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Explora Journeys | Emporium Marketplace - Complete Dining Guide

Emporium Marketplace is Explora Journeys’ relaxed all-day dining venue, combining the freedom of a marketplace with food prepared à la minute. From fresh seafood, sushi and homemade pasta to pizza, grilled dishes, salads and desserts, the individual stations make it possible to build a completely different meal each time you visit. In this guide, we take you through the venue, the different food stations and what you can expect onboard.

Emporium Marketplace is Explora Journeys’ relaxed all-day dining venue, combining the freedom of a marketplace with food prepared à la minute. From fresh seafood, sushi and homemade pasta to pizza, grilled dishes, salads and desserts, the individual stations make it possible to build a completely different meal each time you visit. In this guide, we take you through the venue, the different food stations and what you can expect onboard.

What Is Emporium Marketplace?

Emporium Marketplace is Explora Journeys’ all-day dining venue, but calling it simply a buffet does not really describe the experience.

Instead of one traditional buffet line, Emporium is organised around a collection of individual culinary stations. Some focus on a specific cuisine or product — such as sushi, seafood, pizza or pasta — while others rotate through international dishes, salads, grilled meats, charcuterie, bakery items and desserts.


A large part of the food is prepared, cooked or finished directly at the stations. You can watch chefs roll sushi, cook pasta, prepare burgers, grill seafood, stretch pizza dough and plate dishes. Other items are presented in smaller composed portions rather than in large self-service trays.

The result feels somewhere between a luxury food hall, an open-kitchen restaurant and a marketplace. You are free to combine completely different cuisines during the same meal rather than choosing from one fixed menu.


The exact selection changes throughout the day and between sailings, but the breadth is enormous. During our visits we documented everything from oysters, sushi and grilled lobster to homemade pasta, pizza, burgers, curries, salads, charcuterie, cheeses, pastries and individual desserts.


A note on the photos in this guide: The dishes shown were photographed across lunch, dinner and Sunday Brunch. Sunday Brunch can feature some especially impressive and unique selections that are not part of the regular daily offering, and it may not be included on every itinerary or sailing. Emporium’s menus also rotate, so the exact dishes you find onboard can vary by day, ship and cruise.

Sunday Brunch is typically 09:30–13:30 on selected Sundays if a sea day. Availability and times may vary by sailing.

Breakfast at Emporium Marketplace

At breakfast, Emporium takes on a different character. The individual station identities become less important and the entire marketplace works together as one extensive breakfast venue.

There is a combination of cooked-to-order dishes, traditional breakfast favourites, pastries, breads, fruit, juices and lighter options.


Eggs and Made-to-Order Breakfast

  • Traditional Eggs Benedict

  • Smoked Salmon Benedict

  • Scrambled eggs cooked to order

  • Plain omelette

  • Vegetable omelette

Pancakes, Waffles and Crêpes

  • Pancakes

  • Banana pancakes

  • Walnut pancakes

  • Waffles

  • Crêpes

  • Strawberry-topped pancakes and other rotating toppings

Hot Breakfast Sides

  • Bacon

  • Breakfast sausages

  • Creamy spinach

  • Other rotating hot accompaniments

Bakery, Fruit and Lighter Options

Choices we documented included fresh croissants, pain au chocolat, artisan breads, baguettes, rolls, muffins and fruit pastries alongside fresh melon, berries, grapes, bananas, apples, pears and oranges.

Fresh juices and lighter selections make it easy to have anything from a substantial cooked breakfast to something very simple.

Lunch & Dinner at Emporium

Lunch and dinner are where the individual culinary stations really define the Emporium experience.

The idea is not to follow one buffet line from beginning to end. Instead, you move through the marketplace, see what is being prepared and build your meal around whichever stations appeal to you.


You could begin with sushi, oysters or ceviche, order a small fresh pasta dish, add some grilled seafood or a slice of pizza and finish with one of the individually prepared desserts.

Or you can keep things extremely simple and have a burger, pizza or salad with a glass of wine.

The portions are generally well suited to sampling several different dishes during the same meal, which is one of Emporium’s biggest strengths.


