Exclusive preview: Parisian dining on board Spirit of Discovery

By Lesley Bellew

Celebrity chef menu? Check. Elegant design? Check. Take a sneak peek at La Vie en Rose at The Club, the new French brasserie on board Saga’s ocean cruiser

Cruise ship Spirit of Discovery is set to unveil an elegant new speciality restaurant, La Vie en Rose at The Club. During the ship’s refit and dry dock in June, a glamorous Parisian-style brasserie will be created to serve high-end French cuisine from a menu devised by celebrity chef Phil Vickery.

Phil will be enticing guests to indulge in his personal interpretation of classic French dishes. A member of the Académie Culinaire de France, the oldest and most prestigious culinary association in France, and a former Chef Laureate, Phil says, "I had plenty of ideas, drawing on my experience of French cuisine and I was excited to share them with Horst Pint [Director of Hotel Operations] and the team. Now I can’t wait for diners to experience this enticing new menu."

Horst, who has overseen the project, says: "Expect a warm, relaxed atmosphere with French jazz café music playing in the background. The emphasis at La Vie en Rose at The Club will be on exceptional food and a good ambience."

He explains, "There will be a choice of six starters, seven main dishes and six desserts, which can all be enjoyed with our signature Côte des Roses rosé wine from the Languedoc region of France."

Guests can look forward to classic dishes including traditional French onion soup, escargots à la bourguignonne (snails in herb butter), the steak dish Tournedos Rossini, Bourride (fish stew with aioli), Dover sole colbert with parsley butter, duck a l'orange and Crêpes Suzette. He reminds us: "Saga cruises are all-inclusive so, like all of our speciality restaurants, dining in La Vie en Rose at The Club will be complimentary."

As ever, presentation is key. The meals will be served on custom-made Villeroy & Boch white porcelain, including charger plates decorated with an ornate gold rose motif, and beautifully crisp, white table linen.

Horst adds: "It has been great working with Phil to devise the menu. He has run a Michelin star restaurant and, as well as being a TV chef, he has been working with Saga Cruises for seven years – and we love him!"

Creating the brasserie look

Antique-style mirrors and glass panels have been etched with roses, highlighted by frosted globe wall lights. The opulent colour scheme, inspired by the title name Rose, features vintage pink velvets and decorative panelling, all set against dramatic white and gold accents.

The eclectic collection of furniture includes a large French-style dresser, pink leather banquettes and a feature black and gold lacquered bench to give the restaurant a classic yet decadent feel. A bespoke carpet patterned in a subtle rose design, soft lighting from ornate table lamps and a series of cosy nooks all add to the ambience.

Above the piano will be a reproduction of Art Nouveau artwork by 19th-century French artist Toulouse Lautrec, known for his atmospheric paintings of Parisian nightlife.

Artistic decadence with an eco twist

Designer Jo Bowler of Atlantic Marine Interiors, the company that styled the restaurant, says, "We wanted to create a Parisian look evoking French culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but with sustainability at its heart.

"We imagined guests being transported to another age, in Paris, where they would have been surrounded by artists and writers shaping the century to come.

"Much of the furniture from our other venue, The Club, has been reimagined with new furniture crafted in a British factory using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified timber, so we know the wood has been sourced responsibly" says Jo. "The velvet upholstery is 100 per cent recycled fibre, made by a British carbon neutral textile company, and the carpet has been designed by a Danish manufacturer who champions sustainable design."

Where does the name come from?

As well as the song made famous by Edith Piaf, the name La Vie en Rose at The Club pays homage to the former popular restaurant, The Club, combined with a nod to Saga Cruises’ first cruise ship Saga Rose. Horst explained: "Saga Rose was very much loved by our guests and the crew – we felt very privileged to be on board and it was as if we were living life through rose-tinted glasses.

"Therefore, on our new ships we are proud to carry reminders of our past and how we started. The North Cape and South Cape Bars as well as Britannia Lounge all salute our heritage. La Vie en Rose, meaning ‘life in pink’ follows on. It’s a place where friends can meet and have a really good evening in comfort while enjoying a three-course meal and our signature rosé wine."

And what about the signature wine?

The fresh and fruity Côte des Roses rosé refers to a coastline in Languedoc, in the South of France. The design theme continues here, as it will be served from a bottle with a unique rose-shaped base created by a young designer at the École Boulle, a college of fine arts and crafts and applied arts in Paris. The maker, Gérard Bertrand, has 17 wine estates across the South of France and was elected ‘Best Winemaker in the World’ in industry awards in 2023.

How to book

La Vie en Rose seats 96 guests and bookings can be made in the same way as all Saga Cruises’ complimentary speciality restaurants. Reserve a table once on board by visiting or telephoning the restaurant.

Find out more about our sister ships, Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure and discover ocean cruises with Saga.