Mar 18, 2010 by Elina Vaysbeyn - 1 comment
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The cuisine on the Queen Mary 2 is deserving of an entire blog post. At one point, I was wondering how the days have been going by so quickly, and I have concluded it is largely due to the time I have devoted to sampling nearly every restaurant on the ship. When dining with Cunard, there is very little of “let’s grab a quick bite to eat.” Passengers can look forward to each meal and dinner preparations begin hours in advance with the ever daunting task of choosing what to wear.
The QM2 is a class ship, so restaurant options are based on what type of stateroom you select. Interior cabins and balcony staterooms are typically assigned to the Britannia. This restaurant stretches over two floors, and when entering through the double doors on the upper level, you are greeted by grand winding staircase. The lower-level dining rests on the second floor, so tables near the windows offer views of the crashing waves, and sunsets over the horizon. The menu changes daily, but you can expect items like Chateaubriand, oven-roasted salmon, or roast duck à l’orange.
Executive Chef Jean-Marie Zimmermann emphases that he only uses the freshest ingredients are used in any of QM2’s dining venues, and all everything is prepared the same day that it is served. He’s currently designing an all-new menu which should roll out in October. I’m interested in how he can top what’s already being served, but he says that he’s aiming for a Michelin star in the Queens Grill.
Passengers booking the “Grill Suites” may dine in the Princess Grill, or the Queens Grill, depending on which type they stay in. I frequently dine in the Princess Grill, and I must say the desserts are what make me return again and again. So far I’ve had a mango and passion fruit crème brûlée, butterscotch pie with toffee sauce, and a chocolate and raspberry crepe with vanilla sauce. The staff is very accommodating and they can always create individual dishes if you had your heart set on something that isn’t being offered that evening.
I’ve eaten in the King’s Court a few times for lunch, and if I had to find fault in the cuisine of the QM2, it would be here. It is a popular lunch spot because many people schedule early afternoon shows and don’t have the time to dine in the restaurants. It’s been hit or miss in this venue, and there isn’t much variety, but that can be expected in any buffet. There are plenty other options onboard including the traditional British pub food in the Golden Lion Pub or the Mediterranean cuisine of Todd English (which is an additional $30, but well worth the price.)
I’ve heard the director of the Planetarium make the same joke a couple times now as people were waiting for the last show to let out so that they can go inside. He says “Step aside please folks, these people leaving haven’t eaten for the last twenty minutes.”
It’s true. I don’t think I’ve said “I’m really hungry,” at all thus far, but there seems to be a chorus of passengers saying “that meal was incredible.”
We did a crossing on April 13 , NY- Southampton and of 4 cruises we have done fro Dec 08- Jun .09. We found the food far inferior on QM 2 as compared to Azamara, Celebrity or even Holland American. We where in suites on all cruises. Azamara was the top choice . We have found our opion shared by many other couples we have met in the last few weeks. We have several future cruises booked , none on Cunard. The only plus is the ship is very stable at sea, but I would NEVER go for the food.
A friend and I took a transatlantic cruise on the QM-2 from NYC to Southampton. We were in a balcony room. Our assessment of the cruise was that we enjoyed everything EXCEPT the food. She is a carnivore, I am a vegan. Every other ship I’ve cruised on had specific vegetarian/vegan menu choices (the diets are nothing NEW to cooking academies). NOT on the QM-2. As luck would have it, we were seated with a delightful French Swiss banker who knew the dining staff VERY well from numerous crossings. They kept offering me bits & pieces of their strictly carnivore menu–like “perhaps you would like some of the macaroni & cheese, or some steamed side vegetables?” our Swiss table companion interceded on my behalf. He told the staff their weak attempts were totally unacceptable and that I was entitled to a well-thought-out meal the same as everyone else. From that point on my meals were more acceptable & an effort made. But for the Swiss table companion it would have been a miserable trip–not just the food but the embarrassing treatment as well. So I ask Cunard–WHY should it be such an EFFORT to serve every passenger and what would you do for those who are allergic to gluten etc.? Cunard needs to join the 21st Century and stop misrepresenting their services!
These responses really surprise me.There was only one meal in the dining rooms that I wasn’t entirely impressed with during my time on the QM2, and as I stated above the buffet was the main area where I can find fault.
D.Simmons- I do see your point about the vegan options, and although this wasn’t an issue for me, I see how Cunard could have more selections available.
Dear D Simmons and Allen Wiley:
I find your poor opinions about the superb cuisine on Cunard’s QM2 to be very unbelievable and frankly i could not disagree more with those opinions!
I found the food to be almost flawless at all meals and the cuisine and wine was a big plus aboard Cunard as i mentioned to many of my friends. I will say i only dined in the Britannia restaurant for all three meals (I hate buffets) on both the QM2 and the Queen Victoria.(18 days total sailing) Please do not spread your opinions on cuisine when it could be that you are not that knowledgable or experienced in fine dining. You are in the minority on this as you can see from the numberous awards and citations Cunard has received for thier food. Warren, NYC, NY
@warren,
What an incredibly bizarre and ESPECIALLY ignorant response to D. Simmons who stated very clearly that he/she was a vegan and who did not find any acceptable vegan food on the QM2, but for her table-mate. What, do you really think a vegan is supposed to enjoy all the wonderful animal-based meals that QM2 serves?? Warren, what was “unbelievable” about Simmons saying there were next to no non-animal foods served? Was it a false statement? How is it that not eating animals and observing that the QM2 serves almost nothing non-animal (which apparently is quite true), makes him/her not qualified to make a statement about that very thing?? You stated that D. Simmons is in the minority in saying that the QM2 serves almost nothing but animal food. How so??