Holland America Line ms Nieuw Amsterdam

Page 32

Lido Restaurant

Overview

Occupying the center of the Lido Deck, the decor of this casual dining room is simple but elegant, with accents of dark wood, green and red. There is also an outdoor dining section, for days (or evenings) when the sea air proves irresistible. Lido provides a wide variety of international dishes—from sushi to Jamaican jerk chicken—and every day reveals new offerings.

During the first two days of a cruise, plates are served by the dining staff, a policy that Holland America says has greatly reduced the opportunity for contagious diseases to spread. On the third day of our cruise, Lido became self-service.

Food

Continental breakfast started at 6 a.m. for early risers, and 30 minutes later the full, hot buffet emerged. On offer were pancakes and waffles, cold cuts, fresh fruits, breads, pastries, yogurts and cereals, along with a station preparing made-to-order omelets.

Lunch featured international cuisine, including an Asian stir-fry, pizzas, pastas, soups and sushi. There were lots of salads, fruits and other healthy pickings, but also a carving station, burgers and fresh sandwiches (you can even make your own grilled Panini). On the first day of the cruise, there was a barbecue on the Lido Deck.

For dinner, when passenger attention to shifts to some of the ship’s more refined offerings, half of the buffet is closed and choices aren’t as diverse as earlier in the day. The casual dinner changes nightly, but choices included wiener schnitzel, New York sirloin steak, Jamaican jerk chicken and seared beef tataki. There were lots of desserts on offer, many bite-sized or in small shot glasses—from cakes and brownies to healthier choices—and we loved the ice cream bar with all the fixings, including fresh cookies, for your own ice cream and sundaes.

Between 11 p.m. and midnight the Lido opens again for light meals—cold cuts, breads, etc.