Dining on the Scenic Jewel River Ship
Overview and the Crystal Dining Room
The Scenic Jewel and the other "space ships" in the Scenic Tours/Scenic Cruise European river cruise fleet have four dining venues--the Crystal Dining Room, Portobello Restaurant, Table La Rive, and the River Cafe. The menus on the Scenic Cruises' ships are the same across the fleet and are rotated every 14 days. The menus are designed by the cruise line's executive chef prior to each cruise season.
None of the dining venues charge an additional fee. I sailed the Rhine River between Mainz and Amsterdam on the Scenic Jewel and had ample time to try its dining venues and cuisine.
In addition to the dining venues, the Scenic ships also have a limited 24-hour room service menu that includes an appetizer of Pancetta ham, cheese, and olives; a smoked salmon toast or pastrami sandwich; cheese platter; chocolate cake with whipped cream; or a salad of fresh seasonal fruits. Guests can either order from their butler or by contacting the reception desk.
The Scenic Cruises' ships also have High Tea and alfresco barbecues outdoors on the Sun Deck on selected days. And, the ships have 24-hour specialty coffees and premium teas available in the Panorama Lounge. I'm a tea drinker, and I loved having a large selection of loose teas, tea bags, and tea pots, with "proper" china cups to drink from.
The ships in the Scenic Cruises' fleet are all-inclusive, so all drinks (except premium liquors and wines) are included in the fare.
The complimentary wine list includes white, rose, red, and non-alcoholic wines from Italy, France, and Germany. The ships also have premium wines available for purchase from around the world.
Breakfast. Although a menu is available, most guests eat a buffet breakfast in the Crystal Dining Room since the selection is so varied. Fruits, juices, yogurts, vegetables, yogurts, cereals, eggs, cheese, sausages, bacon, and cold cuts are presented in a pleasing manner on the buffet. Guests can toast a variety of breads or have a breakfast croissant or roll. Coffee and tea are served by the waiters, and they also take orders from the menu. The dining room also has an omelet station. Since the bar is always open on the Scenic Jewel, there's a bottle of champagne open on the buffet or guests can order a bloody mary or other breakfast libation from the waiters.
Lunch. Like breakfast, the Scenic Jewel features a delightful buffet, or guests can order from a menu. The buffet includes a variety of salads, two soups, cheese, cold and hot dishes, and a regional specialty like potato pancakes, meat balls, or goulash. Complimentary wines, beer, or soft drinks are available at lunch, as is a choice of still or sparkling water. The dessert selection is nice, and always features two types of ice cream and delicious cookies. The menu includes different items each day, but also includes popular items like hamburgers. I found the steak and onion pot pie to be very tasty! One day at lunch, two of us at a table for 8 ordered it, and by the time we finished, everyone at the table had also ordered one.
Dinner. Dinner is served from a menu. When you first sit down, there's already a bread basket sitting on the table, and the wait staff serves a choice of white or red wines, beer, soft drinks, still water, and sparkling water. Dinner includes several courses--a starter, soup, salad, main course, and dessert or cheese. The galley is able to accommodate all dietary restrictions except kosher. Those needing vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or other special diets just need to notify the ship when booking, and the chef then gets the relevant information on the passenger manifest prior to the cruise so he can plan accordingly.
Each course is varied and menus only repeat after 14 days. Usually two starters are available each dinner. Sample starter items from our week's cruise included potato fritters with marinated butterfish tatar, caviar and dill sour cream; vegetable spring rolls on spicy Chinese cabbage; marinated shrimp in avocado and peach mayonnaise; grilled Feta cheese in bacon coat with red bean mousse and coriander; mille feuille rolls with tomato and tuna filling and olive tapenade; baked Gouda with cranberry coulis; glazed Kentucky turkey with fruit; roast beef with corn and Cumberland sauce; smoked halibut and trout with black olives; Caesar salad with pan-fried chicken breast strips; or oysters, calamari salad with roasted capsicum dressing, roasted vegetable salad, sweet and sour pumpkin salad, seasonal garden leaves and salad with assorted dressings.
A choice of two soups are available at dinner. On our cruise, we had such items as vegetable essence with fine cabbage; cream of yellow bell peppers with tomato and watercress; consommé double with spinach and egg royal; cream of mushroom soup with herbs and croutons; vegetable consommé with vegetable strips; or chicken velouté with dried apples and garden cress.
A mixed green salad is always available, and a Caesar salad is also usually on the menu.
