Celebrity Cruises food guide: A look at all the restaurants and dining options on board
It’s amazing how Celebrity Cruises‘ food has changed over the years!
My first Celebrity cruise was on Zenith, the line’s second purpose-built ship. It carried fewer than 2,000 passengers. Breakfast and lunch were served in the ship’s buffet area, and dinner was served at set times in the main dining room. That was it. There were no specialty restaurants.
Today, Celebrity Cruises ships are much larger — with the smallest being almost twice the gross tonnage Zenith had (91,000 gross tonnes versus 47,000 gross tonnes) — and have far more space devoted to food.
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Choices on current Celebrity ships range from complimentary offerings that your cruise fare covers to higher-quality food that comes at an extra cost. With different venues on different ships, all those choices can get confusing. Which Celebrity restaurants will be on your next cruise?
Whether you’ve cruised with Celebrity recently or are new to the line, you need a food guide to keep up with what’s available on which ship. Knowing which food choices each ship has might be a deciding factor in which ship you book.
You might be surprised to learn that food choices can play a big role in which cabin category you choose on Celebrity, as certain cabins and suites grant access to exclusive restaurants and complimentary room service or offer priority seating in specialty venues.
Our Celebrity food guide starts with a list of all the eateries, along with which ships they are found on. After that, you’ll find some of the most-asked questions about Celebrity food. Note: Our guide does not cover the Galapagos expedition ships, but you can expect an indoor dining room and a multipurpose alfresco option on each of those ships.
Blu
Included for AquaClass guests, space-available basis for Retreat guests; breakfast and dinner
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Guests who book an AquaClass spa cabin can access the exclusive restaurant, Blu, for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is a delight, with fresh fruit smoothies included every day. The dinner menu changes daily, plus you can order from the main dining room menu if you’d prefer.
The cruise line’s descriptions of Blu make it sound like it serves spa or healthy food. While there are healthy choices on the menu, I found the menu overall to be more akin to a main dining room’s — but with higher-quality food.
For example, breakfast offerings include fresh fruit smoothies each day — nothing fancy with additives like greens or chia seeds similar to what you can purchase at the Spa Cafe, just tasty fruit in a glass. The atmosphere and service are more like a specialty restaurant. Social media posts are filled with cruisers who book AquaClass rooms specifically for the privilege of dining in Blu.
Available: Fleetwide
Related: The ultimate guide to cruise ship food and dining
Brunch or Dinner on the Edge
Fixed price; brunch and dinner on select days
These two options are alfresco food experiences, rather than separate restaurants. They are scheduled events that take place on the Magic Carpet elevator positioned on the side of the ship. For these events, the Magic Carpet is stationed next to the pool deck (aka resort deck). The dinner menu includes seafood and chateaubriand.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Cabana food
Included and a la carte; all-day dining
If you rent a deck cabana on the Edge Class ships or an Alcove on the Solstice Class ships, you will be presented with an exclusive food menu. The list includes fruit skewers, snacks and sandwiches.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond, Eclipse, Edge, Equinox, Reflection, Silhouette and Solstice
Cafe al Bacio
Included and a la carte; snacks
Expect typical coffee shop fare, including pastries, cakes, tarts and cookies. A few of these are the same as you would find in the buffet at the Oceanview Cafe, but I found that most are exclusive to Cafe al Bacio. On a recent cruise, I enjoyed eclairs, sugar donuts and a slice of luscious red velvet cake. There are typically three or more cookie choices, while the ice cream area in Oceanview typically only has one.
The baked goods are complimentary; coffee and specialty teas are priced a la carte but are included in both the Classic and Premium beverage packages. A gelato counter is found next to or across from the coffee and snack counter. Unlike the ice cream counter in the buffet area, this gelato comes with an added charge. Captain’s Club members receive a free scoop per cruise starting after you earn 2 cruise points or complete your first cruise.
Celebrity Edge Class and Solstice Class ships have a second Cafe al Bacio (called Il Segundo Bacio) located in the Oceanview Cafe buffet area. The menu of drinks (extra charge) matches what you’d find in the main Bacio location on board, which makes it a convenient spot to grab a specialty coffee or glass of wine to accompany your casual meal. Just don’t expect the specialty snacks found at the main location; you can pick up snacks at the buffet instead.
