la champagne whisper

[cruzadict]

Leaving on our first SS cruise on 22 October, B2B from Barbados. I haven't read much on these boards regarding the champagne restaurant. What is the cost and what do you get for this additional cost? Is it worth it? It will be my husbands birthday on the 28th and was wondering whether to book it as a surprise. 21 days and counting down:)

[yogagal47]

Scroll down for this thread or go here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=412510

for discussion on the topic

[mistrtj]

.... Now, as for dinner at LeChampagne, much has been written on the CC board that $150 is too much to charge for a dinner on an all inclusive ship. Well, as someone who dined at LeChampagne and paid the $300 per couple, I cannot support that theory. Our dinner and wine matching was very VERY good and I recommend it to anyone who might be a foodie or fan of wine. Let me try to describe the menu, ALL OF WHICH by the way was served with a professional hand! We went on “New World Wine” Night.

 

First, the setting; LeChampagne is a pretty room and has perhaps 7 or 8 tables total. The linen is crisp white cotton (my favorite) and the glassware lead crystal. Two walls are sliding glass door wine cabinets and the lighting is appropriate. We were the only ones in the room until the family of six from DC entered and we “kibitzed” back and forth.

 

Our waiter explained the first course which was billed as a “Savoury Medley”. We were served two portions each of four amuse-buche and each one was fantastic. There was a tuille (sp) cone of guacamole topped with caviar, an ox-tail forcemeat and mushroom in phylo triangles, a lobster flan in cappuccino cup and a cool mint and pea soup. This course was accompanied by Taittinger – Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blanc, Reimes ’95.

 

Next we were served a Maple-glazed New England Duck Salad. I’m not a big fan of duck and even less a fan of duck breast. But the salad was presented with a ¼ sliced, pink breast, and was an excellent blend of flavors when combined with crisp green beans and sweet corn flakes (yes, like the breakfast cereal!) Along with this course we were served a Leeuwin Estate, Art Series Riesling, Margaret River Australia ’03.

 

Following that an excellent Fresh Maine Lobster tail. The menu read, “cooked in its own juices”, but it tasted remarkably like my chef’s butter-poached lobster tail. It was served in a light, buttery cream sauce and accompanied by a Stonestreet Chardonnay Sonoma Valley ’03.

 

Our entrée was a Roasted Striploin of Kansas Beef carved tableside by one of the Sous Chefs. It was served with a great, crisp potato and onion “cake”. We were served a very good Hess, Mt Veeder Collection Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa ’01.

 

With each of these courses we were offered refills of any of the wines we wished.

 

The dessert presentation was quite impressive. A platter of five different strawberry creations was presented to each of us. There was a chilled strawberry soup, an “NY” style cheesecake topped with strawberry, chocolate dipped strawberries, a strawberry truffle and something else I can’t even remember anymore. But the real dessert highlight for me was the Muscat served with it; Klein Constancia Estate,Vin de Constance, South Africa ’99 was fantastic (wifie didn’t care for it so I drank hers).

 

We passed on the Hennessy “Grande Champagne” XO at coffee time and enjoyed a couple of cappuccinos along with a sweets plate.

 

All-in-all, I thought the $150 pp was well spent.