Celebrity Beyond Dining Guide - Speciality and Suite Restaurants
Celebrity Beyond has a number of speciality additional cost dining options, as well as two exclusive to aqua and suite class restaurants. This guide will take you around them all, including some guidance to the menus and the costs at the time of this blog going to press (these may vary). The costs shown don’t include an 18% service charge which is added at the point of payment. There are a number of dining package options, such as a 3, 5 or 7 meal package, available to buy pre-cruise or even once on board. We decided to buy a 5 restaurant dining package which includes the service charge and gave good value for money.
Le voyage:
Le Voyage is Celebrity cruises exclusive signature restaurant created by world renowned chef Daniel Boulud, their Global Culinary Ambassador. As the name implies, travel is the inspiration for the mouthwatering dishes created by Daniel which give guests a taste of the places that inspire him. We started our evening with a complimentary glass of Moët as we perused the menu and enjoyed an amuse bouche of puréed aubergine with pomegranates and a little flatbread crisp.
For appetisers we chose the king crab salad, which was a work of art, and the onion tart with a cheese foam and an apple salad. The poulet entree dish turned out to be the most succulent and tasty chicken breast ever and served with a delicious morel mushroom sauce and little potato balls, it was a most delicious plate of food. The filet mignon was cooked to perfection and served with onion crisps, a truffle sauce and a potato dauphinoise, perfectly accompanied by a glass of Tuscan red.
For desserts, we chose the raspberry and lime pavlova served with a delicious raspberry sorbet and the chocolate dish was was served with a hot chocolate pouring sauce, both of which were almost too beautiful to eat. To finish off our meal we both had a hot drink which was served with a plate of jelly and truffle petit fours and a lovely little basket of warm madeleines flavoured with a hint of lemon and orange. If you like fine dining Le Voyage hits the spot.
Although it is the most expensive of the main speciality restaurants at $75 each, the exquisite surrounding, deliciously crafted plates of food and exceptional service make dining here a real occasion, perfect for a special celebration. It’s worth noting that if you buy a dining package you are able to dine at Le Voyage for no additional cost even though it is more expensive than the other restaurants (unless you choose the $125 taster menu which will incur an additional cost)
Le petit chef:
Dining at Le Petit Chef offers one of the most unique dining events at sea. Created by world-renown artists the custom 3D table animation is choreographed alongside an elegant and delicious menu. Le Petit Chef is located within the Grand Bistro venue which offers a la carte breakfast and lunches and then turns into a single seating venue offering a four course dinner in the evening. With early and late seating options we had booked a table for the 6.45 seating which started with a short show about the history of food which is animated onto your table.
Following this short animation we were served our starters, a delicious heirloom tomato tart. Each course was preceded by an animation show with the whole restaurant served their food at the same time. After our starter we had a delicious lemon flavoured poached shrimp on a cucumber salad followed by the main course, a melt in the mouth piece of braised short rib of beef with a bone marrow jus. Although the dessert was a strawberry napoleon, there is an alternative dish for each course and Rich swapped his out for the chocolate dessert.
Although children would love this venue, it is by no means only suitable for families with children, with the food on offer being some of the nicest we ate in any of the speciality restaurants. At a cost of $55 per person this restaurant can also be visited as part of a dining package.
Eden restaurant:
Eden is a whole area at the aft of the ship which includes a cafe, bar and a speciality restaurant. The area itself is beautiful and wacky with the restaurant located on the level below the bar with stunning double height windows looking out over the wake view. With this in mind we chose to eat there quite early so as to make the most of the stunning sea view as the sun set over the sea. The menu here is extensive with a variety of regional cuisines all cooked in the open kitchen at the rear of the restaurant.
For starters we chose the divinely light gnocchi and the lump crab cake which we followed with beef and the lamb main courses. The perfectly cooked filet mignon was served with a beef cheek en croute served on a bed of velvety mash with a delicious beef jus, while the large loin of lamb was coated with a tasty herby crust served with an apple and foie gras to compliment the lamb perfectly by adding a delicious sweetness to the dish. Our desserts were a little half moon of perfectly glazed chocolate mouse served with a quenelle of pistachio cream and an open tart with drops of lemon and cream with chocolate discs served on a pastry biscuit and simply beautiful to look at.
As if we weren’t full enough the meal culminated with a lovely two tiered cake plate full of petit four including truffles, macarons, madeleines and biscuits. At a cost of $55 per person this restaurant can also be visited as part of a dining package.
Rooftop Garden Grill:
Nestled within a stylish glass enclosure in one corner of the Rooftop Garden this al fresco restaurant has the unique Kelly Hoppen design stamp observable throughout so much of this ship. As the name suggest the food on offer here is gourmet barbeque and grilled favourites, all enjoyed whilst taking in the surrounding panoramic ocean views, in our case a stunning sunset as the ship set sail from Villefranche heading southward along the French coast.
Whilst we purused the menu and waited for our starters to arrive we nibbled on crudités, flatbreads and dips. For starters we chose the plate of three sliders and the cauliflower and minced lamb dish which we followed with a half chicken glazed in bbq sauce and the hickory smoked beef brisket served with fries, Mac and cheese and the special bbq beans. After a mountain of food we were both grateful for the 10 minute preparation time required to make the cookies and cream dessert.
At a cost of $45 per person, Rooftop Garden Grill is the cheapest speciality restaurant and the only one offering al fresco dining. There is also the option to dine here at lunchtime at a cost of $25 per person but unfortunately it wasn’t open for lunch on our sailing so we didn’t get to experience lunch service here.