The main course selection always includes a choice of fish, meat, or vegetarian. Some of the main course selections on our cruise were: rack of lamb with herb crust on rosemary jus, creamy polenta and grilled zucchini; fillet of cod in mustard crust on Scenic vegetables, white wine risotto and lobster hollandaise; pancake with creamy chanterelle stuffing on celery purée; "Saltimbocca" tender veal loin with Prosciutto and sage, Parmesan risotto and braised eggplant; broiled fillet of wels on lemongrass sauce, vegetables and pilaf rice; calzone filled with Cambozola cheese and young spinach on olive and garlic cream; saddle of free range ox on "Antwerpener Bonen" (Dutch bean ragout) broccoli and red wine reduction; tender skin-seared hake with white wine cabbage, dill potatoes and beetroot glaze; celery medallions in nut and herb crust with lentils, pumpkin sauce and boiled potatoes.
For those who want just a simple meal, the following main course items are available every night and are served with a selection of vegetables: chicken breast, salmon steak, fillet steak, or hamburger or cheeseburger served with fries.
It looks like a lot of food, but the portion sizes are small. If you wish to try more than one item, the galley is accommodating. Of course, there's always room for either dessert or a tempting cheese plate. Like the other courses, there's always two or three choices for dessert, including a fruit plate. Our selections included: cassata with berry and chili ragout; strawberry ice cream with plum confit; rhubarb and strawberry cake; baked ricotta with caramelized peach confit; chocolate ice cream with mint sauce, marinated papayas and whipped cream; Bienenstich (vanilla cream cake with almonds); pumpkin seed parfait with vanilla and strawberry ragout and chocolate sauce; and baked Alaska at the Captain's dinner.
Although most guests would be happy eating in the the Crystal Dining Room for every meal, it's fun to have other choices, especially on longer cruises. The remaining pages of this article focus on the other dining venues on the Scenic Jewel.
Portobello Restaurant
Portobello is the Italian specialty restaurant on the Scenic Jewel. The venue seats 25, and reservations are required. This restaurant is only open for dinner on nights when there is not a special dinner in the Crystal Dining Room (like the welcome dinner or Captain's dinner). The photo at the top of the page was taken in the daytime when Portobello is used by people eating a light snack or lunch at the nearby River Cafe.
In the evening, it's much more elegant, and the food matches the ambiance.
Each guest on the ship will have the opportunity to dine at Portobello at least one evening on the cruise. The venue has one seating at 7:15 pm.
Here's the menu from the night I dined at Portobello. Every course was delicious and memorable.
PANE CASALINGO
Table La Rive is a designated table for 10 in the back of the Scenic Jewel Crystal Dining Room, with a window looking into the galley. Guests in the Royal Panorama, Royal, and Junior Suites, and those staying on Danube Deck 3 will all have an opportunity to dine at La Rive on their cruise. This intimate degustation meal is a set menu with six courses, each accompanied by a paired wine selected by the executive chef and wine steward.
The La Rive menu on our cruise was the following:
The River Cafe is a casual spot in the Panorama Lounge of the Scenic Jewel that serves early and late breakfast rolls and sweet breads and lunch sandwiches, soups, and salads. Snacks are available until 6 pm, so those who aren't hungry at meal time can get a quick bite throughout the day.
The Scenic Jewel and the other "space ships" in the Scenic Tours/Scenic Cruise European river cruise fleet have four dining venues--the Crystal Dining Room, Portobello Restaurant, Table La Rive, and the River Cafe. The menus on the Scenic Cruises' ships are the same across the fleet and are rotated every 14 days. The menus are designed by the cruise line's executive chef prior to each cruise season.
None of the dining venues charge an additional fee. I sailed the Rhine River between Mainz and Amsterdam on the Scenic Jewel and had ample time to try its dining venues and cuisine.
In addition to the dining venues, the Scenic ships also have a limited 24-hour room service menu that includes an appetizer of Pancetta ham, cheese, and olives; a smoked salmon toast or pastrami sandwich; cheese platter; chocolate cake with whipped cream; or a salad of fresh seasonal fruits. Guests can either order from their butler or by contacting the reception desk.
The Scenic Cruises' ships also have High Tea and alfresco barbecues outdoors on the Sun Deck on selected days. And, the ships have 24-hour specialty coffees and premium teas available in the Panorama Lounge. I'm a tea drinker, and I loved having a large selection of loose teas, tea bags, and tea pots, with "proper" china cups to drink from.
The ships in the Scenic Cruises' fleet are all-inclusive, so all drinks (except premium liquors and wines) are included in the fare.
