New menus in Epicurean

Just back off Ventura where I tried the new menus - price is the same at £28 per person.

The dining experience is still good along with the service. These are just a few of my observations and others may disagree as some select dining options are down to personal taste.

There have been a few changes and some are good, others not so good. Gone is the Poulette de Bresse, replaced with Black leg chicken. Also gone are the lipstick and fried egg pre-deserts - a shame as it brought a fun element to the meal.

Menu 1. Good but the pre-desert chocolate and blackcurrant lollipop may be a bit of an acquired taste - better if eaten in one go and allow it to melt in the mouth rather than nibble at it

The halibut was very good but was for 2 people. Tiger prawns were amazing and very, very big - only 2 but plenty of meat on them.

Menu 2. The fish and chips was a bit of a miss with my friends - the glasshouse version was preferred. Lobster was very good as was the Dover sole. The mousse and serrano ham starter was very good. Again, the pre-desert was all 4 of us a definite miss - vile came to mind. Menu 2 did not seem to offer as good value as menu 1.

Didn't try the steak options on either menu.

Compared to the Ocean Grill on Arcadia, my view is that menu 2 is overpriced.

Just back off Ventura where I tried the new menus - price is the same at £28 per person.

 

 

 

The dining experience is still good along with the service. These are just a few of my observations and others may disagree as some select dining options are down to personal taste.

 

 

 

There have been a few changes and some are good, others not so good. Gone is the Poulette de Bresse, replaced with Black leg chicken. Also gone are the lipstick and fried egg pre-deserts - a shame as it brought a fun element to the meal.

 

 

 

Menu 1. Good but the pre-desert chocolate and blackcurrant lollipop may be a bit of an acquired taste - better if eaten in one go and allow it to melt in the mouth rather than nibble at it

 

The halibut was very good but was for 2 people. Tiger prawns were amazing and very, very big - only 2 but plenty of meat on them.

 

 

 

Menu 2. The fish and chips was a bit of a miss with my friends - the glasshouse version was preferred. Lobster was very good as was the Dover sole. The mousse and serrano ham starter was very good. Again, the pre-desert was all 4 of us a definite miss - vile came to mind. Menu 2 did not seem to offer as good value as menu 1.

 

 

 

Didn't try the steak options on either menu.

 

 

 

Compared to the Ocean Grill on Arcadia, my view is that menu 2 is overpriced.

Is chateaubriand still on?

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Is chateaubriand still on?

 

 

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Seems to have been dropped. I'll post the menus

Here are the menus. They are on the P&O website, but easier to provide as an attachment.

New_Epicurean_menu1.pdf

New_Epicurean_menu2.pdf

At least most dishes are still able to be ordered by one person. I have made a formal complaint after seeing the new Glasshouse Menu, where a lot of dishes seem to be "headlined" at the top of the menu "For Two". Discrimination against solo travellers who already pay double! The most insulting thing is that you can only have cheese and biscuits instead of a pudding if you are a couple; this is ridiculous! I can understand something like Chateaubriand for 2, but not cheese! I can't wait until a diabetic travelling alone takes P and O to court!

At least most dishes are still able to be ordered by one person. I have made a formal complaint after seeing the new Glasshouse Menu, where a lot of dishes seem to be "headlined" at the top of the menu "For Two". Discrimination against solo travellers who already pay double! The most insulting thing is that you can only have cheese and biscuits instead of a pudding if you are a couple; this is ridiculous! I can understand something like Chateaubriand for 2, but not cheese! I can't wait until a diabetic travelling alone takes P and O to court!

I am sure there is nothing to stop you ordering and paying for cheese and biscuits for two and eating it yourself. Maybe if you asked nicely, they would have given you a smaller single portion. Most diabetics are used to not having sugar rich desserts and would be wary of eating too many crackers with cheese because of the high carbohydrate levels in many crackers.

Sharing platters are common in many pubs and restaurants, maybe not cheese and biscuits, but certainly starters and main courses. I have never come across anybody who thinks this is unfair. Whatever next? Vegetarians complaining that there are meat dishes on a menu that they cannot eat?

Actually there were a number of complaints onboard, so much so that the senior management team were involved. Quite a few people thought the menu was obviously canted towards couples and far poorer than the old menu. And no, they would not serve cheese to a single person. Even if I'd been with my husband i couldn't have had it as he is allergic to cheese. People were saying that they've never heard anything so ridiculous.

Have alerted a diabetic friend who is a lawyer; not allowed sugar and always eats cheese with fruit/celery instead.

I resent anything which discriminates against solos because we already pay double. I won't stop cruising but I will fight what i see as direct discrimination. It is something of which i have vast successful experience.

Actually there were a number of complaints onboard, so much so that the senior management team were involved. Quite a few people thought the menu was obviously canted towards couples and far poorer than the old menu. And no, they would not serve cheese to a single person. Even if I'd been with my husband i couldn't have had it as he is allergic to cheese. People were saying that they've never heard anything so ridiculous.

