We have been telling people about how much we love barge cruising for many years now. One of the most common questions we hear is, “How is the food?” So we have decided that the best way to give you an insider’s view is to give you a taste of the dishes and stories from our latest European Waterways journey.
European Waterways La Belle Epoque
For our deliciously mindful travel this time, we visited the northern Burgundy region of France our 6-night, 7-day Europen Waterways barge cruise itinerary went from Venarey Les Laumes to Ravieres. Our Chef Jan was a food lover’s dream. Not only did he have a stellar menu plan for our week aboard, but he was charming as well. In addition, Chef Jan made accommodations with skill and a smile for those with allergies, intolerances, sensitivities, or just preferences in food.
While on the French barge cruise, you can access the fully stocked bar anytime. There are also various times throughout the journey set up for appetizers and cocktails. Otherwise, you’ll have three meals a day plus some surprise snacks. The one exception is when there is a special excursion which may include a lunch or dinner meal off the barge. And that can be a fun addition to the already excellent dining on this journey.
Local Bakery Morning Visit
On our cruise, Captain Craig was usually in charge of getting the baked goods for the day. He would get up early (no matter how late the fun night before would go) and head to a local bakery to pick up the goodies. On one of those bakery runs we trudged along. What a delight! We looked at all the beautiful pastries and breads and it’s lucky that Captain Craig pretty much knew what to get ahead of time. Otherwise, we would have bought some of everything in the place – it looked that good. And the scent of freshly baked bread and pastries is not something we easily ignore.
As it was, our noble captain did get a special treat, a pain suisse au chocolat, his favorite. We shared bites of the indulgent pastry made of buttery brioche dough filled with vanilla pastry cream and dotted with chocolate chips. We considered it our commission to carry back the bags of freshly baked bread and baguettes, croissants, and pastries for our barge-mates and crew.
Local Market Stroll
We also had the chance to wander through one of the local markets during our cruise. The towns where the barges dock overnight are generally small, but even small towns usually have a wonderful market for getting the best and freshest ingredients the area has to offer.
We wandered through the beautiful produce, cheeses from all around the region, meats, and fish. There’s something very satisfying about seeing all the local producers and knowing that the ingredients being sold are going from the local inhabitants to the homes of their neighbors. Our preference is to see what’s in season wherever we are and build our meals around that. The meals on La Belle Epoque follow the same inspiration.
A selection of local cheeses was served at a cheese course every lunch and dinner.
Breakfasts on La Belle Epoque
One of our favorite things about travel is that you can eat three meals a day. When we’re at home, we rarely do this, but when experiencing the pleasures of travel, it’s important to us that we get the local experience at all times of the day and night. So, breakfast on our barge cruise was not only a daily treat, it was also really, really good.
Every morning on board European Waterways barge cruises bread, baguettes, croissants, and pastry-filled baskets were on the table. There was butter with and without salt as well as fruit jam. There was fresh squeezed orange juice and one or more other juices, water, and coffee. On the side buffet rested various charcuterie slices of meat, sliced cheeses, and fresh fruit as well.
Then, Chef Jan had a special egg dish for the morning, baked, poached, scrambled with bacon or ham, and various other yummy preparations. For those who like to have it their own way, he happily prepared scrambled, over easy, fried, poached, or any other individual egg preference. We had our fill before going for our excursion each day and had a chance to chat with our barge mates before the day got into full swing.
Barge Lunches Worth Remembering
Lunch on La Belle Epoque was served with thoughtfulness and creativity. We would typically have a chance to explore the town we were in or walk alongside the barge on a service road along the canal. Our daily excursions gave us plenty of time and activity to explore each small town we visited. Lunch was a seated affair, and Chef Jan made sure we had lots of variety throughout the week,
Our first lunch was a light and flavorful beetroot carpaccio, seabass with butter sauce and blanched vegetables, followed by Soumaintrain and Camembert cheese. Another featured pappardelle beef with creamy truffle sauce and a fresh fruit flambée surprise. Keeping things light one day we had burrata with french tomatoes, stuffed mushrooms with ratatouille, cheese, and langres roi for dessert.
We had two special lunchtime experiences. The first was an authentic Burgundian buffet with local items and dishes specially chosen by Captain Craig, a longtime resident of the region. He told us that this was the kind of lunch he would offer to guests in his own home. And they were fantastic. The cheeses and charcuterie were fresh out of the local market, and Chef Jan made several local dishes and salads that rounded out the meal perfectly.
