What is Kitchen Table on Viking Star?

Having trouble figuring out whether Kitchen Table is a dining option, a cooking school or both. Would like first hand info about it or direction to where I can learn more on the Viking site. Thanks for any help you can send along.

it is a dining venue, not cooking school. Rather fussy, imo,. We did not enjoy it. They have 3 menus, I believe, one each per night. See Viking site for more info.

Manfreddi's is amazing as all of their food on ship.

The Chef's Table is a specialty dining venue on the Viking Ocean ships, with no additional charge for dining there. It is a pre-set themed menu with paired wines for each course. The menu changes every three days, and we enjoyed it very much.

There is also an experience called the Kitchen Table, which is a small group experience available a limited number of times on a cruise for a fee. The guests who sign up accompany the chef to a local market in port to select the food, and then return to a small kitchen/dining venue where the chef prepares a meal just for the group.

I have not attended the Kitchen Table experience, so I am not sure if it is available on each cruise. To see the description of this event, go to the Mediterranean Odyssey cruise and view the possible excursions for Barcelona. I'll post the link, but not sure if it will work:

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/western-mediterranean/mediterranean-odyssey/index.html#modal/5370899999/itineraryday/2

Thanks Lackscreativity, your link worked and was very helpful. I'll keep following to see if my cruise offers something similar for one of the ports.

The Kitchen Table is also, on some cruises, offered on sea days without the port shopping experience. It is a much lower price point. Small group, hands on prepping with the chef and then the enjoyment of eating the meal you assisted in preparing. I have not had the opportunity to do this but am hopeful to on our voyage late this year. From posts that I have read it sounds like a lot of fun.

The Kitchen Table is also, on some cruises, offered on sea days without the port shopping experience. It is a much lower price point. Small group, hands on prepping with the chef and then the enjoyment of eating the meal you assisted in preparing. I have not had the opportunity to do this but am hopeful to on our voyage late this year. From posts that I have read it sounds like a lot of fun.

This is why I love Cruise Critic. I didn't know this was an option. I always thought that the Kitchen Table excursion would be a great experience, but assumed it would be too pricey for my budget. This sounds like a good alternative, and our upcoming cruise has three sea days. Maybe it will be scheduled on our trip.

If I remember correctly you need to sign up early. It is always a small group. I am hoping to make reservations at the beginning of our next trip as we have quite a number of sea days.

We just did the Kitchen Table on our Athens to Venice cruise on the Star with a small group of 7 people. We didn’t see it on MVY prior to the cruise and only found out it was available from the sommelier. We went into town with the Executive Chef and help select fish, produce, cheese and wine from local vendors. Later that evening we met in a separate dining area with a view into the kitchen and watched the chef and sous chef prepare the meal. Before the meal started we got a brief tour of the kitchen and watched them preparing meals for the 3 dining areas. The 7 course meal was pared with 7 different wines. All were outstanding. It was a bit pricey ($249 ea.) but we liked it and considered it an “experience”. NOTE: we did the Chefs Table first thinking it would be like Chef’s Table we have tried on other cruise lines. Other lines the chef talks about each course and the wine he selected to be pared with the food. On Viking it was more like a prix fixe tasting menue with no chef.

We just did the Kitchen Table on our Athens to Venice cruise on the Star with a small group of 7 people. We didn’t see it on MVY prior to the cruise and only found out it was available from the sommelier. We went into town with the Executive Chef and help select fish, produce, cheese and wine from local vendors. Later that evening we met in a separate dining area with a view into the kitchen and watched the chef and sous chef prepare the meal. Before the meal started we got a brief tour of the kitchen and watched them preparing meals for the 3 dining areas. The 7 course meal was pared with 7 different wines. All were outstanding. It was a bit pricey ($249 ea.) but we liked it and considered it an “experience”. NOTE: we did the Chefs Table first thinking it would be like Chef’s Table we have tried on other cruise lines. Other lines the chef talks about each course and the wine he selected to be pared with the food. On Viking it was more like a prix fixe tasting menue with no chef.

This really sounds like a wonderful experience. Thanks for sharing the details. Did you help with any of the food preparations, or did you just observe? Was it like a cooking show with running commentary by the chef?

During one of our meals in the Chef's Table, we did have a chance to talk with the chef personally at our table about the meal. He spoke with others as well, but it was not a presentation to the whole group. As dining times are staggered based on guest reservations, that would be more difficult in this setting.

No hands on prep for our Kitchen Table. There was some commentary for each course but not over the top. After the 3rd course with wine everyone was engaged in multiple conversations.

$500. Wow.

Great info. thanks so much for all the responses

We did 3 Sea day Kitchen table adventures. 59 USD each. Capacity 12. Hands on learning experience. Cooked, and drank, and ate. It was Great. We should have booked all 6 they had planned. Next time I will just book em all. Oh you get an apron to bring home, and a ton of great memories.