Oceania Cruises brings its French restaurant Jacques aboard the Allura in July

Oceania Cruises is slated to bring its signature French restaurant Jacques aboard its newest ship Allura when it sets sail this July.

Named after renowned chef Jacques Pépin who founded Oceania Cruises’ culinary philosophy and was also its first-ever executive culinary director, this sophisticated restaurant is already a crowd favourite with passengers sailing on the Marina and Riviera.

Jacques will also make its debut aboard Allura’s sister-ship Vista this October, joining the Polo Grill steakhouse, Italian restaurant Toscana, and pan-Asian Red Ginger on all four of the line’s over 1,200 guest ships.

All hail to the patriarch

Oceania Cruises president Frank A Del Rio said: “Jacques is our culinary patriarch, having been a member of the culinary team since day one. His creativity and expertise form the very heart of our philosophy The Finest Cuisine at Sea, which drives everything we do. Bringing this fabulous restaurant to Allura as she launches this summer, and to Vista later in the year, means the world to me, and the entire Oceania Cruises family.”

Oceania Cruises’ two executive culinary directors who are also master chefs of France Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale will be working with Pépin to bring new flavours to the menu.

They will also hone the well-loved dishes that have been on the menu since Jacques was first introduced to the fleet when Marina was launched.

Opening a new chapter

Pépin commented: “I am so excited to be writing the next chapter of Jacques with my friends and colleagues Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale. This is the perfect opportunity to experiment with some delicious new dishes and to explore unique ways to serve some of the classics that our guests have come to know and love. We have lots of exciting plans for this latest iteration of Jacques. I cannot wait to share them.”

Quaretti added: “It is wonderful to bring Jacques to our two newest ships, and I am thrilled to be working alongside the man himself to create this latest version of our signature French restaurant. When considering this new generation of Jacques, it was very important for me to introduce recipes from personal childhood memories and to share my vision of French family food as well as honoring the classic French bistro experience.”

Guests can look forward to more experiential dining in Jacques through the introduction of tableside service for a range of new dishes, including beef tartare. 

This, plus new, carefully chosen crockery, glassware, and silverware to reinforce the importance of l’art de la table, augments the authentic Parisian bistro experience.