The complimentary wine list includes white, rose, red, and non-alcoholic wines from Italy, France, and Germany. The ships also have premium wines available for purchase from around the world.
Crystal Dining Room
The Crystal Dining Room is the main dining room on the Scenic Jewel. Three meals are served each day in this dining room--a buffet or menu breakfast and lunch, and dinner ordered from a menu. The dining room has large windows on both sides and provides excellent views of the passing river scenery.Breakfast. Although a menu is available, most guests eat a buffet breakfast in the Crystal Dining Room since the selection is so varied. Fruits, juices, yogurts, vegetables, yogurts, cereals, eggs, cheese, sausages, bacon, and cold cuts are presented in a pleasing manner on the buffet. Guests can toast a variety of breads or have a breakfast croissant or roll. Coffee and tea are served by the waiters, and they also take orders from the menu. The dining room also has an omelet station. Since the bar is always open on the Scenic Jewel, there's a bottle of champagne open on the buffet or guests can order a bloody mary or other breakfast libation from the waiters.
Lunch. Like breakfast, the Scenic Jewel features a delightful buffet, or guests can order from a menu. The buffet includes a variety of salads, two soups, cheese, cold and hot dishes, and a regional specialty like potato pancakes, meat balls, or goulash. Complimentary wines, beer, or soft drinks are available at lunch, as is a choice of still or sparkling water. The dessert selection is nice, and always features two types of ice cream and delicious cookies. The menu includes different items each day, but also includes popular items like hamburgers. I found the steak and onion pot pie to be very tasty! One day at lunch, two of us at a table for 8 ordered it, and by the time we finished, everyone at the table had also ordered one.
Dinner. Dinner is served from a menu. When you first sit down, there's already a bread basket sitting on the table, and the wait staff serves a choice of white or red wines, beer, soft drinks, still water, and sparkling water. Dinner includes several courses--a starter, soup, salad, main course, and dessert or cheese. The galley is able to accommodate all dietary restrictions except kosher. Those needing vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or other special diets just need to notify the ship when booking, and the chef then gets the relevant information on the passenger manifest prior to the cruise so he can plan accordingly.
Each course is varied and menus only repeat after 14 days. Usually two starters are available each dinner. Sample starter items from our week's cruise included potato fritters with marinated butterfish tatar, caviar and dill sour cream; vegetable spring rolls on spicy Chinese cabbage; marinated shrimp in avocado and peach mayonnaise; grilled Feta cheese in bacon coat with red bean mousse and coriander; mille feuille rolls with tomato and tuna filling and olive tapenade; baked Gouda with cranberry coulis; glazed Kentucky turkey with fruit; roast beef with corn and Cumberland sauce; smoked halibut and trout with black olives; Caesar salad with pan-fried chicken breast strips; or oysters, calamari salad with roasted capsicum dressing, roasted vegetable salad, sweet and sour pumpkin salad, seasonal garden leaves and salad with assorted dressings.
A choice of two soups are available at dinner. On our cruise, we had such items as vegetable essence with fine cabbage; cream of yellow bell peppers with tomato and watercress; consommé double with spinach and egg royal; cream of mushroom soup with herbs and croutons; vegetable consommé with vegetable strips; or chicken velouté with dried apples and garden cress.
A mixed green salad is always available, and a Caesar salad is also usually on the menu.
The main course selection always includes a choice of fish, meat, or vegetarian. Some of the main course selections on our cruise were: rack of lamb with herb crust on rosemary jus, creamy polenta and grilled zucchini; fillet of cod in mustard crust on Scenic vegetables, white wine risotto and lobster hollandaise; pancake with creamy chanterelle stuffing on celery purée; "Saltimbocca" tender veal loin with Prosciutto and sage, Parmesan risotto and braised eggplant; broiled fillet of wels on lemongrass sauce, vegetables and pilaf rice; calzone filled with Cambozola cheese and young spinach on olive and garlic cream; saddle of free range ox on "Antwerpener Bonen" (Dutch bean ragout) broccoli and red wine reduction; tender skin-seared hake with white wine cabbage, dill potatoes and beetroot glaze; celery medallions in nut and herb crust with lentils, pumpkin sauce and boiled potatoes.
For those who want just a simple meal, the following main course items are available every night and are served with a selection of vegetables: chicken breast, salmon steak, fillet steak, or hamburger or cheeseburger served with fries.
