Cafe Jardin MPW

[Sealover]

We have recently had our 3rd cruise on Oceana, the 4 nighter over the New Year. As on previous cruises we had dinner one evening in Cafe Jardin, and were eager to try out the new menu which was introduced after the recent re-fit. In our opinion we were very disappointed, the food was it's usual good quality, but the menu choice for the main course was Halibut, a Rissotto, Meatballs or a choice of around 4 Pizzas, the special of the day being the Margareta Pizza! The starters were a reasonable selection, the king prawns being especially nice, the desserts were presented in a trio on a wooden platter of which you chose from a good selection. It was not in our opinion a very good choice of main courses for a Select dining venue with a cover charge of around £6.25. We did have lunch in there another day, and that choice was very good, and a nice change from the Plaza buffet. Anyone else tried the new menu in Cafe Jardin, would be interested to hear your views.

[oldbluefox]

Whenever we have been on Oceana we have really enjoyed Cafe Jardin for breakfast and for lunch. However I agree those main courses are rather uninspiring. You'd probably get better choices than that in the MDR - for no extra charge.

[kaymar]

We tried dinner in Cafe Jardin only once a couple of months ago and totally agree - it is not a speciality dining venue worthy of a premium charge. It is OK as a bistro and a nice change for lunch but no more than that. I don't know if it is representative of the MPW offering, we have no other experience, but it is not a patch on the Gary Rhodes restaurants.

[JohnTheDog]

We had dinner in there a last year/ 2011...it was OK, but the MPW bistro is neither one thing or the other, a Glass house would be better & give MPW a full restaurant?

[Jaczs+]

We tried it in July before the refit and as the others have said it was OK but not select IMO but I did enjoy breakfast and lunch there. They really need to have a much bigger choice on an evening.

[Kendhni]

Disappointing to read that Sealo0ver ... I loved Cafe Jardin and had tried all the old menus.
The choice of mains mentioned in your post is very disappointing ... it is meant to be select dining, pizza's are fast food dining.

Hopefully they have retained their breakfasts though ... especially the duck egg on black pudding

[dorsetlad]

We went there on the Christmas cruise for breakfast. We were not very impressed with what was on offer, and then the waiter came up to us and said "we don't do toast, if you want some you will have to go elsewhere" Breakfast, no toast? Needless to say, we went elsewhere. Very disappointed with both the menu and the attitude of the staff member that we had contact with.

Brian

[Kendhni]

Now that you mention that Brian, I remember that as well ... I always thought it was a strange decision not to have toast available for breakfast

[paultheeagle]

I enjoyed Cafe Jardin, especially good for a late, relaxed breakfast.....

[CaroleF]

We have always loved Cafe Jardin for breakfast and went there on a few occasions for breakfast on our cruise in October. We also went to lunch there a few times. However, a couple of things have disappointed us. Firstly the staff did not seem very happy at all. The first morning we went to breakfast there was no "Good Morning" it was "We don't serve English breakfast and there's no toast". The choice at breakfast was still reasonable but we felt it was more limited than we had previously. Lunch was ok, but again it was the staff attitude we didn't like, didn't find very welcoming.

We went there one evening for dinner with a couple of our table companions. The food was disappointing in that it was nothing more than we would have experienced in the MDR. The other problem was the noise coming up from the pianist and vocalist who were performing at Tiffany's on the deck below. We were not sat at a table overlooking the atrium but further back and still when the vocalist was performing we could not hear each other talk. We mentioned it to the waitress who in turn must have told the restaurant manager and he came to see us. He said he knew it was a problem and would be grateful if we would fill in a review form which we did. We also learnt that part of the problem with the food was that Cafe Jardin does not have its own galley like the other Select Dining Restaurants do. All the food comes from the main kitchen.

I would think that P&O will have had similar feedback from other passengers. It will be interesting to see if they do anything. It would be a pity to lose Cafe Jardin but it seemed to me that the staff really did not like working there and their attitude certainly became obvious to those of us eating there.

