Well, aboard the Celebrity Edge, that meant you’re spoilt for choice. There are four complimentary fine dining restaurants covering French cuisine, Mediterranean, Italian and cosmopolitan-inspired dishes. These come at no extra cost, but you must book your table ahead of time. The menus consist of starters and mains such as seared salmon and duck confit, as well as desserts.
Aside from these must-book restaurants, there are also a scattering of show-up and be-fed offerings such as the ever-important Oceanview Cafe, which is open from 6am until about 1am, and has an astounding selection of food from around the world available daily in a buffet-style set-up. This was our go-to choice on most days, as you could always find something delicious, whether you were after a full British or American-style breakfast, Indian curry or Mexican tacos, or artisanally crafted desserts. Late-night wood-fired pizzas were also always on the go at the back of the cafe, facing the stern, for those accustomed to partaking in a kebab or pie after a few drinks.
Tuscan restaurant serves refined Italian dining at sea. Photo / Celebrity Cruises
However, above and beyond the complimentary food choices aboard the Celebrity Edge, there are also several specialty dining options available. These come with an extra cost in US dollars, but given you are on a cruise of a lifetime, what does that matter in the scheme of things? A cruise is all about excess and splurging. It’s also important to note that while you do pay an additional fee for menu items at these specialty dining restaurants, the prices aren’t exorbitant; it’s a reasonable top-up fee.
We went to two such restaurants on the Celebrity Edge: the Raw on 5 and the Rooftop Garden Grill. For me, of the two, Raw on 5 stood head and shoulders above the Grill. At its entrance, a mouthwatering raw bar display of fresh oysters, crabs, lobsters, and other seafood is ready for selection. The staff, as you’ll notice ship-wide, are super professional and always at your beck and call. It’s no different at Raw on 5.
Rooftop Garden Grill serves barbecue under the stars. Photo / Celebrity Cruises
For starters, we sampled small plates of shrimp cocktail (US$11/NZ$19), spicy ahi tuna (US$9), and a dozen oysters (US$15). Raw on 5 is a seafood extravaganza and a must-try on a sea voyage, given, you know, you’re at sea. The food is fresh, presented nicely, and well-portioned.
When it came to the mains, we exemplified the go-big-or-go-home attitude by selecting The Chateau (US$85) and The Imperial Tower ($135). The former consisted of half a cold-water lobster tail, lobster and crab salad, three chilled shrimps, six oysters, one king crab leg, and three crab claws. Meanwhile, the tower features a whole cold-water lobster tail, lobster and crab salad, six chilled shrimps, 12 oysters, two king crab legs, six crab claws and sea bass ceviche. It was a literal mountain of seafood, especially given the tower presentation.
It was also a lot for two people to share, but we managed to make a proper dent in the offering. Luckily, as with everything else on board, there was a great selection of wine and cocktails to help the seafood go down.
Overall, Raw on 5 exceeded my expectations and I’d highly recommend sampling its food when you get the chance. In fact, if you opt for just one specialty dining restaurant during your voyage, I’d suggest this one.
For those not into seafood, there are other options such as the Fine Cut Steakhouse, Le Grand Bistro and Le Petit Chef. Also, as mentioned earlier, we tried the Rooftop Garden Grill, which allows you to savour gourmet barbecue food under the stars at the top and stern of the ship. Here, we sampled the pulled pork sliders and smoked chicken wings for starters, before moving on to the hickory-smoked brisket and mesquite baby back ribs for mains.
Le Grand Bistro serves French classics and fresh bakes. Photo / Celebrity Cruises
The food was what you’d come to expect from American barbecue, albeit with a touch of refinement. The venue itself is fantastic with its outdoor setting, especially at night when it’s humid in the tropics, and the sky is clear of clouds. The view of the stars, with the whiff of barbecue smoke, is spectacular and makes the food so much tastier and the experience unforgettable.
The journalist travelled courtesy of Celebrity Cruises.