Le Champagne Restaurant

[canyonman]

I know Siliversea says all inclusive including gratuities. I do have a question regarding Le Champagne restaurant. Is one required to tip or not? How was the food and wine selection?

Thanks

[TLCOhio]

I know Siliversea says all inclusive including gratuities. I do have a question regarding Le Champagne restaurant. Is one required to tip or not? How was the food and wine selection?

Thanks

 

 

YES! Would like to hear more details and specifics. Is it mostly a wine or food thing or more of a combination of BOTH food and wine? Is the food, setting, etc. that super special and worth the price compared to in the main dining room or Italian speciality dining spot?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[wripro]

The food is definitely of a higher quality, comparable to a really fine land restaurant. If you choose the wine pairing for $200 pp the wines poured are also a high quality and definitely worth what you are paying, perhaps worth even more. The question is whether you consider it worth $400 for two people to have this experience. You can also choose the $30 pp option and purchase a bottle from the premium list. This makes the experience more affordable if you are not so much into wines. I have only done Le Champagne twice in all my time on SS. I guess I have a personal problem with paying so much extra for dinner on a supposedly all inclusive ship.

[Jim00]

Just adding a detail to wripro's note. You can choose the $30 pp option, but you do not have to purchase a bottle of wine. That was our experience on the Shadow. And Le Champagne is a once per cruise experience that is worth the price (for us at least). Tipping was not required.

[unfathomable]

Is one required to tip or not?

As elsewhere on SS, not.

[MJN1]

We just came off the Cloud 10 days ago and while I was always sceptical about the value of the $ 200 dining "experience" we signed up for the Bordeaux dinner (including the wine pairing) this time. It was excellent, great food (do I dare do say "Michelin Star quality") and an excellent (!) wine selection (with ample refills...). Very personal service, including personalized menus (delivered to your suite afterwards). And yes, you do NOT tip. When I compare this to how much we pay for a wine-tasting-dinners in London (and factor in the cost for the tip required elsewhere) I do consider this good value.

On the other hand, I would not have chosen the Burgundy dinner, as we were not a fan of the menu (although they do ask you and you can change a course if you do not like it), and the wines were more ordinary (Jadot). Net, make an informed choice.

[Rally]

We just came off the Cloud 10 days ago and while I was always sceptical about the value of the $ 200 dining "experience" we signed up for the Bordeaux dinner (including the wine pairing) this time. It was excellent, great food (do I dare do say "Michelin Star quality") and an excellent (!) wine selection (with ample refills...). Very personal service, including personalized menus (delivered to your suite afterwards). And yes, you do NOT tip. When I compare this to how much we pay for a wine-tasting-dinners in London (and factor in the cost for the tip required elsewhere) I do consider this good value.

On the other hand, I would not have chosen the Burgundy dinner, as we were not a fan of the menu (although they do ask you and you can change a course if you do not like it), and the wines were more ordinary (Jadot). Net, make an informed choice.

 

Do you have the opportunity to look at the menu before making a reservation? Are there choices for each course or is it a set menu? We leave in about 10 days for our first SS sailing, and appreciate all input.

 

thanks!

[DebbieH103]

The menu is posted in advance outside of the restaurant.

[TLCOhio]

How many are in the room for this special dinner? How's the table set-up or arrangement done?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[jerblu]

Also- are the wines by the bottle that are available the same as the ones that are available for extra cost in the main restaurant?

 

It sounds as tho 4 people could just go, pay the extra $30pp, and buy a couple of bottles of the wine they wanted, and that wouldnt come to $200pp. Does that sound possible?

[Rally]

The menu is posted in advance outside of the restaurant.

 

Thanks, Debbie, are there choices for each course or is it a set menu?

[CatServants]

The two times we were in Le Champagne it was a set menu. If you don't care for a given course, all you have to do is wait for a bit and the next one will arrive shortly....

 

On the Shadow, there were ~7 tables in the room, with from two to 8-10 seats/table. I'd be surpised if there were ever more twenty people in the restaurant on any given night.

 

If you enjoy wine (as I most certainly do!), and can afford it, I think you will find that $200/pp for the wine pairings to be worth every penny. With six different servings during the dinner, and generous refills on the vintages that you particularly enjoy, you really will get an opportunity to experience a region's cuisine and wines in just one night.

[chicagogal]

Also- are the wines by the bottle that are available the same as the ones that are available for extra cost in the main restaurant?

 

It sounds as tho 4 people could just go, pay the extra $30pp, and buy a couple of bottles of the wine they wanted, and that wouldnt come to $200pp. Does that sound possible?

 

Definitely possible.

