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Here’s everything you need to know about restaurants on the Nieuw Statendam. We cruised on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam during Spring Break 2023 on a hosted press trip. During our cruise, we ate at four of the five speciality restaurants plus Club Orange. We also tried the Dive-In, New York Pizza, The Lido Market, The Dining Room, afternoon tea, room service, and the picnic lunch at Half Moon Cay.

And believe it or not, we didn’t gain a pound. For our best tips and tricks to avoid gaining weight on a cruise, click HERE.

Rudi’s Sel de Mer

Let’s start with our favorite Nieuw Statendam restaurant – Rudi’s Sel de Mer. We first dined at Rudi’s on night two of our cruise. We enjoyed it so much, we immediately booked a second dinner there for later in the week. If you want to a reservation at Rudi’s, be sure to book early, as it fills up quickly.

What we appreciated most about Rudi’s Sel de Mer is that it wasn’t just a good meal, it was a memorable dining experience. 

From the artistic touches, like the plate pictured above, to the well-prepared and presented dishes, each course brought a sense of adventure and elegance. Our waiter, Mohamed, and Assistant Maitre’d Valentin, took exceptional care of us. They guided us (twice) through a spectacular culinary journey, made even better by expert wine pairings from sommelier Stephen. 

What you don’t want to miss at Rudi’s

Trust on this one – you don’t want to miss dessert at Rudi’s Sel de Mer.

Make reservations online for Rudi’s before your cruise and enjoy a slow-paced culinary adventure. Ask for your waiter’s recommendations, try new foods, and for goodness sake, save room for dessert. We highly recommend the Crêpes Suzette and Rudi’s Face-to-Face Chocolate.

Another Nieuw Statendam specialty restaurant: Tamarind 

Tamarind features mild flavors and culinary traditions of Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. We both love Thai food, so it was a good fit for us. We followed the recommendations of our waiter, but later wished we’d been a little more adventurous with our choices. That said, Ann enjoyed the shrimp tempura and Panang red curry coconut chicken.

For non-seafood eaters like Steve, the wasabi & soy crusted beef tenderloin or crispy duck with ginger-chili glaze were good options. This is definitely also one of the Nieuw Statendam restaurants where you’ll want to order a cocktail. With a dedicated bar, they offer a unique menu and selections you won’t find elsewhere on board.

PRO TIP: If you like spicy foods, ask your waiter for hot chili oil or crushed red pepper on the side. 

Pinnacle Grill 

Pinnacle Grill seemed to be the busiest and most-desired specialty restaurant on Nieuw Statendam. The decor is beautiful and we absolutely loved the elegant navy and gold dishes and comfortable high-back chairs.

Centrally located on Deck 2, Pinnacle Grill is a steakhouse with a menu developed by James Beard Award-winning chef David Burke.

While the entrées were good, the unique presentations of appetizers like the crab cakes and clothesline candied bacon were our favorite part of this meal. 

Entrées include a selection of 28-day wet-aged USDA Prime steaks. Most are included in the specialty dining charge, but making it “surf and turf” by ordering the broiled lobster alongside or having the 16 oz dry aged Delmonico require a supplemental fee. 

Nieuw Statendam dining review: Club Orange

For an upscale daily dining experience, try Club Orange. This exclusive eatery is reserved for those who have paid to join Club Orange, a program that brings a variety of benefits and amenities.

Meals in Club Orange are creative, well-executed, and sophisticated. Portions were not too large and they even had a delicious no-sugar-added Tiramisu for dessert on dressy night.

Canaletto (Italian) 

Canaletto is an Italian-themed restaurant with classics like Lasagna Bolognese, Scaloppine Alla Caprese, and ravioli. 

The menu was divided up into small plates, large plates, and desserts. Not every entrée included pasta, but you are welcome to order a sharable pasta dish, as well. Steve had the lasagna and Ann ordered the pistachio crusted branzino. We enjoyed both dishes.

Note that this venue is attached to the Lido Market. While there are partitions that section it off, you still see people walk through the buffet with regularity and hear clanging dishes in the kitchen. 

The Dining Room on Nieuw Statendam

Since we wanted to be sure to try as many of the specialty restaurants a possible, we only ate dinner in The Dining Room once.

