I’m sitting in the kitchen of David Goerne’s Michelin-starred restaurant in Normandy, close enough to hear the hiss of butter in a pan and watch flames briefly leap from the stove. Around me, chefs move with practised precision, bending over the worktop to add a final flourish to exquisitely plated dishes. The aromas are intoxicating – warm brioche straight out of the oven, bubbling sauces reducing and garden-fresh herbs being chopped.
“You’re having the first of this year’s cucumbers,” says David as he places the opening course – one of eight – before me at the 19th-century turreted Manoir de Rétival, perched above the Seine. The Hamburg-born chef, who fell in love with French cuisine and has been at the manor since 2009, not only creates the food, but also serves it.
As he explains every component and the wines paired with each course, it feels less like a restaurant meal and more like a behind-the-scenes culinary performance and private audience with the affable chef and his team.
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It’s also an immersive gastronomic experience that normally costs about £240, but I leave without paying the bill. Not – perish the thought – that I’m doing a runner, but because it’s included in the fare for guests staying in one of the 10 Beyond Suites aboard Viva Beyond, the first vessel in Viva Cruises’ new premium brand, Viva Boutique. In a river cruise market where luxury usually comes with high prices, Viva Boutique is attempting something different. It offers an elevated experience with plenty of thoughtful extras.
