Whenever friends get together to talk about recent vacations, the conversation inevitably ends up revolving around food and wine. For us, dining experiences often define a voyage and if the food and wine don't make the cut, we won't sail with that cruise line again. I'm happy to say that we thoroughly enjoyed all of the restaurants we sampled aboard Silversea
Silver Spirit.
(See our Silversea Silver Spirit food and wine photo gallery here.)
There are six distinct dining spots on the ship:
- The Restaurant
the main restaurant, no reservations required, indoor on Deck 4
- La Terrazza
reservations required, buffet breakfast and lunch, afternoon tea, and an a la carte Italian dinner, indoor/outdoor on Deck 7
- Hot Rocks at the Pool Grill
reservations required, dinner only, outdoor on Deck 10
- Le Champagne
reservations required, specialty restaurant with an additional pp charge,
indoor on Deck 4
- Seishin
reservations required, specialty restaurant with an additional pp charge,
indoor on Deck 4
- Stars
"foodatainment", a supper club with a tapas menu, indoor on Deck 7
Our cruise was just about sold out so it was important to book dining reservations the moment we boarded. We did so with the maitre d' at La Terrazza. We were able to secure reservations for La Terrazza, Seishin, Le Champagne, and two nights at Hot Rocks. We spoke with a few travelers who didn't book right away and weren't able to get into either of the specialty restaurants.
The Restaurant
This spacious main dining room on Deck 4 is beautiful and the menus, designed exclusively for Silversea by Relais & Chateaux, will make your mouth water. Here's an example:
Marbled Foie Gras and Leek Terrine with Perigord Truffle Vinaigrette
Spiced Lobster Medallion with Mango, Pear, and Sun-Dried Tomato, Jamaican Pepper Oil, and Orange Confit
Baby Chicken with Spinach and Foie Gras Stuffing
Reservations are not required and it was just as easy to get a table for two as it was to dine with others at dinner. This is the most formal dining area on the ship and it seemed quite popular on both formal nights (there were two during our seven-night Adriatic itinerary). We dined at The Restaurant twice and were pleased with the food. The Restaurant also serves a la carte breakfast and lunch.
Restaurant Manager: Hedi Karoui
Executive Chef: Jerome Foussier
Head Sommelier: Marjan Tasevski
Breakfast (a la carte) is served 8:00–9:30 a.m.; lunch (a la carte) is served 12:30–2:00 p.m.; dinner (a la carte) is served 7:00–9:30 p.m.La Terrazza
Most people I spoke with during our cruise loved the atmosphere and food at La Terrazza. I have to agree. This restaurant, located aft on Deck 7, offers both indoor and outdoor seating. We lingered over several lunches and dinners on the outdoor deck of La Terrazza. The waiters are excellent at this spot and were very helpful in explaining the specials and the particulars of what was in each sauce, etc.
You'll find extensive buffets at both breakfast and lunch. Breakfast was the weakest meal of the day for me because most of the dishes featured eggs and meat—neither of which are items I usually indulge in for breakfast. The pastry selection was good but a bit too sugary for so early in the morning. A nice selection of breads, cereals, yogurt, fruit, and nuts was always available.
Lunch always featured a variety of salads, sushi, sandwiches, and pastas along with a carving station and an "Oriental' specialty of the day:
Carving Station Selections at Lunch
Kansas strip
salmon
guinea fowl
leg of lamb
leg of venison
"Oriental" Specialty of the Day
Chili Beef and Basil Stir-Fry with Jasmine Rice
Thai Seafood and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Coriander, Lime, and Lemongrass Sauce
Indian Chicken Korma Curry with Basmati Rice
Shrimp Adobo with Coconut Sauce and Basmati Rice
Chicken Chow Mein
Teriyaki Chicken with Soba Noodles
The dessert buffet at La Terrazza is something to behold. You'll find dozens of assorted cakes, pies, pastries, and cookies in addition to a cheese cart, fruit, and ice cream. Definitely save room because there's bound to be something on display that will tempt you!
If you're too full for dessert after lunch, come back to La Terrazza for traditional afternoon tea later in the day.
Breakfast buffet is served 7:00–10:00 a.m., lunch buffet is served noon–2:15 p.m., afternoon tea is served 3:45–4:45 p.m., and an Italian a la carte dinner is served 7:00–9:00 p.m.Hot Rocks at the Pool Grill
Located outdoors on Deck 10, directly above the Pool Grill, Hot Rocks is a special evening spent under the stars. We loved this intimate spot for dinner and ate here twice. We would have gone for a trifecta, but we couldn't get reservations for an additional night! Here you'll be able to watch the sun set while you enjoy tortillas and guacamole before moving on to the salad course.
