Review of Rudi's Sel de Mer on Koningsdam

[JennysUncle]

We are recently back from the Koningsdam - 2019 Jan 23 - Feb 13.  We were not impressed with the menus or the preparations in the MDR (as compared to previous HAL cruises) and so took advantage of Rudi's Sel de Mer.  (Rather than Pinnacle, since we are not big steak eaters.)

 

HAL launched the Sel de Mer (by Rudi Sodamin) concept on the Koningsdam, as a companion to the Pinnacle.  As I recall, it was pitched as a seafood brasserie, an alternative to the steak-heavy Pinnacle.  On the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam it is a stand-alone space entered around the atrium from the Pinnacle.  They share an access hall to the kitchens.  On the older ships Sel de Mer is a pop-up in the Pinnacle space with a special menu.  We have not experienced it that way.

 

It would seem that the 'primarily seafood' concept was not popular, and on the Koningsdam this restaurant is now pitched as "Rudi's" - with the Sel de Mer in small print.  It now has a very varied and interesting menu.  For some reason HAL made Rudi's menu a la carte, as opposed to the fixed price in Pinnacle.  However, the cost of a meal is about the same.  Rudi's offers the same discounts as Pinnacle for 3/4/5* Mariners.  The a la carte pricing seems to be a psychological deterrent.

 

Rudi's space is smaller than Pinnacle, feeling like a small fine restaurant.  It has about a dozen tables of various sizes.  When we were there, there were two very attentive hostesses (Lise and Rahul) and four waiters, all European professionals.  In our six visits it was never full, and some nights some of the staff was detached to help in the MDR.  Regardless, service was very good.

 

Finally, to the menu.  Roger Jett's scan of Rudi's menu  It has enough variety for repeated visits - we ate there six times.  The portions are large, so on the first visit we learned that an appetiser and main, or main and dessert, was plenty.

 

The Fruits de Mer was a tower and more, and needed an auxiliary table. Looked great if you like that sort of thing.  The Foie Gras was more than generous (by US restaurant standards) and expertly sauteed.  The Pot au Feu is a meal - cast iron pot of rich broth and braised beef.  The ratatouille side dish was very good, and a whole bowl, not a dollop.

 

On the fish side of the entrees, the Branzino and the Dover Sole were both excellent and the moules (a pot with enough for two) very good.  On the meat side, the cassoulet and the rack of lamb were excellent.  We had the roast chicken in the MDR on "chef's night" and it was a full half chicken - very tasty but too much.

 

Of the desserts, we liked the chocolate pot de creme best.  The others were all big enough for two, and very good.  Only the cheese plate fell down - just the same assortment as in the MDR.

 

We would have sampled more of the menu if we had time.  (Admittedly, as 4* we ate at 50% off)  We encourage you to try it out.  We are worried that HAL might decide to swap some bigger revenue-producer into the space if dinership does not pick up.

[DaveOKC]

We dined there over a year ago and had the lobster.  It was very good and a reasonable price, after the 50% Mariner Discount.

[redpear1]

We to like this venue very much. On our cruise on Koningsdam that leaves this Sunday we have booked this spot 4 out of 10 nights

[HUNKY]

FYI that menu from Jett is from April 2017. Has it changed? I see many of the wines don't list the grape varieties. Americans, (Koningsdam's core customers) don't know the kinds of grapes used in wines from particular areas of France. Rudi's was not very busy on my 2 past cruises. We might try it on Nieuw Statendam, but Tamarind will most likely win out.


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[wdw1972]

Sel de Mer on Nieuw Statendam has a slightly different menu, and sadly the pots de crème were swapped out to a different dessert.  I'm hoping by my next Koningsdam cruise (November) they haven't made the same change over there - I was looking forward to the pots de crème more than anything else on the menu! 

 

Sue/WDW1972

[JennysUncle]

The food side of the menu was still the same.  I didn't pay any attention to the wine list because we had a Cellar package.  There was a friendly sommelier who checked with us right away every night.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your report on Sel de Mer.

