How good is La Dame?

[commodoredave]

5 hours ago, Daveywavey70 said:

Like I said we all have opinions. I'm not sure where you would find a Restaurant on land where you could enjoy a 6/7 course meal, unlimited Champagne, wine, Cognac etc for $60 a head though.

You may have misunderstood my comment. I was questioning your statement that La Dame is 1/3 the cost of the same meal ashore, which would be $180. If I could get La Dame quality on shore for $60, i would jump at it. But then again if most of the other fine restaurants  ashore were free, I might not pay an extra $60 per person for La Dame very often.

[phil1107]

13 hours ago, Daveywavey70 said:

Like I said we all have opinions. I'm not sure where you would find a Restaurant on land where you could enjoy a 6/7 course meal, unlimited Champagne, wine, Cognac etc for $60 a head though.

I thought was included at all bars. Or is this the added-cost top-shelf stuff ?

[HappyCamper777]

On 4/3/2023 at 9:24 PM, phil1107 said:

Or is this the added-cost top-shelf stuff ?

If I'm following you question, yes, there is an extra cost for top shelf stuff.  You're not going to be served complimentary and unlimited pours of items like Dom Pérignon, Cristal, Ornellaia, d'Yquem, Johnnie Walker Blue, etc.

[phil1107]

So if I have understood the last few posts correctly - Silversea will charge extra for top-shelf cognac etc but this becomes complimentary with the $60 meal at La Dame.

[jpalbny]

Not the way I understand it. The upcharge is for the food.

 

You can get complimentary wines in La Dame with your meal (which costs $60) for no additional charge. If you want to buy wines from the connoisseur's list to go with your meal, that's extra.

 

Every time we've gone, they have found nice included wines to match with the different courses.

 

Things may be different now as we have not done La Dame since just B.C., back in January 2020. We have a reservation for June on our next cruise.

[Daveywavey70]

Top shelf is still top shelf. They seem just a little more free and easy in la dame by my experience, suggesting a glass of champagne or 2 whilst perusing the menu, offering extremely good included wines that are very well paired and again suggesting a nice Cognac to end a wonderful evening. Nothing that you can’t find elsewhere if you know what to ask for but in la dame the service and suggestions are much more pro-active. 

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, phil1107 said:

So if I have understood the last few posts correctly - Silversea will charge extra for top-shelf cognac etc but this becomes complimentary with the $60 meal at La Dame.

Excellent responses from JP and Davey.  Here is my two-cents...

I wholeheartedly agree with HappyCamper's response.  For example, while you can enjoy Chateau d'Yquem in La Dame, SS is certainly going to charge you for the entire bottle.  If you don't wish to pay, then SS will offer you a similar wine by the glass.  The last time I was in La Dame, the comparable complimentary pour was Château Cousteau from the Cadillac appellation.  I believe that particular bottle retails for around $25USD versus d'Yquem at $340.

[Observer]

A slightly off topic question:

 

I understand that gentleman are expected to wear a jacket when dining in La Dame.

 

Is it the case that this expectation is relaxed on embarkation day and the evening prior to disembarkation (when the dress code would be casual for La Dame as it is for the rest of the ship)? 

[Rothko1]

5 minutes ago, Observer said:

A slightly off topic question:

 

I understand that gentleman are expected to wear a jacket when dining in La Dame.

 

Is it the case that this expectation is relaxed on embarkation day and the evening prior to disembarkation (when the dress code would be casual for La Dame as it is for the rest of the ship)? 

 

I don't believe that the dress code is different for La Dame than the rest of the ship.  I have noticed, however, that people do tend to dress up for La Dame, even if it is a casual day.

[Stumblefoot]

1 hour ago, Observer said:

Is it the case that this expectation is relaxed on embarkation day and the evening prior to disembarkation (when the dress code would be casual for La Dame as it is for the rest of the ship)? 

La Dame follows the same dress code as the ship. So, to answer your question, yes.  With that said, I have seen instances when La Dame is not open on the first and last night.

[drron29]

12 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

Excellent responses from JP and Davey.  Here is my two-cents...

