A Gastronomic Experience

Cuisine & Dining Aboard

The classic traditions of French and International cuisine are an unforgettable highlight of your cruise. The onboard chefs are experienced, highly-trained culinary artists, whose gastronomic creations are often rated higher by our discerning clients than those they have sampled in top restaurants.

To give you a true taste of the region you are cruising through, your chef will create mouth watering menus using the finest ingredients from local markets and specialist suppliers.

A Taste of Europe's Finest Cuisine

Whichever region you choose to cruise, you can be sure of a wonderful gastronomic experience. Your chef will have access to the best local ingredients, fresh from the surrounding fields and markets.

In Burgundy you may be served the tenderest fillet of Charolais beef, while on one of our Midi barges the chef may prepare a seafood platter of the freshest shellfish. In Scotland, locally sourced game and wild salmon are always a feature of the menu.

To enhance the dining experience, your chef will describe the culinary creations that he/she has prepared. Your hostess will also outline the characteristics of every wine that has been selected to marry perfectly with the food.

The Culinary delight of Wine & Cheese

During your cruise you will also have the opportunity to sample some of the finest cheeses that Europe has to offer, just as with the wine, your knowledgeable host will take the time to describe the history and tasting notes of each cheese before serving it alongside a specially chosen vintage, food for thought as well as the tastebuds!

Sample Menu

Breakfast

Awake to the aroma of brewing coffee. Then enjoy a continental breakfast of fresh fruit, cold meats, crusty French bread, hot buttery croissants and pastries freshly-baked and collected from the local patisserie this morning accompanied by delicious conserves, or perhaps a cooked breakfast.

Luncheon

Luncheon may be a buffet, of imaginative salads, pâtés, quiches, meat or fish platters, or perhaps a delicious homemade soup and entrée, accompanied by a choice of local cheeses and wines – often served al fresco on the sunlit deck overlooking the countryside.

Dinner by Candlelight

On your hotel barge moored beneath the stars, dinner is a gastronomic adventure and the finale to your day’s journey of relaxation and discovery. You may be served Chèvre Chaud en Portefeuille, or Marinated Langoustines, followed by Filet d’Agneau au Basilic, Truite à la Chablisienne, or Magret de Canard au Vinaigre de Framboise – all complemented by fine wines.

Then a selection of creamy and firm cheeses such as Chaource, Époisses or Morbier, before a delicious dessert, perhaps Ile Flottante, Crème Brulée à la Vanille avec Tuiles aux amandes, Tarte Tatin avec Caramel au Beurre Salé or Fondant au Chocolat. And afterwards, of course, relax with coffee and liqueurs in the company of your fellow passengers.