I recently recounted my experience on Virgin Voyages newest ship, the Brilliant Lady. Part of the new ship is a brand-new restaurant. Just like Lucky Lotus, which I also wrote about, this new eatery is an altered experience from one of the onboard restaurants, Razzle Dazzle, which exists on both the Valiant and Resilient Ladies. This new establishment is named Rojo, the word for red in Spanish. Not only does the name fit Virgin’s scarlet esthetic, it’s also the language of the cuisine inside, Spanish.
A Wonderful Surprise
Virgin had made it clear that the Brilliant Lady would have a new and unique, to the ship, dining option. Months of speculation by Virgin Voyages fans followed, all wondering what sort of cuisine would be featured. My personal bet was on an Indian restaurant. None of us in Far Far Away guessed Spanish, though.
Fortunately, Virgin Voyages Rojo puts its best foot forward and mostly nails it. Nichole and I had three dinners for our Rojo review on our voyage (that way, we could space out the dishes we ate) and we never tired of it.
Just like my article on Lucky Lotus, I’ll take you through the menu one course and one dish at a time and share my thoughts.
Jamon, Quesos, Pintxos (pincho)
Pintxos are small, snack size plates served in bars, especially in northern Spain. They are often served with a skewer or toothpick in them.
Having genuine Jamon Iberico on a cruise ship was amazing. I did not expect that when I went to do my Rojo review.
Jamon Iberico – Iberico ham is a mainstay in Spain and easily one of the most famous foods from the country. It’s also expensive to get in the U.S. If you’ve never had it, you really should try it while on the ship. They have real Iberico ham and it’s just so good. I encourage you to overorder this dish.
Chorizo Seco – A tasty mix of sweet and spicy (only slightly spicy) by combining dates and chorizo.
The conservas was the best surprise of the menu. I loved it!
Conservas – The description on the menu is exactly what you are going to get and it’s my personal favorite from this section of the menu. I’m not even much of a fan of olives, but I just ate this up.
Gambas en Escabeche – Since Nichole does not like shrimp, but I do, I was the only one to try this dish. The shrimp are delicious, as they have consistently been on Virgin’s ships, but not quite as good as the shrimp served at The Dock.
Jamon Croquettes – If you’ve never had a croquette, you absolutely must give them a try. A breaded, fried mix of cheese and ham. Do I really need to say more? Word of warning, it is possible to eat too many of these.
Get the oxtail, you won’t regret it.
Oxtail Montadito – These were a major standout and Nichole’s favorite of the pintxos. Amazingly tender, slightly sweet with the caramelized onions, served atop a crunchy crostini. We ordered this dish each meal, because they were just that good.
Tapas
If you missed the tapas craze from about a decade ago here in the U.S., you might not be familiar with the style. Tapas are small dishes meant to be appetizers or snacks and can be served hot or cold.
To answer the question that many of you are likely asking, yes, tapas and pintxos are similar and are related. Together they do make up two important parts of traditional Spanish cuisine.
Roasted Cauliflower Catalan – In Razzle Dazzle, they serve a deep-fried cauliflower, which I love. This is a, arguably, healthier alternative to the deep-fried dish. It is also very tasty. Like many of the options on the menu, it has a bit of sweet and savory in it. The biggest surprise is how much I liked the golden raisins, which I usually don’t.
A highlight of our Rojo review, the Patatas Bravas.
Patatas Bravas Ahumadas – Seasoned potatoes with a pimenton aioli drizzled on top. The snappy skin of the spuds cracking as you bite in. These were Nichole’s favorite tapas plate and another dish we ordered each time we were dining for our Rojo review. You cannot order enough of this in our opinion.
Beef Tartare – The second-best beef tartare I’ve had on a cruise ship. The only one better came from Chartreuse on Regent Seven Seas. Rojo still delivered a truly great tartare, and we heard many other patrons raving about it. If you like tartare, this will be a must order.
Pimenton Cheese – A lighter dish than you might think it is. The pimenton cheese is served with crostini, but I would recommend that you ask for some extra crostini. The plating is very pretty, but it leaves the ratio of cheese to bread tilted slightly too far toward cheese.
I was so happy to find that they knew how to cook octopus well during our Rojo review.
Pulpo a la Grill – I love octopus, and I’m used to being disappointed when I order it. More often than not, it’s grilled to rubbery, chewy imperfection. Not here, though, no. At Rojo, they know how to prepare octopus, and I loved having it readily available. I would encourage you to give this a try as it was my favorite tapas.
Platos Grandes
The large plates are the entrees of Virgin Voyages’ Rojo.
Calabaza Asada – A lighter dish that doesn’t sacrifice any flavor as it dances on your palette. Squash is sort of my veggie GOAT, so I’m slightly biased here. The combination of everything here makes for a deeply savory dish, taking butternut squash away from more common and sweet preparations. I am going to figure out how to make this at home because I loved it so much. It does have cilantro in it, so if you are someone that doesn’t like cilantro, just skip this dish.
Char Artico Asado a la Plancha – Arctic char has become quite a popular fish lately. I’m seeing it pop up on lots of menus. I don’t know exactly why that is, perhaps it’s just a trend. Regardless, I like arctic char, and this is a nice preparation. The salsa verde, though, is what really makes this seared fish sing. It’s a simple serving that you can’t go wrong with.
