La Foret Secrete (La Forêt Secrète par Jean Imbert, or "The Secret Forest") is Michelin-starred chef Jean Imbert's restaurant inside Disneyland Hotel and one of the fine dining restaurants at Disneyland Paris, serving a €140 three-course Discovery menu and a €200 five-course Tasting menu. This is our honest La Foret Secrete (La Forêt Secrète) review. The food is some of the best we've eaten at Disneyland Paris and a castle-view table makes the evening, but the service felt stiff and a back-wall table would make the bill much harder to swallow.
Article Summary
- Price: €140 for three courses (about £118) or €200 for five (about £168), drinks extra
- Children's menu: €70 (about £59) for ages 3 to 11, with a drink included
- Booking: By phone on +33 1 60 30 20 50, with a €50 per person deposit taken off the final bill
- Opening times: Dinner only, Wednesday to Sunday, 6.30pm to 9.30pm
- Park ticket needed: No, and you don't need to stay at Disneyland Hotel either
- Our verdict: 4/5 for superb food and a castle view, somewhat hindered by stiff service
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Read on for photos of each course we ate, all four menus with pound prices, how to book from the UK and which table to ask for.
Disclaimer - Disney spells the name La Forêt Secrète, with accents, but most Brits leave the accents out when searching for reviews, so we'll call it "La Foret Secrete" for the rest of this honest review.
Is La Foret Secrete Worth It?
For a special occasion, yes, as long as you get a decent table. My wife and I ate at La Foret Secrete with four other (Disney-obsessed) friends on a table for six on a Friday evening, and the food was some of the best I've had at Disneyland Paris, although the competition isn't fierce. Disneyland Paris has never matched Walt Disney World for the range and quality of its restaurants, but La Foret Secrete and La Table de Lumiere are the closest it has come.
What we liked
- Some of the best food we've eaten at Disneyland Paris, with a Disney story behind almost every plate
- A welcome unlike any other Disney restaurant, from the private lift up to cast members taking your coats
- A grand entrance, with two cast members opening the dining room doors together once your whole party has handed over their coats
- Watching the nighttime show over Sleeping Beauty Castle from our table
- A beautifully themed storybook on each table with the menu tucked inside
What could be better
- Service was professional but stiff, with little of the playfulness Disney advertises or that you'd expect from a Disney restaurant
- €12 bottled water arrived without anyone mentioning the charge
- The back wall is lined with two-person tables (pushed together for bigger groups), and many don't have a direct castle view
- The Tasting menu is fixed, so you can't swap out the seafood courses
La Foret Secrete Menu & Prices
La Foret Secrete only serves set menus, so there's no ordering à la carte. You pick from a three-course Discovery menu, a five-course Tasting menu, a five-course vegetarian menu or a three-course children's menu for ages 3 to 11. Prices include tax, and drinks are extra on the adult menus.
| Menu | Courses | Price | Approx. In Pounds | Drinks | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | 3, with a choice for each course | €140 | £118 | Not included | Most diners, and anyone avoiding seafood |
| Tasting | 5, set with no swaps | €200 | £168 | Not included, wine pairing from €60 (about £50) | Seafood lovers happy to eat whatever arrives |
| Vegetarian | 5, set with no swaps | €200 | £168 | Not included, wine pairing from €60 (about £50) | Vegetarians who want the full five courses |
| Children's | 3, with a choice for each course | €70 | £59 | One soft drink or milk included | Children aged 3 to 11 |
Euro prices from the official La Foret Secrete menus, tax included. Pound figures are approximate at £1 = €1.19, and your card's rate will differ slightly.
The Discovery menu is the one most people will choose, as you pick each course from a short list.
- Starters - Under the Sea (langoustine, shellfish and citrus fruits, with Sologne caviar as a €40 add-on), The Bug's Life Island (an early-season vegetable salad with quinoa) or Mrs. Potts' Brew (an artichoke raviole with confit egg yolk and saffron)
- Mains - Robin's Arrows (roast sea bass, green asparagus and hollandaise), Arthur's Challenge (beef fillet with mushrooms and a red wine sauce) or Prince Ali's Tagine (poularde stuffed with dates and preserved lemon)
- Desserts - Rose As Old As Time (raspberry, rhubarb and verbena), the Mickey Soufflé Pie (70% dark chocolate and gianduja) or the Cinderella Slipper (citrus marmalade, vanilla and yuzu)
The Tasting menu works its way through Under the Sea with Imperial Sologne caviar, Remy's Ratatouille, Robin's Arrows and Tony and Joe's Spaghetti (confit veal, grilled aubergine, sun-dried tomato and mozzarella), finishing with The Enchanted Apple, a caramel and vanilla fondant. The same document includes the vegetarian menu, which swaps in The Bug's Life Island, Mrs. Potts' Brew and a vegetable version of Prince Ali's Tajine with couscous. Both five-course menus offer a wine pairing of five 8cl glasses for €60 (red), €110 (red and white) or €120 (bubbles).
