British Isle Chef's Table

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

We're on for the British Isles in July, so menus for the Chef's Table are not up yet.  We've never eaten there, we would like to but the menus have been ones that were really just a little too over the edge for us.  We aren't big into spices and the foods have always looked spicy and of course you don't have choices.  Another issue is that we do not drink, and from what it sounds like it's kind of all about pairing wines.   

 

So my question is...have any of you experienced more European foods at Chef's Table when traveling in Europe?  I thought maybe in New Zealand/Australia we would see something from that area on the menu, but there wasn't a menu that remotely reflected anything traditional from there.  

[Richard2]

We once sat near a couple who came into the Chef's Table without understanding anything about it. The woman looked at the menu and said she wanted a caesar salad and grilled salmon, and that is what they served her. I don't advise going in with this plan, but they will accommodate you. Even with fixed menus, they are always prepared to accommodate dietary restrictions. 

As for the wine, it's all about the wine for people who want it to be all about the wine. I can't drink red wine (I get severe headaches), so whatever the wine pairings are, I ask for white wine only, and that has never been a problem.

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

That is very helpful information....spicy food really makes my husband ill, so I'm guessing if we informed them ahead they might just give him a plain piece of meat.  Hummmm maybe we'll ask them to pair our dinner with milks....maybe a little skim, or chocolate depending on what the course is.😂

[Mich3554]

The menuS served at the Chef’s Table on the European Trade Routes cruise were the same menus served on the South American and Chilean Fjords 2 months later.  Same ship.  Off the top of my head, there were 2 Asian menus and a Mexican one on both the cruises.  I do not remember the others.

[lackcreativity]

Viking will usually include regional foods in the Restaurant and the World Cafe. The Chef's Table is a rotating series of themed tasting menus, perhaps 8 to 10 different ones, that are the same on each ship in each area of the world. I don't know how many of those are active at any given time. We love the adventure of the Chef's Table, and have tried five different menus. We loved two, liked two, and didn't care for one. (We loved the Sweet & Salty and the Mexican menus, and didn't care for the Asian one which features the Peking duck.) The Chef's Table is not for everyone. I wouldn't go with the intention of changing my order, unless maybe I had an allergy or there was just one course I wanted to skip, or I was with a group of people who all wanted to go. I would just eat somewhere else if the menu didn't appeal to me.

[Frenchberet]

We aren’t foodies or wine connoisseurs, but we really like the Chef’s Table!  On two cruises to Norway we’ve tried the Asian, Indian, Xiang, and Norwegian menus.  All the food was good and the experience Itself was so much fun.  
 

The only really spicy item we had was on the Xiang menu.  The first course was fried prawns with crispy garlic and chili.  It was very hot but good! 

We’re going to Australia/New Zealand in a few weeks and looking forward to trying the Australian menu.

 

Try the Chef’s Table.  If you don’t like it you can always get something at the World Cafe or room service.