Have alerted a diabetic friend who is a lawyer; not allowed sugar and always eats cheese with fruit/celery instead.

I resent anything which discriminates against solos because we already pay double. I won't stop cruising but I will fight what i see as direct discrimination. It is something of which i have vast successful experience.

The cheese course in the Glasshouse isn’t actually that big. In fact, it’s quite small. Frankly, I don’t know why they describe it as a sharing platter as one person could easily eat it on their own. You can order ‘sharing’ items for one person. I have done this several times in the Glasshouse as I have never found any of their items described as ‘sharing’ to be embarrassingly large for one person. I think that the issue here is exaggerated descriptions of portion sizes, rather than discrimination.

Just back from Britannia - Glasshouse lunch ever day when asked any meal for 2 happily provided for one - not the cheese because I either eat it or get what is left packed to go.

Actually there were a number of complaints onboard, so much so that the senior management team were involved. Quite a few people thought the menu was obviously canted towards couples and far poorer than the old menu. And no, they would not serve cheese to a single person. Even if I'd been with my husband i couldn't have had it as he is allergic to cheese. People were saying that they've never heard anything so ridiculous.

Have alerted a diabetic friend who is a lawyer; not allowed sugar and always eats cheese with fruit/celery instead.

I resent anything which discriminates against solos because we already pay double. I won't stop cruising but I will fight what i see as direct discrimination. It is something of which i have vast successful experience.

I'm with you on this Clodia. I have been to Warner Hotels in the UK and they offer things like afternoon tea for two people. There is no reason for this and it does alienate solo travellers. P&O crow about how good their cruises are for solo pax - about time they proved how committed they are to providing a decent service to us too.

The new menu isnt on Britannia yet.We've just got back and they are still using the old menus - along with the lipstick and fried eggs [emoji41]

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Interesting about sharing platters and dishes for two - it actually puts us off using a restaurant, purely because my husband and I have different tastes and sharing platters reduces our menu choice. He likes meats, seafood and cheese whereas I don’t. So it’s simply a matter of different likes and dislikes and sharing platters usually just don’t suit us. We haven’t tried the new Glasshouse menu yet but sounds like some of it assumes people eat as couples and both want the same things. Big mistake in my opinion. We’re on Oceana next year and Cafe Jardin seems to have quite a few sharing platters on their evening menu, so I’m already put off booking.

I would be disappointed if the sharing menus were dropped from the menu as me and my husband prefer this way of eating. The point is that menus these days try to cater for a wide range of diners and therefore not everything will suit everyone. As someone mentioned before, not all dishes will be suiable for vegetarians and pork based dishes won't be suitable for certain religious groups in the same way that sharing platters won't be suitable for solo passengers. I really don't think it's about discrimination but rather about offering a choice to everyone. As long as not all the dishes are sharing platters, by complaining and getting them removed from the menu this is restricting the experience for others who would enjoy this. I don't eat lamb for example but would never dream of complaining if there were a few lamb dishes on the menu, which is often the case, as I know other people love it. I am not trying to sound argumentative I am just offering a different point of view...

I would be disappointed if the sharing menus were dropped from the menu as me and my husband prefer this way of eating. The point is that menus these days try to cater for a wide range of diners and therefore not everything will suit everyone. As someone mentioned before, not all dishes will be suiable for vegetarians and pork based dishes won't be suitable for certain religious groups in the same way that sharing platters won't be suitable for solo passengers. I really don't think it's about discrimination but rather about offering a choice to everyone. As long as not all the dishes are sharing platters, by complaining and getting them removed from the menu this is restricting the experience for others who would enjoy this. I don't eat lamb for example but would never dream of complaining if there were a few lamb dishes on the menu, which is often the case, as I know other people love it. I am not trying to sound argumentative I am just offering a different point of view...

Not argumentative but a sound voice of reason. Thank you.

Here are the menus. They are on the P&O website, but easier to provide as an attachment.

Thank you for posting these they do look rather good, I just hope they taste as good when we try them out on our next cruise.

Here are the menus. They are on the P&O website, but easier to provide as an attachment.

Thanks for that.

Not sure a shared 14 oz rib eye is a good replacement.

Looks like they are providing cheaper goods to maximise profits.

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Can you have a desert and cheese like you can in the mdr or are you only allowed one item as we do enjoy cheese at the end of our meal?

Can you have a desert and cheese like you can in the mdr or are you only allowed one item as we do enjoy cheese at the end of our meal?

The menu is presented in a way to suggest that it’s one or the other, but if you ask nicely they will oblige. The Epicurean on Britannia is our favourite P&O restaurant on any ship.

We were on Azura in December and still had the Lipstick and Fried pre-deserts. We also had Chateaubriand although we had to return 2nd week to get it as we got the menu mixed up [emoji23] nice mistake to make really as its Fab!

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