I had dinner on Britannia in the Epicurian. The menu was exactly the same as your but I was disappointed with the food. I felt it was all under seasoned and less exciting than it should have been. This menu has been unchanged for at least three years and it is certainly time for a change. Even on Iona it is the same. I know Covid is blamed but I think it it laziness and complacency , so sorry P&O
Omg I can't believe how good a price that was for the quality of food you had. Thanks for yet another very detailed and helpful post. I am not really looking forward to celebrating my husbands birthday with him at the epicurean on arvia xxx
We enjoyed the Epicurean on Britannia - was a great experience! The food that you had looked really good. We think it’s worth the money for the food (quality and taste) and the service
Great family video! I really enjoyed The Epicurean on Iona and thought it was worth every penny. A good variety on the menu and everything served hot and well presented. I'm definitely going to book when we're onboard Arvia.
Our evening was a dreadful disappointment. That beetroot bread was hard and dry as was the other cob ! The hobos was good ( as are all the bread rolls at e very ther restaurants on board Ventura). The ambience was non existent. Draughty table near one couple only (( covered in tatoo) the waiter apologised for long delay of starters but chef needed to ensure they were perfectly cooked !!! Scallops just need a sear in hot garlic butter so couldn’t believe the waiter was expert in helping us decide on choices. The scallops were slimy and raw. The cucumber garnish were like marbles impossible to chew ! My beef fillet was okay but far too large a portion but four chips were a little insult ! The veg again so ‘ Al denti ‘ I was unable to eat much The lamb was fatty served with boiled new potatoes but no butter herb dressing The lemon meringue was a disgraceful hard biscuit with a blob of lemon curd covered with Italian meringue hardly glazed The final insult after 2and three quarter hours service was watching the waiters prepare tables for breakfast. But JUST FOr THE ELITE GUESTS ONLY How arrogant from a waiter. ?
I'm off on my first ever cruise next month on Ventura, and I'm going on my own. Do you think it would be odd to go to Epicurean alone? I'm thinking about what I want to try, and the opportunity to eat somewhere like this is very tempting! I'm fine with eating alone, but wonder if the experience aspect will be missing.
@@TravelBlogJamie Thanks! I hadn't quite appreciated the time it takes. I'll mull it over, but am pretty certain I'll go for it! Thank you for the reply, and enjoy your Half term!
I sail solo nearly always and I do use the Epicurean at least once. The staff are friendly and will look after you, just relax and enjoy the experience. If it is not too busy, ask for a window table so you can look out to sea, never lonely with a view!
Great vid, but i skimmed through to avoid ruining any Restaurant surpises they give :') are you allowed to order multiple dishes per course per person? Like 2 starters perhaps?
Thank you Jamie, that was a very informative vlog, we are on Brittania in Sept and we're thing of booking the Epicurean. After seeing the review and the food we definitely will be booking it.
Excellent review Jamie, your main and dessert especially looked great. We didn’t go on Ventura but plan to next year on Iona and arvia, any differences and how do they compare?
Differences between Iona and Arvia? Not too many as sister ships - Arvia certainly looks more suited for warmer climes with a swim up bar and a couple exclusive eateries. Arvia will have a rope course and escape room which Iona doesn’t have. As for onboard distilleries, Iona is all about the gin whilst Arvia will be about the rum!
@@TravelBlogJamie great information cannot wait to compare. Was just wandering if epicurean differs across the fleet? Menu etc? Apologies didn’t word my question very well. So glad it’s rum instead of gin, we more rum drinkers!
Thanks for another mouth-wateringly good video Jamie! We love the Epicurian, especially those little extra touches like the bread choices, marmite butter, and that palate cleanser 😍 Totally agree with you on it being worth the cost - for an experience like that we would expect to pay a lot more on other lines or ashore. There are also some great wine choices on offer - we definitely recommend The Holy Snail sauvignon blanc. Not only is it one of the best white wines we've tried for a very long time, it's also one of the cheapest on the menu 😊
