Keen foodies will delight over the many culinary experiences available onboard the Silver Nova. Photo / Tim Faircloth
From caviar canapes to elegant French restaurants, foodies looking for the ultimate experience should hop on a cruise ship, writes Ashleigh Cometti
Our private butler, Chester, used the word “indulge” so many times I’d convinced myself I’d be rolling off the Silver Nova by the time our six-day cruise came to an end.
Yes, if the cruise had a motto it would be: “treat yourself”.
We were onboard the luxury ship for her maiden voyage around Aotearoa, embarking in Auckland and traversing Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Wellington and Picton before sailing across the Tasman to make port in Hobart and Melbourne. Chester and his team encouraged my guest and I to indulge in every tantalising experience Silver Nova had to offer.
The treats were rolled out from the moment we embarked, with a literal tower of caviar on ice with every accoutrement imaginable. Champagne was pre-poured and served from shimmering silver platters. An array of sweeties (macarons, cookies and brownies) called to us from the nearby Arts Cafe on Deck 4.
Champagne and caviar were just the beginning of the spoils available onboard, most of which came included in the ticket price, save for two restaurants, shore excursions and the Chef’s Table.
Despite the fact that we weren’t bound for international waters, our luxury cruise experience saw us dine on specialty fare from across the globe - all without unpacking our suitcases.
We didn’t have to travel far for treats, either, with the complete room service menu available on the TV in our suite.
While the menu wasn’t extensive, it featured the usual suspects - cheeseburgers, club sandwiches, fries, salads and steaks.
However, it was the Otium menu that really impressed, sweet hot chocolates in your choice of milk, white or dark, spiked with whiskey or Baileys Irish cream. Popcorn dusted with fresh truffle to accompany a movie night. Caviar bumps with blinis, red onion, shaved egg white and yolk and sour cream.
It was worth selecting from this menu alone for the way the courses were presented (in a silver cloche, set down on a crisp white tablecloth laid out by our butler).
One afternoon, Chester asked what time we were due back from our shore excursion, and aligned our arrival with a delivery of fresh canapes to enjoy on the balcony as we wound down for the evening.
There’s no mini bar with snacks but we didn’t need them. The drinks were regularly restocked in the fridge and room service just a simple phone call away.
The Silver Nova boasts eight restaurants to choose from and seven bars, spanning fine dining French cuisine to a relaxed pizzeria.
Depending on dining preference, buffet or a la carte options are available for breakfast and lunch, and a la carte only for dinner.
We made it our sole mission to try each of the restaurants for their different meal services of the day, which certainly didn’t disappoint.
La Terrazza
Breakfast at La Terazza features everything you’d expect from a breakfast buffet and then some, including a smoothie bar, hot selection, deli meats and cheeses, plus cereals, yoghurts and fruit. For lunch, another buffet of fresh salads (with every dressing under the sun), sushi and poke bowls, rice- and noodle-based dishes and a carvery. However, it’s the after-dark a la carte menu that really shines, with Italian cuisine spanning handmade pasta, pizza and risotto, and one of the tastiest Caprese salads I’ve ever tried.
S.A.L.T Kitchen
The permanent home of Silversea’s S.A.L.T concept, S.A.L.T Kitchen features a daily changing menu and recipes, each one curated to reflect the local cuisine and culture of the destinations explored. We only dined here once for dinner, and my guest noted her steak was one of the best she’d ever eaten. I tried the salmon, which wasn’t quite to my taste, but the crab salad served alongside was phenomenal.
Kaiseki
While lunch at Japanese restaurant Kaiseki is included in the fare, a dining fee per person applies for dinner reservations. Located in a calm corner of Deck 4, Kaiseki makes for an excellent spot to hole up for some lighter bites - freshly made sushi and sashimi with tuna, salmon and eel were a highlight - as were the ramen bowls.
La Dame
While the elegant casual dress code extends to most restaurants on the ship, at French restaurant La Dame, a jacket is a must for gents. Open for dinner only, La Dame is another restaurant excluded from the ticket price, and a dining fee per person applies. Here, expect elevated French fare like Foie Gras with duck liver, white port marinade and asparagus slivers, escargot with flat leaf parsley and garlic butter, or pistachio souffle with dark chocolate sauce.
The Marquee
The Marquee is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but it’s undoubtedly best come 6pm, when the ship sets sail for its next port. We ate here on our second night, and enjoyed the most incredible sunset (as bright orange as the Aperol Spritz we’d ordered). Early risers can select from the a la carte breakfast menu, which includes plenty of vegan-friendly options like pumpkin pancakes or smashed avocado on toast. The open-air bistro offers two menus for lunch and dinner, The Grill with burgers, sandwiches, wraps and specials like fish and chips or steak, and Spaccanapoli, the homemade pizza menu.
The Arts Cafe
For an easy takeaway lunch, we popped down to The Arts Cafe on Deck 4 for chicken sandwiches, fresh fruit and cucumber water, served on cute trays which we carried back to our room. This is also the best spot to grab a takeaway coffee or a pastry, which many guests did before their daily shore excursions.
Atlantide
Renowned for its meat and seafood dishes, Atlantide’s menu is location-dependent and rotates every three days. The first page of the menu includes the chef’s recommendations for the evening (which change daily). Milos, the maître d, told us Atlantide is easily the most popular restaurant onboard the Silver Nova, hosting 280 to 290 covers every night. We dined here twice, once for breakfast, where we enjoyed eggs Benedict with all the trimmings, and once for dinner. I ordered the filet mignon, which was served with garlic butter, twice-fried potatoes and steamed seasonal vegetables, and it’s easily the best steak I’ve ever had.
Silver Note
You’d be forgiven for thinking Silver Note is quiet and intimate. Instead, it comes alive with nightly jazz and blues performances, with diners encouraged to take to the floor as they sway to the music. Dishes served are small - tapas-style - and our waiter advised ordering three or four courses for one person. The flavours are as rich and smooth as the dulcet tones of Silver Note’s resident jazz singer, think caviar, lobster tail and beef tenderloin. Interestingly, the dish that captured the most attention was the Tuna “In A Can”, which saw fresh tuna presented in a silver can and served with ceviche, chilli, lime, pickled cucumbers and grapefruit jelly.
For more information on Silver Nova, see Silversea.com.
The writer travelled courtesy of Silversea.