur Paul

The Solo Scale:

The usual caveat applies at Monsieur Paul – fine dining when solo is sometimes an activity that takes all your bravery. It’s not easy sitting there alone, not being able to have conversations about your experience, but that doesn’t deprive you of the amazing food and ambiance. Plus, with so many courses, you’ll have lots of interaction with your server.

The most universal truth about Epcot these days might be this — if you’re only going for one day, your stomach won’t have enough space. Between the many booths during festivals, multiple quick-service options, and amazing treats around the world, there’s no way to eat it all. Disney knows this of course, and wants you to have to come back multiple times to try it all. I’m still working on that, but during my February 2024 visit, I got to indulge in Monsieur Paul at the France pavilion. It’s an upscale dining experience to rival fine dining around the world.

For Monsieur Paul, I made reservations in advance. However, with both of the fine dining experiences in the park (the other being Takumi Tei), there were plenty of reservation slots to choose from. This is not a Victoria & Albert situation. With that in mind, I checked the fireworks schedule and planned my reservation to start just under two hours before. This paid off as it meant that I was one of the last tables and was able to move to a table close to the window and enjoy my dessert while the fireworks went off. Even with that, I was still out of the restaurant mere minutes after the park closed.

A picture of the Monsieur Paul menu with a view of the tables at dinnertime.

Once you begin dining, you’ll have the option for water, and can choose a wine package (regular or premium). With both packages, you’ll receive four glasses of wine. I opted for the premium as I was celebrating a birthday, and they were all of good quality — certainly worth the price. The standard wine pairing is $65 and the premium runs you $110. I was thrilled with the wine selection from the premium as the pairings went nicely with the food options.

At the restaurant, the service staff was absolutely amazing. I was given all the attention I needed, and I was able to set my pace for dining. I wound up being a little faster than some couples who had already been sitting before I had arrived, catching up to them by the fourth course.

The experience is a finer one, so you may want to dress up for the event, but it’s by no means required. It just gives you that extra fancy feeling if you do. Be mindful that you also shouldn’t be turning up in ripped shorts, flip-flops, and dirty clothes.

The Food

There’s a lot of food to be had on this menu. My personal highlights were the lobster bisque, the scallops, and the wonderfully interactive dessert. However, nothing I ate was mediocre or even close to bad. It was a dream of an evening, made better by Luminous starting just as my dessert was arriving. Because the restaurant had emptied out, my waiter helped me move to a tableside window where I was able to watch the fireworks while enjoying my excellent chocolate dessert.

The menu I had (seen below) was enjoyed in February 2024 and is currently still available.

Salmon with gravlax, lobster bisque aerated with bits of lobster at the bottom, cheese puff pastry & served with champagne
Olive bread with butter
Escargot with potato and watercress emulsion served alongside a Pouilly fine wine that had light citrus notes. Watercress was super light and the star of the dish, more than the escargot.
Lightly cooked scallops with cauliflower and butternut squash. The wine that was paired with the scallops had hints of pear, vanilla, and apple.
Palate cleanser. Trou normand (pear fortified wine) with sorbet. It does the trick. It’s not overpowering, but you still get the pear flavour.
Centre cut beef with mushrooms, chive butter, and potatoes. Paired with chateauneuf de pape that boasted berry and truffle notes.
Burgundy region wine, dry with lots of berry notes and fig. It was served alongside the cheese course – brie, blue, camembert, coe milk cheese with fig jam from Bonne Maman and bread.
Fortified wine, paired with chocolate almond financier and dome with ganache sauce. This dessert is extremely rich and very heavy on the chocolate, but the show is the reason you’re getting this.
Before you go, you’ll get one more treat — the mignardises of a couple of macarons.

Monsieur Paul certainly isn’t a meal on the lower end of the pricing system. However, it’s an unforgettable experience that offers fantastic service, amazing food, and a theme park experience that very few outside of Disney can offer. It’s worth saving up for, especially if you love French food, good wine, and ambiance that can’t be beat.

Not sure which of Disney’s finest dining to visit? Check out this post for tips and reviews!

Discover more from The Single Traveller

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

One comment

Leave a Reply