Lunch with a Baron And Baroness
The other special lunch we had was at the Château de Ricey-Bas, home of Baron and Baroness Charles and Ségolène de Taisne. The gorgeous property has been in the family since 1837, and the current owners have worked hard to restore, manage, and take care of the property and its extensive grounds and gardens. Baroness Ségolène walked us through some of the gardens, including the display of 3000 tulips, which she bought as bulbs for her beloved husband’s birthday.
We also got to visit Baron Charles and his passion for champagne, seeing the vineyards just inside the Champagne region as well as his processing facility. After our explorations and education, we enjoyed a sample of their Taisne Riccour champagnes along with some nibbles to whet our appetite for the lovely lunch to come.
Lunch was an elegant affair featuring heirloom sterling silver and bone china. The refined details worked their way into the meal itself, which was filled with creativity. The classic French braised leeks were turned into a delicate leek mosaic with coriander and a Parmesan crisp. Guinea fowl supreme accompanied by a wrap of braised salad and Sabayon of home-smoked butter sauce.
The cheese plate included Lábia de siriúm Cassus goat cheese and a local cheese flavored with La Premiere La Tróia spirits. Dessert was a light and fluffy red fruit mousse with a crispy sweet pink biscuit of France. The atmosphere created by our charming noble hosts together with the enchanting château and special meal made for a wonderfully memorable experience for us all.
Dinner Delights
Of course, dinners gave Chef Jan a chance to shine, and shine he did. The meals onboard Europeans Waterways La Belle Epoque were not only well-balanced and creative, but they were satisfying and fun as well. Always mindful of the local ingredients and tastes, Chef Jan was able to cook for us in a way that was familiar yet novel, clever, and entirely soul-sustaining. No matter where we were or what we did during the day, we couldn’t wait to see what Chef Jan had created for us at dinner.
So Many Great Choices
There was a good balance between seafood, meat, and vegetarian options. Our first meal on the barge impressed with duck breast with celeriac puree and raspberry sauce as well as créme Brûlée for dessert. The most fun was watching Captain Craig and Chef Jan jockey for position as the torch bearer to crisp the brulée. Another dinner featured Boeuf Bourguignon, so appropriate for the region. Usually quite a heavy dish, Chef Jan’s version was tender and flavorful without being too much. Quite an accomplishment.
Other dinners featured sea bream with sauce vierge, Dijon mustard potato purée, and fennel and shrimp with orange risotto. Of course, each meal had a lovely cheese course and regional wines. Sweet lovers would enjoy the desserts, which included such classics as Pavlova, Crepe Suzette, and Moelleux au Chocolat, all with Chef Jan’s inventive interpretations.
The final night of our voyage was the Captain’s Dinner. The crew all dressed up and joined us for a cocktail. Seared scallops with chorizo and bacon mash started us off. Then we got to try the famous Charlois Beef as a tenderloin served with confit potatoes and chanterelle sauce.
The incredible cheese included the Brillat Savarin, Valencey, and 18-month-aged Comte, all delicious. The special wines for the night included Chablis Grand Cru Les Preusses 2020 and Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru 2014. Suffice it to say that we relished every bit of this meal and could not have finished our barge cruise any happier.
A Special Bourguignon Recipe For You
We know that the specialty most associated with this region is the famous Bourguignon stew. We’ve taken a special approach to this dish though, and want to offer our own favorite recipe to you. With all the depth, richness, and flavor of the original, our dish is lighter and rather than beef uses big meaty mushrooms to provide a satisfying, filling, and mindful meal. Give our Mushroom Bourguignon recipe a try. Even if you eat meat, you’ll find this hearty dish fills you up and gives you some happy taste memories of your own.
European Waterways La Belle Epoque Barge Cruise
We couldn’t have been happier with our European Waterways La Belle Epoque barge cruise. The meals added a dimension of care and creativity that can be lacking in other forms of water journey. The slow pace of cruising down the canals makes it easy to enjoy a mindful experience, especially when participating in the included excursions and taking time out on your own to explore the nearby towns and get to know the region.
If this sounds like the kind of deliciously mindful travel you’d enjoy, check out our post on the rest of our European Waterways Canal De Bourgogne barge cruise experience. Barge cruising is one of our favorite approaches to slow travel. And the food we enjoyed made it all the more memorable.
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