Food & Beverages

Your private Waterway Gourmet Chef aboard will propose an extensive list of his specialties to enable you to choose from.

Passengers have the choice to eat their favorite food or experience new flavors based on our a la carte menus.

Our chef does his best to buy products that are local and organic, bought daily to ensure of their freshness. We also make our own jams, spreads or pates! Your talented Chef’s fine cuisine, based on seasonal products is authentic and creative, and appealing both to the eye as well as being delicious to the palate – it will procure emotion and pleasure.

Each meal is accompanied by a selection of finest wines from France and all over the world.Of course, we do not forget our vegetarian or vegan friends or those with other specific dietary needs who will be treated with the same attention.

Breakfast selections consist of freshly baked goods, along with fruit salad, cereals, yogurt, cheese, eggs on request, coffee, tea, and freshly squeezed orange juice. For lunches and dinners, your Waterway Gourmet Chef creates regionally and seasonally inspired fare. Lunch is typically served in a buffet style featuring hearty salads, soups and savory entrees, and your 3-course gourmet dinner is served all in a festive setting.

Sample menus:

These are samples (4 course meals) with an international flair menu. Each meal is an event carefully planned and prepared as an exquisite culinary experience. All fresh from the local markets along the way- the best of what Holland has to offer from her excellent bounty.

Brazed leeks topped with chopped eggs, parsley and a vinaigrette dressing

Beef stroganoff with finely sliced mushrooms, peppers and onions on a spicy vodka sauce served with rice and garnished with a roasted tomato with a fine herbs and breadcrumbs topping

Selection of cheeses

Ricotta dumplings stuffed with fresh strawberries served with melted butter, roasted breadcrumbs and powder sugar

Shrimp cocktail served on a bed of crispy Roman lettuce, topped with a whisky sauce and garnished with caviar, a slice of lemon, cucumber, tomato and egg

Grilled dorade/sea bream with a hot chili sauce garnished with a Brazilian style vegetable salsa and rice

Selection of cheeses

K’s double layer cheesecake made of full fat cream cheese, sour cream and Greek yoghurt topped with a red coulis (pureed sauce) of forest fruit

Warm wild mushroom salad with bacon and drizzled with sweet balsamic reduction

Carre d’Agneau Persille/ Rack of Lamb with parsley and garlic crust, served with ratatouille Nicoise

Fruit medley tiramisu with fresh red fruit filling, Marsala wine and velvety cream

Mouthwatering grilled goat cheese salad consisting of French bread croutons topped with warm goat cheese served on a bed of green salad (mesclun) with a dressing vinaigrette and walnuts

Beef bourguignon – a sumptuous slow-cooked casserole of beef chunks, carrots, silver baby onions in a red wine sauce served with green beans tossed in sautéed bacon and sesame seeds and roasted flour potatoesTarte Tatin – famous upside-down apple tart with an apple layer caramelized in sugar and butter served with vanilla ice-cream and French custard

Shrimp croquette with a variety of salads and sweet chillied mustard sauce

Seafood spaghetti – a scrumptious seafood dish of prawns, mussels, squid and baby octopus simmered in a bisque sauce (creamy strained broth of crustaceans) sprinkled with parmesan shavings

Poached pears in red wine sauce with cinnamon and anise seeds, served in a basket of spun sugar and crème anglaise

Veritable Bouillabaisse (Mediterranean fish soup) served with croutons and homemade rouille

Magret de canard aux pistaches (duck breasts with pistachios) garnished with carrot puree, sweet potato and chestnut puree

Puits d’Amour – pastry hearts with rich vanilla cream and fresh currants and gooseberries

Some traditional Dutch dishes:

Traditional Dutch cuisine was simple, hearty and straightforward, with many vegetables and little meat: breakfast and lunch would be typically bread with toppings like cheese, while dinner consists of meat and potatoes supplemented with seasonal vegetables. Today’s Dutch cuisine has changed – influenced by the eating culture of its former colonies it became more cosmopolitan, exciting and flavorful.

Appeltaart – or a classic Dutch apple pie, is loaded with fresh apples and raisins, the dough is made with butter, sugar, flour and eggs and it’s topped with an elaborate lattice cover

Asperges – asparagus also nicknamed “white gold” grows below the surface in beds of loose sand. White asparagus are traditionally served boiled, with ham and crushed eggs, or with a Hollandaise sauce. They can be served cold, as a salad or starter, or warm as a main dish.

Bitterballen – one of Holland’s favorite aperitif or tapa hot snacks, served in bite-size rounds. Traditionally made with beef or veal this deep-fried, crispy ball of meaty paste is eaten with a good savory mustard.

Erwtensoep – the ubiquitous Dutch split pea soup made of peas, celery, carrots, onions and sliced kielbasa (type of sausage) or diced smoked ham. Traditionally, this staple of winter households is served with dark rye bread and pancetta.

Garnalencocktail – or a shrimp cocktail is served with a homemade whiskey cocktail sauce

Gehaktballen – are Dutch meatballs fifty percent beef and fifty percent pork, slowly simmered and served either on a piece of bread or deep-fried with onion and served with peanut sauce.

Hachee – is an old-fashioned stewed beef dish made with onions and red wine, prepared in a Crock-Pot that appears on the table the moment the temperature outside drops to colder than dirt.

Indonesian Rijsttafel – Indonesian rice table consists of plenty of traditional Indonesian dishes, such as Gado Gado, Satay, Rendang and many more

Lekkerbekje – or Dutch version of fish&chips. It is a fried whiting, served with boiled potatoes and some tartarsauce on the side.

Mosselen – Dutch steamed mussels served with a dipping sauce, bread and some fries. Mussels are on the menu when the letter “R” is present in the name of the month J

Stroopwafels – Dutch caramel waffles are a combination of two cookies and a caramel center, originally from the city of Gouda and a true delight for everybody with a sweet tooth, best eaten lukewarm.

Tong – or a sole, is one of the national delicacies. It does not taste fishy and has a very pleasant flavor. It is suitable for grilling, steaming, frying or stewing, but one the best ways is to fry it in melted butter and serve with some boiled potatoes and Hollandaise sauce.

Zuurkoolstammpot – or a sauerkraut casserole is usually made with three main ingredients: meat (ground beef or sausages and/or fried bacon or a mixture half beef, half pork), mashed potatoes and the sauerkraut.

Are you looking for the ultimate cruise / barge trip in The Netherlands?
No need to search any longer, please contact us for further details.

Contact: Cruise Ship Aurora: 7-day cruise through Holland (The Netherlands)!