I wholeheartedly agree with HappyCamper's response.  For example, while you can enjoy Chateau d'Yquem in La Dame, SS is certainly going to charge you for the entire bottle.  If you don't wish to pay, then SS will offer you a similar wine by the glass.  The last time I was in La Dame, the comparable complimentary pour was Château Cousteau from the Cadillac appellation.  I believe that particular bottle retails for around $25USD versus d'Yquem at $340.

When I first met Rojaan she didn't drink wine. But I had already started cellaring wine so things had to change. At the start she would only have sweet wines so the dinner wine of choice for her was Chateau d"yquem. But even a poorly paid medical intern in Australia who earn't just $A40 a week could afford to buy it for her. Fortunately I loved it and made sure there was plenty left for my desserts!

[canderson]

12 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

The last time I was in La Dame, the comparable complimentary pour was Château Cousteau from the Cadillac appellation.  I believe that particular bottle retails for around $25USD versus d'Yquem at $340.

Ugh.  One thing I can't abide is a dessert wine that I would call nothing more than 'grape syrup'.  Few vintners are capable, primarily due to climate/location, not lack of talent, of producing a dessert wine with the requisite acidity to back up the sugar.  In most locales, while the sugar of the grapes is going up, the acidity is going down, and winds up grape syrup even with additional Sauvignon Blanc that might rectify it.

 

Think of it in these terms:  sweet and sour sauce for Chinese with very little sour.  The Bernard Reglat Cousteau is unfortunately in that category for me.  Just not enough g/l of the puckery stuff.  There's a reason it's only $20 US a bottle, though for those that are OK with this, it's a great price.

 

Which --- as a new Silversea customer, brings me to something I've been wondering about since we made our reservation...

 

What kind of wine list can we expect aboard Silversea?  I've poked around, but have not seen anything recent posted in the way of a pdf or photo of a list.  And, apropos of the thread topic, are wines available universally across the various venues like La Dame?  Or are they offered differently in different restaurants/bars, etc?  I guess what I'm asking is what they offer, and whether there is a 'universal' wine list or a lot of different ones.

 

 

[Rothko1]

2 hours ago, drron29 said:

When I first met Rojaan she didn't drink wine. But I had already started cellaring wine so things had to change. At the start she would only have sweet wines so the dinner wine of choice for her was Chateau d"yquem. But even a poorly paid medical intern in Australia who earn't just $A40 a week could afford to buy it for her. Fortunately I loved it and made sure there was plenty left for my desserts!

 

Reminds me of a story I heard of a local attorney here who won a big case and went out to celebrate at a steakhouse.  Ordered some really nice big steaks and told the sommelier to bring out the most expensive bottle they had to go with it.

 

They brought out d'yquem.  

 

He drank it with his prime grade grilled steak.

[Rothko1]

1 hour ago, canderson said:

What kind of wine list can we expect aboard Silversea?  I've poked around, but have not seen anything recent posted in the way of a pdf or photo of a list.  And, apropos of the thread topic, are wines available universally across the various venues like La Dame?  Or are they offered differently in different restaurants/bars, etc?  I guess what I'm asking is what they offer, and whether there is a 'universal' wine list or a lot of different ones.

 

 

 

Interesting question.

 

I think that the wines are different for different venues.  For instance, I think that in La Terraza, they stick with Italian wines, since it is Italian cuisine, whereas at La Dame and the Main Dining Room, I think they went with other wines (if I remember correctly).

 

But the problem is that I never went to two different restaurants on the same night to see if they served the same or different wines.

 

Maybe someone can give a definitive answer.

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, canderson said:

…are wines available universally across the various venues like La Dame?  Or are they offered differently in different restaurants/bars, etc?  I guess what I'm asking is what they offer, and whether there is a 'universal' wine list or a lot of different ones.

Strictly speaking, the Connoisseur wine list is the same regardless of venue.  
 

And, while there certainly is a wine list that contains all of the complimentary offerings across the entire ship, it is guarded like a great secret.  This is because the ship may not have all of the listings available at any one time.

 

SS does tailor the complimentary offerings in each venue by time of day.  With that said, you are certainly more than welcome to have any complimentary wine of your choosing in any venue at anytime, i.e. if they are pouring an Italian red in La Terrazza, but you would prefer the Chilean red that you enjoyed last night in Atlantide, they will bring it to you in La Terrazza.  Just let the wine steward know when you dine.

