When it comes to dining at sea, Virgin Voyages pushes the boundaries of what a cruise ship restaurant can be. Their Test Kitchen is part culinary lab, part fine-dining experience, and it’s unlike anything else you’ll find on the ocean. Check out our deep-dive of Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen Menu C with Photos!
This one-of-a-kind venue offers a five-course tasting menu that evolves throughout your sailing. Diners can choose from multiple set menus (A, B, or C), with each designed to surprise your palate with unexpected ingredients, inventive techniques, and creative presentations. And with two options for each course (standard and vegetarian), everyone can find something to enjoy at Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen!
In this post, we’re diving into Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen Menu C, showing you every course along with what makes it stand out.
What Is the Test Kitchen on Virgin Voyages?
Test Kitchen isn’t your typical cruise ship restaurant. Inspired by laboratory-style cooking, the design mixes industrial-chic decor with science-driven cuisine. Think test tubes, beakers, and sleek metal surfaces setting the stage for a menu that feels more like a culinary experiment than a traditional dinner.
Each menu is a set tasting experience. You won’t be handed a traditional à la carte menu. Instead, you’ll get a list of ingredients or course titles, leaving the preparation and presentation as a surprise until your dish arrives. This format makes every meal at Test Kitchen feel like an adventure.
Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen Menu C: Course by Course
Let’s dive in and take a look at each course on Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen Menu C!
First Course
The first course on the standard menu is the Eel / Soy. It comes with a sesame charcoal tweel. I expected with a description like “sesame charcoal” for it to add more flavor to the dish. Instead, it’s clear this was added to give the dish texture, without altering the flavor much. Overall, the dish is very light. Even though we’re not seafood lovers, we ate every bite.
Second Course
For the second course, we asked if we could also try the item from the Vegetarian side of the menu. Our server said, “Absolutely!” In fact, she offered to bring us one from each side of the menu the rest of the dinner!
The Scallop / Black Garlic dish was served under a glass dome that the chef had smoked. This gave the dish a unique element and a wonderful scent as the dome was pulled back. The scallops were cut thin with black garlic dollops on top. While this was definitely more fish-forward than the eel, the fresh dill absolutely balanced the dish out! A+ on presentation.
The Vegetable Papillote was steamed and served in the paper it was cooked in. While others at the table enjoyed this dish, this was the least flavorful to me. The veggies were all steamed to perfection, I just wanted more flavor. Even though the Scallop / Black Garlic dish was more fish-forward than I would prefer, that fresh dill made it a winner of Second Course in my book.
Third Course
The third course features a Cheese Tart or Tofu / Berries (vegetarian).
The Cheese Tart (left )was not at all what we expected. As you can see from the photo, it’s very mushroom forward. The goat cheese and goji berries were a wonderful combination, however, Rocky nor I understood the mushrooms on this dish. It just felt confusing. And the pie crust that the entire dish was served in was difficult to cut and didn’t have much flavor. Just give me the goat cheese, goji berries, and some bread to enjoy it with and I’d be a happy camper.
The Tofu / Berries (right) option wasn’t much better. Once again, the dish was topped with mushrooms. The tofu inside didn’t have a lot of flavor. The berries were the star of this dish. And, once again, the pie crust had very little flavor, but it was much easier to cut. We scraped out the filling from this dish and used the pie crust as a cracker for the Cheese Tart.
This was the course we enjoyed the least.
Fourth Course
The fourth course includes the Study of Chicken and the Gnocchi / Squash.
The Study of Chicken presented chicken prepared three ways. It’s served on a bed of asparagus mashed potatoes, which were fascinating and flavorful. Though, it definitely just tasted like pureed asparagus for those who might not be a fan. 😉
This was the largest portion size we’ve ever seen at Test Kitchen. We wonder if this has to do with feedback the brand has received on small portion sizes. In our opinion, it was too much. And, in true Test Kitchen style, the dish was a bit bizarre. The compressed chicken block was so much food itself and not very good. Then you had chicken tenderloins (flavorful, and great with the “potatoes”). There was a third piece of chicken underneath the pile. I’m still not quite sure what it was.
The Gnocchi / Squash featured gnocchi made of tofu. I was really surprised as you would never have known this wasn’t traditional gnocchi! The texture was maybe a bit gummier than usual, but overall, it passed with flying colors. Flavor was really enjoyable and I actually liked this this more than Study of Chicken overall.
Side note, by this time, we were starting to get full! But our amazing servers just kept the food coming! Believe it or not, other than the compressed chicken block, very little food was left after the fourth course!
Fifth Course
It’s time for dessert. The fifth course features Yuzu / Meringue and Coconut / Berries.
When the Yuzu / Meringue (left) was delivered to the table, no one wanted to cut into it with how absolutely stunning it looked. This was probably our favorite presentation of the entire meal. Just look at how vibrant it is, and how unique it looks. While it’s a bit difficult to see, it’s a multi-layered dish with meringue stars. The crust was a little difficult to cut through, but everything worked so perfectly together. Definitely a 5 out of 5 dish.
The Coconut / Berries (right) featured a coconut “cream” that sat atop a cookie crumble with some strawberry triangles and blueberries. It also featured a piece of “glass” sugar that added sweetness. I mean, I don’t want to sound like I didn’t appreciate our servers bringing this dish, but just look at the two pictures side by side. There’s no comparison. Get the Yuzu / Meringue! The Coconut / Berries was fine. The fruit was, well, just what you’d expect from strawberries and blueberries. And the coconut cream and crumbles were nice. Just not a wow presentation or dish.
Service with a Smile
Special thanks to both Lisa and Emma for taking such amazing care of us each time we visited Test Kitchen. We had a wonderful time on Resilient Lady and both Lisa and Emma helped make that happen. Don’t miss our Resilient Lady Review when it comes out; sign up for our newsletter today!
Full Menu Test Kitchen C Menu
As a summary, the below is the full Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen Menu C by course:
| Standard Menu | Vegetarian Menu |
| Eel / Soy Scallop / Black Garlic Cheese Tart Study of Chicken Yuzu / Meringue | Eggplant / Nori Vegetable Papillote Tofu / Berries Gnocchi / Squash Coconut / Berries |
Final Thoughts on Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen Menu C
Whether you’re a foodie at heart or just curious to try something bold, Virgin Voyages’ Test Kitchen is a must-try restaurant at sea. Menu C shows just how playful, experimental, and delicious this dining venue can be. With that said, we also know that Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen isn’t for everyone! That’s why we wanted to share a bit more about each dish with photos. If the thought of this gastronomic experience has you squirming, we might recommend one of Virgin Voyages’ other culinary options for dinner.
If you’re sailing soon, don’t miss your chance to book a table at the Test Kitchen. it’s one of the most talked-about experiences onboard and for good reason.
Would you be brave enough to try Virgin Voyages Test Kitchen Menu C options? Let us know in the comments. And if you’re ready to book your next Virgin Voyages sailing, you can do so via Rocky’s Portal! Of course, you can also reach out directly; Rocky loves hearing from you. And don’t forget to match your status by October 31.