I recently dined at the Hollywoodland Supper Club on Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, which is about as fancy a dinner you're going to find at sea.
I've eaten at plenty of the cruise line's specialty restaurants, but its supper clubs are a new breed of ultra refined dining. There's just one serving per night, formal dress code is required, and it costs $200 per person.
Over the course of my three-hour, six course meal at Hollywoodland Supper Club, several things surprised and impressed me that truly stand out from other restaurants onboard Legend of the Seas. Some were things I had never experienced, and others were changes made for this version of the restaurant.
Here are the seven things you'd likely find surprising if you're eating at this restaurant for the first time.
Check-in was surprisingly personal.
We received a phone call to our stateroom earlier in the day telling us to be outside the restaurant about 20-30 minutes before our dining time.
When we arrived, there were other couples and groups ready for dinner as well. Everyone is dressed elegantly, and you can tell quickly this is something different.
As soon as we arrived, a waiter approached us and greeted us by name. Each waiter is assigned a few tables, and using the ship's photo manifest, is able to figure out who you are before you can introduce yourself.
When the doors opened, instead of walking into the restaurant on our own, our waiter escorted us in.
It was a small but striking detail that made the experience feel intimate and thoughtful from the start.
The menu had six courses, but there were a few surprises.
Once seated, you're presented an ornate menu that is heavier than a coffee table book.
It lists four appetizers, a main course, and a dessert. However, there's more than that to be served.
We were served an amuse-bouche to start, which is a single-bite hors d'oeuvre that's designed to surprise you and start the meal.
There was also a palate cleanser, served over dry ice.
For dessert, not only did they bring out both desserts for us to enjoy, but there was a third surprise dessert that was served at the very end.
The food and cocktails matched the evolution of film.
Our waiter explained each course as it was served, as well as the narrative behind the meal.
Hollywoodland celebrates the golden age of movie cinema, beginning with the black and white era of film and moving into color. The food reflects that.
The amuse-bouche was purely black and white, just like the early movies. Then the bread course is mostly still black, but introduces subdued color.
One of the appetizers is green, because early film technology lacked the full color spectrum and could only do basic colors, such as green.
As the meal progresses, more color is introduced, so by the time you get into the later appetizers and entrees, it's full color.
I thought this was a clever way to include storytelling in the meal experience.
The entire meal took about three hours to complete.
This was my wife's first time trying a supper club, and she was surprised by the fact dinner was three hours long and how it didn't feel like it was that long.
Usually any dinner on a cruise ship that's more than 90 minutes starts to feel like it drags on, but the combination of live entertainment, a seemingly never ending supply of cocktails, and the creative food displays helped hold our attention.
Supper clubs, in general, are a multi-hour event. Royal Caribbean wanted to be true to form with the format with their version.
The new take on salad surprisingly turned out to be both of our favorites.
Of all the food served, I loved Brown Derby Cobb Salad because of how much it surprised me.
Royal Caribbean actually sent a team to Walt Disney World's Hollywood Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios to sample the best example of the original Cobb Salad that was invented in 1937. The original Brown Derby restaurant burned down in 1987, but Disney's restaurant is a replica and licensed copy.
The version served on Legend of the Seas is a modern interpretation, and I loved how different it was while remaining true to a Cobb salad.
It was the kind of dish I would have liked a few extra to eat another day.
The entertainers took turns for breaks, but it was smartly done.
There are up to four entertainers on the stage at any time during your meal, but they're not up there for all three hours.
Instead, each member of the quartet is brought on stage as the meal begins. Eventually all four are on stage together, but then one by one, they step away for breaks.
Rather than ending the music temporarily for a break, they strategically will let one or two of them quietly depart while the others keep playing.
This keeps the mood and music going, without abruptly halting the vibe. Moreover, it allows whoever is left on stage time to shine on their own and display more of their talents.
When all four of them are on stage, you recognize the collective talent and it really shines.
I asked for the fish cocktail because it looked too fun.
Each course is paired with a specific cocktail, including the entrees that have their own assigned cocktails.
I ordered the Wagyu beef, but I saw my waiter walking around with a glass fish. It was meant for the Black Cod dish, but I had to try it because it looked so fun.
My waiter was more than happy to oblige, and he brought one out. It was a refreshing cucumber based drink, reminding me a lot of the cucumber martini from 150 Central Park.
Never hesitate to ask the crew members if there's something you'd like to try.
