Ultimate Restaurant Guide Marella Voyager - Part 2

Marella Voyager Restaurant Guide

PART 2 - SPECIALITY DINING

Marella Voyager Restaurant Guide Part 2 - Speciality Restaurants

Restaurant & Dining - Guide to Marella Voyager Food

In the second part of my Ultimate Restaurant Guide for Marella Voyager I will take you through the Speciality Restaurants - those venues that charge a supplement to dine there.

There is always a debate as to whether or not speciality restaurants are worth it. On one side of the argument are those who believe either that ALL food should be included and that they shouldn’t be expected to pay more; or that as the food is so good in the complimentary venues that they don’t need anything else. Others think that when on holiday they want to try the finer things in life, or want to push the boat out.

Included Restaurants on Marella Voyager

Firstly let me recap those restaurants that are complimentary and included in your cruise fare. There are plenty of good options including:

The Kitchens
Abuela’s - Mexican
Nonna’s - Pizza/Pasta
Latitudes- Main Dining Room
Vista- Italian
Snack Shack - Fast Food

You can read full details and see menus in the first part of this guide HERE

Additional Cost Restaurants on Marella Voyager

There are four speciality dining venues on Marella Voyager which carry a supplement, plus a special afternoon tea:

Platter
Surf & Turf
Kora La
Silver Fork
Musical Afternoon Tea

Two of these - Surf & Turf and Kora La - are already firm favourites with Marella guests. However, there are two new restaurants unique to Marella Voyager - Platters and Silver Fork.

Platter

If you enjoy a grazing board, you are going to love Platter. A great option for a late lunch or an accompaniment to sundowner drinks, Platter serves up three sizes of board for individuals or for sharing. There are various combinations: meat, cheese or a mix, small bites plus a vegan option.

The smallest board costs £5.95, a board for two is £9.45, and the largest board for three (or if you have a bigger appetite) costs £13.95. You can add a wine flight for £9.95 and add top up items for £2.95 each.

Platter is located aft, sandwiched between Squid & Anchor and Surf & Turf. It has a narrow counter area flanked on both sides by tables. I was personally disappointed that there was no al fresco dining space as I had imagined enjoying a sharing board with wine watching the sunset.

Surf & Turf

Surf & Turf is an established favourite with Marella Cruises guests, and it doesn’t disappoint. This venue is a steak & seafood restaurant, ideal for the carnivores amongst you, and it was our favourite venue onboard Marella Voyager.

Offering a range of delicious appetisers, main courses and signature steaks (see menus below), with a range of sides (you can order as many as you want), plus a choice of sauces. There is a separate dessert menu if you still have room.

We enjoyed the Surf & Turf Sharing Board for Two which was delicious (although I still wished I’d ordered the scallops as I had food envy for the neighbouring table). We then chose the ‘create your own’ surf & turf’ both opting for lobster tail with our choice of meat - fillet of beef for me and herb-crusted lamb cutlet for John) all of which were tender and delightful. I am ashamed (nay PROUD) to say we ordered ALL of the sides except the truffle mash and struggled through to the end as they were all so yummy. We did save room for dessert (well we didn’t, but wasn’t about to miss out so had one anyway). I chose a trio of …

Surf & Turf shares an entrance with Kora La (turn to the right as you go in).

The cost of this feast was £31.95 per person (prices correct July 2023), but in our opinion worth every penny.

Surf & Turf Menus

Location: Deck 7 Midships

Times: 18:30 - 21.00

Kora La

Another Marella favourite, Kora La is described as a pan-Asian restaurant, serving dishes from all over the continent. Whether your preference is for Chinese, Indian or even Japanese, you are sure to find a new favourite here.

We didn’t eat here ourselves on this trip, but reviews we heard and read were glowing, and I must admit the delicious aromas were wonderful whenever we passed. You'll find dishes created by renowned chef Ian Pengelley such as his duck and watermelon salad. The menu covers off south and east Asia, featuring dishes like Indian spiced king prawns, and Indonesian beef rendang curry.

Kora La shares an entrance with Surf & Turf (it is on the left as you go in) and is furnished with dark wood tones. Booking is essential as it proves extremely popular.

There is a supplement of £26.95 per person (prices correct as of July 2023).

Location: Deck 7 Midships

Times: 18:30 - 21.00

Kora La Sample Menus

Silver Fork

Unique to Marella Voyager, Silver Fork is an elevated fine dining restaurant featuring British Favourites with a contemporary twist. This is a very select restaurant and therefore pre-booking is advised prior to your cruise.

It feels very much like you are in a posh restaurant here with its subdued lighting, crisp linen and elegant decor. You might even get serenaded by a wandering minstrel (ok, a talented waiter with a guitar).

There are three options to choose from - the extensive regular menu, the tasting menu or the vegetarian tasting menu.

Silver Fork Menus

The Tasting Menus

These menus offer a whopping 7 courses made up of dishes selected from the main menu. Only available before 8 pm, if this whets your appetite do ensure to book an earlier dining time We hadn’t realised and booked a later meal so were unable to enjoy the Tasting Menu (although our choices from the Main Menu were delicious.

We really enjoyed our meal in Silver Fork, where we were first served a little unexpected amuse bouche (very posh), before our starters of Coronation Chicken and Scallops respectively. I then had the Signature Beef Wellington and John enjoyed the Pork, Crayfish and Black Pudding, and even though we really shouldn’t have, we had dessert - the Sticky Toffee Pudding for me and the Apple Crumble for John (you won’t believe this dish - have your camera ready). We were able to use the Premium All Inclusive Drinks Package in Silver Fork (the standard package also accepted).

The cost for dining at Silver Fork is £36.95 per person or £46.95 per person for the tasting menu. Is it worth it? We thought so - especially if wanting to celebrate a special occasion (or just because you are on a cruise).

The Great Musical Afternoon Tea

Finally, a word about the Musical Afternoon Tea. Whilst we didn’t get to sample it, our friends did and LOVED it. It is a must for musical lovers (and those partial to a post afternoon tea too). Hosted in Silver Fork, The Great Musical Afternoon Tea is a weekly event bringing the West End to Marella Cruises, with dishes inspired by famous musicals – like the ‘Vietnamese Melody’ beef tenderloin yakitori and the ‘On My Own’ petit choux. There are six teas to choose from, as well as a cocktail of your choice. Plus, the whole place is decorated with show posters and memorabilia, with music from the musicals. At £15.95 per person it is definitely cheaper than most hotel afternoon teas at home. Yes, afternoon tea (of sorts) is served for free in The Kitchens every day, however for a sense of occasion (and why not, you are on holiday after all), and elevated food offerings, I recommend treating your self to this one-off event.

I hope you have found this guide of use - please leave a comment if you have a favourite dish or further questions.

For images of all the food we enjoyed on our Marella Cruise, see my associated post:

Cruise on a Plate - Marella Voyager

Food & Drink, MarellaKathy TaylorOctober 1, 2024Comment