 

My mouth was watering for the chocolate pot de creme.  Now I read that it is gone.

[Crew News]

FWIW if ordering the Bouillabaisse, ask the chef to crack the lobster claw as the small tools provided are insufficient to do the job.  It is a mess ready to happen.  When I asked the waiters on the Konigsdam, they said most diners just leave the claw untouched.

 

My website menu was dated 2017 but still current on the Konigsdam as of December.

[grsnovi]

In June of 2018, although we both love seafood we were scared away by the a la carte pricing however the MDR and Tamarind were just fine.

[BJzink]

I have dined at the Pop-up Rudi's on the smaller ships every night that it is offered.  The main part of the menu is basically the same, fewer first-course items.  But I like very much the salt-crusted Bass, and tried the Duck Cassoulet on my last cruise in January.  It was very good also.  One of my favorite parts of travel is having different food offerings.

[rkacruiser]

My experience at Rudi's Sel de Mar on Nieuw Statendam:

 

My order:  Escargots, Dover Sole, and Crepes Suzette.  Everything was delicious, service was excellent, the Wine Steward did not have an attitude serving a bottle of wine from my package, and the a la carte price with my 5 Star Mariner discount was considerably less than any  of the other specialty restaurants.  

 

My dinner at Sel de Mar was the best and most satisfying dinner I had on Nieuw Statendam.

[kazu]

I’ve only done the ‘pop up’ on the Prinsendam

 

But.. what we had was delicious.  No one at our table of 6 was less than happy twice.

 

I found the food well prepared and coming from the Maritimes, that says a lot.

 

I’d do it again - in fact we are on our next cruise 😉 

 

 

[Hawaiidan]

does the Massadam on long 21+ day cruises have  this

[freestyling]

It is on my cruise in March. I think one of the segments was bookable as a 14day. I like Rudi’s Sel de Mer the pop-up or the stand alone.

[djhsolara]

We loved it on Koningsdam. We have since tried the pop-up on Nieuw Amsterdam and we’re a bit disappointed. Everything tasted good, but there were some things from the “regular” menu that were our favorites that were not on the pop-up menu. 

 

We woukd definitely do it again on Koningsdam, but not sure about the pop-up. 

[Crew News]

3 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

does the Massadam on long 21+ day cruises have  this

 

The Zaandam had the Sel de Mer popup twice on my 14-day Alaska cruise in 2018.  I had the duck and the Dover sole with both being amazing. Loved the desserts.

[Hflors]

I have eaten at Rudi's once on konningsdam and just lately at the pop-up one on zuiderdam.  Both times were great experiences.  Both times ordered the seafood appetizer.  Sis and I loved it.  Lots of choices with it.  We both ordered lobster ,the one on Koningsdam was much larger than the one on Zuiderdam, but they were both good.  I can't comment on dessert neither of us ordered it.

[Arrowinc]

Our meal at Rudi's on Nieuw Amsterdam last winter was among the best we have ever had -- shipboard or not.  The sole, in particular, was absolutely perfect.   In fact, we were so enthused by the experience that we twisted the arms of our traveling companions to ante up for the experience on our New England/Canada cruise aboard Zuiderdam in September.  Sadly, that experience was so dissatisfying as to embarrass us.  Although the waiter was lively and attentive, and while the first couple of courses were good, the entree was way too late in arriving and, once it did, the sole which I ordered (and which had been so outstanding earlier in the year) was so salty as to be inedible.  By then, we were late in the evening and nobody was in the mood to wait any longer for the dish to be prepared anew.  To cap it all off, the after-dinner brandy we ordered (while waiting for the entree) was served in a cocktail glass instead of a snifter.  I am not sure that we will visit again if the meal was "comped" to us.  

[Rickster50]

Well the Sel De Mer on  the Koningsdam may have had great food inside, but when we walked past that restaurant on occasion, the smell emanating into the corridor was pretty foul...and we weren't the only ones expressing this feeling.

 

Rick