Available: Fleetwide
Cosmopolitan Restaurant
Included and a la carte; breakfast, lunch on sea days and dinner
This is the point at which Celebrity food choices become confusing. In an effort to break away from the traditional main dining room experience, Celebrity Edge Class ships split the main dining room into four distinctly decorated restaurants, each with a menu that is made up of basics available in all four, plus selections that are exclusive to that restaurant. Guests are assigned to one of the four but may opt to dine at any of the other three at any time they choose.
Cosmopolitan, serving daily breakfast and lunch on sea days, is the one most closely resembling a standard main dining room. The dinner menu changes nightly but includes some items that are always available. There are also premium selections of filet mignon and broiled lobster tail that come with an added charge.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Craft Social
A la carte; all-day dining
They had me at “Mac ‘n’ Brie.” Craft Social is a bar, but it has a somewhat secret bar food menu. It’s really only a secret if you don’t typically go there to drink. Everyone who frequents the place knows about the good eats.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Cyprus Restaurant
Included and a la carte; dinner
Cyprus is one of the four main dining rooms on Edge Class ships. It features a basic menu that is available in all four dining rooms, plus an exclusive menu of Mediterranean offerings (think: lamb kabobs or coq au vin).
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Eden Cafe
Included; breakfast and lunch
Celebrity offers breakfast and lunch counter service at Eden Cafe during limited hours. It is near the popular specialty dining venue, Eden Restaurant, but the food served at the cafe is complimentary. Specialty coffees and teas like those served at Cafe al Bacio, plus grab-and-go food and lighter fare like soups and salads come with an added charge.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Eden Restaurant
Fixed price; dinner
This is fine dining with an earthy menu featuring seafood, lamb, beef and chicken entrees. Three different dining experiences are available: the main menu, a seven-course tasting menu with optional wine pairings and a seven-course vegan tasting menu with optional organic wine pairings. The dress code is smart casual, so no need to get all dolled up for a meal here.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Fine Cut Steakhouse
Fixed price; dinner
Celebrity’s version of the American steakhouse features everything you’d expect from a high-end, land-based steakhouse. The menu includes grilled seafood, steaks, chicken and lamb, as well as prime rib. Topping choices range from bearnaise to blue cheese to black truffle butter. Additional entrees come with an extra charge, as do dry-aged beef cuts.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Related: The best cruise ship steakhouses and steak-serving restaurants
Lawn Club Grill
Fixed price; lunch and dinner
Celebrity puts a twist on backyard barbecue with the Lawn Club Grill. At this grill restaurant, you can sit back and enjoy the view of the ocean beyond the only real grass yard at sea while you wait to be served. The menu includes a full salad bar, custom flatbread pizza appetizers and a list of desserts that makes me want to keep going back until I’ve tried them all. At the top of my list is the warm chocolate chip cookie, which is not a cookie at all but rather cookie dough baked in a 4-inch ramekin until crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside; it’s served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Available on: Celebrity Reflection and Silhouette
Le Grande Bistro
Fixed price; breakfast, lunch and dinner
Imagine a French sidewalk cafe at sea serving warm croissants with Nutella at breakfast and a daily special that ranges from baked ham sandwiches on French baguettes to pan-seared Dover sole.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Le Petit Chef
Fixed price; dinner
The experience at Le Petit Chef goes far beyond the food on the plate. That’s because the entire table comes to life with an animated show throughout the meal. The menu is broken into two options: Le Menu Extraordinaire and “The Other Menu.” The first features chicken, while the “other” choice is a filet mignon. Both lean toward rich French cuisine.
Available: Fleetwide
Related: 7 reasons you should treat yourself to a cruise ship specialty restaurant
Luminae
Included for Retreat guests; breakfast, lunch on sea days and dinner
Expect food that is a notch above even some of the specialty dining options on board. Service is designed to cater to your every need. Breakfast offers a choice of staples, while the lunch and dinner menus rotate daily.
