A Gastronomic Voyage on Silversea

“The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.”

said the 18^th century gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin in The Physiology of Taste. I had these words in my head while sailing the Mediterranean on the Silver Cloud, a 296-passenger, ultra-luxury vessel from Monaco based Silversea Cruises. The line is favored by sophisticated travelers and epicures and is reputed to have the finest dining at sea in the small ship category. Guests can enjoy a choice of gourmet restaurants onboard along with extras such as complimentary wines and in-suite dining.

Silversea prides itself on culinary excellence; hence, dining on the Silver Cloud was a heavenly experience of exquisite pairings with attentive service. The ship’s main venue, The Restaurant, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner à la carte with an open-seating policy. The menu features international staples as well as a list of daily specials from the chef such as prosciutto with figs and balsamic glaze. There is also something from La Collection du Monde – signature dishes created exclusively by the Grand Chefs of Relais & Châteaux for Silversea.

I found myself gravitating frequently to the outdoor terrace of Le Terrazza for alfresco meals, served buffet style. Many are familiar with the “Slow Food” movement, which began in 1986 when Carlo Petrini organized a protest against the opening of fast food restaurants near the Spanish Steps in Rome. Le Terrazza is the first restaurant at sea to showcase an Italian menu that incorporates the Slow Food principles of fresh, locally-grown, sustainable ingredients and artisanal products. This means using 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese from Emilia-Romagna, buffalo mozzarella from Naples, air-dried Parma ham, organic balsamic vinegar from Modena, and olive oil from the Umbria region.

For the ultimate gastronomic experience, don’t miss Le Champagne, the only Relais & Châteaux restaurant at sea. Settle into the intimate, refined surroundings outfitted with Murano chargers and Riedel stemware, and indulge in the six-course tasting menu of seasonally inspired dishes such as lobster salad with ossetra caviar, roasted rack of lamb, and a creamy risotto with edible gold leaf. Spring for the complimentary wine pairings, or splurge on rare vintages from the Connoisseur’s Collection. Seating only 24 guests per night, reservations are essential, and with only a $40 per person surcharge, it’s an absolute bargain for fine dining rivaling any Relais & Châteaux establishment on land.

For more casual fare I loved the Pool Bar & Grill on the open deck which featured a “Black Rock Grill” experience at night. You can cook your own steak or seafood at your table (go for the Madagascar Prawns) on a heated slab of volcanic rock. Don’t worry about any splattering; the servers will bring you a nice linen bib.

At our first port of Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast, we anchored in the Bay of Sorrento with the awe-inspiring Mt. Vesuvius in the distance. Silversea has a fantastic Silver Shore Collection program of customized tours and shore excursions that include visits to Relais & Châteaux properties nearby. I decided to make the most of the two days here and ventured on my own to vertiginous Positano, staying at the luxurious mainstay, Il San Pietro. Family-owned for three generations, it’s an exclusive enclave of the rich and famous. Despite a clientele that has included Tina Turner, Sting, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, and most recently Reese Witherspoon (I recognized the hotel’s monogrammed tableware from an Instagram photo she posted), the atmosphere is warm and inviting – as though you’re at a friend’s home (a very wealthy friend, that is). This is due in large part to the hotel’s owner and imitable hostess, Virginia Attanasio.

I had the sybaritic pleasure of dining at their Michelin-starred restaurant, Zass, with Carlo Cinque, manager and Virginia’s son. Starting with a spinach and vegetable salad grown in the hotel’s organic vegetable garden, I proceeded to an appetizer of home-made lemon tagliatelle with lobster, fennel and pistachios, followed by a mouthwatering Gurnard fish filet caught that day by a local fisherman. Capping off the meal off was a selection of delicious Italian cheeses.

Our next port was Trapani in western Sicily. The island has a long tradition of ‘dolci’ or desserts, and many nuns engage in making almond-based ‘pasticcini’ to earn extra income. Sicilian sweets draw from the island’s diverse cultural influences such as the Arabs who brought almonds, citrus and spices, the Greeks with pistachios and fruits such as figs, and the Spaniards with chocolate.

From Trapani, I climbed to the hilltop fortified town of Erice, and wandered around the cobblestone streets before coming across La Pasticceria diMaria Grammatico – a shop known for its tantalizing array of Sicilian cakes, traditional almond pastries, and marzipan creations. Maria’s rise from hardship to famed pastry maker is the stuff of Sicilian culinary legend. Growing up poor after WWII in a family of six children that often went hungry, Maria’s mother sent her to the San Carlo convent at the age of 11 where she learned the art of making sweets from the cloistered nuns. Fifteen years later in 1963, Maria left and opened her shop with just a wood stove and a bag of almonds. I recommend starting with a cannoli with fresh ricotta and progressing to the Sicilian Cassata made with Avola almonds, sugar, buttermilk curd and candied fruits.

Upon our arrival in Marseille, my gastronomic adventure took me on a Silversea excursion to the town of Les Baux de Provence, and then lunch at La Cabro d’Or, a nearby Relais & Châteaux property. Set in a Provencal farmhouse surrounded by verdant gardens, this Michelin-starred restaurant features a seasonal French menu and our small group indulged in a three-course “Formule Déjeuner” accompanied by wines from Provence. I started with an appetizer of fresh pea soup with foie gras and smoked duck which was like a burst of spring in the mouth accented with a perfect essence of savory flavors. This was followed by a main course of delectably tender roast rabbit loin with tapenade provençale selected from “Le Menu Gourmandises”. My sweet tooth was content with a praline meringue cake with caramel and coffee ganache.

Our final destination was Monaco where I disembarked and headed to five-star luxury at the historic Hotel Hermitage. Boasting what I consider to be the best views of the city and the port, this Belle Epoque property offers spacious suites with wrought-iron terraces where, upon arrival, I sat and enjoyed a “mille-feuille Prince Albert” (named after the reigning prince of Monaco), while watching the million dollar yachts in the marina below.

I headed to Le Vistamar for dinner, the hotel’s Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant which has mastered the simple principle of “Take a fish and a vegetable and cook them to perfection”. Stellar dishes here include the blue lobster artistically arranged with an infused smoked duck breast, and the restaurant’s specialty bouillabaisse served in three courses so you really need to pace yourself. I didn’t think I could eat another bite afterwards, but my server insisted that I try the dessert of “Fraisier” Vistamar-style – a shortbread with Tahitian vanilla cream, and a strawberry granita perfumed with peppermint. It turned out to be just the right ending to an exquisite meal.

On my last evening, I wanted to experience the new Nobu which recently opened in the Fairmont Monte Carlo to such great fanfare that Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert DeNiro, and Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco all turned out for the festivities. Along with his signatures, Chef Nobu has concocted dishes specifically for this location such as a scallop and foie gras with vanilla miso. Try sitting on the terrace if you can and take in the sweeping view of the Mediterranean with a glimpse at three countries – Monaco, Italy and France – a perfect finish to a gastronomic journey on the Silver Cloud.

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