L’Artisan des Glaces at French Pavilion – Epcot
Last week I blogged about our visit to Monsieur Paul Restaurant at the French Pavilion in Epcot and today I’m going to continue that theme with a post about L’Artisan des Glaces.
Epcot’s France has been undergoing something of a culinary transformation over the last 15 months and now has several amazing food choices. From the sandwiches and pastries at Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie to the crepes at the crepe stand and the wine and champagne at the Vins de France cart. After the recent remodel the whole area now includes an amazing ice cream and sorbet shop, L’Artisan des Glaces.
The space where the shop now sits was formerly occupied by the old Boulangerie Patisserie. It is located behind Chefs de France restaurant and just up the left hand passageway near Monsieur Paul as you head towards Les Halles bakery. The shop itself is light, bright and airy and comes with a combination of pastel wall colors and some old world touches to compliment the setting.
The menu at L’Artisan at first appears somewhat complicated. There are 16 flavors of ice cream and sorbet which seems easy enough until you start to decide if you want a cone or a cup.
Then, as you study the menu a little more, you become aware of some other delicious choices. For a start there’s an over-the-top version of an ice-cream sandwich made with rich brioche and served with a choice of chocolate or raspberry sauce. The French call it croque glacé, and it’s a warm, pressed sandwich that starts with fresh brioche from the bakery next door. You select the ice cream flavor you prefer and then add the sauce before it goes into the press. Voila! It’s amazing! I’ve no idea how the center of the croque glacé stays cold but it does and the combination of the warm outer shell coupled with the ice cold ice cream center is simply très bien!
Complicating things further is the alcohol decision… whether to add it to the mix or not. It’s another fun option and you can order your ice cream or sorbet with an alcohol topper! Served in a martini glass, your selection comes with choice of three select liqueurs: Grand Marnier, Clement Rhum from Martinique, and Whipped Cream flavored Epic Vodka!
At time of writing these are the ice cream and sorbet choices:
Ice Cream:
Vanilla, Chocolate, Profiterole, Caramel fleur de sel, Mint Chocolate, Cherry, Pistachio, Coco-White Chocolate, Hazelnut, Coffee
Sorbet:
Strawberry, Lemon, Mango, Pomegranate, Melon, Mixed Berries
L’Artisan des Glaces is a superb addition to France and it’s already extremely popular among park guests… it’s also a great way to cool off in the hot Summer months!
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