Carole

[kaymar]

Couldn't agree more, Carole - that was exactly our experience

[Sealover]

Kendhni, yes exactly what we thought - hardly select dining, fast food style with a cost. We felt the MDR was a far better choice.

Horizon Grill, although was very good when we visited last summer, we didn't fancy on a winter cruise, as I believe they sit you in part of the Plaza which we did not fancy for dinner. In the summer we were able to sit outside & it was very pleasant.

As CaroleF rightly points out a problem with Cafe Jardin is that it doesn't have it's own galley, we had to wait around 45 minutes for our desserts, as the time coincided with the serving of the main courses in 8.30 club dining.

We also booked our table for 4 on embarkation day in the Atrium, for 30th December, we thought it was strange there was no reminder card by the cabin door that morning. When we arrived, the Restaurant Manager told us we had been booked in for the next night NYE, how relieved we were that he found us a table. Would have not been a very good meal for our party night, as it was the same menu each night. (Perhaps that is normal on short cruises! Not sure).

[Romig1]

Kendhni, yes exactly what we thought - hardly select dining, fast food style with a cost. We felt the MDR was a far better choice.

Horizon Grill, although was very good when we visited last summer, we didn't fancy on a winter cruise, as I believe they sit you in part of the Plaza which we did not fancy for dinner. In the summer we were able to sit outside & it was very pleasant.

As CaroleF rightly points out a problem with Cafe Jardin is that it doesn't have it's own galley, we had to wait around 45 minutes for our desserts, as the time coincided with the serving of the main courses in 8.30 club dining.

We also booked our table for 4 on embarkation day in the Atrium, for 30th December, we thought it was strange there was no reminder card by the cabin door that morning. When we arrived, the Restaurant Manager told us we had been booked in for the next night NYE, how relieved we were that he found us a table. Would have not been a very good meal for our party night, as it was the same menu each night. (Perhaps that is normal on short cruises! Not sure).

Sealover, don't be put off by the fact that it's in the Plaza. One whole side of the Plaza is kept out of operation for those using the buffet and the whole area is made up specially. Tables are well spaced and have table linen etc. Apart from the snazzy carpet, you wouldn't know you were in the Plaza. The Plaza also has wonderful views for those dining there on for instance a fjords or Baltic cruise in summer - when it may be too cold to dine outside, yet it is still light outside. We ate there whilst cruising back out of Geiranger, and were sat in sunlight after 8pm, with the marvelous scenery passing by as we dined. Fantastic!

[Silver_Shiney]

I was hoping to get a feel for the menus in Cafe Jardin/Horizon Grill, but the ones on the P&O website appear to be several years old....

Anyone seen the current one anywhere, please?

[JohnTheDog]

Waste of time for dinner I think. Don't know how much the LeClub is used but that would make a nice select dining venue, Oceana hasn't really got one.

[Silver_Shiney]

Waste of time for dinner I think. Don't know how much the LeClub is used but that would make a nice select dining venue, Oceana hasn't really got one.

It would be very cosy, as that room is quite small. There might be logistical problems getting the food up from the galley though.

[JohnTheDog]

Waste of time for dinner I think. Don't know how much the LeClub is used but that would make a nice select dining venue, Oceana hasn't really got one.

It would be very cosy, as that room is quite small. There might be logistical problems getting the food up from the galley though.

I really meant with it's own galley...well spotted though!

[tractor boy]

we also went to la jardin on the xmas cruise and must say how dissapointing it was, the menu was more like a fast food joint instead of a select dining venue, I wonder if MPW has even seen this menu, I wouldnt put my name to it.

[HK phooey]

We didn't bother going to Cafe Jardin for dinner as we're not overly fond of pizza, not what I was expecting at all! We had to stop having breakfast here after Paul was served 2 poached eggs that were stone cold and very undercooked. He went a shocking shade of green

[Mo2013]

we also went to la jardin on the xmas cruise and must say how dissapointing it was, the menu was more like a fast food joint instead of a select dining venue, I wonder if MPW has even seen this menu, I wouldnt put my name to it.