The arrox con pitu de caleya. Nichole’s favorite dish during our Rojo review.
Arroz con Pitu de Caleya – Perhaps the heartiest of the dishes served, it will fill you up. A creamy rice serves as a bed to a roasted cut of chicken. Straightforward and simple. Each element done well. Nichole ordered this twice and it’s definitely her favorite of the entrées.
Costillas de la Matanza is a must try and it’s something that I wish was on the brunch menu.
Costillas de la Matanza – Not as heavy an order as you might think baby back ribs would be, which is good in my opinion. If you want more, you can always order another helping and they’ll be happy to bring it to you. The meat fell right off the bone, just like it should, and the harissa honey sauce combined with za’atar is divine. Funny enough, I’ve been making a similar sauce to this at home for several years.
Chuleton a la Parrilla – Ribeye steak prepared with Spanish flavor. The steak itself was nicely marbled, neither too fat nor too lean for the cut for a ribeye. It was very well prepared and certainly tasty, but both Nichole and I couldn’t help but feel that you’re shorting yourself by skipping the other options for this entrée.
Desserts
Sorbete de Maracuya – It’s not surprising that the passionfruit sorbet was smooth and refreshing. Afterall, Virgin makes their own ice cream and sorbets, and we all know those are delicious.
Arroz con Leche is not my usual favorite dessert but Rojo absolutely perfected this! I ate it at every dinner for our Rojo review.
Arroz con Leche – My personal favorite, which was surprising. It’s a rice pudding, which is a dessert I don’t usually care for, with coconut, which I also don’t usually care for. However, it’s topped with a brulee style cap of cinnamon sugar. That little addition made all the difference. I know that there are people who just can’t with rice pudding, but I would encourage you to give this one a shot. It really is different.
Basque Cheesecake – This was the most popular dessert we saw being served, so it’s obviously a crowd pleaser. This is not a New York style cheesecake, so it’s more fluffy and less creamy. Nichole and I both agreed that this was our second favorite option.
Flan de Queso de Cabra – I like goat cheese, but not everyone does. I’ve had a few flans made with goat milk over the years and they’ve never been as popular with others as they are with me. If you like goat cheese, it really comes through in this dessert and you’ll be enjoying yourself. However, if you are not a fan, I wouldn’t recommend.
Churros are a dessert that everyone sort of loves.
Churros – These were Nichole’s favorite dessert choice. Razzle Dazzle has done churros since they started, and their version has often been a divisive take on the dessert. At Rojo, though, the churros are a classic churro. Served in a tall cup with a hazelnut chocolate fondue at the bottom of the vessel. They are simple, delicious, and easy to order way too many of. This option will NEVER disappoint.
The One Failing
After Lucky Lotus, I was eager to try the brunch menu for this Rojo review. The new options on the Razzle Dazzle brunch menu made it really pop. I loved having the Lucky Lotus pan roasted vegetable dumpling in the morning. Savory dishes in the morning are frequently underappreciated in the U.S., so having some available in the mornings brightened up my day.
That’s why the choices on Rojo’s Razzle Dazzle brunch menu left me feeling like we were missing out on some better possibilities. The additions to brunch menu were; the jamon croquettes, which are always welcome; the roasted cauliflower Catalan, which also seems to fit the theme of Razzle Dazzle (a vegetarian focused menu); and the calabaza asada roasted butternut, which also fits the vegie theme.
At a glance, this seems like a good choice to go in the morning, but the flavors of all three dishes are largely the same. Mellow, smooth, and rich without going deep into savory notes. They’re not bad dishes, but it felt like they removed more diverse choices and put three similar plates in their stead.
A real waiting area for diners at Rojo. It’s a nice upgrade over every other restaurant on the ship.
What isn’t there from Razzle Dazzle, the avocado toast, the mushroom tartare, and the impossible burger all catered to different desires. They hit the palette in varied ways. The three choices for Rojo replacing them really limited what the menu can cater toward as far as diner choices. We didn’t find ourselves craving to go back each morning and opted to go to other breakfast spots. I hope that they tweak this menu a bit over time to bring some diversity back to the tastes.
A split conclusion
Virgin has also made small adjustments to the design of the restaurant to improve its function. There’s a small seating area for people to use while they wait for a table if there’s a backup. That’s an excellent change for walk-ins especially. No more waiting, awkwardly, in the hall.
The floor is a smoother surface than other Razzle Dazzles, so chairs slide in and out from the table quite nicely. I know that’s a small thing, but it’s nice to be able to easily adjust how close you are to the table.
Service was busy and quick. They don’t rush you at Rojo, but you won’t be waiting either.
The lighting is the nicest of any Razzle Dazzle version. Neither too dark in the evening nor too bright in the morning.
Rojo offers an amazing dinner. Even after eating there three times in just over a week, we hadn’t tired of it. Numerous choices and small plates, a signature of Spanish cuisine, is a perfect way to dine on a cruise. This goes double for groups because everyone can easily get things they like.
All that is why the disappointing brunch is a letdown. The good news is that it’s something that can easily be improved over time and, if it isn’t, there are other options. Still, I would not sleep on Rojo if you’re sailing the Brilliant Lady, it’s too good to miss. Maybe, sleep in though.
