Candles Restaurant

[beachbum2b]

My husband and I will be on the Athens to Istanbul June 27th, our first time on Windstar, to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. I keep reading posts encouraging people to eat at Candles at least one night. Can you eat at Candles more than one night? Do you need to make reservation for the restaurant? Just wondering if it is so great, why people don't eat there every night!?

 

Any other helpful information for a newbie would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[Strenz]

Candles is absolutely lovey, it is small, it has one menu, about 3 choices for apps, 3 for salad, 2 soup, 5 main course and 2-3 for dessert as I recall, for the entire week and more importantly Windstar likes for everyone to have the experience once so they put a limit once per week. If you tend to eat late sometimes you can ask for some people do show up for their reservations. Yes, you do need reservations. It is a lovely evening one of many you will have. Your trip is remarkable, fascinating and beautiful. We did it 2 years ago. Loved every second. Happy Sailing. Susanne

[MTJtraveller]

We were able to eat at Candles multiple times on our last two trips. It may have been because it was moved indoors because of weather. Candles would be much more popular in warm weather settings. We would just call to see if there was any availability that evening. When they are able to grill outside for Candles, the food was excellent. I believe my husband had a bone in port chop that was to die for, grilled outside.

[milepig]

In theory, you could eat in Candles and/or Stella if on the Surf the entire cruise. You will be able to sign up when you board ship, there will be a table where someone will help you with reservations. That couple hours during boarding there can be a lot going on, so we try to sit down and figure out which nights to reserve before we board.

 

In bad weather Candles will be in the breakfast area, which is OK, but not the same experience as being outside.

[Hillskis]

On our last two cruises (back to back) for 18 days we ate at Candles 6 times. Sign up early on the day you leave port and then put yourself on the waiting list each night. Also, a nice tip to the restaurant manager helps you get a call the next time there is an opening.

[ducklite]

A friend of ours was able to eat at Candles about nine times on our B2B. He had a confirmed reservation for three nights from the start, waitlisted for a few more, and just walked up the rest of them.

 

It seems that singles and duos are more easily accommodated without a reservation.