Available: Fleetwide
Main dining room
Included and a la carte; breakfast, lunch on sea days and dinner
Each non-Edge Class ship in the fleet has a single, multistory main dining room. The main dining room has a different name on each ship. The food is complimentary, except for extra a la carte options available each night. The menu changes daily and is available in the Celebrity app, on your cabin’s interactive TV and posted near the dining room.
All Celebrity ships, except the expedition vessels, have the option to choose traditional early and late dining where you sit at the same table at the same time with the same people and the same set of servers each night.
Alternatively, guests can select the line’s flexible dining option, called Celebrity Select Anytime Dining. You will be assigned to a specific floor of the dining room (or a specific dining room on Edge Class ships). You can make reservations for specific times each day, which gets you seated quickly and often with the added benefit of dining with the same servers each night. If you do not make reservations, you can show up when you’re ready and wait for an available table. Without reservations, you might have to wait a while to be seated. Diners on the flexible plan can ask to try different tables and different servers throughout the week.
Available on: Non-Edge Class ships
Magic Carpet restaurant
A la carte; lunch and dinner
The Magic Carpet is the elevator-style platform attached to the side of all Edge Class ships. When the platform is positioned next to Raw on 5, it features a menu that includes favorites from the Raw on 5 menu but with extras. For example, the lunch menu includes a turkey club sandwich and a lobster roll, as well as fish and chips.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Related: 12 dining mistakes you must fix on your next cruise
Mast Grill
Included; lunch and dinner
The Mast Grill is your go-to spot for poolside burgers and hot dogs along with all the toppings, fries and onion rings. It’s ideal for a quick alfresco bite before or after a port excursion.
Available: Fleetwide
Murano
Fixed price; dinner
Murano serves French cuisine in a fine dining setting. Guests have the choice of the five-course tasting menu called “Five Senses” or their own starter and entree, among a broad selection of meat, poultry and fish options. Caviar is available at market price.
Available on: Celebrity Eclipse, Equinox, Reflection, Silhouette, Solstice and Summit
Normandie Restaurant
Included and a la carte; dinner
If you can’t get enough French-inspired food or you like it but not enough to splurge on it in a specialty restaurant, you can dine at this French-inspired main dining room for free. You can choose from the basics served in all main dining rooms or opt for the Normandie exclusives, such as sirloin en croute or duck confit.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Oceanview Cafe
Included; breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Oceanview Cafe is the ship’s buffet eatery. Expect a full range of globally inspired foods at every meal. Cooked-to-order egg, pancake and waffle stations are the center of breakfast choices. At lunch, look for meat-carving stations, salads, sandwich-making bars and a fresh pizza station. Plus, there’s ice cream by the scoop. Dinner includes pizza, pasta and salad stations, plus cook-to-order stir fry and grilling stations.
Available: Fleetwide
Related: Cruise ship buffet taboos: 10 things you should never do at mealtime
Raw on 5
A la carte; lunch and dinner
As the name suggests, Raw on 5 is the spot to get your sushi (or even your oyster) fix on Edge Class ships. The menu goes beyond just sushi with a modern Japanese menu that includes cooked dishes like chicken teriyaki and pan-seared rib-eye medallions.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Rooftop Garden Grill
Fixed price; lunch and dinner
Start with spicy wings and work your way through a choice of burgers, pizza, kabobs or ribs at this alfresco, top-of-ship restaurant. Imagine summer backyard party food to get a sense of what to expect.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Spa Cafe
Included and a la carte; breakfast and lunch
The solarium is the spot to seek out healthy alternatives to heavy cruise food. Fruit and yogurt cups, salads, light sandwiches, wraps and granola are yours for the taking each day. Smoothies and fresh juices are available for an extra charge or come included if you purchase a drink package.
Available: Fleetwide
Sushi on Five
A la carte; lunch and dinner
With a more limited menu than its Edge Class cousin, Sushi on Five features traditional sushi and sashimi with only a few non-seafood options. The Kobe Beef Ramen Slider might be the perfect secret menu item for that stubborn travel companion who just doesn’t do sushi.