The children's menu includes Lady and the Tramp's Feast (veal in tomato sauce), Gusteau's Cordon Bleu with mash, and The Lantern Festival, which is fish and chips with tartare sauce, so younger UK guests have something familiar to fall back on if langoustine doesn't appeal.
In pounds, a couple on the Discovery menu is looking at €280 (about £235) before drinks. Two adults on the Tasting menu with the cheapest wine pairing comes to €520 (about £437). A family of four with two adults on the Discovery menu and two children on the children's menu pays €420 (about £353), which covers the kids' drinks but nothing for the adults.
If your Disney Holidays package includes a Meal Plan, keep in mind La Foret Secrete isn't part of any Meal Plan. You can still put your meal vouchers towards the bill at face value, paying any difference, but you won't get change back if the voucher is worth more than the meal.
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How To Book La Foret Secrete
You still book by phone rather than online. Disneyland Paris recommends booking as early as you can because tables are limited, and if you're already there you can try the Disneyland Hotel concierge desk for a table on the day, subject to availability.
- Pick a Wednesday to Sunday evening, as the restaurant only takes dinner bookings on those days, between 6.30pm and 9.30pm.
- Call +33 1 60 30 20 50, or 00 33 1 60 30 20 50 from a UK phone. The line is open 24 hours a day in English and French, and it's worth checking with your phone provider for any charges on international calls before you dial.
- Pay the €50 per person deposit (about £42) to secure the table. It's deducted from your bill on the night.
- Keep your booking confirmation handy, as you'll show it at the Disneyland Hotel entrance, and to get into the car park if you're driving.
When I asked why there's a deposit at all, I was expecting something about it being a small restaurant. The answer was "because it is an experience." Cancelling is free up to 3 days before your booking. After that, or if you don't turn up, there's no refund.
On 24th and 31st December, special festive menus are served at a higher price, so check the cost when you call.
La Foret Secrete Dress Code, Opening Times & Parking
Disneyland Paris recommends elegant attire to get the most out of the evening. We went smart casual in outfits we'd packed for the occasion, and most other diners had done the same. Rocking up in the clothes you've worn round the parks all day would feel out of place in a room like this.
The restaurant is open for dinner only, Wednesday to Sunday, with bookings taken between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. It can close on certain dates for planned events, so don't assume your date is free until you've spoken to someone.
You don't need a Disney Park ticket or a stay at Disneyland Hotel to eat here. If you're driving, you can park in the Disneyland Hotel car park by showing your booking confirmation. If you're staying at another Disney hotel, you can walk or take the shuttle bus to the bus station by the parks, which is a short walk from Disneyland Hotel. Either way, you'll need to show your booking confirmation at the hotel entrance.
Arriving At La Foret Secrete
La Foret Secrete is on the Castle Club floor of Disneyland Hotel, so you can't wander up to it. When we arrived, we went to the lift opposite the hotel shop and used the phone beside it to call upstairs. Once the cast members confirmed we had a restaurant booking (rather than a Castle Club room, sadly), they sent the lift down, and we were greeted on the Castle Club floor while the restaurant got ready for us. If you'd like one of those rooms, you can check Disneyland Hotel prices for your dates.
The first room is the entrance area, where a cast member takes your coats, and it's also where you'll find the toilets. It smelled brand new, and for some reason I couldn't stop looking at the carpet.
Once everyone was ready, two cast members opened a pair of doors at the same time to let us into the dining room. I've never had an entrance like it at a Disney restaurant. Just inside is a champagne bucket, in case you hadn't guessed it's on offer, next to a large bouquet of flowers.
La Foret Secrete Atmosphere & Theming (Photos)
Turn right and the dining room opens up. It's themed as an elegant forest in deep greens, with the same carpet running through and tree branches stretching across the ceiling. It's a small room, but mirrors on the walls and ceiling make it feel bigger.
We were taken to a table at the far side of the room, right by a window looking out at Sleeping Beauty Castle. It was raining when we sat down, but the window had cleared by the time the nighttime show started. Not every table has a view like ours, although the back wall is mirrored, so you'll still catch some of it if you're facing away from the windows.
I was too busy staring at the room to photograph our table before we sat down, so here's the empty table for three next to us.
The tableware is elegant and the chairs are comfortable and a good height. Each table also has a book with "La Foret Secrete" on the cover.
The book is beautiful. It's full of Disney stories and the inspiration behind some of the dishes, and the menu is tucked into the centre pages. Had none of us flicked that far, I suspect we'd still be sitting there waiting for someone to bring a menu. I briefly hoped we'd get to keep it, but no, and as far as I know it isn't for sale either. I wanted to take it home.
