Viking Vidar Dining

4.5 / 5.0
145 reviews
Editor Rating
4.0
Very Good
Dining
Sarah Wyatt
Contributor

Vidar Restaurant (Middle Deck): Known by staff as simply "The Restaurant," the dining room features open seating plans, tables and panoramic windows. There are tables for four, six and eight diners. The decor is casual yet stylish, with attractive linens and table settings at every meal. Local wine and beer are included at no charge, and reservations are unnecessary. While breakfast and lunch is on the upscale side of standard, the gourmet dinners are the star of the vessel's culinary show. Dining hours vary, with breakfast generally served from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and dinner is seated at 7 p.m.

The day begins for most passengers with a large breakfast buffet. There are regional offerings such as cold muesli, in addition to cold meats, dried fruit, fish and local cheese. A small dry cereal table sports a few American favorites such as Cheerios. A chef is on hand daily to create custom omelets.  The efficient wait staff serve coffee and juice. There is a limited breakfast menu for those who wish to order daily specials such as pancakes, but the generous and diverse buffet appears to suffice for most.

Passengers also largely prefer to have lunch by buffet, which offers regional specialties as well as contemporary cuisine. One or more chefs attend a large custom pasta station. A long salad bar is also a popular option. As with breakfast, the amiable wait staff attends to drink orders. There is also a menu offering two or three appetizers such as cheese soup, three main courses such as sauerkraut and sausage plus local desserts like a mousse that was offered while in Strasbourg.

The evening dinner is seated at 7 p.m., but diners who arrive a few minutes early or later are quickly accommodated, which eliminates a line-up at the entrance. Dinner features table service, with selections available for special dietary needs including vegetarian and gluten-free. Half-orders are graciously accommodated. Popular appetizers at the restaurant are the regional cheese plates, crab cakes, French bread and steamed clams. Lauded main courses are the filet mignon with root vegetables, crab ravioli, vegetarian marinara and linguini, halibut with hollandaise sauce, Atlantic salmon and duck l'orange. Many guests conclude the feast with cannoli, French pastries or fruit plates.

Aquavit Terrace (Upper Deck): This airy, spacious outdoor seating area at the bow of the ship is suited for casual, quick meals. Its limited buffet offers some selections from the main restaurant downstairs, and is open throughout most of the day for all three meals. There is always a main selection from each meal's menu from the dining room downstairs, such as carved meats or poached salmon. The location is ideal for a light salad and soup at lunchtime. Passengers also use the space for small post-meal gatherings, meeting friends for drinks in the fresh air or enjoying the river views. Local wine and beer are included at no charge, and reservations are unnecessary.

Tea & Coffee Corner (Upper Deck): This 24-hour, self-serve tea and coffee bar boasts user-friendly espresso machines, several tea and coffee choices, fruit, sparkling water, pastries and cookies.

Room Service: Viking Vidar does not have room service, except for breakfast offered for Explorer Suite passengers only.

Restaurants

  • Aquavit Terrace - Casual
  • Bar - Panoramic Bar*
  • Restaurant - International
  • * May require additional fees

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