Le Petit Cafe Review (Coffee, Cocktails, & Sweets at Disney’s Riviera Resort)
Le Petit Café is a popular dining spot at Disney’s Riviera Resort that offers a variety of items throughout the day. The coffee and pastry shop seamlessly transitions to serving cocktails and sweets between the earlier hours of the day and later in the evening.
This review of Le Petit Cafe will share our experiences, and we’ll add a few tips for utilizing the cafe during your stay. I’ll warn you now. It can be challenging to walk by the side entrance of the cafe without stopping to glance over the delectables. Everything always looks and, even better, tastes so good!
Le Petit Cafe sits off the lobby of Disney’s Riviera near the main entrance. If you are coming from the Skyliner, you’ll need to take the stairs or elevator up the second floor to access the cafe.
This establishment is open most days between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. For breakfast, you can expect a rotating selection of house-made pastries. We’ve seen items like blueberry muffins, banana bread, sticky buns, croissants, and cinnamon rolls offered for breakfast. The banana bread is one of the most popular items. You can sometimes find them downstairs at Primo Piatto if they are out.
You will likely find a line at Le Petit early in the morning. This is where almost everyone staying at the resort picks up their specialty coffee. They have everything from regular to cold brews. Hot tea is also available.
Here are a few of the menu specialty coffees: Double Espresso, Macchiato, Espresso Viennese, Caffe Latte, Cappuccino, Cafe Mocha, Cafe White Mocha, Caramel Macchiato, and Amore Latte.
Specialty iced coffees include Almond Cold Brew, Shakerato, Lavender Iced Tea Lemonade, Cold Brew, Cinnamon Cold Brew, and Café Glacé. (Twinings hot tea and Chai Tea Latte are also available.)
Le Petit Cafe’s evening offerings include a few hors d’oeuvres like olives, an artisanal cheese plate, a charcuterie board, and Trois Macarons (a trio of macarons).
Specialty cocktails include the Aperol Spritz, Riviera Negroni, and the Sunset Margarita. A selection of beer, hard cider, and hard seltzer are available. They also have a unique wine list that includes Bodvár N˚ 7 Rosé, Côtes de Provence, and Jean-Luc Colombo Les Abeilles Côtes du Rhône, Rhône. Both wines are from France. A few Italian and American wines are also available.
During one stay, I ordered the Aperol Spritz, described as Aperol, Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco Superiore, and Soda Water. I found this a refreshing choice with a hint of bitterness. On a return visit, I would likely try the Sunset Margarita, described as Teremana Blanco Tequila, Grand Marnier Liqueur, Smoked Chili Bitters, Lime, and Agave.
You’ll find a handful of places to sit inside Le Petit Cafe. However, plenty of room is available next door at Voyageur’s Lounge.
While there isn’t much to the decor, I noticed a collection of tiny plates featuring Mickey Mouse on the wall. One of the best aspects of the Riviera is the artwork featured throughout the resort. If you have time, you might take a self-guided art tour during your stay.
Here is the part you’ve probably been waiting to see. Le Desserts. Only say it in French.
I rarely find a counter of desserts where everything looks appealing.
Whenever I visit the cafe, I ask the cast members which items are their favorite. Their response is always the same. Everything is good. So far, they are right, and we’ve tried a few things. For a long time, I wanted to try the Bouchon brownies.
So, I finally broke down and purchased them. They are wonderful, not overly sweet, but deliciously decadent. When I bought them, I said I would spread them out. I don’t know why I bothered. They disappeared within the hour.
At some point, I want to try the lemon madeleines.
The first item I ever tried was the Hazelnut Profiteroles. This is a tremendous dessert that you’ll want to share with someone. Think chocolate icing, puffy profiteroles, and hazelnut cream combined to make this scrumptious miniature croquembouche. This tiny tower of sweets is immensely rich and flavorful.
We also have tried the fruit tart, which I think is a great choice that’s not overly sweet.
The tart comprises a simple shortbread crust, traditional pastry cream, and fresh fruits. That red circle in the middle is a raspberry mousse with a candy coating. The mousse provides the actual rich part of the dessert, adding a surprise flavor and texture. It even had touches of edible gold foil sprinkled on top. It’s all very French.
During the holidays, you might also find a few inspired treats. A while back, I picked up a package of Mickey-shaped gingerbread cookies. The cookies were another delicious treat. They were sprinkled with gold dust bearing the Riviera’s logo.
Overall, we love Le Petit Cafe. Our only issue? It often has long waits. But we think many items we’ve tried are worth the wait. A few times, we’ve been able to grab something quickly. But during the early morning and late evening, it’s almost always packed.
For more information about Disney’s Riviera Resort, you might enjoy the following:
- Disney’s Riviera Resort Review
- Restaurants at Disney’s Riviera Resort
- Bar Riva Review at the Riviera
- Primo Piatto Review
- Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast Review
You might also enjoy these other popular Disney Restaurant Reviews:
- The Best Disney Springs Restaurants
- The Best Character Dining at Disney World Guide
- The Best Quick Service Restaurant at Disney’s Resorts
What Do You Think?
Did you see anything at Le Petit Cafe that you would like to try? Would you wait in a long line for coffee first thing in the morning? Or do you think specialty coffee is overrated? Let us know what you think below in the comments section.
