In our January 2024 trip to Disneyland Paris, we were lucky enough to get a booking for the relatively new PYM Kitchen. Join me as I dive into the ultimate PYM Kitchen review that’ll help you decide whether it’s worth booking.
PYM Kitchen has been around since the Avengers Campus opened on July 20, 2020.
It’s one of the MOST popular restaurants at Disneyland Paris and reservations tend to go like hotcakes. That’s right, you’ll be lucky if you can snag a reservation up to 2 months ahead of your stay.
So, to see what all the fuss was about, I booked in for my January 2024 trip to Disneyland Paris!
In this full PYM Kitchen review, I’ll uncover everything you need to know about this all-you-can-eat buffet.
From the theming to the food itself, you’ll know WITHOUT A DOUBT whether this restaurant is the right pick for your family.
Now let’s dive right in.
What Is PYM Kitchen?
Not to be confused with the quick-service PYM Test Kitchen in Disneyland California, PYM Kitchen is an all-you-can-eat buffet at Disneyland Paris.
If you want the words from Disneyland Paris itself, this is what they have to say about PYM Kitchen:
“Step into the former lab of Dr. Hank Pym, world-famous inventor of the PYM Particles. Ant-Man and Hank’s daughter Hope van Dyne have repurposed Dr. Pym’s lab, turning it into a state-of-the-art food-science research hub. Their aim? To eliminate food shortages and waste forever by shrinking or growing meals to their perfect size. Recruits are invited to visit their kitchen-lab and taste-test the big bites and tiny treats created with this innovative world-changing tech!”.
Disneyland Paris
All in all, their descriptions are pretty darn accurate!
How Much Does PYM Kitchen Cost?
As of the time I’m writing, the all-you-can-eat buffet at PYM Kitchen costs €45 for adults and €25 for kids between 3 and 11 years old. If they’re older, they’ll need to pay adult prices (I know, it’s not ideal!).
For Infinity Pass Holders (AKA: the highest annual pass tier!), you’ll get a 15% discount.
Included in the price, you’ll get a soft drink or bottled water for adults or a milk, water, apple juice, or orange juice for kiddos. If you want something harder like an alcoholic drink, you’ll need to pay out of pocket.
If you want to add a birthday cake to the mix, you’ll pay an extra €35 for the privilege.
It’s a lovely cake (and you need to book it in advance!), but it’s slightly overpriced. If I’m being honest, I’d skip it and ask your kiddo to choose from the incredible range of desserts available instead!
Where is PYM Kitchen?
If you’re struggling to find PYM Kitchen, you’ll spot it just past the entrance to Avengers Campus.
It’s tucked right in front of Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure and just a few steps away from the Quinn Jet. It’s also just around the corner from Stark Factory: Pizza and Pasta if you’re coming from that direction of the park.
And if you’re just coming into the Studios for the day? Simply walk through the main Studio 1 building, turn left, and head straight to Avengers Campus.
I promise, it’s super easy to find!
What does PYM Kitchen in Disneyland Paris Look Like (What’s the Overall Vibe)?
In case you didn’t know, PYM Kitchen is based on Marvel’s Ant Man (and Ant-Man and the Wasp!).
The restaurant itself doesn’t necessarily have a story, but all you need to know is that Dr. Hank Pym is a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He created something called PYM particles in the 1960’s, and these are subatomic, extra-dimensional particles that can increase or decrease the size of objects. Oh, and people (as you’ll see in Ant Man!).
This is relevant because the entire restaurant is based on the idea of making things big and small.
You’ll also find several photographs and paintings of Ant Man dotted around the restaurant. They jazz up the walls and give you an idea of what the PYM particles are capable of.
I’d say that the vibe matches the concept of PYM’s laboratory well. Most of the restaurant is silver and blue, but there are also red elements dotted around the restaurant. Among those bright posters on the wall, of course!
I absolutely adored the entryway, which gives you an otherworldly, scientific vibe that matches the blueprints on the walls and place mats.
You’ll even find PYM particle logos on the plates and beakers as well as test tube condiment holders (talk about attention to detail!). In case you’re wondering what was in the test tubes, it was a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Overall, I was super impressed by the décor and theming. I’d say it’s second only to Bistro Chez Remy when it comes to theming, but I thought the food was far better.
That’s just my personal opinion, but we’ll get to that!
My Full PYM Kitchen Review
Checking in
Checking in at PYM Kitchen was probably the only negative experience we had.
It wasn’t entirely negative, but we were seated 20 minutes after our reservation time as there was a huge queue outside to get in. I’m not sure if this was down to overcrowding in the restaurant or poor planning.
Either way, it did start to grate on us after the first 5 minutes. I’m not impatient, but I didn’t quite understand the point of a booking time if you weren’t seated during your booking slot!