Ann had a filet with grilled shrimp that she said was nicely prepared and she also liked the crab and spinach dip appetizer. That night, we took the opportunity to dine with new friends–one of the joys of cruising! Ann noticed another two-some as we entered The Dining Room and invited them to join us. We had a lovely conversation, which only added to the delightfulness of our meal.

Nieuw Statendam Dive-In was a treat

Dive-In is a pool-side casual spot to grab a burger and fries. In addition to beef burgers, the venue also has several non-beef options, including a chicken sandwich (The Back Flip), a grilled portabella mushroom (The Freestyle), a brown rice burger and a vegetarian Beyond burger. Ann was surprised at how much she liked the Beyond Burger, served on a brioche bun with Dive-In sauce. 

Dive-In also serves 100% all beef Nathan’s hotdogs. When you dine here, be sure to try the trademark Dive-In sauce. It’s great for fry dipping!

PRO TIP: Order ahead in the Navigator app and pick it up when it’s ready. No need to wait in line. 

Gelato

Right next to Dive-In is a Gelato stand. We didn’t sample the gelato, but noticed they offered 12 flavors that rotate daily, as well as milkshakes. Both the gelato and shakes are available for an extra charge. A server there told us the pistachio gelato was the best seller. 

PIN FOR LATER

Nieuw Statendam restaurants: New York Pizza

On Deck 10, overlooking the pool, is New York Pizza. We stepped up to the counter and ordered the signature nine-inch, thin crust pizzas. They gave us a pager and in about 15 minutes had hot, fresh pizzas that we enjoyed from our lounger.

We liked that we could choose our own toppings and found the pizza to be well-made and flavorful. 

PRO TIP: Like at Dive-in, you can order ahead in the Navigator app and receive a notification when your pizza is ready.

Nieuw Statendam restaurants: Lido Market

Between the main pool and the aft pool on Deck Nine sits the Lido Market. This buffet-style restaurant serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. The Lido Market has port and starboard side stations, which are largely the same. That said, there are a few differences from one side to the other. For instance, Asian-themed foods are port side while Italian favorites are served Starboard. Also available are things like roast beef. mashed potatoes, salads, vegetables, daily features, and more.

The Lido Market is pretty busy, especially around peak times. As of this writing, smaller items and side dishes are self-serve while mains tend to be served by crew members. Though busy, we always could find a place to sit. Ann always loves a good salad for lunch. But on this cruise, she also delighted in the fresh veggie Ramen bowl station (pictured below).

PRO TIP: During breakfast and lunch, Canaletto is available for Lido Market seating. Head in there for a less crowded, quieter experience.

Afternoon tea

Cruising is steeped in tradition dating back to the elegant ocean liners of days past. Why not honor that tradition and have afternoon tea?

On sea day afternoons at 3:00 in the Main Dining Room, you can sit down for a cup of tea served alongside traditional, elegant snacks. Chat with friends and traveling companions as you enjoy your cuppa and fresh, jam-covered scone. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss in one of Nieuw Statendam’s restaurants.

Room service

HAL prides itself in its complimentary room service offerings, and with good reason. Whether you order over the phone or simply hang an order card on your door the night before, you’ll enjoy a quality meal.

We loved that our breakfast came right at the time requested. Even better, the food was hot, fresh, and the order was spot-on correct. Room service is a great option when you want a lazy morning or just don’t feel like going out.

PRO TIP: In addition to meal service, if you use a C-PAP, you can also order a gallon of distilled water by phoning room service. Note that there is a $7 charge for distilled water.

Picnic lunch at Half Moon Cay

Holland America owns a private island called Half Moon Cay, and every one of their Caribbean itineraries makes a stop there so guests can enjoy some fun in the sun on a beautiful white-sand beach.

Guests line up for a self-serve lunch of chicken, fish, or a burger served alongside salads, and fresh fruit. They even had cupcakes for dessert. It’s a perfect beach meal, and it’s included with your cruise fare.

PRO TIP: While all of the salads were tasty, be sure to try the red cabbage coleslaw! It was our favorite item on the picnic buffet. 

Have you cruised aboard the Nieuw Statendam? What did you think of the restaurant options? Let us know in the comments below. 

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