Available on: Celebrity Constellation, Eclipse, Equinox, Infinity, Millennium and Reflection
The Porch Seafood Restaurant
Fixed price; lunch and dinner
Picture yourself at a seaside resort in the Hamptons noshing on lobster rolls or a basket of blackened mahi-mahi tacos. Oh wait, you’re not really in the Hamptons; you’re cruising on one of only two ships in the Celebrity fleet with this unique semi-enclosed restaurant on Deck 15. Opening hours are weather dependent — high winds would be the main cause for a closure. The venue has limited seating, so you’ll need reservations.
Available on: Celebrity Reflection and Silhouette
The Retreat Lounge
Included for Retreat guests; lunch and snacks
The Retreat Lounge serves up bar bites, gourmet snacks and even gourmet burgers on occasion. Check with servers for what’s available to munch on each day.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Tuscan Grill
Fixed price; lunch and dinner
Combine all things Italian with a classic steakhouse, and you’ll find yourself in Tuscan Grill. The menu is extensive enough for you to dine here multiple times. From soup to pasta and pizza to entrees featuring beef, chicken or seafood, you can’t really go wrong with this choice.
Available on: Celebrity Constellation, Equinox, Infinity, Millennium, Reflection, Silhouette, Solstice and Summit
Tuscan Restaurant
Included and a la carte; dinner
Not to be confused with the Tuscan Grill, the fourth and final main dining room choice on Edge Class ships is inspired by Italy. Traditional options are still available, or go all in on the exclusives, such as slow-roasted pork chops or roasted chicken with Asiago cheese sauce.
Available on: Celebrity Apex, Ascent, Beyond and Edge
Frequently asked Celebrity food questions
How does the main dining room work?
At booking, you are offered a choice between traditional times, designated as early or late, or flexible dining called Celebrity Select Anytime Dining.
Do I need reservations for dinner in a specialty restaurant?
Waiter-served, extra-fee restaurants — whether fixed price or a la carte — typically require reservations. Popular choices with limited seating might fill all available time slots as soon as reservations open. As such, it’s better to make a reservation to ensure you get the time slot you prefer.
What do ‘a la carte’ and ‘fixed price’ mean?
A la carte pricing refers to restaurants where the food is priced per item. You only pay for what you order. An entire menu might be individually priced, as in Raw on 5, or you might only see a few items with prices on an otherwise complimentary menu, as in the main dining room.
Fixed price indicates that dining at the restaurant has a single cover charge for the full meal. Many of Celebrity’s fixed-price restaurants have more than one cover charge option. For example, you might select a tasting menu that will have a higher fixed price.
Most also have a la carte choices that are an extra price over and above the cover price. Examples of that are the aged beef options at Fine Cut Steakhouse.
Beverages other than tea, coffee and water are an added charge at fixed-price restaurants unless specifically stated as being included or part of a beverage package.
Which beverages are included with my cruise fare?
Drip coffee, tap water, hot and iced tea, milk and one or more flavored drinks like fruit punch or lemonade dispensed from drink machines are included in the cost of your cruise. All other beverages can be purchased individually, or you can buy a beverage package to pay for unlimited drinks in advance (fine print applies). Read our guide to Celebrity Cruises drink packages for details.
Is there room service, and what does it cost?
Room service is available in all cabins. Continental breakfast is available at no charge; choices include coffee, pastries, fruit and cold cereal. Hot breakfast, lunch, dinner and all snacks incur a delivery charge of $9.95 plus 20% gratuity. The food itself is mostly complimentary, but select items are priced a la carte.
How do specialty dining packages work?
To lower your specialty dining costs, you can buy a multinight package or an unlimited dining package. These are all available for purchase in the cruise planner before sailing. The unlimited package allows you to dine at any specialty restaurant each night of your cruise, plus enjoy lunches when they are available.
Does Celebrity charge extra for lobster?
Lobster tails may be ordered any night of the cruise for an extra charge in the main dining room. If complimentary lobster is served in the dining room as part of the menu, only one lobster tail is included. Additional lobsters are charged to your bill.
Do Captain’s Club members have access to Blu or Luminae?
No. Only guests staying in The Retreat suites may enjoy Luminae, and Blu is primarily for AquaClass cabin guests. Retreat passengers may dine in Blu if there is space available.
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