The Don Juan II gourmet dinner and River Seine cruise with Yachts de Paris
This is a luxury cruise on the River Seine with a French gourmet meal in an intimate setting that can only host up to a maximum of 40 people at any one time, even though this yacht is also available for private hire as well.
About Don Juan II Gourmet River Seine Cruise
The Don Juan II is a charming yacht that exudes elegance and sophistication, which was first build back in 1937 and fully renovated and redesigned in 2007 to provide a romantic, intimate setting for a private cruise or a standard evening cruise, which caters for only a maximum of 40 people on any one evening.
The interior decoration combines brass, rich woods, wood panelling and even an open fire within the lounge area, and the upper decks are just as relaxing and sophisticated, making them ideal for sipping a glass of champagne while enjoying the River Seine and its tourist attractions such as Notre Dame Cathedral.
And when it comes to the gourmet meal on board the Don Juan II, Yachts de Paris have partnered with some of the most famous names in tableware to complement your meal. And these companies include Raynaud from Limoges, the capital of Limousin region, who provide the fine china, Baccarat, who provide the crystal glassware and Ercuis, who provide table and service accessories.
Not forgetting their wine cellar with some of the finest wines and champagne from another of the Yachts de Paris partners, Moet et Chandon, who are probably the most famous of all champagne houses, and are the perfect accompaniments to a romantic evening on your luxury River Seine dinner cruise.
And with over 20 years experience on providing luxury cruises, functions and dinners for individuals through to businesses, you can be assured that Yachts de Paris strive to make every aspect perfection, including very professional and attentive staff, yet with the discreetness you would expect.
The Cuisine with Yachts de Paris River Seine Cruise
Yachts de Paris are partnered with Le Notre for their excellence in their artisan products and they have a top Michelin starred chef who skilfully puts together a set deustation menu that changes for each season in relation to what fresh produce is available at that time of year.
So you will find that the menu is traditional French cuisine with a creative twist, and it is a set menu with pre-starter, starter, main course, cheese course, dessert and pastries plus chocolates to finish.
And for the 2015 winter degustation gourmet meal on board the Don Juan II, this was created by Guy Krenzer who has worked at prestigious establishments such Fouquet and The Ritz, and been awarded titles such as Best French Artisan, etc.
So, the Amuse Bouche, or pre-starter for this season was fresh salmon with mild spices, Gazpacho with Pequillos peppers, followed by a starter of Lobster with raw and cooked vegetables accompanied by a vinaigrette made with the juice reduction.
The main course was Veal mignon cooked with white asparagus from Landes in the Aquitaine region with a vinaigrette gourmande. And this was followed by a cheese course that combined the creaminess of Tete de Moine, which is a semi hard cheese from Switzerland and the subtle flavour of Cabecou goat cheese from the Midi-Pyrenees in southern France.
Then there was the dessert of Bagatelle sable with strawberries and raspberries and a light cream made with Madagascar vanilla, and to finish the meal, this was followed by Mignardises, which are also sometimes known as Petit Fours, and these are small pastries, accompanied by pure dark chocolate.
So as you can tell, this is a very tempting gourmet meal on board the Don Juan II with Yachts de Paris, which is a cost of €205 per person as of 2015. However, as we mentioned earlier, the menu changes with the seasons, and therefore this is only a reference to the type of cuisine you will get to enjoy while on your luxury dinner cruise on the River Seine.
Accessing the Don Juan II Gourmet River Seine Cruise
For boarding the Don Juan II you would need to go to the main dock for the Yachts de Paris fleet, which is located at the Port Henri IV in the 4th Arrondissement, on the right bank facing the Ile Saint Louis island and the Pont de Sully.
Now you may be pleased to know that there is dedicated private parking at the dock, and if you wish to utilise this, then the easiest way to access the Port Henri IV is from the western side of Paris via the Voie Georges Pompidou expressway. Then you take the exit at the Bastille, just after the Pont Marie bridge, following the Celestins dock and then on to the Henri IV dock.
However, if you are travelling via public transport in Paris, then the nearest Metro stations are the Sully - Morland stop serving line 7, but the Quai de la Rapee Metro stop is the nearest at approximately 200 metres away and serves line 5. And pedestrian access to the Yachts de Paris can be found at the number 10 post of the Henri IV docks.
And as for the times, Yachts de Paris invite you to board the Don Juan II yacht from 7.45pm, and the cruise itself starts at 8.30pm, with the evening finishing at 11.15pm, after you have enjoyed your sumptuous gourmet meal while seeing the many monuments in Paris all lit up along the banks of the River Seine.
They do run all year round of an evening, but we would like to point out that reservations must be made prior, and the cost or meal can vary if you wish to take a cruise on specific dates, so this is also worth checking.
Limousine transfers to and from your hotel to the Yachts de Paris dock are also available upon request and prior arrangement, plus we would like to point out that smart dress is also required.
