The Chef's Table

The Chef’s Table dinner is an experience – six courses of unique and delicious dishes, each paired with a different wine. I’ve been wanting to try it for a while and finally convinced Ron that it was something we had to do at least once.

We chose the last day of our Serenade of the Seas cruise, a sea day, for our dinner. That way we wouldn’t have to cut our port time short, and we could end the cruise with a special celebration. The dinner started at 6 o’clock in the Schooner Bar, where the bartender brought us a champagne and Chambord cocktail. Once the whole group was assembled, our waiter and sommelier, Ionut, led us to a small, private dining room off the Safari Club where the table was set with menus personalized with our names.

Before each course, the Chef de Cuisine came out and explained the ingredients of the dish. Our first course was scallop carpaccio, which was paired with a light Pinot Grigio. Ionut told us to taste the wine before and during the course so we could see how the food changed the flavor of the wine.

Next was smoked tomato soup with garlic croutons and parmesan. The soup was poured over the dish at the table so that the croutons stayed crisp. This was paired with Conundrum, a blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon - my favorite of the wines.

The third course was Maine lobster salad served chilled with hearts of palm, pineapple and cilantro. It looked like a work of art but was my least favorite dish. I’m just not a fan of pineapple. Ionut served the salad with a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

The fish course was next – roasted branzino with grilled vegetables and an appley Chablis. And then came the meat course, filet mignon with truffle potato puree and bordelaise sauce. The sauce was amazing, and the meat was so tender that we didn’t even need our knives. I followed the chef’s recommendation and ordered my filet medium. Ron went with medium rare. This was paired with Cabernet Sauvignon, the only red wine of the evening. I liked the wine but Ron thought it was too fruity.

The chef saved the best for last! The dessert was a sphere of gold-dusted dark chocolate. As Ionut poured hot caramel sauce over the sphere, it melted away, revealing the chocolate mousse and salted caramel gelato inside. And in case that wasn’t decadent enough, the dessert drink was a salted caramel espresso martini. OH MY! When we got up (staggered) from the table, I couldn’t believe that four hours had flown by. What an unforgettable meal.

Travel tips: Royal Caribbean is currently limiting the number of Chef’s Table guests to eight a night for social distancing, so you’ll want to reserve your dinner early in the cruise to ensure a spot. Sometimes you can get a discounted price if you book on embarkation day. If you have any allergies and dietary restrictions, be sure to mention them when you make your reservation.