The Weird Rule That Applies to Just Two EPCOT Restaurants

If you’re planning an EPCOT meal, you need to know the rules.

Of Walt Disney’s World’s four theme parks, EPCOT arguably has the best reputation for dining. Thanks to the diverse types of restaurants scattered throughout the park — especially its World Showcase — and events like the International Food & Wine Festival, the park is seen by many as a foodie paradise. However, two of EPCOT’s restaurants have a certain rule you need to keep in mind when planning where to dine at the park.

Two of EPCOT’s signature dining experiences — Monsieur Paul in the World Showcase’s France Pavilion and Takumi-Tei in the World Showcase’s Japan Pavilion — both have minimum age requirements.

Monsieur Paul, named for the renowned French Chef Paul Bocuse — a culinary legend who was named Best French Craftsman in 1961 and Chef of the Century in 2011 by the Culinary Institute of America, and achieved 3 Michelin stars for 53 straight years at his famous Lyon restaurant — is located above Les Chefs de France, the French Brasserie in the France Pavilion. The restaurant’s prix fixe meal “entails rites which include the search for good seasonal and local products, references to a codified repertoire of recipes, culinary skills, the setting of a beautiful table, the succession of courses and the pairing of dishes with wine.”

The link between Chef Bocuse and EPCOT goes back to the park’s opening in 1982 when the park opened with the first Bocuse-affiliated restaurant in America. His son, Jerome Bocuse, owns the company behind Monsieur Paul today.

The fine-dining establishment features a dress code – – “attire that adheres to the restaurant’s sophisticated and upscale aesthetic” – – and requires that guests be AT LEAST 10 YEARS OLD.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Takumi-Tei features a multi-course omakase tasting menu that offers “a special gastronomical experience during which the chef curates the meal.”

The restaurant’s two menus — Kiku (The Omnivorous Course) and Hasu (The Plant-Based Course) — include Japanese dishes like A5 wagyu steak, lobster tempura, seasonal sashimi and strawberry yuzu sorbet.

Like Monsieur Paul, Takumi-Tei has a signature dining experience dress code, and has an age requirement. However, it’s slightly less strict, welcoming guests ages 8 AND ABOVE.

While a restaurant having an age requirement is not completely unprecedented – – the MICHELIN-star awarded Victoria and Albert’s at the Grand Floridan Resort has long had an age requirement of 10 years of age – – it’s not common at even the “fanciest” restaurants at the resort’s theme parks.

These two popular EPCOT restaurants having age minimums make them quite an anomaly among Walt Disney World dining experiences. It’s something you definitely need to keep in mind if planning dinner at EPCOT with your family or party. Stay tuned to AllEars for further information on Walt Disney World dining coverage.

2 NEW Unspoken Rules for EPCOT

Have you ever eaten at a Disney World restaurant with an age minimum? Let us know in the comments below.

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