I was one of the lucky few on the Disney Dream Christening Cruise to have the opportunity to attend a tasting at Remy, the brand new adults-only restaurant on the ship — and boy was I excited!!! This restaurant is even more gorgeous than it was in the concept art!

To add a bit of Disney magic, the restaurant was inspired by the animated film Ratatouille (you’ll find numerous nods to the characters and food in the film throughout the restaurant and its menu), and the menu has been developed by superstar chefs from both sides of the pond. Chef Scott Hunnel from Walt Disney World’s Victoria & Albert’s collaborated with Chef Arnaud Lallement from L’Assiette Champenoise, a Michelin two-star restaurant located just outside Reims, France, to create a five-star menu, which Chef Patrick Albert, the on-site Executive Chef at Remy, will deliver to guests every evening.

Atmosphere

Decorated in an Art Nouveau style with a palette of greens, yellows, and rich red accents, Remy’s dining room is lush. Dark woods and plush carpeting are the background for gold accents and strong velvets — and the bright white linens reflecting that gorgeous Caribbean sea offer a clean contrast to the luxurious setting.

But that’s just the beginning. Look around the private dining room (home of Remy’s chef’s table) too find gorgeous murals depicting a Paris cityscape and a lived-in kitchen that will remind you a lot of Ratatouille!

Guests who sit in the wine room at the front of the property will be surrounded by walls of the finest wines and beautiful marble floors.

And don’t forget to peek around for hidden characters! Remy makes several appearances…

Eats

Remy is a completely new concept for Disney restaurants menu-wise. Chef Hunnel and Chef Lallement — two superstar artists from the US and France respectively — have joined forces to create one menu that reflects them both. But don’t worry…they didn’t mix the magic that much. The two chefs have created two different tasting menus — one each — called Saveur (meaning “flavor,” created by Lallement) and Goût (meaning “taste,” created by Hunnel).

If you decide to go a la carte, you can choose from the assortment of dishes on the second half of the menu, which are all categorized by chef. The menu will change seasonally, and both chefs will make appearances on the ship throughout the year to monitor and refresh the menu. Guests will pay $75 each for the pleasure of dining at Remy; $99 with wine pairing.

Below are the three columns of the a la carte menu. Click the images for larger versions.

At the tasting I attended, we sampled Chef Lallement’s Langoustine Royale with Cesar Sauce and Chef Hunnel’s Smoked Bison, with fennel salad and blood oranges (click here for Smoked Bison recipe).

First, I tasted Chef Lallement’s shrimp. You guys know I’m generally not a huge seafood fan, but Oh My! I ate this whole thing and desperately wanted more. The savory, buttery shrimp tasted incredible, and the sauce was the perfect addition. It was a seamless flavor between the two. Just gorgeous. (Notice the little Remy on the plate?)

Next up: Chef Hunnel’s Smoked Bison — truly savory and delicious. The story here is all of the different flavors. The addition of blood orange gave the dish a tart twist, and leeks and fennel brought their own strong flavors to the mix. Adding blood orange vinaigrette pulled it all together.

We were also served the signature drink from Remy, Tattinger Champagne with pear vodka. What I learned: when vodka is mixed with champagne, the champagne loses its bubbles! The sugar being released from a piece of candied apricot re-created the effervescence! Taste? Incredible.

For guests who choose to pay a bit extra for wine at their meal can stop by Remy prior to their dinner to choose from over 130 wines with the Sommelier.

And if you’re interested in celebrating something very special at Remy, ask to see the Remy Vault wine list — the very best of the best, the Vault includes only 25 wines, including wines mentioned in Ratatouille. Some of these will easily set you back thousands of dollars per bottle.

The following are the Vault wines (apologies for the blurry photos). Click for larger images.

Sincere thanks to the Remy Chefs Lallement, Hunnel, and Albert; to Ozer Balli, vice president, Disney Cruise Line Hotel Operations; and to Remy’s manager and staff who welcomed us so generously.

A Little Extra

When guests leave Remy, women will either receive a red rose (to signify romance, if the woman is part of a couple) or a pink rose (to signify beauty). Guests will also find a treat when they return to their staterooms on the ship — a box of chocolates courtesy Remy!

Details, details…

After our tasting, guests were able to ask a few questions to hear the chefs’ point of view on the new restaurant. All of the videos I took will be uploaded on our YouTube page, so feel free to head over and learn more.

http://www.youtube.com/disneyfoodblog

Finally, here are a few more food photos from Remy, courtesy the wonderful Disney photographers…

Just a reminder — I was invited by Disney on this Christening Cruise, and my expenses were paid by the company. I am under no obligation to review or discuss the event, and all opinions are 100% my own.