It’s all happening behind the scenes, but by early December, Bistro de Paris in the France Pavilion at Epcot will have a whole new look plus a new name, and by mid-December, a new bakery will be open. Guests may not even notice the construction, as the downstairs Les Chefs de France remains open, as well as the Boulangerie Patisserie bakery and pastry shop.
We talked with Jerome Bocuse, president and owner of the company that runs all three – and son of world-famous Chef Paul Bocuse – about the upcoming changes:
What’s the biggest change guests will see in the new upstairs restaurant?
Jerome Bocuse: It’s all new – new name, new dining room, new costumes for the servers, new menu. We’re still aiming for haute cuisine, but with a less formal atmosphere. Guests are in the park with their families, so we want to create an elegant, nice ambience, but not stuffy. Our guests want to experience true French cuisine.
Tell us a little about the new décor.
JB: Servers will be in less formal attire – no more tuxedoes – and the room colors will be fresh and bright. The theme is our family history, as we’ve been in the culinary business for two centuries. We have a long tradition of French chefs in the Bocuse family.
And cuisine?
JB: We want to offer a taste of the true cuisine of France – classical, but with an approachable, affordable twist. We brought a chef over about a year ago from a Michelin 3-Star restaurant in France, so he’s ready to go.
Bistro de Paris has lots of fans, why change the restaurant now?
JB: We’ve never changed the restaurant since it opened more than 25 years ago, and it’s time for a new look and new theming based on our family’s history.
How about the Chefs de France downstairs, any changes?
JB: It is a classic brasserie, and will stay the same.
Tell us about the new bakery.
JB: We have a new building under construction at the back of the pavilion [the theater exit area]. We’ll have a bread oven, and do baking for all three restaurants there in a show bakery.
Are you changing the Boulangerie Patisserie menu?
JB: We are expanding the menu to add salads and sandwiches so our guests can have a meal in the bakery, with about 90 seats.
And what happens to the old pastry shop?
JB: It’s our new Glacier ice cream parlor!
Stay tuned for more details.
Read more about Epcot in the posts below:
Comments
All the fun of Paris without the Metro strikes. C’est si bon!
My wife and I have always enjoyed Bistro de Paris as our favorite restaurant at Walt Disney World. We’re excited about the new restaurant but a little wistful about losing our favorite spot. Will there be any opportunity to purchase Bistro de Paris memorabilia to help us recall all the wonderful times we spent there? Thanks very much.
I truly hope there will still be the gluten free treats like the chocolate mousse and the creme brulee. We make the Boulangerie a nightly stop when we are in Disney World.
Pam, this is so exciting. It’s nice to see a pavilion in Epcot get updated. I have a question regarding the Glacier Ice Cream Parlor. When this opens, will the kiosk out in front of France that serves soft serve ice cream and crepes still remain open??? If not and it will close once the Ice Cream Parlor opens, will the same soft serve ice cream be served there? I ask because that soft serve ice cream is one of my favorite treats in any Disney Park, particularly on those hot Orlando days. Thanks.
Oh, goodness, as long as I can still get my Napoleon’s at the Patisserie I’ll be happy!
Bistro de Paris has always been a great place to have an adult meal. The food was always wonderful and it enabled us to get a break from noisy children. I hope the new place is going to be similar.
I can never resist the wonderful gelato cones in France — I hope Glacier brings this delicious treat to World Showcase.
Is the Pastry Shop being completely replaced by the Ice Cream Shop? What would France be without pastries? The lemon tarts are the best ANYWHERE!!
All-new pastry shop debuts, along with ice cream shop.
Follow up after a re-read… we do like the family history theme…we are just worried you’ll be taking a bit too much of the romance away.
Any plans to change the movie. Even though it is dated, I personally hope they don’t change it. French countryside has been French countryside forever. It’s a great movie. Next time you watch it, notice the people on the train. NO cell phones, tablets or iPods. They are actually reading newspapers and talking (not texting), but talking to each other … Imagine that .
Frank
No plans at present — it IS a classic!
Will there still be crepes available? My son loves fruit crepes!
The menu is in development now…we’ll share as soon as we can. (And there are always those delicious sweet crepes at the little outdoor kiosk.)
I think I’m a little sad about this. I understand they want to make it more “in the park” friendly, but I enjoyed the fact that you had to be a little dressed up and that even though you were “in the park” you didn’t feel like it. I hope it keeps some of the ambiance that made it special and almost exclusive.
My understanding was that when the venue was closing for refurbishment there was going to be work done to address the accessibility issues related to the small service elevator that connects the restaurant to the ground level. Is this still the case and will the restaurant be more properly accessible to all guests when it reopens?
Sorry, I don’t have enough constrution details to give you an answer.
I have ADRs for Bistro de Paris December 14th, will it be open by then? If not i need to know so i can make arangements elsewhere. Will it still be a 2 table-credit restaurant?
Will be open, and still 2 entitlements on Disney Dining Plan.
Sounds great to me! As long as the menu at Chefs de France isn’t touched (and specifically I am referring to the lobster bisque which I believe is the best soup I have ever tasted) I am really excited! France, to me, has the greatest dining experiences in all of World Showcase. This will be a great addition 🙂
Sounds wonderful! I love the “show bakery” plan… adds another reason to spend more time in the pavilion. Have to add that we really enjoyed Chefs de France this summer… visiting with Remy, delicious food, and window-side table with beautiful view.
Any hints on what that new restaurant name will be? I’m guessing it’s not Gusteau’s…
Not yet! Stay tuned.
One word: bakery!!!
Four words: Glacier ice cream parlor!!!
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