It looks like a lot of food, but the portion sizes are small. If you wish to try more than one item, the galley is accommodating. Of course, there's always room for either dessert or a tempting cheese plate. Like the other courses, there's always two or three choices for dessert, including a fruit plate. Our selections included: cassata with berry and chili ragout; strawberry ice cream with plum confit; rhubarb and strawberry cake; baked ricotta with caramelized peach confit; chocolate ice cream with mint sauce, marinated papayas and whipped cream; Bienenstich (vanilla cream cake with almonds); pumpkin seed parfait with vanilla and strawberry ragout and chocolate sauce; and baked Alaska at the Captain's dinner.
Although most guests would be happy eating in the the Crystal Dining Room for every meal, it's fun to have other choices, especially on longer cruises. The remaining pages of this article focus on the other dining venues on the Scenic Jewel.
Scenic Jewel Dining Venues and Cuisine
Portobello Restaurant
Portobello is the Italian specialty restaurant on the Scenic Jewel. The venue seats 25, and reservations are required. This restaurant is only open for dinner on nights when there is not a special dinner in the Crystal Dining Room (like the welcome dinner or Captain's dinner). The photo at the top of the page was taken in the daytime when Portobello is used by people eating a light snack or lunch at the nearby River Cafe.
In the evening, it's much more elegant, and the food matches the ambiance.
Each guest on the ship will have the opportunity to dine at Portobello at least one evening on the cruise. The venue has one seating at 7:15 pm.
Here's the menu from the night I dined at Portobello. Every course was delicious and memorable.
PANE CASALINGO
- Homemade bread (pizza bread, Ciabatta, Grissini)
- Olive tapenade, Olive Oil with Lemon, Basil Pesto
- Starter - Prosciutto, Buffalo Mozzarella, Marinated Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, served with bruschetta
- Vitello Tonnato with Caper and Lemon-Flavoured Rocket
- Traditonal Minestrone, a thick vegetarian soup made of 8 kinds of vegetables from Mediterranean gardens
- Fillet of Halibut on Root Vegetable, Julienne with Lemon and Herb Butter, Braised in Parchment Paper
- Veal Escalope in Parmesan and Egg Coat, Served with Tomato Sauce, Spaghetti and Grilled Zucchini
- Bell Pepper Roulade with Ricotta and Spinach Stuffing on Creamy Polenta
- Selection of special Italian cheeses -- Grana Padano, Stilfser, Taleggio, Paglietta, Pecorino Collesardo, Scamorza Affumicato and provolone pikant
- Trio of Desserts - Tiramisu, Strawberry Smoothie, Amarettini Parfait on Blue Berries Ragout
- White Pinot Grigio Zorzettig D.O.C from Toscana, Italy
- Red Chianti Colli Sensi Riserva 2009 D.O.C.G from Friuli, Italy
- Soft Drinks -- Coca Cola and Coca Cola Light, Sprite, Fanta, Selection of Juices, Ice Tea
- Draft beer -- Bitburger Premium Pils, Beer Shandy
- Still or Sparkling Water
- Coffee or tea
Scenic Jewel Dining Venues and Cuisine
Table La Rive is a designated table for 10 in the back of the Scenic Jewel Crystal Dining Room, with a window looking into the galley. Guests in the Royal Panorama, Royal, and Junior Suites, and those staying on Danube Deck 3 will all have an opportunity to dine at La Rive on their cruise. This intimate degustation meal is a set menu with six courses, each accompanied by a paired wine selected by the executive chef and wine steward.
The La Rive menu on our cruise was the following:
- Amouse Bouche - Lemongrass Creme Brulee with Grauburgunder Michelfelder Himmelberg dry white wine
- Cold Starter - Salmon Carpaccio with Marinated Radicchio with Olive Oil and warm Pine Nuts and a Chablis Champs Royaus dry white wine
- Salad - Marinated Gampas with Mango and Chili on Ruccola Lettuce with a Sauvignon Blanc, Burgenland dry white wine
- Soup - Porcini Capuccino with Blue Potato Chips and a Riesling Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen dry white wine
- Main Course - Filet Beef ala "Scenic" with Foie Gras, Diamond Vegetables, Potato Gratin and Truffle Jus with a Barolo, Rocche di Castiglione, Castiglione Falletto, Italy (2005) dry red wine
- Dessert - Chocolate Cake with Liquid Centre, Balsamico Cherries and Bourbon-Vanilla Ice Cream with Tokaji Aszu sweet white wine
Scenic Jewel Dining Venues and Cuisine
The River Cafe is a casual spot in the Panorama Lounge of the Scenic Jewel that serves early and late breakfast rolls and sweet breads and lunch sandwiches, soups, and salads. Snacks are available until 6 pm, so those who aren't hungry at meal time can get a quick bite throughout the day.