[canderson]

3 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

Strictly speaking, the Connoisseur wine list is the same regardless of venue.  
 

And, while there certainly is a wine list that contains all of the complimentary offerings across the entire ship, it is guarded like a great secret.  This is because the ship may not have all of the listings available at any one time.

 

Would be interested to see a 'representative' Connoisseur and complimentary list if anyone has them to display here.

 

I'm a little weirded out by the regular list being 'great secret'.  I'd understand that lists may not always be current based upon supply (honestly, that's the kind of situation why ships have onboard laser printers), but from what you say, it sounds as though there isn't one to be had at all?  How on earth do people manage that?  Give the steward a rough idea and just run with whatever they think matches the request?  Just how good ARE the wine stewards aboard SS?  Am I understanding you correctly?

 

One thing I have noticed that was surprising ... and the form is not easy to find on the website ... was one of the deals on wine as a bon voyage gift.  They're selling the Tignanello Antinori (no vintage mentioned) for $140 as a gift, and that's even little better than retail at home.  Scored a bottle of that on a recent Celebrity cruise for a similar price.

[Daveywavey70]

4 hours ago, Stumblefoot said:

Strictly speaking, the Connoisseur wine list is the same regardless of venue.  
 

And, while there certainly is a wine list that contains all of the complimentary offerings across the entire ship, it is guarded like a great secret.  This is because the ship may not have all of the listings available at any one time.

 

SS does tailor the complimentary offerings in each venue by time of day.  With that said, you are certainly more than welcome to have any complimentary wine of your choosing in any venue at anytime, i.e. if they are pouring an Italian red in La Terrazza, but you would prefer the Chilean red that you enjoyed last night in Atlantide, they will bring it to you in La Terrazza.  Just let the wine steward know when you dine.

I Concur fully with what Stumbles said. You are more likely to encourage your Sommelier to donate a kidney to a worthy cause  than share an included list. There is one there but most would rather throw themselves overboard before they share it. The Coinnoisseurs list is a little less elusive for obvious reasons. Im happy to confirm though that despite the Costeau not being to everybodies taste it certainly tastes great with Foie Gras.

[A Tucson Guy]

35 minutes ago, Daveywavey70 said:

I Concur fully with what Stumbles said. You are more likely to encourage your Sommelier to donate a kidney to a worthy cause  than share an included list. There is one there but most would rather throw themselves overboard before they share it. The Coinnoisseurs list is a little less elusive for obvious reasons. Im happy to confirm though that despite the Costeau not being to everybodies taste it certainly tastes great with Foie Gras.

Last time on the Dawn, Dom was $1.50 a bottle.  Cheaper than a wine store in AZ.

[Daveywavey70]

4 minutes ago, A Tucson Guy said:

Last time on the Dawn, Dom was $1.50 a bottle.  Cheaper than a wine store in AZ.

Dom Perignon at $1.50 a bottle is cheaper than even Alibaba in Marmaris sells it for. Was it a particular vintage? 

[jpalbny]

1 hour ago, Daveywavey70 said:

You are more likely to encourage your Sommelier to donate a kidney to a worthy cause  than share an included list.

 

Concur. Have never seen a list of included wines but after almost 150 nights on SS I can say that we've enjoyed the vast majority of them.

 

A few have been familiar but most not, which is part of the fun of traveling. If the wine that's offered is not to our liking then we simply ask for something else. It's really not hard to say, "I don't like oaky Chardonnay, do you have something with more acidity?"

 

1 hour ago, canderson said:

I'm a little weirded out by the regular list being 'great secret'. 

 

You really don't have to be. You can always ask for something that you like. And be as specific as possible so they can find something close. They will not tie you down and force you to drink the included wine of the evening, if you don't like it.

 

1 hour ago, canderson said:

How on earth do people manage that?  Give the steward a rough idea and just run with whatever they think matches the request?  Just how good ARE the wine stewards aboard SS? 

 

Exactly. "I'd like to have a (dry rose) (glass of Riesling) (bottle of Malbec) (dessert wine)" all would work very well in this situation. Ask and you will receive. 

