by Melinda Crow
Last updated: 10:00 PM ET, Wed July 26, 2017
One of the most wonderful things about Viking Ocean cruises? There are two specialty dining options available to everyone onboard at no additional charge.
The Chef's Table is located aft on Deck 1 on the port side of the ship; Manfredi's Italian Restaurant is just opposite on the starboard side.
Reservations are required, and your options begin before your cruise departs; the cruise line will notify you when advance reservations are available online for your stateroom category. Once onboard, you can reserve additional times by phone, on the interactive TV system in your stateroom, as well as during breakfast on most days at the entrance of World Café or with the Maître d at the entrance of either of the restaurants during hours of operation.
I suggest trying both restaurants early in your cruise, then reserve additional nights at one or both. I would not miss the "Asian Panorama" menu in The Chef's Table if you can help it. The flavor combinations are astonishing. The upcharge for the premium wine pairing is well worth the price if you have not already purchased the Silver Spirits package.
At Manfredi's, the steak is a must for beef eaters, but for pasta lovers, don't miss the carbonara or the capellini scampi. Oh, and the lasagna is delicious too.
The Chef's Table
Chef's table dining is a popular trend in cruising right now, and Viking incorporates a few of those elements into this specialty restaurant.
The menu is a carefully chosen progression of courses centered around the cuisine of a selected region and includes wine pairings designed to enhance the food experience. The meal is not presented by a chef-as in most chef's table experiences-but by a well-trained waiter. A sommelier describes and presents the wines and how they will pair with the food.
For a true chef-presented dining experience, guests can purchase the Kitchen Table optional excursion, which also includes shopping with the chef and a chef-hosted dinner. That dinner is held in a private room near the two specialty restaurants.
At the Chef's Table restaurant, there is an option for a premium wine experience via surcharge. Guests who have purchased the Silver Spirits drink package receive the premium wine add-on in the restaurant. The wine upgrade includes a different wine with each course, including dessert, whereas the standard meal includes three wines paired with the entire meal.
The décor is elegant, with Asian accents including digital "blooming" art presentations. There are large tables for dining with friends, but plenty of spots for two with adequate spacing for private conversations.
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The menu changes every three days and can be previewed on the interactive stateroom TV system.
The food is modern: A flavorful parade of traditional dishes prepared with slightly different ingredients or using more modern methods. (Expect things like flavor-infused foams or mousses.) The meal is truly an experience worth trying, perhaps more than once during your cruise as the menu changes.
Manfredi's Italian Restaurant
The concept of Italian warmth and charm is paired with an upscale take on traditional Italian cuisine. Diners are greeted with a hearty "Buongiorno" upon arrival and served olive oil, chunks of parmesan and a bread basket as they are seated.
It is easy to imagine you are cruising the coast of Italy, regardless of where your cruise takes you. Wine is served throughout the meal (as with all dinners on Viking cruises) and is carefully paired with the menu.
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As in The Chef's Table, there are group tables as well as tables for two scattered throughout the warm, two-room restaurant.
The menu choices are abundant enough that Italian food lovers could dine here almost every night of a typical cruise and not repeat a meal. The menu does not change from night to night but is presented with choices of starters, pasta and risotto dishes, main courses and desserts. (The pasta portions are ample enough to be eaten as the main course.)
The most popular entrée is the Bistecca Fiorentina-a prime, aged and well-seasoned rib eye that eclipses any cruise ship steak on the water. The pastas are hand-made and smothered in flavorful sauces while dessert choices include luscious tortas, a Nutella panna cotta and tiramisu.
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