The Rhine river cruise that deserves a Michelin star

A kettle seemed a prosaic request to make of a butler but it was soon sitting in my suite along with a selection of teas.

Only later, considering the boutique nature of Crystal Bach, and our location – afloat on the Rhine, did I wonder it must have been a tall order to secure a spare. Crystal has many American guests, hence Nespresso machines rather than kettles as standard.

Butler service is among the passenger perks of Crystal’s all-suite Rhine Class ships, which bring a foodie focus to European river cruising on the Danube, Rhine, Main and Moselle. 

Though “Michelin-inspired” is the mantra, I was frankly dubious that a tiny floating kitchen serving 106 covers could pull off something so special. However, night after night meals in the Waterside restaurant were a real treat, with the likes of Alpine salmon, Austrian Almo beef tartar, and lobster with leek risotto and split pea cappuccino. The dishes were beautifully presented and generously proportioned and dessert was often set to defeat us until we were teased with taster plates. 

Most food had been sourced locally, except the lobsters – flown in from Maine. Similarly, less familiar Austrian and Swiss wines were among those proffered as part of Crystal’s commitment to showcase vineyards close to its routes.