What is your impression of La Dame restaurant?

[bohaiboy]

We dined there on the Wind back in 2014 at La Dame and I wasn't overly impressed, especially having to pay for the meal at $60 pp.  I didn't really care for it.  Looking for different opinions for a Shadow cruise in August and whether I should change my mind and give it one more try.  Opinions please,

[Observer]

I have been consistently pleased by my visits to La Dame.  IMHO the wonderfully personalized service complements the fine food and wine.  The uncharge is of course an issue, but I am fairly confident that the motivation for the charge is to temper demand for space in this intimate restaurant and not to collect revenue.  If it were free, I can imagine some guests dining there every night!  🙂

  

[Gourmet Gal]

It’s been awhile so this could be outdated info.  We had a couple of dinners in La Dame on Whisper and Spirit and even if it were included with no up charge it was my least favorite venue on both ships.  The food was just okay, more pricey ingredients but nothing I couldn’t obtain and cook for myself at home or enjoy at a local restaurant (SF Bay Area).  The ambiance was too low key and too small being easy to overhear other diners’ conversations.  The service seemed stilted and over-wrought as though the waiters were afraid of goofing up.  As for the wine list, my DH and I rarely ever have more than one drink per day when on vacay so I don’t pay much attention to the bottle list. Perhaps if I didn’t already enjoy world class restaurants at home I would be more impressed.  If your access to fine dining has been limited then you might be more appreciative of the effort that SS makes with La Dame.  

[bohaiboy]

1 hour ago, Observer said:

I have been consistently pleased by my visits to La Dame.  IMHO the wonderfully personalized service complements the fine food and wine.  The uncharge is of course an issue, but I am fairly confident that the motivation for the charge is to temper demand for space in this intimate restaurant and not to collect revenue.  If it were free, I can imagine some guests dining there every night!  🙂

  

Seabourn has the Thomas Keller (think French Laundry) inspired restaurant at no upcharge.  PAX are limited to once per week dining.

[frantic36]

I have only had one experience on La Dame on Shadow a few years ago. That was just before they refurbished Shadow. I agree with Gourmet Gal it wasn't my favourite as wait staff seemed stiff and no big wow factor for us, especially requiring an extra charge. We cancelled further bookings. 

 

We found the food in MDR to be very good and found a section where we had excellent wait staff in a smaller section. So we used the money we saved booking La Dame on buying some lovely premium wine and enjoyed having a chat with the sommelier and our wait staff.

 

Having said that we have a booking with Silver Muse. If it goes ahead we might try La Dame on there as the photos make it look more interesting.

[Stumblefoot]

9 hours ago, bohaiboy said:

I stand by my comment made on your Facebook post of the same question.  Hope it helped.

Edited June 9, 2021 by Stumblefoot

[turtlemichael]

1 hour ago, Stumblefoot said:

I stand by my comment made on your Facebook post of the same question.  Hope it helped.

You're not Suze or Tracey, are you? 🤣

[cruiseej]

9 hours ago, bohaiboy said:

Seabourn has the Thomas Keller (think French Laundry) inspired restaurant at no upcharge.  PAX are limited to once per week dining.

 

The Keller restaurant on Seabourn is fine, but it's by no means at the level of the French Laundry. Passengers can only make one advance reservation for the restaurant, but are allowed to dine there multiple times as long as there are openings available. (That is, it's a capacity control limitation only, to allow as many guests as possible to dine there on each cruise.)

[lovestx]

We were planning to book La Dame for our 30th anniversary night on Spirit in October.  Seems like we might just as well go to Atlantide....  Decisions!  Decisions!  And dining reservations open up tomorrow for us.

[Randyk47]

1 minute ago, lovestx said:

We were planning to book La Dame for our 30th anniversary night on Spirit in October.  Seems like we might just as well go to Atlantide....  Decisions!  Decisions!  And dining reservations open up tomorrow for us.

Hmm...  We love the La Dame and while the Atlantide is good to excellent La Dame is still a step above.   Since you’re not sure I would still go ahead and make a La Dame reservation giving you the option to cancel and eat elsewhere.   

[jollyjones]

I have tried La Dame a few times and have now given up. I found (and this is just my opinion that many will disagree with) that the room was claustrophobic, the meal was good food fussed about with too much, it was a rather stiff and overly formal event, and there was no more wow factor than eating in any of the non-fee venues.

