By Sarah, Sales Support & Training Manager

When you think ‘cruise’ what comes to mind?

Luxury … adventure … exploration … food!

I’ve just returned from Regent Seven Seas Splendor with Leigh, one of our Cruise Experts, and I can honestly say we enjoyed some of the best food we have ever eaten. So much so that I kept this food diary while we were on board!

All the speciality dining options on board are included in the cruise fare, and the good news is only three of them need to be booked in advance: Prime 7, Pacific Rim and Chartreuse. We embarked the ship having not booked any of these restaurants, but a quick visit to the dining concierge soon rectified that! They were able to book us into two of the speciality restaurants immediately, and we were waitlisted for our final choice, which did become available.

Friday

Lunchtime snack – Pool Grill

After an early start at the airport, a flight and taxi ride, we arrived at our beautiful home for four nights in search of a light snack. It was late afternoon, but the sun was still shining by the pool, so this seemed the perfect place to begin our culinary journey with Regent Seven Seas.

Despite the casual ambience, there is nothing simple about the fare at the Regent Seven Seas Splendor Pool Grill. It’s where you can enjoy a casual lunch on every ship, from delicious regional BBQs to the freshly grilled fish of the day.

We were shown to a table and served drinks of our choice, so, of course, it was time for a Regent-designed cocktail. Glancing down at the menu, we noticed nachos were available – but not just any nachos, lobster nachos! Delicious and rich, they were every bit as good as they sound.

Evening meal – Pacific Rim

Regent Seven Seas Splendor’s Pan-Asian speciality restaurant, Pacific Rim, is a real celebration of Asian cuisine. The beautiful entrance features a dragon, which really set the scene, and once inside, the Zen-like ambience and incredible decor wouldn’t have looked out of place in a top London restaurant. The service was just as impressive!

We were seated on a table for two next to a large window, which gave us incredible views out over the ocean. As for the menu, there was just so much choice; grilled Korean barbecue lamb chops, wok-fried beans, eryngii mushroom and gochujang dressings – it was a real feast for the senses.

I had heard amazing reviews about this restaurant, and I’m glad to say it did not disappoint.

Saturday

Breakfast – Room service

For our first morning on board, we were docked in the beautiful city of Bordeaux. We decided to dine in the comfort of our Veranda Suite, so requested our breakfast choices the night before.  I have never seen a more comprehensive choice of options, which included a full-cooked breakfast.

That morning, our breakfast was delivered and placed beautifully on a table out on our spacious Veranda. The memory of sitting and eating a sumptuous feast of freshly baked pastries and brewed coffee whilst enjoying the sunshine on the pretty dockside will always be a moment I cherish.

Lunch – La Veranda

Our morning was spent on a half-day excursion visiting a vineyard and village, and when we returned to this ship, we wanted to try the more relaxed restaurant, La Veranda. There’s the option to dine indoors or al fresco – it’s a buffet-style restaurant, but still retains the chic and elegant surroundings that you’d expect on board Regent Seven Seas Splendor.

There was a great selection of food perfect for lunch. As with all buffet-style restaurants, there were multiple food stations offering fresh and well-cooked options. Along with my tasty fish choice, I filled my plate with a huge selection of salad and some beautifully cooked dauphinoise potatoes, finished off with a refreshing lime moose for dessert.

Evening meal – Chartreuse

Having never dined at a French restaurant before, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the food at Chartreuse. The setting was elegant and romantic, and once again, we were placed next to a picture window looking out over the ocean.

Our waiter (who just happened to be French) gave us outstanding and effortless service, and really set the scene for what turned out to be a truly wonderful dining experience.

I ordered a melon salad with radish and root vegetable chips, served with a lemon vinaigrette. This was followed by Alaskan king crabmeat and lobster bisque with scallops, chorizo and butternut squash spaghetti. The chicken supreme in fine Champagne, cognac and crayfish sauce was also incredible. My dessert was nothing short of amazing – a floating island of French meringue, pink praline, and crème anglaise. Delicious!

Sunday

Compass Rose – Sunday brunch

For me, Sundays are all about relaxation and lazy mornings, and we were at sea so there was no need for an early start. We were excited to try the Sunday brunch in the main dining room, Compass Rose.

This is a beautifully styled and elegant dining room where you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with no formal reservations. The display of food was so beautiful – you had to just stand for a minute to take it all in.

My favourite has to be the seafood station, where there was just so much variety and choice. Another personal highlight was the fresh smoothies, where you choose your ingredients and they are made freshly in front of you. Omelettes were also cooked to order with the flavours of your choosing. There was even a chocolate fountain – it was so tempting, but I managed to resist as it was only 11am!

Evening meal – Settee Mari at La Veranda

Each evening, La Veranda transforms into Sette Mari at La Veranda, a casual, intimate dining experience. The menu comprised authentic antipasti and Italian classics, all of which were served á la carte and paired with fine Italian wines.

As a lover of Italian food, I certainly was not disappointed by the wonderful menu. It offered far more than just pizza and pasta; our table was filled with a wonderful bread basket when we arrived, which included everything from parmesan knots, to focaccia with cherry tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil.  I would have been happy with just this as a starter!

The main event was a seafood risotto, followed by a steak with a giant shrimp sitting on a bed of potatoes.  It was truly beautiful to look at, and to eat.

Monday

Breakfast –  Coffee Connections

Today, we were at the port of Saint-Malo which is a walled port city in France with an intriguing past. We decided on a light breakfast from the relaxed Coffee Connections venue, which serves fresh bakes, fruit and healthy options.

Afternoon tea – Meridian Lounge

No cruise would be complete without afternoon tea, so when we returned to the ship, we were excited to try it out in the Meridian Lounge. It was a very civilised and relaxed affair, with food and drink served to our table from a large trolley. We were able to select various gourmet sandwiches and desserts, each of which was small but perfectly formed. This was another Regent Seven Seas Splendor food highlight!

Evening meal – Prime 7

It was our final night onboard this beautiful ship and Prime 7 was the one restaurant we really wanted to try.

We were greeted at the entrance by a warm and enthusiastic bar steward who chatted with us before we were shown to our table by the maître d’. A table for two by the window looking out at the ocean as the sun set was the perfect setting for the wonderful evening in this gorgeous restaurant.

My choice for the evening was jumbo shrimp cocktail, clam chowder, and for the main course, the signature surf and turf  The filet mignon was the most delicious steak I have ever eaten. This was topped off with a beautiful crème anglaise with fresh berries.

I don’t think I will ever experience food like this again … or at least not until the next time I am able to travel with Regent Seven Seas Cruises!