Think Razzle Dazzle and Drag Brunches. Virgin Voyages’ approach to food will be as brash as the line’s founder, Sir Richard Branson.
“There’s a Virgin twist on everything you’ll see aboard the Scarlet Lady, which means there won’t be stuffy formalities, boring buffets and no main dining rooms,” he said as the company revealed its lineup of on-board restaurants on the ship, due in 2020.
The concept is a city with lots of different restaurants that Virgin guests–who will be known as Sailors while onboard Scarlet Lady–can visit with no assigned seating or set dining times and are open late, explained the Virgin Voyages Creative Collective in a reveal in New York.
You know the concepts will be different when they come from AvroKO Hospitality Group, whose portfolio includes brands named Saxon + Parole, Genuine Liquorette, and Ghost Donkey. “We were inspired by some of the best dining spots around the world, but also had to gaze into what the future of dining would look like, to bring the most alluring restaurant concepts to sea,” said executive chef Brad Farmerie from AvroKO, who was himself a Michelin-starred restaurateur in New York.
So here’s a sampling:
Eat my Wake
The name comes from the churning billows that will be visible in this water-level restaurant at the stern of the ship. Serving a theatrical take on steak and seafood, Wake aims to be the most glamorous restaurant on the ship, with a dramatic grand staircase and an ambience inspired by art deco restaurant The Wolseley in London and a New York grill. Offerings include a raw bar designed in the shape of a speedboat, a table-side cocktail cart and a sommelier-led Magnum wines program.
Give ’em the old Razzle Dazzle
The entrance is a fun-house maze of peppermint stripe walls and the interior is decked in a version of the black and white camouflaging of ships from WWI, known as razzle dazzle paint. The design is by Concrete Amsterdam and the menu is vegetarian and vegan, with a juice bar. However, there’s also a “naughty” side to the menu that lets sailors order meat “add-ons” and spike their healthy smoothies with booze.
Razzle Dazzle will not merely offer brunch, it will be a Drag Brunch, where Sailors are treated to a performance by the Scarlet Lady’s resident drag performer and friends. For a small fee, Sailors can order drag-inspired cocktails like the Yasss Queen and the Razzle Dazzle, a CBD-infused cocktail.
Experimenting in the Test Kitchen
Inspired by legendary French chef Auguste Escoffier’s Ma Cuisine, this laboratory-like eatery is part cooking school and part avant-garde restaurant, or as Virgin puts it “the ultimate place for discovery through cuisine with an atmosphere that is educational, experiential and social all in one.” The menus are presented as ingredient lists and there are demonstrations of how the chef combines the flavors throughout the course of the meal. There will be cooking classes, a mixology school, coffee labs, and even a few late-night lock-ins, where sailors will be invited to raid the chef’s fridge and whip up a midnight feast.
Geonbae, and keep ’em coming
Geonbae, the Korean language equivalent of the expression bottoms up , is a barbecue restaurant designed by Soft Room. The restaurant promises greetings as you enter by “the loudest servers at sea.” Each meal will begin with a complimentary round of the Korean brandy known as soju and throughout the evening, sailors are encouraged to take part in lively Korean drinking games. Geonbae features special flameless electric grills built into each table and diners are encouraged to literally play with their food as they cook their perfect BBQ.
Sharing the fun in Pink Agave
A Mexican-inspired restaurant designed by British designer Tom Dixon, Pink Agave uses halogen lighting within recessed frames to suggest evening on the streets of Mexico City. It will offer a wide variety of Mexican flavors including tlayudas, memelas, sopes, tortas, esquites, and tamales. Pink Agave’s dishes can be paired with a cocktail from an extensive menu of mezcals, or signature Agua Fresca cocktails. Pink Agave is designed to be a shared- plate restaurant experience and a DJ will amp up the energy of the room as the evening progresses.
I like mine Extra Virgin
This is the ship’s trattoria serving food rooted in Italian culinary traditions, with fresh pasta made daily. A meal begins with shared antipasti followed by approachable pasta-centric favorites. Extra Virgin features a wide range of amari and digestivi and traditional Italian aperitifs designed to stimulate the appetite. “The wine list will be designed with a unique infographic system to help Sailors navigate to the perfect bottle,” it’s said. A Coravin at the bar will provide tastings of rare Italian wines by the glass and there will be an Aperitivo Hour each day with drink specials and small plates.
Grazing on The Dock
The Dock is designed to be a hang-out location day and night. Set in the ship’s sunny lounging area at the aft of the ship on deck 7, the beach club-inspired space is designed by Roman and Williams. Carts of Mediterranean small plates, salads, dips and mezzes provide grazing options throughout the day. Flame grilled to order skewers will provide filling hot options for those wanting a more substantial bite.
Many Choices in The Galley
Modeled on food halls where visitors can taste a cornucopia from different restaurants, The Galley will be the main space for quick and casual meals throughout the day. There will be eight dedicated outlets as well as food carts that change throughout the day. The Galley’s concepts include a dedicated bakery and pastry shop, a panini shop, a burger grill, a taco shack, a sushi bar with bento boxes, a noodle bar, a soup and salad stand, and a 24-hour American diner.
The food hall concept is an alternative to the traditional buffets found on most other cruise ships. With everything made to order, CEO Tom McAlpin said the approach would allow the line to reduce food waste. Another unspoken factor is it will discourage idle noshing.
Keeping it fresh in The Pizza Place
This pizzeria promises. “No pre-cooked pizza slices sitting under warming lamps will be found on Scarlet Lady,” There’s a choice of classic topping combos or you can design your own blend. The Pizza Place has got a beach club-inspired design with white and pastel colored furniture and accent pillows (and presumably napkins to keep the pizza sauce off the upholstery).
Virgin executives say all these food options will be included in the price of the cruise, with no upcharges. “On a Virgin Voyage, it doesn’t make sense to be nickel and dimed or pay more for better food,” Chief Commercial Officer Nirmal Saverimuttu said at the New York event.
More details on the first of Virgin Voyages’ ships, that’s due in 2020, will be revealed soon, Sir Richard promises.
Those interested in Virgin Voyages can enter to win a free voyage in a contest open to residents of US and Canada only now through November 16 by visiting www.virginvoyages.com and opting into the sweepstakes by entering their email address.