[chicagogal]

The two times we were in Le Champagne it was a set menu. If you don't care for a given course, all you have to do is wait for a bit and the next one will arrive shortly....

 

On the Shadow, there were ~7 tables in the room, with from two to 8-10 seats/table. I'd be surpised if there were ever more twenty people in the restaurant on any given night.

 

If you enjoy wine (as I most certainly do!), and can afford it, I think you will find that $200/pp for the wine pairings to be worth every penny. With six different servings during the dinner, and generous refills on the vintages that you particularly enjoy, you really will get an opportunity to experience a region's cuisine and wines in just one night.

 

I agree with you CatServants! We are just off the Shadow on Saturday in Vancouver and we did the Spanish menu and wines on Sept 4th. Very nice! We had 8 tables in the room and all had only 2 people per table. Service was outstanding.

 

All available menus are available either at the Restaurant or at the front desk at any time (not just same day) and on the first day you board they post which night will have which of the 4 or 5 menus in the daily newsletter. The menus each repeat, depending on the length of your crusie

[chicagogal]

Thanks, Debbie, are there choices for each course or is it a set menu?

 

It is a set menu but I bet they could accommodate your preferences if something is not to your liking. We just ate everything! :)

[MJN1]

Let me try to answer all the questions from above:

 

Rally - yes, you can look at the menu beforehand, they had all 5 of them (Bordeaux, Burgundy, North America, Spain, Italy) available the afternoon we boarded. It is a full course set menu (5 courses + chocolate with the after dinner drink), but they ask you if you want to change an item when you book and asked again when we sat down for dinner.

 

TLCOhio - I recall about 8-10 tables. They set them up depending how many people have signed up and how big each group is. Our evening (last night of cruise) had 4 or 5 tables filled, 3-4 tables with 2, 1 table with 5.

 

Jerblu - they do create the menu around the wines and food available. In principle, the wines served are also on the special list. The issue may be availability. The sommelier mentioned that he usually orders only a case or two of the special wines as the storage conditions (lots of vibrations) are not very good for top wines and thus sometimes runs out of a wine or two in between cruises (or ports). If you order the wines individually you can obviously stay well below $ 200 pp, but you can also go well above, depending what you fancy....;)

[umtali]

I find it hard to reconcile "all inclusive" with a $200 per head meal when the main dining room is enjoying a 4 star menu. I think Silversea have to consider that if Oceania, or similar cruise lines, went "all inclusive", and did not resort to cheap money earners like Le Champagne, Silversea may find that they are under greater attack from other than Seabourne.

[jerblu]

The special restaurants on Crystal charge $7 per person. True, you do not get all inclusive wine and tips, etc., but I dont see that as a genuine difference. My TA usually does the ordinary tips for me, and the onboard credits (it will be $600pp for a 10 day cruise next month) can usually pay for most wines (I anticipate being hard pressed to spend all that money; maybe the jewelry counter....).

[mdmourges]

I wonder why they charge anything at all (Cyrstal). $7 seems so little it doesn't seem to make sense.

 

Mark

[jerblu]

Mark-

 

I dont know why either. They SAY it is to provide tips to the staff who otherwise would not get them. But $7pp tips surely must be awfully little when you consider a dinner at Nobu or Valentino's (my favorite restaurant in LA) is costing way upwards of $100pp. But since I cant get a better answer, that's all I can say. Except, of course, that I am looking forward to the sushi and the pasta on my next Crystal. And hoping that the SS cuisine will live up to its reputation as being even better than Crystal.

[meow!]

I find it hard to reconcile "all inclusive" with a $200 per head meal when the main dining room is enjoying a 4 star menu. I think Silversea have to consider that if Oceania, or similar cruise lines, went "all inclusive", and did not resort to cheap money earners like Le Champagne, Silversea may find that they are under greater attack from other than Seabourne.

 

Not really, Oceania is nearly as expensive as Silversea as is. Oceania is already more expensive than Silversea for Caribbean itineraries, though not so in other geographic areas at present. Oceania has been increasing prices at 10+% per year compounded consistently for the last half dozen years, while Silversea perhaps only 5+% per year up to last year, and has not really increased this year due to the economic tsunami. Besides, Oceania is the junior division to RSSC in the same Apollo-FDR cruise line. They have to think hard about how to structure both to keep them distinct (or else combine both). So your proposal for Oceania appear unlikely.

[wripro]

jerblu,

 

I think it would be more accurate to compare Le Champagne to the Vintage wine dinners on Crystal which cost about the same.

[unfathomable]

(I anticipate being hard pressed to spend all that money; maybe the jewelry counter....).

Never yet managed to spend a cruise credit without buying something shiny... :eek: