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Fine Dining on the High Seas

Part of the fun of cruising with Viking Ocean Cruises is trying all the restaurants offered onboard.

The Chef’s Table on Viking Orion is a set menu of gourmet food with a creative presentation.

View of the Chef’s Table dining room on-board the Viking Orion.

One of two specialty restaurants on Viking Orion, The Chef’s Table, is open only for dinner. They offer a variety of five-course set menus, which rotate every two to three days depending on the length of the cruise. In addition, there are 13 themed tasting menus in total, including Mexican, Pan-Asian, and Scandinavian.

The evening I visited, my menu was “La Route Des Indes,” designed to feature a variety of spices. Each dish highlights one or more, allowing diners the opportunity to discover nuances of taste and the essence of fantastic plant materials.

The sommeliers and culinary masters at The Chef’s Table create the perfect pairing of food and wine. During a multicourse tasting, they pour select vintages and serve thoughtfully prepared dishes made for each other.

My delectable meal included:

Amuse Bouche: Carrot and Cardamom Cream; orange and star anise foam.

Amuse Bouche

First course: Spicy Tuna Tataki; Szechuan peppercorns, coriander, and sesame oil; pickled vegetables.

Spicy Tuna Tataki

Granita: Ginger and Tarragon; infused vodka, lemon foam.

Main course: Beef Tenderloin with Four Warm Spices; vitelotte mousseline, mushrooms, jus.

Beef Tenderloin with Four Warm Spices

Dessert: Apple Delice Facon Tarte Tatin; butterscotch calvados sauce.

Apple Delice Facon Tarte Tatin

Onboard are other full-service and fast-food restaurants.

 The Restaurant is the main dining venue, offering the highest onboard dining experience amid a streamlined Scandinavian design. The menu includes regional cuisine and always available classics enhanced with locally sourced ingredients so that guests can explore new cultures through food.

The Restaurant

Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant offers excellent Italian cuisine from the “farm-inspired heartiness of Tuscany or the famed flavors from Rome.” Like all Viking Orion restaurants, the service is impeccable.

Manfredi’s
Manfredi’s

World Café features an open kitchen and premium sushi/seafood choices. In addition, helpful employees serve up other international favorites: Dine indoors or al fresco on the Aquavit Terrace for panoramic views.

World Cafe

Mamsen’s, located in the Explorers’ Lounge, offers Norwegian specialties for breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, or an evening treat. The Restaurant is designed to evoke all the pleasures of Norwegian culture and authentic Scandinavian fare.

Mamsen’s

Wintergarden is a lovely space under a canopy of Scandinavian trellised wood. Every afternoon you can participate in a calming tea ceremony or indulge in afternoon tea service while enjoying the soft strains of a string quartet or piano performance.

Wintergarden
Tea service in the Wintergarden

One of my favorites for a quick lunch is the Pool Grill offering fast-food fare with a twist: Viking Burger, Seared Ahi Tuna, and my favorite, the Nordic Hot Dog, a footlong hot dog topped with dill shrimp salad. There is also a small salad bar. As in World Café, employees serve you at the buffet.

Nordic Hot Dog at the Pool Grill

The Kitchen Table is an “excursion” where guests immerse themselves in local culture and cuisine as the ship’s Executive Chef leads them on an interactive culinary adventure. In the morning, guests travel by mini-coach to the local market to handpick ingredients with instructions from the Chef. Later in the day, participants help prepare regional dishes for the evening meal with hands-on guidance from an experienced culinary staff. The group then dine on their creations with the staff at The Kitchen Table.

The Kitchen Table

Last but not least is Room Service. Viking Orion offers room service 24 hours a day. I ordered breakfast every day via a hang-tag left on my doorknob the night before. Breakfast includes a full selection of hot and cold dishes, from eggs, omelets, and oatmeal to muesli, fruit, and yogurt. Juice, coffee, and tea are also available. The rest of the day—and night—you can order salads, hamburgers, salmon, and other tasty entrees plus dessert including divine apple pie ala mode and cheesecake.

Breakfast is served by room service

No matter where you choose to dine, you will be pleasantly surprised at the superb quality of food, service, and variety on the Viking Orion.

Viking Orion
Tags: Bermuda, Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises
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marilynjones

Marilyn Jones, a journalist and photographer for more than 30 years, specializes in travel. Her articles and photographs have appeared in major newspapers including Dallas Morning News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Sun-Time and Columbus Dispatch. As well as major magazines including Elks Magazine, Alabama Living, Military Officer, Escapees, Texas Farm and Home, Illinois Country Living, Carolina Country and Renaissance Magazine.

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2 Comments

  1. Sharon
    October 8, 2021 at 6:11 am

    Looks amazing, and I’m not talking just the food!

  2. marilynjones
    October 8, 2021 at 6:24 am

    It was a beautiful ship!! I love Viking Cruises!