What We Ate At La Foret Secrete (Photos)
Please note we ate here before the latest menu update, so some of the dishes below have changed or left the menu, but here's what we had to give you an idea of what to expect. Wandering Bear Delights, Princess Aurora's Gateau and the Lost Ark Shortbread are no longer listed, and Mrs. Potts' Brew now comes with an artichoke raviole rather than the root vegetable ravioli and black truffle we had. The Discovery menu PDF has the dishes on offer now.
We all went for the Discovery menu. I don't eat much seafood, and the Tasting menu doesn't allow swaps (the latest version still opens with langoustine and caviar and includes a sea bass course), so it was a non-starter for me and that lack of flexibility cost them a sale. Our servers wanted all three courses ordered up front, and we treated ourselves to a couple of bottles of Veuve Clicquot from the champagne menu.
Before The Starters
First came a bread roll inspired by Up, dotted with different flavours. I couldn't identify all of them, but there was saffron, a very tart lemon, beetroot and red pepper among them. It looked fantastic, and it's one of the most creative takes on bread service I've come across. I didn't love every flavour, but I appreciated the effort that went into it and enjoyed it a lot.
Next came fresh bread with butter stamped with the Disneyland Hotel clock design, half plain and half flavoured. It's the sort of detail plenty of restaurants wouldn't bother with.
Starters
I ordered Mrs. Potts' Brew, a little wary because, in my experience, soups and broths in France (Walt's included) come out cooler than my British palate likes. While I was waiting, a cast member to my left caught my eye, I looked over and...
How adorable is that? The broth is poured at the table from a Mrs. Potts teapot, and thankfully it was piping hot. The ravioli was soft and full of flavour.
Under the Sea combined langoustine, shellfish and citrus fruits, and it was fresh with a good mix of flavours and textures. It's still on the Discovery menu, now with the option to add Sologne caviar for €40.
Main Course
My main was Wandering Bear Delights, duck with honey, orange and turnip, with broth poured over at the table. The duck was tender and perfectly cooked, but the plate felt a little incomplete without some starch, ideally potatoes.
Desserts
We shared the Mickey's Souffle and Princess Aurora's Gateau, while one of our friends had the Lost Ark Shortbread, which we were told was very good.
I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but the Mickey's Souffle was one of the best soufflés I've had, served with a little scoop of hazelnut ice cream. The latest menu lists a Mickey Soufflé Pie with 70% dark chocolate and gianduja instead, and I'm not sure how close it is to the one we ate.
Princess Aurora's Gateau, with blueberries, vanilla and timut berries, had a different flavour in each layer and looked every bit the Sleeping Beauty dessert.
Petits Fours
To finish, fresh madeleines arrived, soft and fluffy as you'd hope, alongside chocolate coins themed to Disneyland Hotel on a bed of chocolate "sawdust". The madeleines were lovely, but it was the coins that got the bigger reaction from our table.
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Can You See The Fireworks From La Foret Secrete?
Yes, if you book the right time and get the right table. Watching the nighttime show over the castle from our table was a highlight of the evening, and it reminded me of eating at California Grill at Walt Disney World with the fireworks going off outside.
Disney Tales of Magic runs every evening at Disneyland Park at park closing time, and closing time changes through the year, so check the park hours for your date before picking a slot between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. The show's music isn't piped into the restaurant, and I'm not sure I'd want it to be. Not every table has a clear view out of the window, and while you can ask for one, it won't always be possible on a busy night.
If you'd rather watch from Main Street, U.S.A., you'll need a Disneyland Paris park ticket, and our Disneyland Paris Reserved Viewing Area review covers whether a paid spot is worth it.
La Foret Secrete Service
The service was the oddest part of the evening. The welcome was superb, but once we'd sat down, read the book and ordered, something changed. The servers were professional and correct, but almost cold, and there was barely any interaction.
They were serving ladies first, and during the main course my plate was put down before my wife's (and no, I wasn't wearing a dress to confuse them). They lifted mine straight back up, put my wife's plate down, then put mine down again. It didn't bother me - I just chuckled. I know some people would be offended by that sort of thing, so I suppose staff have to be careful at higher-end places like this. Even so, it felt like the team were getting in each other's way. Once the plate is down, you might as well leave it, as I wasn't about to dive in with my hands before everyone had been served anyway. The best way I can describe it is that they seemed so worried about making a mistake that some of the Disney service charm got lost along the way.
Disneyland Paris promises a "playful" dining experience, and there wasn't much playful about ours. I'd expected a bit more magic. If you prefer formal, by-the-book service, though, you'll be happy here.
How Much Did La Foret Secrete Cost Us?
