We ate in the main dining room, Grand Cuvée, most evenings on Celebrity Silhouette – we had select dining (flexible times) on deck 4 of the restaurant and our dining times varied depending on our day.
There are a number of different table sizes – having 2-year old Elliot with us we were typically shown to a table for two with a baby seat on the end and occasionally we were given a table for 4, which was more spacious but not always possible at peak times.
We did notice that there were a lot of tables for two – many more than we’ve previously seen on P&O and Royal Caribbean, which we know would suit a lot of people who prefer not to share tables. It certainly suits us introverts 😉
The decor was elegant in champagne gold and red, with big armchairs that were a little heavy to move on the plush carpet! All areas were clean and tidy and, despite being a large dining room, it didn’t feel noisy or overwhelming.
Grand Cuvée was very friendly and the waiters were efficient and knowledgeable. On some evenings the service between courses was a little slow when the tables were full… the waiters always seemed super-busy, so we felt that there were not quite enough of them covering the tables at times. Despite this we could not fault the individuals as our – or should we say Elliot’s?! – every whim was catered for without question as speedily as they possibly could – we could see they were constantly on the go.
The quality of the food was definitely a step up from P&O and Royal Caribbean. There were classic dishes that remained on the menu every night, plus a good selection of different dishes each night, too.
There were good fish and seafood options, including a lovely lobster dish one evening, and some excellent meat dishes – I was especially impressed by the steak and beef dishes as the meat was of a high quality and cooked perfectly to my preference (rare, please!) every time. Tony had a couple of dishes that he wasn’t too sure of… a very small ravioli dish didn’t seem enough for a main (a second main dish of his choice quickly followed!) and a couple of the vegetarian dishes seemed bland.
The kids menu was very basic, so after a few nights we started to order the classic salmon and chicken dishes from the main menu for Elliot, swapping the mash or new potatoes for his favourite chips to avoid arguments 😉 They’d bring his main with our starter and it’d keep him going until dessert, while the bread basket of freshly made rolls and breadsticks kept him occupied before his dinner arrived!
Desserts were very good – I especially enjoyed the cheesecake from the classic menu and the chocolate cake was delicious, too. Ice cream is always a big hit with us and Tony and Elliot found a new favourite flavour of Peanut Butter! (I wouldn’t bother with the Cherry Brandy ice cream though – it wasn’t very cherry and I’m not sure it’d seen any brandy!)
As we had a Classic drinks package we drank wines by the glass – I really enjoyed the Riesling and the sommelier quickly recognised it as my favourite, almost pouring it before we’d sat down on some evenings! On occasion we’d be offered a complimentary cocktail from the bar and on the last evening every guest was given a complimentary glass of fizz – lovely little touches.
We also ate here for lunch some days (open for lunch from noon until 1.30pm), which was very relaxing and we’d recommend it over the buffet if you prefer a leisurely lunch over choice. Menus were sometimes repeated, but there was a reasonably good choice of dishes – all of a very high standard.
Below is a small selection of our delicious meals from the main dining room… duck with orange, venison carpaccio, sea bream and seafood chowder (I think!), chocolate eclair, tuna tartare, maple and pecan pie for Canada Day, Vegetarian Wellington, Caprese Salad…
We also ate at Qsine and the Oceanview Café (the buffet) on some evenings.
Note: if you choose flexible dining in the main dining room you cannot remove gratuities from your onboard account, which may be a consideration for those who prefer to tip personally. Gratuities were $14.50 per day per person (no concessions for children).