By
Alex Smith |
Oceania Cruises is to introduce reimagined menus for The Grand Dining Room onboard its newest ship, Allura, when the ship launches in July 2025.
More than 270 new recipes will be introduced across all three meal services at the venue, which appears onboard all eight of the cruise line’s small luxury vessels. New features include a Signature Eggs Benedict section of the breakfast menu and a lunch menu inspired by French bistro dishes. Its dinner menu will highlight reimagined classic dishes, including Beef Wellington served with a Shiraz red wine sauce, sauteed spinach and truffle mashed potatoes, and a chermoula butter-roasted Maine lobster with risotto primavera and bisque jus.
“We are renowned for ‘The Finest Cuisine at Sea’ and this is not just a tagline; it is a philosophy which guides everything we do,” says Frank A. Del Rio, president of Oceania Cruises. “Dining is the cornerstone of the Oceania Cruises experience, and the new menus for The Grand Dining Room are a shining example of the culinary artistry of our talented team, led by Chefs Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale, our executive culinary directors and resident master chefs of France. Every dish reflects craftsmanship, passion, and unparalleled quality perfectly aligning with the warmth and elegance of the onboard experience and service that our guests cherish.”
Alex Quaretti (pictured) and Eric Barale, Oceania’s executive culinary directors, led the reimagining of The Grand Dining Room’s menus
Breakfast in The Grand Dining Room now features updated presentations, portions and more than 30 new recipes. The Signature Eggs Benedict section features both the classic dish and variations such as Eggs Benedict Florentine and Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict. A rotating selection of daily specials will also be available on the morning menu, including a courgette waffle with smoked salmon and yoghurt sauce and a Mexican burrito filled with scrambled eggs, sausage, guacamole and cheddar.
At lunchtime, The Grand Dining Room will transform into La Brasserie, offering French bistro-inspired dishes. The midday menu will feature a rotating vegetarian main course, an artisanal cheese plate and a curated charcuterie platter. Dishes include Blanquette De Veau à L’Ancienne and Coq Au Vin, alongside American dishses such as the Oceania Cruises signature cheeseburger.
The evening meal service will undergo the most significant reinvention, with more than 200 new recipes appearing on the menu. These will include a section of ‘Chef’s Recommendations, which spotlights dishes hand-selected by Chef Alexis Quaretti and his team of executive chefs.
Over 200 new recipes will be added to dinner service
New appetisers include a Scallop Panna Cotta with caviar and Pâté en Croûte Arlequin paired with a mango chutney mousseline. Guests can also choose from an updated selection of entrées, featuring slow-cooked Korean BBQ beef short rib complemented by bok choy and pickled vegetables and a seafood vol-au-vent filled with scallops, shrimp, salmon and black mussels.
“In crafting these new dishes, I drew deep inspiration from my childhood, family life, and of course, from across my career, including collaborations with renowned Chef Jacques Pépin, our culinary patriarch,” said Alexis Quaretti. “Other inspirations for new menu items are especially personal, such as the Mousse au Chocolat de Mamie Huguette, which uses my grandmother’s cherished recipe and is re-created with the same care and precision she taught me. This dish, like every creation served on board our ships, embodies a simple philosophy: honour the past, savour the present, and focus on flavours which leave a lasting impression.”