The bill is where you find out whether the evening was worth it or whether buyer's remorse sets in. First, we got caught out by the water. When we sat down we were asked if we'd like water for the table, and of course we said yes. Nobody mentioned it was €12 bottled water until a bottle arrived already opened, so we went along with it. There's nothing wrong with charging for bottled water, but most restaurants make it clear it isn't tap water, and there was no water menu like the one you get at Palo on Disney Cruise Line.
Our total for six came to €1,084, which is about £911 at £1 = €1.19, or roughly £152 each. That covered six Discovery menus at €140 each (€840), plus €244 for two bottles of champagne and the water. Technically you get more than three courses too, once you count the Up roll, the bread and the chocolate coins.
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Our La Foret Secrete Verdict And Who It Suits
La Foret Secrete both exceeded and fell short of my expectations. The room is stunning and the view from our table was superb. I can't fault the food either. Where it fell down was the service, which was professional but lacked any sparkle.
La Foret Secrete vs La Table de Lumiere
On a technical level, I'd say the food here is slightly better than at La Table de Lumiere, but my (basic British) palate preferred the dishes there. The overall experience was better at La Table de Lumiere too. The dishes at La Foret Secrete are cleverly themed around Disney stories, but the service team at La Table de Lumiere wove the whole meal into a story based on what we ordered, and that carried the evening from start to finish.
Why We Rate La Foret Secrete 4/5
Where you sit makes a big difference. We had a very good table for six by the window. If my wife and I went back as a couple and ended up on one of the two-person tables along the back wall, squeezed in with other diners on both sides and no castle view, I think I'd have buyer's remorse when the bill arrived. Not everyone cares about the view, but a cramped table with no view, on top of the stiff service, would have pulled this down to a 3.5 for me. If the service had the playfulness Disney promises, it would be an easy 4.5. As it stands, we rate it a 4.
Who La Foret Secrete Suits
It suits couples and groups celebrating something, and anyone who'd plan a day around a good meal. If you want characters at the table, Royal Banquet and La Table de Lumiere both offer character dining, and La Foret Secrete doesn't.
For a special occasion, I'd recommend it. With a good table and some champagne you'll have a lovely evening, and while it's expensive, I don't think it's outrageous for what you get. When you book, ask for a table by the window rather than one of the two-person tables along the back wall, although you may not get a choice.
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Other Disneyland Hotel Reviews
How To Book A Disneyland Hotel Stay From The UK
You don't need to stay at Disneyland Hotel to eat at La Foret Secrete, but staying there puts dinner a lift ride away. If you're making your own way there, book a hotel and ticket package through DisneylandParis.com. If you want transport from the UK included, such as a ferry crossing or Eurostar to Lille with a TGV onwards to Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy, book through Disney Holidays.
Our Disneyland Paris offers guide lists the latest discounts, and the Disneyland Paris booking guide explains the difference between the two ways of booking in more detail.
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La Foret Secrete Disneyland Paris: Your Questions Answered
How much is La Foret Secrete at Disneyland Paris?
The Discovery menu is €140 for three courses and the Tasting menu is €200 for five courses, with drinks extra on both. There's also a €200 five-course vegetarian menu and a €70 children's menu for ages 3 to 11, which includes a drink.
How do you book La Foret Secrete?
By phone on +33 1 60 30 20 50, which is open 24 hours a day in English and French. You can also try the Disneyland Hotel concierge desk for a table on the day, subject to availability. A €50 per person deposit secures the booking and is deducted from your bill on the night.
Do you need a park ticket or hotel stay to eat at La Foret Secrete?
No. La Foret Secrete is open to everyone, so you don't need a Disney Park ticket or a Disneyland Hotel stay. Show your booking confirmation at the entrance to Disneyland Hotel.
When is La Foret Secrete open?
It serves dinner only, Wednesday to Sunday, with bookings between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. It may close on certain dates for planned events.
Is there a dress code at La Foret Secrete?
Disneyland Paris recommends elegant attire to get the most out of the experience.
Can you order à la carte at La Foret Secrete?
No. You can only choose from the set menus, which are the Discovery, Tasting, vegetarian and children's menus.
Can you use Meal Plan vouchers at La Foret Secrete?
No, it isn't included in any Meal Plan, but you can use your meal vouchers at face value towards the bill. You pay any difference, and nothing is refunded if the voucher is worth more than the bill.
Can you cancel a La Foret Secrete booking?
Yes, free of charge up to 3 days before your visit. After that, or if you don't turn up, there's no refund. Tables booked as part of a Disney Hotel + Tickets package follow the package's cancellation terms instead.
Is there a vegetarian menu at La Foret Secrete?
Yes. The vegetarian menu costs €200 for five courses, including Remy's Ratatouille and a vegetable version of Prince Ali's Tajine with couscous.
Can you park at Disneyland Hotel if you're eating at La Foret Secrete?
Yes. Show your booking confirmation to get into the Disneyland Hotel car park.