The real fun starts though when your entree arrives. It will be sizzling on a hot stone imported from South Africa. The kitchen has only just seared the meat you ordered, so you'll continue to cook your entree on the stone until it reaches your desired level of done-ness. (Don't worry, your waiter will be on hand if you need assistance.) You'll then transfer your meat (or fish or shrimp) to a cutting board with a vegetable skewer and baked potato.
Hot Rocks serves Sterling Silver premium meats and the menu includes things like filet mignon, rib eye, pork chops, lamb chops, fish, and shrimp. (Your waiter will give you a bib to wear depending on what you ordered since some items splatter more than others while cooking on the hot rock.)
There are three desserts on the menu: white and dark chocolate mousse (delicious!), apple pie a la mode, and a selection of ice creams.
Many travelers we talked with missed this dining opportunity so be sure to make reservations as soon as you board. We met our favorite waiter, Andrew, here and all of the waiters were excellent.
Restaurant Manager: Antonio
Head Waiter: Robert
Dinner is served 7:00–9:00 p.m., weather permitting. Reservations are required. This restaurant can accommodate 60 guests per evening.Le Champagne
Wine aficionados gravitate to
Silver Spirit's specialty restaurant Le Champagne. This Relais & Chateaux experience pairs fine wines with a six-course meal. Guests may reserve dinner at this restaurant for $30 per person plus a $200 per person charge for the vintage wines. No complimentary wines are served at Le Champagne so if you wish to drink vino with your meal, you must purchase the $200 wine package.
The menus changed each day and always appealed to me. Here's a sample:
North American Delight Menu
New World Appetizers
Maple-Glazed New England Duck Salad with Crispy Green Beans and Corn Flake Toping
Fresh Main Lobster
Roasted Prime Rib of Kansas Beef with Idaho Potato and Onion Cake
New York-Style Cheesecake with Strawberry-Mint Sorbet
Mr. Thorel's Waters & Mr. Marcolini's Macaroons
Restaurant Manager: Hedi Karoui
Sommelier: Sylvain Acolas
Dinner served 7:30–9:00 p.m. Reservations required.Seishin
Seishin is
Silver Spirit’s specialty Asian restaurant, which offers three degustation menus. The surcharge is $30 per person. The menu changes nightly but many items, like the sashimi platter and spider crab roll, are served several times during a cruise.
I am not a fan of sushi but wanted to give it one more try at a restaurant that has received rave reviews. Well, I’m still not a sushi fan, but I could tell that the ingredients used at Seishin were of high quality. The spider crab roll and wagyu beef were my favorite courses.
The waitstaff is excellent and the intimate restaurant, which seats fewer than 30 guests, is lovely. Japanese beers and sake are also available.
Seishin Teaser I
Silversea Sashimi Platter with Traditional Condiments
Waterpaper Roll of Spider Crab
Tiger Prawn Tempura with Japanese Chili Sauce
Green Tea Sorbet
Seishin Teaser II
Silversea Sashimi Platter with Traditional Condiments
“Game Hen” with Teriyaki Sauce
Signature Tepan Grilled Wagyu Beef with Wasabi and Natural Flavors
Green Tea Sorbet
Nine-Course Seishin Menu
Seishin Signature Cavier Sorbet
Assorted Sushi with Traditional Condiments
Tuna Sashimi with Prune Jam
Marinated Clams
Petrossian Caviar with a Moist Green Asparagus Flan
Crispy Grilled Sea Bream with Pistachio Butter
Royal Crab with Mango Tartare
Signature Tepan Grilled Wagyu Beef with Wasabi and Natural Flavors
Seishin’s Signature Red Bean Sorbet
Dinner served 7:00–9:00 p.m. Reservations required.
StarsThe final dinner option aboard
Silver Spirit is Stars, on Deck 7 near La Terrazza. Alas, we did not make time to dine here so we can't tell you much about it. Here's how Silversea describes Stars:
Stars is neither a dining room nor a restaurant. Stars is "foodatainment—modern in presentation and taste. The bites go hand in hand with the entertainment. Funky food with jazzy music. The flavors of the dishes are inspired by the five corners of the world we sail and presented all on dish sensitive crockery, making every taste a new discovery.
Sounds interesting! We did talk with several couples who loved the supper club concept. This restaurant is limited to 26 guests, so you'll need to make reservations.
Dinner served from 8:30–11:00 p.m. Reservations required.If you love food as much as we do, you'll probably be interested in our
Silversea Silver Spirit food and wine photo gallery devoted to the meals we enjoyed aboard the ship. Also have a look at my June 15th post,
Fine Wines Aboard Silver Spirit, which lists the complimentary and cellar wines that were served during our Venice to Athens cruise.
I'd love to hear about your favorite Silversea dining experiences. Click "comments" to share your thoughts.
Photos © Leonard Hospidor
THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: People in England flying to Thailand will soon have a new option to consider when Jet Airways adds a second daily flight from London to Bangkok on August 16.
