Imagine for a moment dining in one of the most famous restaurants in New York. A restaurant steeped in notoriety and history. A restaurant that has entertained the rich and famous including Jackie O and former Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger.
Now imagine that restaurant being transported to the fleet of Holland America Line for one night per cruise.
Along with my friends Dwight and Connie Cenac (The Cruise Queen) who are 5 star Holland America Line Mariners, we enjoyed a memorable experience at Le Cirque.
It’s interesting to feel the anticipation of dining in Le Cirque. As you walk by the signs around the ship promoting Le Cirque, you know that you are in store for the dinner experience of a lifetime!
The first thing that we noticed when we entered the Pinnacle Grill on Le Cirque night was the manager at the podium greeting the guests. Smiling faces, sincere heartfelt greetings and a sense of elegance filled the dining room as we walked by the staff while being seated.
Moments after we were seated we were greeted by several of the staff wearing perfectly white uniforms welcoming us to this special night. They seemed genuinely happy we were there and this was just the beginning!
The menus were easy to read and gave us a great idea of what was to come! The choices were expansive and described clearly.
I’ve dined in many upscale restaurants and in some cases it seemed that the staff were anxious to get you in and out quickly. The staff of Le Cirque in the Pinnacle Grill gave us the time to study the menu and answer all of our questions! This was one of the highlights of the Le Cirque experience.
What was interesting as I looked around the room, all of the other guests seemed relaxed, they were smiling and really enjoying the décor, service and the ambiance of Le Cirque night!
I was pleased that our table was large and we had enough “elbow room” to really enjoy the meal.
The waiter took our order and then we started on an incredible journey that is unparalleled on any cruise ship that I’ve sailed on.
We started with Foie Gars (duck liver) including rhubarb and saffron jelly to amuse the mouth compliments of the chef!
Now it was time for the appetizer!
I enjoyed the Caesar Salad and Dwight and Connie chose the Lobster Salad ‘Le Cirque’ This included poached lobster haricots verts and citrus.
Next we moved to the soup. Dwight and Connie thoroughly enjoyed the Butternut Squash Soup with Huckleberries and sage Chantilly.
I opted for the Chilled Yogurt and Melon Soup with shrimps. The taste of the food was perfect in everyway!
All three of us chose the Chateaubriand which included horseradish flan with sweet and sour beets served table side! You don’t get to eat Chateaubriand everyday and I can say that it was prepared perfectly!
For dessert, Dwight picked the Creme Brûlée ‘Le Cirque’ while Connie and I did not hesitate to order the remarkable Chocolate Soufflé including vanilla gelato.
Each and every course looked as incredible as it tasted. The presentation of the food was clearly an art form that was appreciated by all three of us at the table.
I noticed that the timing between courses was perfect. I’ve been to so many restaurants where you are waiting for long periods of time for the dishes to be removed and the next course is served.
The staff of Le Cirque performed like precision clock work in transporting our table from course to course. Almost like a Holland America Line ship taking us from port to port!
Even days after our dinner, Dwight and Connie commented to me on more than one occasion that the highlight of the cruise was Le Cirque night in the Pinnacle Grill. We will be sailing on the MS Maasdam on March 28th and we will be enjoying Le Cirque night once again on our 14 day Southern Caribbean cruise!
Le Cirque is an experience you will remember for a lifetime at a fraction of the cost you would pay at a prestigious New York restaurant. Please reserve your table at Le Cirque on Holland America Line weeks before your ship sails!
