A Review of The Verandah Restaurant
During our time on the Queen Mary 2, we decided to spruce things up a little and have dinner in The Verandah restaurant situated on deck 8.
The Verandah restaurant offers both a lunch and dinner with a surplus fee of $25 per person for lunch or $39 per person for dinner.
As we arrived at the restaurant we were immediately greeted and led to a table with a window view of the pool deck outside on Deck 8.
Our Delicious Appetizers
We ordered the Cured and Salt-Baked Baby Beets as an appetizer, this included goats cheese, candied pecans, citrus, basil leaves and mint…. it was really tasty, my only pointer would be that there was far more cheese than anything else which made it difficult to create a taste balance in my mouth.
Other appetizer options include:
- Caribbean Lobster Cocktail
- London Cure Gin & Tonic Salmon
- Clam Chowder
- Caesar Salad
- Smoked Duck Breast with Mandarin Dressing
- Salt Beef Brisket Hash
The Exciting Entrées
Next up, the part we were most excited for… The Entrée.
As a vegetarian, I opted for the vegetarian option which was a ‘Beyond Meat’ vegetarian burger. The burger came with halloumi cheese, tomato, jam, dill pickles, crispy onions encased in a brioche bun and finished with truffle mayonnaise and a side of fries, however I switched mine to a side salad.
I am a huge fan of the ‘Beyond Meat’ range, they provide a guilt free meal to vegetarians and meat eaters alike. The burger is thick and juicy and as far as I’ve been told, tastes like a real thick beef burger. I’ll have to trust their opinion because I wouldn’t know. I do know it’s delicious.
Paired with the sweetness of the jam, the slight sweetness of the brioche bun and then being hit with the hint of tartness from the halloumi cheese is a perfect creation. I have nothing but praise for this meal.
Other entrée options including gluten-free:
- Louisiana Short Rib
- Grilled Whole Dover Sole with asparagus and green bean fricassée
- Roast Chicken Breast (gluten-free)
- Acorn-fed Pork Chop (gluten-free)
- Lamb Cutlets (gluten-free)
The last three came with your choice of sides, the side options were as follows:
- Side Salads
- Iceberg Wedge
- House Salad
- Green Leaf and Herbs
- Vegetables
- Tenderstem Brocolli (gluten-free)
- Creamed Baby Spinach with Roasted Shallots
- Grilled Corn on the Cob with Smoked Pimento Butter (gluten-free)
- Chargrilled Hispi Cabbage with Creamy Ranch Dressing (gluten-free)
- Tempura Onion Rings
- Potatoes
- Triple-cooked Chips
- French Fries with option to add truffle oil & parmesan
- Red Skin Potato and Cheese Bake (gluten-free)
- Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes (gluten-free)
- Bourbon Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Gratin (gluten-free)
- Sauces
- Béarnaise (gluten-free)
- Sauce au Poivre (gluten-free)
- Cafe de Paris Butter (gluten-free)
- Chimichurri (gluten-free)
The Refreshing Drink Options
At the start of our meal we were also met with a sommelier and enjoyed a glass of sparkling wine.
The Scrumptious Dessert
Finally, for dessert we ordered the Wild Strawberry Pavlova served with clotted cream and pink champagne sorbet.
The pink champagne sorbet was nice, however, I found it to be a little heart burn inducing and therefore didn’t finish that portion. The pavlova itself, however, was a delicious casing of pink meringue enclosing a tantalizing, tongue pleasing filling of fresh strawberries and clotted cream… absolutely delicious.
Other dessert options:
- Rum Baba with Orange Marmalade and Chantilly Cream
- S’Moreos – Crispy Fried Marshmallow and Oreo Cookies with Dark Chocolate Sauce and Charred Milk Ice Cream
- Deep Fried Bramley Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream or English Custard
- Toffee, Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownie Sundae with Whipped Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- New York Cheese Cake for two
- Cheese Trolley – a selection of Cheese, Biscuits, Apple Jelly, Fruit Toasts and Condiments
We had an enjoyable meal with attentive waiters who knew just when to approach tables and when to leave people alone. This may seem like a small fact, but in some cases I have found waiters can over-do the pleasantries which can become intrusive and simply annoying.
The food came in good time, was fresh and served hot where appropriate. Nothing was left hanging around before it met our table.
For those with gluten-free dietary requirements, I found there to be plenty of options as well as the waiters offering to assist in creating a meal that would work for the patron.
Overall our meal at The Verandah restaurant upon the Queen Mary 2 was definitely worth the surcharge and should we ever return to the Queen Mary 2, we would definitely enjoy a lunch and/or dinner there again.
Final Verdict: A delicious thumbs up!