NEW YORK -- Michelin-starred French chef Daniel Boulud's first restaurant at sea on the upcoming Celebrity Beyond will serve a menu inspired by almost anything but the French cuisine that made him famous.
Celebrity Cruises revealed in April that its third Edge-class ship would have Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud, a 50-seat eatery with a menu based on the region where the ship is sailing.
At an event on Sept. 27 at Boulud's newest restaurant in New York, Le Pavillon, the celebrity chef said that Le Voyage will offer fine dining with a casual approach and will feature "everything but French cuisine."
"At Le Voyage we are trying to create something intimate and a unique experience," he said, adding that he intends for it to be a place where people have onboard celebrations. "Le Voyage is about creating an experience that will be as memorable as if you were to be onshore and go to a starred restaurant. That's very much the idea."
Cornelius Gallagher, Celebrity's vice president of food and beverage, called the eatery "a jewel box restaurant." The cover charge will be $75 or $125 for a tasting menu.
To show off the eatery, Boulud served a menu of yellowfin tuna with fennel pollen, yuzu-cured Long Island fluke, a slow cooked halibut with ginger consommé and a black angus strip loin served with tellicherry peppercorn sauce.
Previewing the supersized Sunset Bar
Also attending the event was designer Nate Berkus, who is behind the Beyond's Sunset Bar, which Celebrity said will be a supersized version of the ones on the Edge and Apex.
The Beyond is the largest of the Edge-class ships, its main open deck being 40% larger. This gave Celebrity the opportunity to expand the Sunset Bar to almost twice its current size in a two-level space that Berkus said would have the international beach club ambience he's experienced at beaches in Uruguay and the south of France.
Berkus said that when touring the Edge, he told Celebrity Cruises CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo that the Sunset Bar, situated at the top aft of the ship, could be so much more than what it is now.
"I said, this could be so incredible -- it could be a destination," Berkus said, adding that after traveling to so many beautiful places and realizing his version of beauty is the comfort and elegance of a beach club where everyone is "in the same spirit, where children are running around and sunburnt and the drinks are delicious."
The Sunset Bar will have a pergola-covered entrance, a U-shaped bar, daybed niches and "the best view on the ship. Nothing but the sea," Berkus said.
At the event, Moroccan-inspired cocktails that represented the bar's menu were a Marrakesh Mule made with mint tea and the Mai Kaab Tai, which mixed rum and homemade orgeat, an almond syrup.
Also revealed was a new partnership and cocktail concept with spirit producer Diageo. Celebrity served gin and vodka drinks with crème de violette as an example of the cocktails mixologists will serve at the World Class Bar.
In total, there will be 32 food-and-beverage experiences on the Beyond, including 15 restaurants, five cafes and 12 bars and lounges.
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