Once we were called into the restaurant, we waited in another short queue for the hostess to assign us a table. We were given a relatively good spot in the center of the restaurant, but I would have preferred something slightly more tucked away.
But honestly, there aren’t many “private” areas in PYM Kitchen. It’s very much a family-friendly dining area and the tables are quite close together to accommodate as many diners as possible.
I recommend setting your expectations fairly – don’t expect a fine-dining experience or tons of space to yourself. It’s just the way the restaurant is set up!
Getting seated and served drinks
At our table, we were greeted by our (very friendly!) server and were given a drinks menu to choose a free drink from.
If I can give you one tip here, it’s to order your drink ASAP. The servers here are excellent, but they have SO MANY tables to attend to. So, you might be waiting 10 or 15 minutes for them to circle back if you don’t order immediately.
We weren’t served the famous giant pretzel on a hook straight away (AKA: the Quantum Pretzel!). But I asked our server for one about 15 minutes in and they happily obliged!
This is usually served just after you’re seated, but we were in a particularly busy part of the restaurant. So, I have a feeling the serving staff were slightly overwhelmed at the time.
I also adored the themed place mats, as they came with pictures on the back to keep little ones occupied. I wasn’t sure whether crayons were provided when you sat down, but I didn’t think to ask as we weren’t with children (my bad!). However, I DID see kids using crayons and I imagine the staff provided them once the kids were sat down.
I wasn’t sitting down for long before I rushed to the buffet. I didn’t even wait for the pretzel to arrive – I was ON THE MOVE.
So, let’s take a closer look at the food that’s available at PYM Kitchen.
Just so you’re aware, this does vary based on what’s currently in season in France. However, this is a good overview of what to expect during your visit as a LOT of the dishes will be available year-round.
Attacking the buffet
Okay, the main part of this PYM Kitchen review was always going to be about the food. So, let’s dive right in!
I made sure Simon and I took pictures of all our plates along with a bunch of the buffet spread. This should give you a great overview of what’s on offer at PYM Kitchen.
Appetizers and salads
Here, you’ll see a HUGE pan of Jambalaya along with Corn Dogs and a plateful of Mexican Spring Rolls. The spring rolls were loaded with Mexican spices and were certainly different from your average Asian spring roll.
The corn dogs are relatively small (it’s PYM Kitchen, so everything varies in size!), but they were crunchy and perfectly hot.
You’ll see that the crowd levels vary at the buffet, but it’s quite a narrow space. I recommend starting at the top and working through without a plate. Then, you can go back and start putting things on your plate that you fancied as you walked around.
If you’re a more traditional buffet-goer, start at the salad section in the middle and grab some soup and bread. Just FYI, the soup was absolutely delicious (it was a lobster soup!) and was perfect with a couple of bread rolls dipped in.
More appetizers
In this picture, you’ll see a handful of roasted veggies, potatoes, seafood cakes, and seafood. There’s not a huge range of seafood available, but there are heads-on prawns near the salad section (if you’re interested!).
If you’re more into salads, you’ll find croutons (including giant ones), potato salads, and fresh cold veggies. I tried to visit this section with every plate as it kept my meal relatively balanced.
The salad stuff was replenished slightly less regularly than the hot food, but there was still plenty available every time I went up.
Oh, and if you’re feeling brave, make sure you try the green Super Hummus with a single nacho shoved in it. It was a touch spicy for me (I’m not great with heat!) but it had incredibly interesting flavors for the adults in your party!
If you moved slightly further along, you’ll spot this large cheese section with everything from brie to cheddar and crackers.
In the beakers at the top, you’ll also get to choose from a range of typical salad dressings. This included olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a lovely strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. I also liked the addition of crispy bacon and pumpkin seeds to give your salad a touch of texture.
Mains, meats, and pasta
I loved the meat at PYM Kitchen, and I was genuinely impressed with the fried chicken wings. You’ll see them in the second pan from the right in this photo. They had a gloriously crispy crust and they kept being replenished every few minutes.
I also appreciated that you could see almost every dish at PYM Kitchen being cooked fresh in the back by chefs. So, it’s not necessarily your typical frozen buffet fare that you might find at other restaurants!
You’ll also spot the VERY popular Subatomic Mini-Burger (which is essentially a burger slider) and mini hot dogs. The hot dogs were loaded with ketchup, mustard, and sauerkraut. I didn’t personally try these as I’m not a sauerkraut fan, but Simon confirmed that they were delicious!
If you’re into the mini and maxi idea at PYM Kitchen, try a slice from the giant hot dog or the enormous pretzel! You’ll see them pictured on this plate, and they’re well worth trying.