[turtlemichael]

35 minutes ago, jollyjones said:

I have tried La Dame a few times and have now given up. I found (and this is just my opinion that many will disagree with) that the room was claustrophobic, the meal was good food fussed about with too much, it was a rather stiff and overly formal event, and there was no more wow factor than eating in any of the non-fee venues.

I've had quite a few meals in La Dame over the years and over the many cruises on different ships. The experience has varied but in general I've liked it especially for celebrations.  It often can come down to the team in the restaurant on your particular cruise.  I'll go back as it can be very special.  I nevertheless think that there is so much wonderful contemporary French cuisine, still my favorite, that it would be good if the concept could be updated. Although there have been some changes the basics of La Dame, and its predecessor, have not changed in a very long time.

[Lois R]

54 minutes ago, lovestx said:

We were planning to book La Dame for our 30th anniversary night on Spirit in October.  Seems like we might just as well go to Atlantide....  Decisions!  Decisions!  And dining reservations open up tomorrow for us.

Good morning🙂 maybe we can have dinner one night........pick a place😃....some of them you don't need to sign up for......Atlantide for example......just show up.

[blondietoo]

Have eaten at La Dame twice(Silver Whisper and Silver Wind) not very impressed either time

[CruiserFromMaine]

Well, I have a far better opinion of La Dame than most. I’ve enjoyed our meals there very much and found the service to be a step above. 
 

Example. We talked with the sommelier the night before our dinner in La Dame and she helped us select a bottle of wine. The next night as soon as we reached the bottom of the stairs right by the restaurant, the staff at La Dame greeted us by name and welcomed us in. Our wine was decanted and ready for us! It was  a wonderful start to a wonderful dinner. This was on the Spirit in 2018. 
 

I strongly recommend a visit. Then you can decide for yourself. 

[drron29]

Another who has enjoyed La Dame.

Not concerned by the upcharge.Nothing compared to the price of the cruise.Plus we book through Virtuoso so have OBC.

And we have never had stiff, pretentious service there as well.In fact one of our most relaxed and enjoyable episodes of service occurred in La Dame on our Wind cruise of the Black sea a few years ago.

[chrism23]

On 7 cruises I have eaten at La Dame perhaps 10 times.  I think I said this elsewhere but I generally reserve on formal nights.  I like, one of the few, wearing a tux and dressing up, and eating at La Dame is part of my fantasy like experience.  That said.  I have generally found the food not much better than the MDR.  I have partially kept track of this.  That many menu items from La Dame show up a couple days later in the MDR.  But the portions are smaller.  For example a rack of lamb in La Dame will have all 4 bones, in the MDR 2.  Little things like that.  Also, the experience really varies from ship to ship.  Sometimes it is something special with the service being more much more attentive and even entertaining,  other times not so much.  Will I keep doing La Dame?  I am scheduled to sail on the Moon's Grand Voyage in 1/22 and I absolutely will have to try it again.  On the Muse and the other ships I have been on I probably won't do La Dame again.  

Edited June 13, 2021 by chrism23
typo

[CruiserFromMaine]

I believe La Dame will be a larger venue on the Moon. I am curious as to how/whether that affects the overall experience. 

[Gourmet Gal]

In photos La Dame looks less claustrophobic on Silver Moon.  

[Stumblefoot]

4 hours ago, chrism23 said:

I am scheduled to sail on the Moon's Grand Voyage in 1/22 and I absolutely will have to try it again.

What is this Grand Voyage you refer too in January of 2022?  I thought the Moon’s first Grand Voyage didn’t set sail until the spring of 2022 after Dr Ron & Rojann depart the ship in Athens.

[Throast]

1 hour ago, Gourmet Gal said:

In photos La Dame looks less claustrophobic on Silver Moon.  

La Dame has moved location on the Moon and is about three times bigger

[chrism23]

18 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

What is this Grand Voyage you refer too in January of 2022?  I thought the Moon’s first Grand Voyage didn’t set sail until the spring of 2022 after Dr Ron & Rojann depart the ship in Athens.

Sorry, Its 1/23 I think we all are getting our years mixed up. Fort Lauderdale to Fort Lauderdale.  70 Days.  Most spent in Brazil and Argentina.  Even so far in the future I have doubts of whether it will actually happen, whether South American will get the plague under control.  I feel like I am some sort of science fiction movie, where I am getting bounced around in an alien time continuum.  I am losing what week it is, what month, and now I am losing years.  I do not exaggerate it really is happening.  cheers

Edited June 14, 2021 by chrism23
typo