P&O Cruises reveals major dining updates 2026
All photos courtesy of P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises - New Menus and other Restaurant Updates Summer 2026
P&O Cruises has introduced a series of dining changes from summer 2026, with refreshed menus, new dishes, updated drinks and greater choice across several of its most popular restaurants.
The changes include a substantial menu refresh at The Keel & Cow, new dishes at The Epicurean, an updated offering at Sindhu and changes to 6th Street Diner on Arvia. P&O has also introduced new children’s dining options in the buffet.
For anyone planning a P&O cruise this year, here’s what you need to know.
Looking for the menus? We’ve brought together our latest P&O Cruises restaurant guides and menus, including individual menu pages for many of the fleet’s most popular restaurants.
The Main Dining Room Rotation and New Dishes
When P&O Cruises completely overhauled its fleet-wide Main Dining Room culinary experience, it introduced more than 300 new dishes. This massive menu development programme brought hundreds of fresh options across starters, mains, and desserts, ensuring a significantly modernised choice for guests.
How Often the Menus Rotate
Main dining room dinner menus change every single night. Cruisers will never eat from the exact same menu twice during a standard week-long sailing. The entire rotation is built around 14-day cycles. Because the menus are structured on this two-week loop, a seven-night cruise will feature an entirely different set of nightly menus compared to a different seven-night sailing on the same ship.
Consistency Across Venues
On ships with multiple main dining rooms, such as the four distinct venues on Iona, the daily rotating menu remains identical across all rooms on any given night. While the primary three-course menu rotates daily, the restaurants still maintain a static section of always available classic items, such as grilled chicken or sirloin steak, which do not change throughout the cruise.
The Keel & Cow gets a major menu refresh
The Keel & Cow on Iona and Arvia has received one of the most substantial menu makeovers.
The relaxed gastropub-style restaurant has expanded its all-day offering with new dishes ranging from hearty comfort food to lighter and plant-based choices.
New dishes include Garlic & Lemon-roasted Boneless Half Chicken, a Salmon Scotch Egg with masala mayonnaise and lime, and the indulgent Sirloin & Brisket Beef-Fat Crumpet, combining slow-cooked brisket with Black Angus sirloin, mushrooms, crispy onions and red wine sauce.
Sirloin & Brisket Beef-Fat Crumpet
There are also lighter choices, including a Tiger Prawn Cocktail and Cajun-roasted Salmon Fillet, alongside a vegan Jackfruit and Nori ‘No-fish Cake’.
The steak selection remains a major part of the menu, while some existing favourites have also been refreshed.
New cocktails, beer flights and desserts
The changes aren’t limited to food.
Two new signature cocktails have been added: the Signature Cut Old Fashioned and Eton Fizz, a dessert-style cocktail featuring fresh strawberry juice.
Keel & Cow Cocktail Flight. Photo Credit: P&O Cruises
Guests can also try beer flights or a cocktail flight featuring three spritzes.
For dessert, there’s a new Double Chocolate Brownie with vanilla gelato and chocolate sauce, with vegan and gluten-free options available.
See our latest P&O Keel & Cow menu, including the current dishes and prices.
For a more detailed look at the restaurant itself, you can also read our Keel & Cow review and guide.
Epicurean introduces new dishes
P&O’s signature fine-dining restaurant, The Epicurean, has also received a menu refresh.
New dishes highlighted by P&O include Tandoori-Spiced Lobster Tail, Rhug Estate Salt Marsh Lamb Rack and a Bloody Mary and Goat’s Cheese Mousse ‘Tomatoes’.
Tandoori-Spiced Lobster Tail In Epicurean. Photo Image: P&O Cruises
The changes add some new flavours and presentation to a restaurant that remains focused on contemporary British fine dining.
There’s also a new cocktail, the Epicurean Bloom, combining Lanson Le Black Création Brut Champagne with crème de pêche, Regal Rogue vermouth and butterfly pea flower tea.
P&O has introduced Signature Sips, pairing recommended wines with individual dishes.
The updated Epicurean menu is available on Arvia, Azura, Britannia, Iona and Ventura.
See the latest P&O Epicurean menus, including our menu images and information about the restaurant.
We’ve also got a separate guide to The Epicurean on P&O Cruises if you want to know more about the experience, rather than simply see the menu.
6th Street Diner gets more family-friendly choices
Arvia’s 6th Street Diner has also had its menus revamped.
The restaurant continues to focus on American-style favourites including burgers, waffles and milkshakes, but P&O says the updated menus now offer more gluten-free, vegan and lighter choices.
There are separate menus for breakfast, brunch and lunch, followed by a dedicated dinner menu.
A new Little Diners menu has also been introduced for children.
Among the choices are a Puppy Dog, essentially a hot dog served with dipping relish, crispy onions and American mustard, and Crispy Buffalo Wings with carrots, celery and a creamy dip.
6th Street Diner remains exclusive to Arvia.
If you’re planning an Arvia cruise, our P&O Arvia restaurant guide covers the ship’s dining options, including 6th Street Diner, Keel & Cow, Epicurean and Sindhu.
Sindhu gets a new menu
Sindhu has also received a menu refresh, combining familiar Indian favourites with new dishes.
The restaurant’s contemporary Indian cuisine continues to mix traditional flavours with a modern British influence, with vegetarian and vegan choices alongside meat and seafood dishes.
Sindhi’s Signature Thali Plate. Photo Credit: P&O Cruises
One of the new additions is a vegan Mushroom Biriyani, made with porcini, oyster and chestnut mushrooms.
