Seven Seas Explorer to Debut French Restaurant

chartreuse onboard seven seas explorer

When Regent Seven Seas Cruises' newest ship, Seven Seas Explorer, makes its debut, it will include a new French restaurant, Chartreuse

Chartreuse, which will serve a classic French menu with a modern twist, will join Regent's signature steakhouse, Prime 7, as the second of three specialty restaurants onboard Seven Seas Explorer. Regent plans to release details about the third specialty restaurant in June.

Deriving its name from chartreuse-colored glass panels that adorn the dining room walls, Chartreuse is meant to evoke memories of a chic Parisian fine dining restaurant, Regent said in a release. Guests are greeted by a hostess upon arrival at the restaurant through a curved paneled entryway with flooring that resembles a cobblestoned Parisian street damped by a gentle rain.

Contemporary lounge chairs and embossed leather stools are assembled around Golden Kosmos Granite topped tables in a bar area with scalloped marble Cosmati mosaic tiled flooring. Specialty cocktails on offer include those infused with the French liqueur Chartreuse. A solid zinc bar top that is placed atop a softly illuminated frosted glass base sits near a backlit wine display filled with French wines and selections from boutique vineyards of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhône and Loire Valleys. Decorative iron sculpting throughout the bar is meant as an homage to the Eiffel Tower

As guests transition to the dining room they are greeted by Art Nouveau décor with a feature wall lined with sculpted Chartreuse glass surrounded by metallic and crystalline frames on one side and floor-to-ceiling windows separated by metal filigree screens on the other. Seating is laid out in a way that allows every guest to enjoy ocean views. Above, a silver-leafed ceiling is interspersed with gold-bordered black lacquered lines.

The back portion of the restaurant transitions from a dining room to a Parisian courtyard to provide the illusion of al fresco dining. Separated from the main dining area by a metal lattice screen, this garden area sits upon marble flooring with gold mosaic tile inlays and is illuminated by a wall of decorative lanterns and a centerpiece crystal chandelier. 

The menu is designed to pair both classic and modern techniques in French gastronomy. Highlights include hand-cut Charolais steak tartare in a hazelnut-Dijon emulsion topped with Perlita caviar d’Aquitaine, roasted Cévennes rack of lamb with rosemary-mint persillade and sugar snap pea sauce, and poached Brittany blue lobster tail glazed with caramelized lobster roe butter on a bed of Sologne white asparagus and Romanesco. For dessert, there is a frozen Chartreuse parfait with almond crumble and savarin cake made with aged Martinique rum and topped with vanilla cream. 

Beginning in the summer of 2016 the Chartreuse menu will extend to the rest of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet, replacing Signatures on Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner, and with select dishes available at Compass Rose on Seven Seas Navigator

All restaurants on Seven Seas Explorer will serve vintage wines and premium spirits at no additional charge, and each dish will be prepared à la minute and cooked to order. The ship is set to make its debut in summer 2016.

Visit www.rssc.com