In the luxury arena, food has long been more than just nourishment, it is an art of living of its own with taste and visual creations that can be awe inspiring. Crystal cruises had shaped this category over the years from its Italian Prego to the only Nobu at sea with its Umi Uma Japanese concept.
So the logical question then is how “the new Crystal” copes in this arena. Firstly, good news. We he culinary culture did not miss a beat and picked up where it had left off with the pause. In addition, some nice changes were introduced that refresh the offering. Among them, one of my favorite changes is in the culinary area on deck 11 under the sky dome where Silk (the Asian casual restaurant) was located. This space reverted back to the beloved Tapas place called “Taste”
Another positive change is the evolution of Prego to the new “Osteria d’Ovidio” – a Michelin inspired Italian concept honoring the new co-chairman of Crystal Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio and his Italian roots. I personally loved this creative Puglian chef created menu (See below) that juxtaposes northern and southern Italian dishes.
For our exclusive introduction to the venue, a Virtuoso hosted tasting menu was prepared just for us. you can see the served dishes below, one by one.
All things considered, the culinary offerings are inconsistent with plenty of room for tweaks to reach perfection. While some dishes were tops, others were lackluster at best. As this was the first sailing, some supply chain issues can explain this in part. I am certain, the kinks will get worked out fast. Furthermore, what has always made, and still makes Crystal so special is the staff. This is clearly underlined by the fact that over 80% of them returned to the line. A testament to the legacy and the love for its guests. Stay tuned for my final port recap and closing notes in my next blog.
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