Food and wine lovers will luxuriate in the food and beverage offerings onboard AmaWaterways river cruises. Follow along our travels as we share this AmaWaterways Review of (almost) all of the food and drink onboard dining selections we devoured during our journey up the Rhone River.
Fellow food and wine lovers, join me as I take you through a detailed AmaWaterways review of the delectable 7-day feast that you can enjoy on the Colors of Provence river cruise.
This river cruise on the AmaKristina sails up the Rhône River from Arles to Lyon, France is a dream journey for food and wine lovers. The food and drink onboard dining feels like a celebration of France’s legendary culinary heritage, along with wine pairings that celebrate the region's long history of producing world class wines.
From the moment you step aboard to the moment you disembark, you're in for a voyage filled with gastronomic delights. Whether savoring a delicate bouillabaisse for lunch or a creamy coq au vin at dinner, AmaWaterways does a good job of showcasing the flavors of the regions you’re sailing through.
💡 Tip: You'll find specific dishes accompanied by an "LS" on the menus, denoting that those dishes are a Local Specialty.
AmaWaterways review of onboard dining
As someone who cooks for a living, I can imagine how tricky it can be to consistently create gourmet cuisine in a tiny ship's kitchen. And I was impressed by the quality and creativity of the dishes served on the AmaKristina.
Whether you're a gourmand, a wine enthusiast, or someone who loves discovering local flavors, a journey on AmaWaterways brings you an unforgettable culinary adventure at every turn.
Here's a closer look at the onboard food and drinks we experienced during our AmaWaterways Colors of Provence river cruise on the AmaKristina. I'm sharing what we ate and drank on this particular cruise to give you an idea of the variety, quality, and how onboard dining works. But keep in mind that the food and drinks vary from cruise to cruise.
🛳️ Colors of Provence River Cruise: Want to learn more about the cruise itinerary? Be sure to read our full AmaWaterways Colors of Provence cruise itinerary review here!
What's included with your cruise
All three main meals - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - are included in the cruise price.
Sit down meals are offered in the Main Restaurant, and smaller, more casual offerings can be found in the Lounge during meal times.
Also included in the price: daily afternoon tea and dinner at the Chef's Table restaurant.
Complimentary beverages include unlimited fine wines, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner.
Sparkling wine and fresh juices are available at breakfast.
Guests also have access to a 24-hour self-service station providing complimentary coffee, tea, and water.
Specialty wines, beers, and cocktails are available for purchase outside of the set meal times.
NOTE: exact start and end times of meals may change from day to day, depending on the itinerary. Times are always listed in the ship's Daily Cruiser, which is both printed out each day and also found on the AmaWaterways digital app.
Jump to:
- AmaWaterways review of onboard dining
- What's included with your cruise
- AmaWaterways Breakfast
- AmaWaterways Lunch
- Bistro Lunch
- AmaWaterways Afternoon Tea
- AmaWaterways Dinner
- AmaWaterways Chef's Table
- Chef's Table Wines
- AmaWaterways Beverages
- AmaWaterways Onboard Dining Tips
- AmaWaterways Onboard Dining FAQs
- More France travel
AmaWaterways Breakfast
The feast starts each day with breakfast generally served around 7:30am until around 9:00am in the Main Restaurant.
Guests can enjoy a breakfast buffet featuring a wide selection of fresh fruits, pastries, yogurts, and cereals.
These are complemented by hot dishes made to order from a breakfast menu at the table, such as eggs benedict, omelets, avocado toast, and waffles (all pictured above).
For a more relaxed morning, early risers can indulge in light options like croissants and coffee at the Lounge between around 6:30 - 10:00 am.
AmaWaterways Lunch
Lunch is usually served onboard after most morning excursions are done, starting around 12:00 to 12:30 pm and going through around 1:30 to 2:00 pm in the Main Restaurant.
On each of the days of our cruise, lunch started with a basket of fresh bread (pictured above) and an array of shared appetizers (pictured below).
Some of my favorite lunch appetizers on our cruise included:
- Escargot
- Chicken rillette
- Crispy prosciutto
Lunch in the dining room also included salads and soups, a main course, and a dessert plate.
My favorite lunch main courses included:
- French truffle farfalle pasta
- Boulliabaisse
- Chicken and shrimp curry
Bistro Lunch
If you opt for the more casual Bistro Lunch in the Lounge, you'll find a daily menu consisting of different salads, sandwiches, main courses, and desserts.
They also "always available" options that are available each day of the cruise. For our cruise, these included a hamburger or cheeseburger with fries and coleslaw (pictured above), and a Margherita Pizza.
AmaWaterways Afternoon Tea
For those who delight in refined indulgences, the AmaKristina’s afternoon tea is not to be missed.
A daily ritual served around 4:00 - 5:00 pm, it invites passengers to gather for a selection of finger sandwiches and dainty French pâtisseries. Enjoyed in the Lounge as sunlight dances on the water, this serene mid-afternoon break perfectly encapsulates the cruise’s commitment to offering not just a meal, but an experience.
AmaWaterways Dinner
Dinner is a lively time on the ship, as everyone gathers to recount the adventures of their day over a feast.
The final full meal of the day is served in the Main Restaurant from 7:00 to 8:30pm each night. It features a multi-course meal with beautiful culinary creations inspired by the region through which the ship is sailing.
Meals often feature local ingredients, and wine pairings are included to complement the dishes (scroll down to the wine section below for examples).
