Appetizers are a necessary part of true fine dining, and the Bistro acquits itself with aplomb. Expect small portions, another hallmark of expensive cuisine. The smoked salmon ($11) came presented almost as sushi, but its flavors were not delicate. The consomee ($9) was chicken baked into a puff pastry, pot-pie like, but it was hard to know what it tasted like, since the dish was served so insanely hot that all taste buds were rendered useless. The butternut squash soup ($10) wasn't as blinding hot, but its flavors were more subdued and didn't really flow together. The sweet bread and shrimp ($12) was the clear winner for flavor among the appetizers. The pan-seared sweet bread in particular was flavorful, and it had an odd meat-like consistency.

We sampled the veal chops ($32), which is served by carving the leg of meat right next to your table. The veal was tender and juicy, though not remarkably so. The scallops ($29) were tasty but the plate was woefully empty - this was an entrée with very little food. The lobster with sun-dried tomatos and artichoke hearts ($42) was divine. Disconcertingly, the lobster was served with pesto sauce, a flavor combination that only worked when the tomatoes and artichokes were included in the forkful. Next to the lobster, anything would pale, and the beef tenderloin ($33), while serviceable, did not excel in the same fashion.

The child menu is dominated by choices such as beef brisket and flounder; the closest thing to standard WDW fare is chicken strips and pasta ($7). There are four standard chicken strips, and a bowl of completely plain penne pasta in the middle. A cup of bland marinara off to the side apparently does double duty as dipping sauce and pasta sauce. This was the most disappointing entree of our meal. 

For dessert, we enjoyed the variation of chocolate ($8), a trio of chocolate confections, mousses, and cakes. It was rich, utilitizing the more expensive dark chocolates you'd expect. We also liked the crème brulee ($8), which is not one item but four: a small cup of serviceable creme brulee, a small bowl of just caramelized crust topping, a dish of pudding, and a scoop of melon-flavored ice cream that was surprisingly good and fitting.

The price given above includes the 20% DDE discount but also includes the 20% tip (which cancel each other out); your visit may cost more if you don't have the discount. Despite the very high per-person cost, at least in comparison with other WDW eateries, we found this meal to be a good value. Other Disney restaurants is not the proper comparison to make; think instead of other fine dining establishments as a benchmark. Spending $52/person is entirely reasonable in those circumstances. As always, you get what you pay for - and these entrees are in a class far above other WDW eateries when it comes to taste.

This is not a quick meal; we were seated at 6:00 and left just after 8:00. But fine dining is meant to be unrushed, and the Bistro does strive for an authentic Continental approach to dining. There's an amuse-bouche free for everyone (a very small cup of tomato-carrot soup in our case), and long delays separate the various courses of your meal. But that's not slow service; it's upscale service - it's done on purpose to allow the food to settle, conversations to flourish, and the customer to feel unrushed.

The intent borders almost on snobbery, which is arguably the point. The restaurant's menu is stubbornly French; the chefs don't have the freedom to explore other flavors and cuisines. That's usually seen as a positive and what people came for. You'll find frog legs and escargot on the menu, for instance. 

The noise level in the room was surprisingly consistent, and not the hushed tones of haute cuisine you may be imagining, given the prices. There are also families at most tables, meaning children are all but inevitable. Overall, the effect was comfortable, but it wasn't the adults-only experience you might expect. Some people dressed up, but most were in business-casual clothes, and several were a few notches below that on the formality scale: we did see shorts and tennis shoes, though T-shirts were not in evidence.