There was also a dedicated pasta section that served up a (constantly tossed!) tomato pasta and cheese pasta. I loved the tomato pasta as it tasted incredibly bright and fresh. But the cheesy pasta was rich and delicious with a sprinkle of Parmesan (that they offer you with your plate!). I believe the pasta was fresh too, which is a major plus.
You’ll also find pork loin, stuffed chicken, and prawns on offer in the main section of the buffet. These weren’t really anything to write home about, but they were protein-packed and quite flavorful. The only complaint I had was that these could have been slightly hotter.
But that’s if I’m being picky!
Desserts
The dessert section is always a highlight of any buffet for me, and PYM Kitchen didn’t disappoint in this department!
There were a lot of different options here, including the blue Maxi Donut which tasted exactly like birthday cake. It’s supposed to be a pound cake, but I found it slightly softer and sweeter than your average pound cake.
There was also a GIANT Oreo (with a softer crust than you’d expect!), Pym-themed tarts, chocolate cake, and a red velvet cake.
If you look closely at this picture, you’ll also spot the Gigantic Lemon Dessert which was filled with mousse and soft meringue. I only had a small amount from Simon’s plate, but it was bursting with citrus flavor!
If those desserts didn’t float your boat, you can also try:
- Dark chocolate mousse
- Pecan pie
- Hazelnut mousse
- Chocolate cake
- Soft serve ice cream
I found the soft-serve ice cream particularly tasty, and it tasted exactly like a French McFlurry (I’m a McDonald’s France aficionado at this point!). You also get to put your little ice cream pot in the self-serve machine and it’s a cute touch for kiddos as it feels quite supersonic.
Is PYM Kitchen Included in the Disneyland Paris Meal Plan?
If you’re looking to book PYM Kitchen using your dining credits, you’ll be able to!
PYM Kitchen is included in the half-board and full-board meal plans and it’s considered an all-you-can-eat meal. The only tricky thing will be getting a reservation, which I’ll get to in just a second!
How Do I Get a Reservation for PYM Kitchen at Disneyland Paris?
It’s quite difficult to get a reservation for PYM Kitchen as it’s extremely popular.
This is partly down to the theming, but it’s also because it’s the only buffet restaurant in Walt Disney Studios. And hey, you can’t beat the quality of the food either!
I highly recommend trying to nail down your restaurant reservations as soon as you’ve confirmed a Disneyland Paris hotel booking.
This is available for guests via the official Disneyland Paris App, but you can also contact the dedicated booking line at +33 1 60 30 40 50.
If you’re not staying in a Disneyland hotel, you’ll want to book your restaurant reservation 2 MONTHS IN ADVANCE of your visit. This is what I usually do on the Disneyland Paris app, and I usually have no issues doing so.
But you’ll need to be quick, and the app can be a touch glitchy. If it doesn’t work right away, keep trying!
So, Is PYM Kitchen Worth Visiting?
The pros
In my book, PYM Kitchen gets a huge thumbs up.
That means quite a lot coming from me, as I’ve been to Disneyland Paris upwards of 12 times and have always been a touch underwhelmed by the food. It’s not that it’s usually bad, but I’ve been spoiled by the sheer number of choices available at Walt Disney World.
It’s well-themed, it caters to all ages, it has a wide range of dishes to suit all ages, and everything is always HOT. When you’re at a buffet, things can quickly go lukewarm, but I didn’t have that problem with PYM Kitchen.
Plus, if you’re traveling with teens who tend to eat everything in sight, you’ll certainly get your money’s worth! I even thought it was an excellent choice for picky eaters as they could easily stick to the fries and chicken options (or burgers!) near the kids’ section.
I think it’s a particularly good option for Marvel fans as it’s atmospheric and fun. The PYM particle theming was smart-looking but true to the movie, and the table condiments and placemats were a thoughtful touch.
I also appreciated that it was smack-bang in the middle of the Avengers Campus if you needed a midday break from the bustling parks.
The cons
The only things I’d say were slightly disappointing was the initial waiting time and the cleanliness of the floors.
This sounds a touch harsh and is more of a guest issue than a restaurant issue. But when we walked in, there was quite a lot of food left from a six-person table that took about 10 minutes to fully clear.
I’ll be real and say that this kind of thing doesn’t personally bother me. But if this is a deal-breaker for you, PYM Kitchen may be a tricky restaurant to dine at.
Oh, and you should prepare for the restaurant to be extremely busy. It’s a large restaurant, but it’s super oversubscribed and the tables are very close to each other. So, if you’re hoping for a relaxed break from the parks, this might not be it. It’s a casual setting but it’s not total chaos.
There you have it: the ultimate PYM Kitchen review that should help you figure out whether it’s worth visiting for your family!
Do you have a booking for PYM Kitchen? Have you already been and just wanted to relive the experience? Whatever it is, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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