There are two ordering options at dinner:
- a Chef's Recommendation menu, which include a set appetizer, salad, soup, main course, and dessert
- an a la carte menu, which includes many of the same dishes plus a few more options, which you can mix and match.
Like lunch, there are also "Always Available" options for dinner. On our cruise, these included beef ribeye steak, grilled chicken breast, a salmon filet, and Caesar salad.
Some of my favorite dinner dishes (pictured above) on our cruise included:
- Filet de Boeuf Rossini (slow roasted beef tenderloin)
- the beef ribeye steak from the Always Available menu
- duck breast
- halibut in lobster sauce
AmaWaterways Chef's Table
For discerning diner who wants the ultimate tasting menu experience, be sure to make a reservation for the Chef’s Table. This is the only restaurant that requires a reservation onboard AmaWaterways cruise ships. And, it's available at no additional charge.
Located on the opposite end of the Main Restaurant on the AmaKristina, the 28-seat Chef's Table restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows, giving diners exciting views if dining on a sailing night.
The menu is the same each night, so if you decide to make reservations for dinner here more than once during your cruise, know that you will be enjoying the same meal each night.
On our cruise, the Chef's Table menu included (pictured above, from left to right, top to bottom):
- Chef's Welcome: confit heirloom tomato, mozzarella pearls, basil oil olive powder
- grilled tiger shrimp with tahini hummus and sun-dried tomato pesto
- cauliflower velouté
- pan fried salmon trout with pumpkin mash, swiss chard, and a white wine sauce
- raspberry sorbet, as a palate cleanser
- Argentinian beef striploin with jus, horseradish puree, sweet potato fondant, heritage carrots, and broccoli
- a dessert plate with salted caramel chocolate tart, lime macaron, cherry sorbet, and fresh berries.
The meal was beautifully timed and presented, and each dish tasted fantastic. No complaints here! Oddly enough, my favorite was the raspberry sorbet. I love a good palate cleanser, and this one was bursting with bright berries.
Chef's Table Wines
Our meal was accompanied by two French wines: 6eme Sens IGP OC Gerard Betrand 2019 and Ego Languedoc AOP Domaine-Cazes. The first is a delightfully refreshing white wine made with Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Viognier grapes. An interesting combination that results in a fruity, floral, citrusy acidic white wine.
The second is a classic GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) red wine. It was a rich, full-bodied, elegant wine with a lovely finish.
AmaWaterways Beverages
Enhancing the onboard dining experience is the thoughtfully curated beverage selection, which elevates every meal.
At breakfast, sparkling wine complements freshly squeezed juices and a decadent spread of pastries, cheeses, and fruits.
Lunch and dinner bring an array of fine wines and beers, perfectly paired with the cuisine.
Each night, there were two main bottles of wine featured with dinner. These were usually wines local to the general region you are sailing through.
Imagine savoring a robust Syrah while enjoying the delicate complexity of a Lyonnaise quenelle. Or toasting with a crisp rosé as you float past Provençal lavender fields.
On sailing nights, there is a Sip and Sail Cocktail Hour from 6:00 - 7:00pm the Lounge. During this time, the Cocktail and Mocktail of the Day and other drinks are included.
On the second to last night, there is usually a Farewell Cocktail with the crew in the Lounge before dinner.
AmaWaterways Onboard Dining Tips
Tips:
- Try to get to the Main Restaurant right at opening times for lunch and dinner. The best tables fill up quickly!
- There are two semi-private dining rooms for larger parties. These are located right at the entrance of the Main Restaurant. There are no reservations, so if you want to sit there with a larger group of people, just be sure someone snags one of those tables right at the start of meal time.
- Use meal times as a way to get to know your fellow cruisers. For some meals, we sat with the group of writers who were also covering the cruise. For others, we had the good fortune of sitting with wonderful strangers who felt like old friends by the time our cruise ended. You can meet some truly incredible people on river cruises!
- Make your reservation for the Chef's Table once you are onboard. You have to make reservations by 2pm the day of, but because seating is limited, I recommend not waiting until the day of to make your reservation.
AmaWaterways Onboard Dining FAQs
On some nights on some ships, there are Late Night Snack offerings. These are usually available in the Lounge and are included in the cruise price. Otherwise, there is complementary coffee, tea, and water in the Lounge offered 24 hours a day.
Breakfast and lunch are casual; nice shorts or jeans with t-shirts or casual tops are fine. However, you'll want to pack dressier clothing for dinner. Most women wore dresses, skirts, or slacks and nice blouses; most men wore buttoned-up dress shirts or nice sweaters with slacks. Some men wore jackets while others did not. Some guests dressed up more formally for the Chef's Table dining experience, and also for the Gala Dinner usually held the second to the last night of the cruise.
Yes! Each stateroom has a mini fridge, perfect for those late night or early morning snacks you might pick up at each port.
No, there are no coffee makers or tea kettles in the individual rooms. However, by the lounge you'll find a complementary tea, coffee, and water station that is open 24 hours a day.
As someone who has a variety of food sensitivities, I found it fairly easy to find something I could not only eat but heartily enjoy at each and every meal. That said, there is always a vegetarian option, and there were a few vegan options throughout the week. Be sure to let your server know if you have any dietary restrictions or questions at each meal.
There is no room service onboard the AmaKristina. However, you can order food to take back to your room from the Main Restaurant. And we took back breakfast plates from the Lounge on a couple of days when we didn't feel like a full sit-down breakfast in the Main Restaurant.
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Disclosure: This was part of an AmaWaterways press trip along the Rhone River. All opinions and photos are, as always, our own.
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