When I sailed on Arcadia I dined in Arcadian Rhodes and it was fabulous so I wouldn't be happy to pay for select dining if it left me feeling disappointed. Any Michelin starred chef would be horrified if the original product was falling short of the mark.

[Emrobo]

I am gutted that Oceana doesn't have a pizzeria onboard like Ventura so was quite happy to hear Cafe Jardin serves pizza

[arrbee]

We have recently had our 3rd cruise on Oceana, the 4 nighter over the New Year. As on previous cruises we had dinner one evening in Cafe Jardin, and were eager to try out the new menu which was introduced after the recent re-fit. In our opinion we were very disappointed, the food was it's usual good quality, but the menu choice for the main course was Halibut, a Rissotto, Meatballs or a choice of around 4 Pizzas, the special of the day being the Margareta Pizza! The starters were a reasonable selection, the king prawns being especially nice, the desserts were presented in a trio on a wooden platter of which you chose from a good selection. It was not in our opinion a very good choice of main courses for a Select dining venue with a cover charge of around £6.25. We did have lunch in there another day, and that choice was very good, and a nice change from the Plaza buffet. Anyone else tried the new menu in Cafe Jardin, would be interested to hear your views.

We're just back from Oceana and tried breakfast, lunch and dinner in Cafe Jardin and to be honest we didn't really enjoy any of them. The main reason was that the staff seem unhappy, and as a result the service is slow and didn't come with the smiles we got everywhere else on the ship, apart from one waitress who did her best. Also the open location and the noisy metal tables are not convivial to creating a select dining atmosphere. The food didn't inspire us either, although we preferred our lunch to the other meals. P&O must do something to create a select venue on Oceana modelled perhaps on Sindhu / XVii on Azura or the former Oriana Rhodes - certainly a venue where you feel a bit more special than on Oceana. Mind you how much confidence do you have in a chef who advertises stock cubes on t.v.??

BTW, we also tried the other venue on Oceana, Horizon Grill, and it was a perfect balmy evening so ideal for dining alfresco but I'm afraid the meal was spoilt for us by the smell from the deep fat frier.

[melsea]

I have just been exploring the PO website on the subject matter of where to eat on Oceana. The last time we were on there I seem to remember that Cafe Jardin was quite small. So I am surprised to read this "Cafe Jardin. Casual dining with waiter service inspired by Marco Pierre White. Capable of serving up to 92 people though normally serving 80. Cover charges apply." this is clearly for the evening. Didn't think it was that big.

When on Aurora we always went to Cafe Bordeux for breakfast & lunch which we much preferred to the MDR or the buffet. So I am a bit pleased that Cafe Jardin has this.

Will let you know what we think after we have been on her in a 3 weeks time.

mel

[Silver_Shiney]

After reading varicose postings on how the Cafe Jardin is now little more than a pizza parlour in the evenings, I thought it would be helpful to write down the actual menu now that we are on board...

Café Jardin menu

Small plates and sharing boards

Sweet cherry tomato and basil soup
Tomato and Balsamic Bruschette
Garlic and Chilli Tiger Prawns
Oven baked mushrooms
Marco’s Italian cheese and deli board
Tuscan Garden Board
Smoked fish and seafood board


Large, pasta, pizza and salads

Wild mushroom risotto
Sicilian style halibut
Marco’s classic meatballs
Penne pastas and choice of sauce
Classic Caesar salad
Pizza of the day
Primavera pizza
Buffalo mozzarella pizza
Italian meat pizza
Gorgonzola and rocket salad


Trio of desserts (choose any three)

Summer fruits in elderflower and rose jelly
Baked ricotta cheesecake
Chocolate torte
Lemon tart

Amaretti and chocolate salami with coffee



We've been there every day for lunch so far, and also every evening for a bedtime drink. The lunch menu is very good, and the staff very friendly, polite and attentive.

[Ray B]

Last summer (?) we had lunch in one of our local pubs, the meal was nice, standard for a good pub, we found out later that it was a group of pubs that MPWs firm had had purchased in 2011.
Maybe the menu in Cafe Jardin reflects his pub menus, he has never come anywhere near the class of Rhodes. I will point I am no fan of MPW

Ray