Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie — Restaurant in Bay Lake

Les Halles is almost a local secret... I almost don't want to write a review. The line is plenty long and if it were longer, I would wait longer... that's not why. I expect to not even obtain a trash can counter, let alone a table, on any visit... that's not the reason. The reason I hesitate to write this review is that if Disney finds out Les Halles exists, they'll replace everything with rubber stamp pastries from whatever cupcake factory replaced the items from all the other bakeries on site. I don't think they know they have a place to eat on their property that makes fresh food, has a kind and authentic staff, sells better coffee than Joffrey's or Starbucks, and the prices are more fair than an Orlando McDo, let alone theme park faire.

Now it's hard to miss if you're seeing the Impressions de France show. If you're skipping that show, you can find Les Halles in the very back left of the France pavilion. Keep going when it looks like you're walking into an attraction exit and you'll be transported to an indoor sidewalk cafe under Gustave Eiffel-esque ironwork. Head "inside", very likely via a long but fast line, to the boulangerie, patisserie, and cafe. You will almost instantly have some anxiety about finding a table - you likely won't - and might think it a smart choice to leave a member behind to scout. If this is your first time here, resist that urge... unless you really don't like your friend. Les Halles offerings look as fresh and delicious as they taste, and everyone will want to take a look before deciding.

At the other end of the line, you will find surprisingly patient cast members. The line behind you melts away.... ask how to pronounce something, or what the best items are. It's not "theming" that the cast members know the food and speak the language... they are French. What you see isn't themed slop, it's freshly baked behind the counter.

My favorite savory item here is the Pissaladiere. I ask every time how to pronounce it, but I'll never get it right. This is a fluffy bread topped with three ingredients I don't care for - olives, tomato slices, and gruyere. These ingredients harmonize into a new flavor bigger than its parts, and is the only dish with olives that I like. Whatever you get, share a baguette with the table.

Let's talk about the pastries. I remember a time when the Boardwalk Bakery and the Main Street Confectionary baked their own treats... or maybe I was naive and they never did. The former now closed and the latter is something of a rite of passage - your child will likely enjoy ordering a treat there even if you don't see the magic in ordering a stale and chewy factory made crispy rice treat from a catalogue, so bland it needs toppings (which are themselves stale and chewy). That being said, when it's time for a real treat, Les Halles is one of the few places on property that offers fresh, unique, and affordable pastries. My jam is a basic pain au chocolate, but I always get a second so I can try something new as well. I've never had anything here that stooped to the level of a WDW cupcake... it's all good.

I'll post a phot of the food my daughter and I got on our most recent trip for $59 - Two savory lunch items, double desserts for both of us, 2 cappuccinos, and a baguette to take home (better, fresher, and cheaper than Publix for sure). I get it's a weird meal... don't judge us. We were looking for a worthy breakfast at Universal and gave up and drove to Epcot just for Les Halles. It was sort of brunch by the time we got there I suppose, and we just ordered pretty much everything we wanted.

Les Halles is a better value than most establishments that aren't in a theme park. Pretty much any random Au Bon Pain and probably all Panera Breads will offer a higher cost and a lower quality. This is one of those Disney gems where the effort to theme was so meticulously scrutinized that it transcends theming and...

I’ve been visiting the bakery for years when visiting Epcot at Walt Disney World. The bakery is tucked away in the very back of the France pavilion behind the gift shop and the exit for Beauty and the Beast sing along. There’s typically some sort of a line and the queue is very narrow. There are menus posted above you and then the food is on display in the cases. It’s a good to know what you want before you get to the front of the line as I’ve found I’m typically rushed to move through once it’s my turn. In the past, I’ve known exactly what I wanted, but the menu has changed. It can also be hard because the names are in French even though the descriptions are in English, I wanted to see a couple of things before making a decision.

They serve a variety of sweet and savory options, coffee, water, soda. Most of their options are considered snacks on the dining plan, but they have sandwiches that could be shared for lunch. When we’re in Epcot, we’re typically sharing something in a number of countries around the world so this is perfect for us. For years, my go to order was an upscaled pizza type french bread with tomato sauce, heavy cheese, and then a dollop of goat cheese on top. I don’t know why this has been removed from the menu but I’m incredibly bummed. This trip I ordered the chocolate croissant topped with almonds, which was huge - like the size of my hand with my fingers spread. I have to say this was pretty delicious, and there was almost flavoring even in the bread. There were too many almonds on top for my taste, but it was so good, I’ll just take some off next time 🤷🏻‍♀️

The cons are the tight line queue, the rush when it’s your turn to order, and the seating. It’s not a full restraint, not really even a quick serve restaurant so there’s not a ton of seating. It’s designed for you to have a quick snack eat and leave. It gets hard to find seating when large parties or strollers take up lots of room in a VERY small dining area, or when parties stay well past the time they finish eating. I can’t say I blame them, this is one of the few places to sit down inside that are not full restaurants, but it can be...

I saw someone post about getting a baguette here, and when I heard the price, I had to check this place out. I am only disappointed I haven't been here sooner! After a morning ride on Cosmic Rewind, I came around the world for brunch. The line was all the way out of the shop and in the merchandise area but moved quickly. It gave me time to decide what to get. There were so many options, and seeing how fresh and delicious everything was in the cases did not make it any easier. I got the Jambon Beurre, Fraises and the Froze. Marc asked if I wanted the sandwich heated. I said yes and was delighted by the way the bread crisped and the cheese melted (there was a cheese pull on the first bite!) I was not going to get a sweet but I was enchanted by the options. I asked Marc if he had a favorite. He pointed to the Tarte au Citron, which looked like a mini lemon merengue pie with perfectly toasted points. I was looking for something more sweet than tart but rather than getting the Neopleon or the Macaron Lime Raspberry, I got the other item Marc suggested the Fraises, the tart was light and crumbly and the cream and strawberries paired well together without being overly sweet. It is hot in Florida all year long, so I took advantage of the free cups of water Disney offers at their quick service restaurants to stay hydrated. I don't like the way Orlando tap water tastes, but they have filtration on the water served at this location, so it was actually good. I also recommend the Froze. Refreshing and not too sweet, for adults only, of course. I plan to return to Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie and try all of the things I said no to on my first visit. Despite being in a theme park, I found their pricing to be comparable to local bakeries and just a fresh and delicious. The seating is very limited. If you are traveling in a party, possibly have someone wait to grab a table when one opens. I took mine outside the...