Actually, the French pavilion has two restaurants to choose from. The Chefs de France on the street level and on the second floor, the Bistro de Paris that is a more upscale dining experience, which only serves dinner. The dining room at Chefs de France is very bright and airy and there are windows all around so you can see the goings-on outside while you dine. Before Disney ended the "Tapestry of Dreams" parade, one of the best dining experiences was enjoying the parade while you had dinner. You can still see the fireworks from Illuminations, but not the whole show. The walls and ceilings are painted a soothing cream and yellow color and the tables with their white linen tablecloths and wood chairs in addition with the lighting fixtures give it the feeling of an authentic brasserie along the Rue de Seine.

The food here is superb. There is nothing overlooked here in quality and presentation. I started out with one of my favorite appetizers… "Cassolette d'escargots de Bourgogne au beurre persille" ($8.25) which is a long moniker for escargot in parsley and butter. Now snails may not be on everybody's menu, but these were the best I have enjoyed anywhere. They were the perfect consistency with just the right amount of butter. Both my wife and I ordered the lobster bisque (($5.50) which was very flavorful, but I thought a tad bit on the thin side. Our friends ordered the imported cheese plate ($8.25) and the Tomato and goat cheese tarte ($8.25) both these offerings were flavorful and the goat cheese tarte just melted in your mouth. The entrée comes with a basket of French rolls.

My Entrée selection was difficult. I liked everything on the menu, so I finally chose the Beef short ribs braised in the Cabernet wine on a bed of polenta, ($19.95) which on the menu is… "Plat de cote de boeuf au cabernet et polenta de Savoie" It's a good thing the menu is in English, because all of the offerings have the long French names! The polenta, ground cornmeal was perfect and the meat just fell off the bones; this combined with a light and tasty sauce makes it a candidate for a repeat order. My wife on the other hand is a fussy eater and I knew that the Sauteed scallops and black tiger shrimp would be her choice ($27.95) the scallops were just average sized and the shrimp the same. However, they were cooked just right and the sorrel sauce and spinach flan completed the meal in perfect harmony. Our friends ordered the Roasted breast of duck and leg confit, a specialty of southwestern France, ($26.95) was a little dry, but the spiced honey sauce helped and the sweet potato and French green beans rounded out the meal. The sauces used here are a little lighter than traditional French fare.

A fine French Restaurant is also known for its rich and decadent desserts and the Chefs de France does not disappoint. You can savor an assortment of fresh sorbets ($6.95), indulge in a Bavarois a la fraise, Strawberry mousse cake with fresh berries and lemon sorbet ($6.95), or try my Wife's favorite, Profiterolies a la vanille, puffs with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate sauce and dried fruit ($6.95). The beverage list is also extensive, you have your French wines and beers and champagne and an assortment of specialty coffees, sparkling waters and sodas. There is also a nice selection of cordials. Of course, soda, iced tea, milk, orange juice, teas, and coffee are available.

The service here at the Chefs de France is a bit more spotty than most of the Disney restaurants. I have noticed this and so have our friends. The servers here are always friendly and helpful, but it seems once the meal is served, it takes some doing to have a return trip for coffee or other drink refills. This seems the norm every time we have dined here. But to be fair, it have been always busy each time we were here, but on the other hand, many other Disney eateries have been just as busy with better attention to the diners.

Now to the complaints. That is the quantity of food. Now I know that dining at any resort, be it Disney or whatever, you are going to pay a premium price for the luxury of doing so. However, we have always found that the portions served here are on the anemic side. To put it in perspective, one of our favorite eateries is Citricos in the Grand Floridian. Citricos also is up there in price, even more so than Chefs de France. My wife's entrée of shrimp and scallops consisted of four shrimp and three scallops, not very large either, and for the price of $27.95 without salad is a shame. She always orders the Sauteed shrimp with lemon, wine and feta cheese at Citricos for $12.00, and that was twice the size of her entrée here. All of the dinners served here at Chefs are more appetizer sized in our opinion. I believe the value would be better served with heftier portions.

Would we recommend Chefs de France? Yes, as we always return here. The atmosphere and fantastic food make up for the portions. The food we give a solid ten, Atmosphere is nine, service is seven, and the value is five. However, remember, if you are a big eater or super hungry, better grab a quick bite before dinner, or have some extra bread at the table.