Fine Cut Steakhouse:
Fine Cut Steakhouse is Celebrity cruises take on a modern steakhouse, located around the ship’s main atrium, it has some quirky booths for couples to cosy up in and watch the hive of activity going on in the Grand Plaza. Being a table of four when we visited, we were however seated in the lovely little conservatory section at the side of the restaurant. Whilst we made our choices from the menu we nibbled on the most delicious brioche style bread and Parmesan breadsticks.
For our starters we chose the tuna tartare, signature crab cake ricotta gnocchi. All of them were delicious and we had a nice gap between the starters and the main to give us time to prepare for the filet mignon main course that we had all chosen. Alongside our steaks we had a variety of side dishes to share, particularly loving the tatie tots, Parmesan fries and Mac and cheese. For dessert we chose the cheesecake and double chocolate brownie.
The Fine Cut Steakhouse costs $55 per person for dinner and $45 for lunch with a very slightly reduced starter menu at lunchtime.
Magic carpet:
As far as unusual dining venues go, the Magic Carpet must be one of the most unusual in the world with the scenery ever-changing as you dangle off of deck 14 of the side of the ship in whatever port your cruise is visiting on that voyage. At $129 and with just 40 covers this exclusive dinner is not cheap and may be hard to come by, but for guests wanting to try something very different this venue will hit the spot. The menu is a four course set menu and we would advise you to make sure you turn up hungry, there’s a lot of food to make your way through.
Our meal started with a delicious sharing charcuterie board of meats and cheeses alongside a small burrata, a pot of honey and some blanched almonds. As we ate our way through this board of food the sun started to set over the sea, creating a golden glow to the alfresco venue. Next up was an amazing seafood platter, consisting of half a dozen oysters, king crab claws, large shrimps and lobster tails accompanied by a spicy tomato sauce and a traditional seafood sauce, which would rival any platter in a high end seafood restaurant. By now the sun was getting very low in the sky and it really couldn’t have been more romantic, eating oysters accompanied by a crisp cold white wine and watching the sun set from our elevated, unobstructed al fresco view point.
Already feeling pretty full it was now time for the entree which was one plate consisting of a piece of sea bass, half a lobster and a chateaubriand, which was accompanied by a side plate of vegetables. Personally we felt we would rather have just chosen one of these as a main course, finding the combination a bit confusing on the palate as well as just too much to eat. The desert was also a trio of a small pastry, a delicious chocolate cigar and a mango pot with a mousse on the top hiding a creamy rum drink underneath. By now it was dark and the view had gone but we finished off the evening with a coffee, finally leaving, very full and glad we had got ton experience this unusual dining option.
Blu:
Blu is the restaurant for aqua class and suite guests this is open for breakfast from 7.30 - 9am and for dinner from 5.45-9pm. Located on deck 5, above the main dining rooms and next to Eden, we love both the entrance and the decor of the restaurant, as well as the friendly, personal and attentive service. The menu here is supposed to offer a cleaner, healthier and lighter than the other restaurants but it’s still delicious and we found plentiful.
There are a number of hot and cold options for breakfast, all of which are served to you at your table. We particularly love the parfaits, especially the blu parfait with granola and berries. Helen also couldn’t resist the french toast served with fruit and syrup while Rich went for a slightly healthier option, an omelette garnished with asparagus and tomato and served with bacon as requested.
When we visited for dinner we struggled to make our choices from the delicious choices on the menu that evening. Helen eventually chose to start with the short rib beef starter which were little cubes of succulent beef on top of mini pancakes served with a delicious jus while Rich chose the succulent beef tartare. Since we couldn’t decide on our main course our wonderful waiter offered to bring us one dish each and one to share. Rich had the veal Osso Bocu and Helen had a melt in the mouth strip steak salad then in the middle of the table we had the Beyond burger which had been perfectly cut in half so there was no arguing over who would have the larger portion. With both of us almost bursting at the seams we decided to share an apple pie and ice cream dessert. This really is one of our favourite restaurants on any Celebrity ship and in our opinion makes booking an aqua class stateroom worthwhile if the price is right.
Luminae:
Luminae is the main restaurant for suite guests which is open for breakfast from 7.30 - 9am, lunch from 12-1.30 on sea days and for dinner from 5.45-9pm. The restaurant has a wonderful view over the front of the ship with lovely floor to ceiling windows making the window tables the most popular during daylight hours.
The breakfast menu is the same every day but it does have some really lovely and somewhat unusual breakfast items which we really liked. We particularly loved the omelettes, delicious coconut milk soaked muesli, the egg white spinach and sweet potato breakfast bake and the wholewheat crepe filled with egg white, spinach and Swiss cheese. The service in Luminae is so attentive, so much so that we often had a chuckle to ourselves about how many times we would be asked if we wanted more coffee.
The lunch menu offers three courses with a choice of three starters and main dishes which includes dishes such as a signature burger, lobster roll, local fish and of course a vegetarian option.
For our dinner in Luminae we started with a burrata salad and chicken liver parfait served with lovely pieces of sourdough bread followed by beef short rib and vegetable udon noodles. To finish our meal we had the deliciously light coconut cremaux and the bitter chocolate tart. Overall the food here is similar to that on offer in the main dining rooms but more refined. The service is very attentive with the team here going out of their way to make sure individual preferences are met and expectations exceeded.
If you enjoyed this blog why not take a look at our Celebrity included and pay as you go dining guide and some of our other dining guides:
Viking Ocean cruises Dining Guide
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