There’s also a new Signature Thali, bringing together chicken korma, lamb rogan josh and lentil-crusted cod fillet with a selection of sides, salads and sauces.
Chef’s Showcase
One of the more interesting changes is Chef’s Showcase.
This gives chefs on board the opportunity to highlight their own favourite dishes and explain the inspiration behind them.
Rather than simply being another menu item, the idea is to give diners a little more insight into the person creating the food.
Sindhu has also gained a new cocktail, the Sindhu Asha, combining rum with peach, mango, lime, passion fruit, Angostura, chilli and tonic water.
The updated menu is being rolled out across the P&O Cruises fleet.
See our latest P&O Sindhu menu and guide.
We also have a more detailed guide to Sindhu on P&O Cruises, including what’s changed with the new menu.
New children’s dining options in the buffet
Not all of the summer 2026 changes involve speciality restaurants.
P&O Cruises has also introduced a dedicated children’s corner in the buffet, with familiar favourites available throughout the day.
There’s also a daily children’s tea, with options including mac and cheese, chicken nuggets and pizza alongside more nutritious choices.
This is particularly useful for families who don’t want to book a speciality restaurant every evening, and reinforces the fact that a significant proportion of P&O’s dining remains included in the cruise fare.
What about The Beach House?
The Beach House isn’t specifically highlighted as one of the major summer 2026 menu changes in this announcement, but it’s worth mentioning if you’re researching P&O’s speciality dining options.
The relaxed venue is particularly popular with families and serves American-inspired comfort food.
We’ve created a separate P&O Beach House menus and guide with the latest menu information.
What do the P&O dining changes mean for passengers?
The summer 2026 changes are interesting because P&O hasn’t simply concentrated on adding new restaurants.
Instead, several established venues have been given substantial menu updates.
There’s a clear emphasis on choice, with more vegan and plant-based dishes, gluten-free options and lighter choices alongside the indulgent food P&O passengers expect.
Drinks are also playing a bigger role, with new cocktails, flights and wine pairings designed to complement particular dishes.
For families, the changes at 6th Street Diner and the buffet should make dining a little easier, while regular P&O passengers may welcome the opportunity to try new dishes at restaurants they already know.
P&O Cruises dining changes at a glance
| Restaurant | Ships | What's changed |
|---|---|---|
| The Keel & Cow | Iona, Arvia | New all-day menu, lighter and vegan choices, upgraded favourites, new cocktails and desserts |
| Epicurean | Arvia, Azura, Britannia, Iona, Ventura | New dishes, Signature Sips wine pairings and new Epicurean Bloom cocktail |
| 6th Street Diner | Arvia | Refreshed menus, more dietary choices and new Little Diners menu |
| Sindhu | Across the fleet | New dishes, Signature Thali, Chef's Showcase and new cocktail |
| Buffet | Across the fleet | Children's corner and daily children's tea |
Information based on P&O Cruises’ summer 2026 dining update. Menus, dishes, prices and availability can change.
The Lowdown
There’s more to these changes than simply putting a few new dishes on the menu.
P&O Cruises appears to be responding to what passengers increasingly expect from cruise dining: more choice, better dietary options and menus that feel a little less predictable. The addition of vegan and gluten-free dishes is welcome, while the new drinks pairings and chef-led dishes at venues such as Epicurean and Sindhu add another layer to the experience.
For us, The Keel & Cow is one of the most interesting updates. It already has a strong following on Iona and Arvia, and the expanded menu gives passengers more reasons to return rather than simply sticking with the dishes they already know.
The changes at 6th Street Diner and in the buffet are perhaps less glamorous, but potentially more useful for families. Having recognisable children’s choices readily available can make a big difference when you’re cruising with younger passengers.
The real test, of course, is what’s actually served on board. Menus can look impressive on paper, but consistency, portion sizes, presentation and service ultimately determine whether a dining update is a genuine improvement.
We’ll be keeping an eye on these menus as the summer season progresses and updating our P&O Cruises restaurant guides and menus as new information becomes available.
If you are sailing with P&O Cruises soon, share your reviews of the new menus in comments.
P&O Cruises New Menus FAQs
What dining changes has P&O Cruises introduced for summer 2026?
P&O Cruises has introduced refreshed menus and new dishes at several restaurants, including The Keel & Cow, Epicurean, Sindhu and 6th Street Diner. There are also new drinks, more vegan and gluten-free choices and new children’s dining options in the buffet.
Which P&O Cruises ships have the new Keel & Cow menu
The updated Keel & Cow menu is available on Iona and Arvia. The summer 2026 update includes new dishes, refreshed favourites, new cocktails, beer flights and desserts.
Has the P&O Cruises Epicurean menu changed for 2026
Yes. Epicurean has introduced several new dishes, a new Epicurean Bloom cocktail and Signature Sips wine pairings. The updated menu is available on Arvia, Azura, Britannia, Iona and Ventura.
Are P&O Cruises introducing new children’s dining options?
Yes. P&O Cruises has introduced a dedicated children’s corner in the buffet, as well as a daily children’s tea featuring familiar favourites such as pizza, chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.
See all the latest P&O Cruises menus
If you’re looking for the actual menus, rather than simply what’s new for summer 2026, head to our P&O Cruises restaurant guides and menus.
You’ll find individual guides and menus for restaurants including The Keel & Cow, The Epicurean, Sindhu and The Beach House, with more being added and updated as new menus appear.