Cruises with Costa are a real journey through taste, where the exploration of the many destinations begins at the table.
In the main restaurants of every ship, alongside dishes that innovatively reproduce – in taste and presentation – the Mediterranean cuisine, part of the menu is always dedicated to the typical cuisine of the destinations visited by the ship -with a wide vegetarian offer and vegan menus. But there’s more. With no extra costs to the basic rate, every evening Costa guests can enjoy the “Destination Dishes” signed by world-renowned chefs Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze and Ángel León, which interpret the tradition and flavors of the place that will be visited the following day.
Continuing the discovery of destinations in the company of Bruno Barbieri, Hélène Darroze and Ángel León, the Archipelago restaurant -currently available on eight ships in the fleet- offers a truly unique culinary experience. It is a restaurant where guests can choose between three menus, one for every chef and each consisting of 5 refined dishes designed to explore through food that area of the sea that guests are sailing. A lighter, 3-course lunch menu is also available.
The concept and design of the restaurant are also extremely innovative. Archipelago is made up of ‘island tables’, which offer a more intimate experience, surrounded by a copper structure that represents the so-called “nasse” (the fishermen’s nets) and embraces the unique pieces of “driftwood”, installations made of woods returned from the sea. Particular attention is paid to the issue of sustainability. The chefs’ signature menus, as well as the Destination Dishes, have been created with great care in the choice of ingredients -mainly coming from local producers- and in their treatment, with the aim of avoiding food waste. And that’s not all.
The driftwood that decorate the islands have been recovered thanks to the “Guardians of the Coast”, the environmental education program for the protection of the Italian coast promoted by the Costa Crociere Foundation. For each dinner tasted at Archipelago, Costa Cruises will donate part of the proceeds to the Costa Crociere Foundation to support environmental and social projects.
The journey through endless taste on board Costa ships continues with wine bars, themed restaurants, and aperitifs at sunset. From snacks with Nutella crêpes to aperitifs with sushi; passing through pizza prepared with sourdough, and concluding the evening with a walk under the stars enjoying a real homemade ice cream.
Pizzeria Pummid’oro offers authentic Italian pizza prepared to perfection. A perfect mix of tastiness and authenticity, starting from the ingredients. In addition, the pleasure of being able to enjoy it while facing the sea! In this ‘pizzeria’, pizza is made with sourdough, San Marzano DOP tomatoes, fine flours, and fresh mozzarella produced directly on board in “mini-dairies” where, thanks to special machinery, the best Campania curd is processed creating traditional and buffalo mozzarella, burrata, and many other delicacies for all kitchens on board.
Osteria Frescobaldi on board Costa Smeralda is the first seafront restaurant of the famous family of wine producers. A contemporary space, but one with a strong link to the Tuscan tradition as regards the food and wine offer. A wine bar where guests can sit for a glass of the best red wine or enjoy a unique dinner, just like in a modern winery. Traditional Florentine recipes such as ‘Trippa alla Fiorentina’ or ‘Pici alle Briciole’ are accompanied by a range of fine cuts of grilled meat, including the unmissable “Fiorentina”.
The oil served on the table to accompany the dishes is Laudemio, also coming from the Frescobaldi estates. In addition, on Costa Smeralda guests can try the “Frescobaldi Experience”, already available on Costa Firenze: it is a tasting experience guided by the sommeliers on board that, thanks to the use of augmented reality, projects guests directly inside the Castello di Nipozzano, the main estate of Frescobaldi.
Fiorentina Steak House, on board Costa Firenze, welcomes guests with the best Italian meats, such as the namesake Florentine T-bone and the Piedmontese fassona steak, but also the Irish Black Angus and organic chicken.
Guests wishing to try more exotic flavors are spoilt for choice. The restaurant Teppanyaki takes its name from a Japanese word meaning “to grill”. In reality, it is much more than that: it is the art of satisfying the palate, while also giving life to a show that amazes the diners. This mix of haute cuisine and show, thanks to the mastery of the chefs, becomes a real form of entertainment, which transforms a dinner into an all-round experience.
Sushino at Costa is a sushi bistro on the sea designed to offer an authentic Japanese experience, aperitif, lunch or dinner. Nigiri, maki, sashimi, to be enjoyed in four proposals: aperitif, all you can eat, à la carte or even in the take-away version to enjoy the taste in an itinerant way. At Hot Pot, the restaurant aboard Costa Firenze, guests become chefs for an evening, cooking meat, fish or vegetables to accompany a typical Chinese broth. Dim Sum, again on Costa Firenze, offers an excellent selection of Chinese specialties, such as noodles and dumplings with a meat, fish or a vegetarian menu. Guests can not miss the Kiki Poke, on Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda, a space entirely dedicated to the famous Hawaiian dish based on marinated raw fish.
Aboard Costa Toscana and Costa Smeralda, Salty Beach is a space for street food lovers, while Green & Heathy Food offers light and tasty dishes with many vegetarian proposals. For families with children there is an entire restaurant with decor and menus designed especially for them, while in Food LAB guests can test their cooking skills under the guidance of Costa Chefs or learn how to create perfect cocktails with Costa bartenders. The journey on Costa ships also means seeing the destinations from the unique perspective of the sea, while enjoying equally special food and wine experiences. This is the case of the wide range of bars and spaces in collaboration with major brands of Italian and international excellence.
Like Caffè Vergnano 1882, where you can sip a good coffee, or Campari lounge and Aperol Spritz bar dedicated to the most famous Italian cocktails in the world; Ferrari Spazio Bollicine with all the proposals of the famous Trentino winery from bubbles to wines, or Kartell Cafè, a space with a refined and contemporary design; Nutella at Costa, the area dedicated to Nutella® in all its forms, or gelateria Amarillo for a creamy homemade ice cream or some delicious chocolate praline.
Heineken Star Club & Bistro on board Costa Toscana is the first floating Heineken Bar in the world, a “contemporary pub” where the gastronomic offer, accompanied by a wide selection of “à la carte” beers and beer-based cocktails, meets the best of entertainment with live shows by rock bands.
A separate chapter must be dedicated to the on-board patisserie, signed by Corporate Pastry & Bakery Chef Riccardo Bellaera, pupil of the Master pastry chef Iginio Massari, two times winner of the “Luxury Pastry in the world”, winner of the SIGEP 2022 trophy and the “World Pastry Stars” prize. The offer is inspired by the great Italian and Mediterranean tradition with different lines of desserts -including cakes for those who want to celebrate special occasions- using high quality ingredients and cutting-edge technology.