Holland America Line’s Rotterdam is the newest ship in the cruise line’s fleet. This flagship offers several dining options, including a number of specialty restaurants. Among those featured is the French brasserie from master chef Rudi Sodamin. Is this restaurant worth the up-charge? Well, we share all of the delicious details, and the restaurant menu, in our Rudi’s Sel de Mer Review.
Rudi’s Sel de Mer Restaurant Review
For our Eastern Caribbean cruise on Rotterdam, we made several specialty dining reservations pre-cruise.
Since Rudi’s Sel de Mer is one of the more upscale restaurants on Rotterdam, we made our reservation at this restaurant for the first gala night. For our trip, this happened to be night 2.
Luckily, we were able to secure our preferred dining time at 6 pm. Given this was a sea day, it gave us ample time to get ready for this more refined dining experience.
Located on deck 2, midship, Rudi’s Sel de Mer is well positioned across from the Ocean Bar. Likewise, it is only a few steps away from the new Half Moon Bar. So, regardless of which bar or lounge on Holland America Line you prefer, you won’t have far to go for your pre-dinner drink.
All dressed up for the occasion, we arrived at the restaurant a few minutes after 6 pm. Once we checked in, we were greeted and escorted to a comfortable table for two.
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Inside the Restaurant
When compared to other venues on the ship, Rudi’s Sel de Mer stands out for its rich and elaborate décor.
The small, intimate restaurant has a warm and welcoming feel. The venue is draped in lush red colors with floral accents, emulating an aura of romance.
The private setting provides the perfect atmosphere for diners to enjoy the savory seafood and French delicacies found on the menu.
With only about half of the venue occupied, a head waiter was quick to approach our table with two complimentary welcome cocktails. This bubbly libation featured sparkling wine and armagnac, a French cognac. It was certainly a classy way to begin our gala night.
Shortly after settling in, our waiter came by to review the menu and take our drink order. Even though we did receive the French cocktail, we also ordered another round of drinks. After all, we had a Holland America Line Drink Package.
Dinner at Rudi’s Sel de Mer
Since Rudi’s Sel de Mer menu is heavy on seafood, the Princess ordered the dessert cheese platter as her starter. This artisanal display included a variety of cheese selections and dried fruits.
Living in New England, and being a seafood lover, I am a tough critic when it comes to evaluating seafood restaurants on cruise ships.
For my starters, I put two of the seafood selections to the test. First was the marinated lobster. This small lobster tail was served chilled, with light lemon sauce.
Personally, I preferred my second selection, the fried calamari. This traditional appetizer was crispy and well-prepared allowing the natural flavor of the squid to shine.
As a main course, the Princess ordered the traditional coq au vin. This entrée was a hefty portion of chicken and vegetables simmering in a red wine sauce.
This dish offered an unique take on the traditional French stew, and the wife gave it two thumbs up.
Given that there were several mouthwatering options on the menu, I had a difficult time choosing my entrée. In the end, I opted for the bouillabaisse. I am so glad I did!
This equally hearty stew included various selections of seafood. Among the inclusions were shrimp, muscles, clams, and two types of fish. The vegetable-based stock offered additional zest to the already well-prepared seafood.
Not to mention, this stew paired perfectly with the crusty French bread.
As the meal progressed, our waiter became less attentive. With our entrees done in a reasonable timeframe, it took quite a while for the waitstaff to clear our plates. Not that we couldn’t use a little time to digest before our final course though.
To make sure we didn’t leave hungry, our waiter delivered a small selection of truffles and chocolates before our dessert.
Already quite full, it was finally time for the real dessert. My apple tarte tatin was the clear favorite. It was not overly sweet, with supple apples atop of a buttery crisp crust and topped with some cinnamon ice cream.
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Recap of Our Rudi’s Sel de Mer Restaurant Review
Rudi’s Sel de Mer is a rare gem when it comes to cruise ship specialty restaurants. The restaurant surprised us with its unique take on authentic dishes.
With formal service and an elegant dining room, your French delicacies are coupled with the VIP treatment you would expect to find at a luxury restaurant back home.
My seafood stew was flavorful and fresh, something I can not always say about the seafood offerings on cruise ships. The Princess was equally satisfied with her coq au vin, indicating it was better than other versions of this dish she’s had in the past.
The starters and desserts too were the perfect compliments to our entrée selections.
Overall, our meal did take two hours, even though the restaurant was pretty empty. This was mainly due to the lag time between our entrees and dessert.
Priced at $40 per person (plus 18% service charge) when reserving pre-cruise, we feel Rudi’s Sel de Mer is a great value. This cover charge is less than similar styled restaurants on competitor cruise lines.
For travelers looking for something a bit different and upscale during their next Holland America Line cruise, we suggest dining at Rudi’s Sel de Mer. We certainly plan to visit again on another sailing with the cruise line.
Comments
Do you agree with our Rudi’s Sel de Mer Review? Have you dined at this specialty restaurant on Holland America Line before? Drop us an anchor below with your specialty dining restaurant reviews.
We looked forward to a big celebration evening (fiftieth anniversary) at Rudis del Mar, having read great reviews like yours. Maybe we were there in an off night, but we were quite disappointed. My lobster, which is what the waiter recommended, was overcooked, tough and tasteless. My husband’s filet was large and tender but rather flavorless. The accompanying ratatouille was good. The dessert was mediocre and the waiter had the personality of a damp washcloth. I think he was not made for this line of work. The food at Tamarind is far superior and so is the food served in the dining room and even on the Lido deck, especially the international fare. To downgrade the food quality for a $100 up charge was not something we’d do again and especially disappointing for a big occasion.