Paris: a city of spectacle, a home for romance—perhaps the capital of culture. As one of the most popular cities in Europe, let alone globally, tourism is a staple of Parisian life. One of the great incentivises to visit France is the cuisine, world-renowned as being one of the vanguards of food as we now recognise it; understandably Paris is the epitome of this culinary history. Of course this heritage drives domestic and tourist interest alike, with the Parisian locals inundated with a remarkable breadth of choice in regards to the dining experience. The beauty of French cooking is its inextricability from history; a combination of peasant and bourgeois cuisine forms the basis of the modern gastronomic culture. Food, though, is just one of the key components of the French culinary tradition—wine is equally pivotal. Rich, fresh, local: all terms synonymous with French cuisine and wine alike. As one of the largest producers in the world, wine is quintessential in the nation’s iconography. Practices established in France are now aped across the industry worldwide, creating a highly competitive market in light of higher standards of quality.
Equally central to Paris is the Seine: the near 500 mile river, which boasts 37 bridges in Paris and many more outside the city, acts as a commercial space for Parisian life. As a means of sight-seeing, transportation and recreation, the Seine is as much a part of Paris as the café-centric side streets. A fantastic opportunity which combines both the culinary culture and the vital space of the Seine is a lunch or dinner cruise.
A gourmet dinner cruise in Paris is the best way to truly experience the Parisian culture: how better to explore Paris than by sailing as you sample?
The boats are equipped with panoramic windows which offer stunning views of the city and Seine. As for the food that is available for your enjoyment, a specialist chef and accompanying team will get the very best out of seasonal, local produce in order to provide you an unforgettable culinary experience. With attentive, professional service at hand, a dinner cruise in Paris allows you to remove yourself from the hustle-and-bustle of the city and truly relax. As Paris boasts a fantastic transport infrastructure (be that the metro, buses or trams), of course this enables you to sample a selection of alcohol—all of which is of the highest quality. In order to ensure this high quality, an experienced sommelier can advise you the best accompanying drink whatever your preference on food.
Whatever your plans, a food-orientated cruise can fit in around your day—that being said, treat yourself to a cruise and its guaranteed to make your day. There are cruises of different start times and lengths, either 12:30pm, 6:45pm, or 9:15, for differing durations: respectively either one and a half hours; an hour and fifteen minutes; or two hours. All the cruises boast different advantages, depending on what you hope the cruise to be. The Orsay Lunch Cruise, for instance, enables you to enjoy a panoramic three-course, seasonal à la carte meal, whilst enjoying all the iconic monuments of Paris; the early evening cruise, by contrast, is ever-changing concurrently with the seasons—either illuminated by the sunset or the lights of the city—before sampling the menu; whereas the later evening cruise would be ideal as a romantic trip, or for spectacle-seeking families, epitomising the gastronomic experience that Paris provides and boasting the chance to see the Eiffel Tower illuminated from the Seine—the only company which offers this spectacle from this unique perspective. Any of the cruises offer a vegetarian option too.
Prices vary from between around €40 and €70, with children often being half the price of adults, and given how much a modern dining experience costs irrespective of location, a dinner cruise is competitively priced. You can add a variety of packages across the cruises to enhance the experience: bay window seating placement; a wine package, either red, white or rosé; a champagne package; and several more. Throughout the year there are a multitude of offers and discounts, so make sure a dinner cruise is part of your trip. Wherever your interests lie, in food or culture, and for whoever accompanies you, family or a romantic partner, a dinner cruise on the Seine is an incomparable example of a dinner with an unforgettable show.