 

Like the wine servers at any other dining establishment, they vary. If they can't help you to your satisfaction, the sommeliers certainly can. We usually make it a point to find the Somm early on in the cruise and maybe ask about (or order) something from the Connoisseur's List. Once you do that, they will check in on you for the rest of the cruise and often find "special" bottles of included wine for you to sample. 

 

This works on other lines as well; on our recent Ponant cruise we had a bunch of OBC to burn so we started ordering from the list early on. The Somm always came to us and made sure we were well plied with the included wines, and threw in a few extras as well.

 

8 hours ago, canderson said:

And, apropos of the thread topic, are wines available universally across the various venues like La Dame?  Or are they offered differently in different restaurants/bars, etc?

 

Yes and yes. It depends, IME. On the smaller ships (with only 4 restaurants) the wine selection seems to be similar throughout the ship on each given night, and the selection changes nightly. On our one cruise on Silver Spirit, the wines seemed to vary significantly between each restaurant, so the key to getting different wines was to hop between restaurants. Within each restaurant, the wines were somewhat similar from night to night.

 

That made sense in some ways; a wine that goes well with spicy food in Indochine wouldn't necessarily go well with steaks in Atlantide, so it makes sense to keep it in Indochine because the menu doesn't vary all that much from night to night. But as someone else already mentioned, if the wine is available on the ship, they will bring it to you if you ask for it.

 

[Rothko1]

1 hour ago, A Tucson Guy said:

Last time on the Dawn, Dom was $1.50 a bottle.  Cheaper than a wine store in AZ.

 

Dang, that's cheap.

 

When I was at school in DC, I had a friend who worked at the French embassy who could buy it for $20 a bottle (this was a while ago).

 

But $1.50 a bottle...  I'd have to question if it was real or Andre champagne...

[canderson]

15 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

It's really not hard to say, "I don't like oaky Chardonnay, do you have something with more acidity?"

 

I can certainly relate to the above!  Will take to heart the advice on the cozying up to the somm early in the cruise.  Having no basis for comparison to SS, I can say that I'd not trust most wine stewards and about half of the sommeliers aboard other ships to understand your simple sentence above, though I'd throw an "and" into it. 

When I see them coming at me with a bottle of Auslese and an ice bucket, I know we're in trouble!

 

I note with some interest that you said "...the included wine of the evening...".  Do I understand correctly from this that they have pairings in mind for various entrees beforehand that these will be the default choices?

 

We may need to utilize the 'public' list a bit for certain wines.  It's hard to ask for a fruit forward pinot while at the same time trying to avoid being served KJ Cherry Tart when what you really had in mind is closer to Goldeneye.

[canderson]

5 minutes ago, Rothko1 said:

 

Dang, that's cheap.

 

When I was at school in DC, I had a friend who worked at the French embassy who could buy it for $20 a bottle (this was a while ago).

 

But $1.50 a bottle...  I'd have to question if it was real or Andre champagne...

Yeah, that's about half what one would expect shipboard.  The sister lines get ~$325 .. or did last Fall before prices went up again.

[Rothko1]

1 minute ago, canderson said:

I can certainly relate to the above!  Will take to heart the advice on the cozying up to the somm early in the cruise.  Having no basis for comparison to SS, I can say that I'd not trust most wine stewards and about half of the sommeliers aboard other ships to understand your simple sentence above, though I'd throw an "and" into it. 

When I see them coming at me with a bottle of Auslese and an ice bucket, I know we're in trouble!

 

I note with some interest that you said "...the included wine of the evening...".  Do I understand correctly from this that they have pairings in mind for various entrees beforehand that these will be the default choices?

 

We may need to utilize the 'public' list a bit for certain wines.  It's hard to ask for a fruit forward pinot while at the same time trying to avoid being served KJ Cherry Tart when what you really had in mind is closer to Goldeneye.

 

A sommelier comes at me with an Auslese and an ice bucket, I'm gonna be thrilled.  Especially if its JJ Prum.

[jpalbny]

4 minutes ago, canderson said:

Do I understand correctly from this that they have pairings in mind for various entrees beforehand that these will be the default choices?

 

Yes