Eden Restaurant on board Celebrity Cruises

In November 2022, we sailed on Celebrity Cruise Lines for the first time. For several years, I had been following the build of Celebrity Apex and was booked on the inaugural sailing. Sadly, like many of you, COVID and the CDC had other plans!

When we finally got on the ship, we were BLOWN AWAY. We recorded a full review of the ship, what we loved, what we didn’t love, and what we hated.

We also recorded our experience at specialty upcharge restaurant, Eden.

Eden Restaurant

According to Celebrity Cruises, Eden is “Where dining is taken to new and exciting places.” The specialty upcharge restaurant is available on Edge-class ships, including Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, and Celebrity Beyond. While on board, we were told that Celebrity is working to get a Michelin Star for the dining establishment – and it shows!

Ambiance

You enter Eden Restaurant through the Eden lounge and bar area at the aft of the ship. You make your way down the grand staircase to make your big entrance and stop by the host stand to confirm your reservation and be seated. We were tucked away near the back of the restaurant where we had full view to the open-air kitchen. At night, the space is dark and intimate. We were worried that it would be loud with the Eden lounge and bar above us, but that was not an issue at all, nor was there much noise from the open-air kitchen. It was definitely a great spot for date night or a place to celebrate a special occasion.

Menu

Celebrity provides a sample menu on their website, but emphasizes that selections may change. Our server reiterated this message letting us know that the menu rotates.

With that said, here’s what we got to enjoy for our Thanksgiving meal (and, yes, you can try multiple appetizers; in fact, we highly encourage it!):

Appetizers

• TANDOORI STYLE BEEF
  shredded vegetables, creamy polenta, hot tomato spice marinade
• REUBEN RACLETTE
  homemade pickles, marble potatoes, rye, dijon mustard, raclette cheese
• JUMBO LUMP CRAB CAKE
  creamy chipotle, piquillo, cucumber, dill
• TRUFFLED HUITLACOCHE RISOTTO
  hen of the wood mushrooms, pea tendrils, mascarpone
• MULLIGATAWNY SOUP
  coriander, coconut, dhana dahl

Mains

• FREE RANGE LAMB LOIN
  dijon herb crust, apple, turnips, salsify, croissant, lamb roasting juices
• FILET MIGNON AND MINI SHORT RIB WELLINGTON
  mashed potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms, bordelaise

We also enjoyed a Meyer Lemon Tart dessert at Azteca Chocolate Pie. The Butterscotch Creme Brulee sounded amazing, but we were so full that we just couldn’t justify ordering a third dessert. But then the chef surprised us with a special dessert that included a variety of bites on a bed of crushed red velvet “dirt.” Ironically, this was probably our favorite of the three desserts we tried.

View a sample of the complete menu courtesy of Celebrity Cruises as of May, 2022.

And here is a photo of our dessert menu:

Cost

Eden Restaurant is not cheap. It’ll set you back a cool $65/person to dine + gratuity (check your specific sailing for actual prices). Our total bill came to just over $150 with gratuity. We had the premium drinks package, so the cocktails and wines we enjoyed with dinner were all included – but had we not had this package, we would have easily paid more than $200 for a single dinner.

Final thought: Is it worth it?

We rarely splurge for upcharge specialty dining venues because we LOVE the food that’s already *included* in the cruise fare. With that said, it was Thanksgiving and we had on board credits, so we decided to go for it. And we are so glad we did! The food and the ambiance were unlike anything we’ve experienced on a cruise ship. I would say my risotto was one of the best menu items I’ve had across all cruise ships and cruise lines.

A friend just recently sailed on Celebrity Beyond and I told her, “You have to try Eden Restaurant!” So I’m already recommending this venue to future sailors.

With that said, I think Eden Restaurant will likely be a one-time dining venue for us that will hold a very special spot in our hearts. While I love being treated like a Celebrity and being taken to “new and exciting places,” the reality is I don’t think a second visit would feel nearly as special. And at a couple hundred bucks for the meal, I just don’t know that it’s worth it to me to do it again when there is so much other amazing food on board the ship.

So, if you’re celebrating a special occasion, sailing for the holidays, or just want to splurge on an epic meal you won’t soon forget, I highly recommend checking out Eden Restaurant on board Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, or coming soon to Celebrity Ascent. And if you do, let us know your thoughts!