All the Seven Seas Voyager restaurants are great, but some are exceptional. In particular, the French restaurant called Chartreuse which I rate as the best restaurant at sea. Seven Seas Voyager has five restaurants:

• Chartreuse.
• Compass Rose.
• Prime 7.
• The Veranda.
• The Pool Grill.

Chartreuse – the best restaurant at sea

Chartreuse is one of two specialty dining venues. Indeed, it is a quintessentially French restaurant with a chic decor and, most importantly, sublime food. What’s more, I rate Chartreuse as the best restaurant at sea.

As you might expect, the menu is boldly French. Indeed, this fine dining restaurant revels in the best of haute cuisine such as tempting hor d’oeuvres like Emmenthal-Blue Cheese Souffle, Steak Tartare with Sturgeon Caviar and Escargots a la Bourguignonne.

There is a small but delightful soups course with an astoundingly good Cream of Artichoke. In fact, I can say without reservation that it was the best soup I’ve tasted in all my years on cruise ships.

The Chartreuse main course includes a divine Roasted Lobster Tail with Scallop Mousse, Asparagus & Almond Broth. I also enjoyed the Dover Sole which is prepared table-side. In addition, the Chartreuse restaurant serve a heavenly Rack of Lamb as well as Milk Fed Veal Fillet with Apple Confit, Bacon, Prunes and a Port Wine Sauce.

The Chartreuse restaurant is open nightly from 6:30pm, however it is worth noting that reservations are required. It is one of the most popular Seven Seas Voyager restaurants so I recommend making your booking online prior to your cruise.

Prime 7

Prime 7 is the other specialty Seven Seas Voyager restaurant, however it is entirely different to Chartreuse. It is an American-style steakhouse serving mostly grilled meats and seafood. 

There are crisp white tablecloths and high-back leather chairs as well as themed artwork on the walls. It’s all very smart, however I can’t help feeling it’s overly familiar. Indeed, these up-market surf-and-turf restaurants seem to have spread like wildfire across almost all the World’s luxury cruise ships in recent years.

That said, the meat and seafood served in Prime 7 is very good. Appetizers include Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower as well as a Foie Gras Slider. I especially enjoyed the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake – it was bursting with flavour.

There are prime steaks for main course including Porterhouse and Bone-In Rib Eye, as well as Fillet Mignon. In addition there is lamb, veal pork and poultry too. It’s worth noting that all of these cuts are large – up to 510 gm / 18 oz.

If you prefer a smaller portion Prime 7 have a Small Plates Menu with scaled down meat cuts weighing no more than 170 gm / 6 oz.

Prime 7 have a petit dessert menu, in fact there are just four sweet treats. There is a 14-layer Chocolate Cake and a Caramel Popcorn Sundae, but I recommend the Key Lime Pie. I think it is the perfect way to finish a surf-and-turf dinner.

Prime 7 is open for dinner only, from 6:30pm. Also, you do need to make reservations and as it is one of the more popular Seven Seas Voyager restaurants I recommend booking your table online prior to your cruise. 

Compass Rose

Compass Rose is the main Seven Seas Voyager restaurant. It is also a beautiful dining room with ornate chandeliers and a chic Parisian decor. The cuisine is equally inspiring and the chefs consistently present some of the best tasing dishes at sea.

The four-course menu in Compass Rose is mostly European. In fact it has a distinctly French feel. There are classic starters including Caviar as well as delightful soups and exceptional main courses. I especially enjoyed the lobster tail which was grilled to perfection. 

However, one of the real treats is being able to order off-menu. Indeed, the chefs in Compass Rose can cook almost anything your heart desires. Simply let the maître d’ know a day in advance and your wish is their command. For instance, one evening the chefs prepared an Indian feast for me which included one of the best shrimp curries I’ve ever tasted.

The service in Compass Rose is generally good, however when I sailed it was patchy on some evenings. 

The Compass Rose restaurant can get busy, so occasionally there maybe a short wait for a table. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The dinner service commences at 6:30pm. You do not need to make reservations.

The Veranda

The Veranda is a relaxed, buffet restaurant with lovely ocean views as well as a small teak terrace for al fresco dining. 

It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At breakfast there is a traditional buffet spread of hot and cold options – in fact it is the most popular breakfast spot onboard. At lunch time the buffet offers antipasti and salads as well as lobster, jumbo shrimps, roasted meats and fish.

However, in the evening The Veranda becomes Sette Mari at La Veranda – a relaxed Italian-style restaurant. In fact it is part buffet, part á la carte, which I think is an interesting concept. The first course – antipasti – is served from the buffet, while the remainder of the meal is served á la carte.

The menu is classic Italian with Soups and Pasta followed by secondi – the main course – with dishes like Mediterranean Sea Bass and Veal Scaloppini. There are also desserts including Panna Cotta and Tiramisu as well as a lovely Chocolate & Almond Cake.

The Veranda is open for breakfast from 7:00am to 10:00am, lunch from noon to 2:00pm, as well as dinner from 6:30pm. You don’t need to make reservations.

The Pool Grill

The Pool Grill is the most casual of all the Seven Seas Voyager restaurants. It’s located poolside so you can enjoy a bite after sunbathing or swimming.

It is an al fresco venue with ample shade so you can dine in comfort. The menu includes burgers, grilled fish and hot dogs as well as toasted sandwiches, nachos and salads. 

The Pool Grill is open daily for breakfast from 6:30am and for lunch from 11:00am. Reservations are not required.

Learn more at the Regent Seven Seas website.