The Culinary Stations

Emporium Marketplace is organised around a collection of individual culinary stations, each with its own focus and character.

Some specialise in food prepared to order — such as pasta, pizza, burgers, sushi and grilled seafood — while others focus on salads, fresh juices, charcuterie, bakery products or desserts.


The exact dishes change throughout the day and from sailing to sailing, but the purpose remains the same: to create a flexible, restaurant-like experience where you can mix cuisines and build your meal exactly how you want it.

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Sushi

The Sushi station operates much more like a dedicated sushi counter than a traditional buffet section.

Chefs work directly behind the counter preparing nigiri, hosomaki, uramaki, sashimi and other Japanese dishes, with fresh fish displayed alongside the finished pieces.


Hosomaki

  • Green asparagus hosomaki

  • Avocado hosomaki

  • Salmon and fresh basil hosomaki

  • Yellowtail Hamachi hosomaki

Nigiri

  • Salmon nigiri

  • Tuna nigiri

Uramaki

  • California crab, avocado and wasabi

  • Plant-based vegetables with pickled red onion

  • Salmon, cucumber and furikake

  • Spicy tuna

Sashimi and Other Preparations

  • Modern sashimi

  • Lean tuna tataki with green chilli aioli

  • Salmon sashimi

  • Tuna sashimi

Traditional accompaniments such as soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi are available alongside the sushi.

Artisanal Sandwich / Fromagerie


Artisanal Sandwich and Fromagerie sit together and overlap enough that we treat them as one combined area.

It is one of the best parts of Emporium for building a lighter plate around cheese, charcuterie, sandwiches, pintxos and smaller prepared bites.


Cheese and Charcuterie

  • Manchego

  • Appenzeller

  • Bresaola

  • Lomo Iberico

  • Coppa

  • Prosciutto

  • Salami

  • Soppressata-style salami

  • Pâté en croûte

There were also additional rotating cheeses displayed in the refrigerated counter, together with olives and other accompaniments.

Panini and Sandwiches

  • Grilled vegetable panini

  • Prosciutto panini

  • Pesto, tomato and mozzarella panini

  • Ham and cheese sandwich

Pintxos, Coca and Small Bites

  • Serrano and Manchego pintxos

  • Seaweed gravlax, red onion cream cheese and green asparagus pintxos

  • Spanish coca with salmon gravlax

  • Tomato, Bayonne ham and Manchego coca

  • Roasted bell pepper, eggplant, onion and caperberry

  • Additional gravlax-based open sandwiches

Nectar Juicery

Nectar Juicery is Emporium’s dedicated fresh juice and fruit station.

The juice menu has a clear wellness focus, with options specifically identified as raw, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free and refined sugar-free.


My Favorite

  • Green apple

  • Spinach

  • Fennel

  • Celery

  • Cucumber

  • Ginger

  • Lemon

The menu associated it with energy, vitality and immunity.

Carotene Sea

  • Carrot

  • Grapefruit

  • Lemon

  • Turmeric

It was presented as a juice focused on hydration, remineralisation and digestion.

Fresh Fruit

  • Strawberries

  • Green grapes

  • Bananas

  • Apples

  • Pears

  • Oranges

  • Plums and other stone fruit

  • Melon

  • Mixed prepared fruit

We also documented chilled melon with port wine.

Harvest Green

Harvest Green is Emporium’s salad, vegetable and lighter-dish station.

The offering is more composed than a typical salad bar, with individual salads and bowls prepared in advance alongside a Caesar salad setup.


Santa Monica Salad

  • Kale

  • Spinach

  • Mushrooms

  • Tomatoes

  • Apples

  • Avocado

  • Orange mayo

Other Selections

  • Seoul Bibimbap Power Bowl

  • Endive Salad with apples and walnuts

  • Icarus Salad

Caesar Salad Station

  • Romaine

  • Parmesan

  • Croutons

  • Anchovies

  • Dressing

  • Oil and condiments

Grill

The Grill is one of Emporium’s main live cooking stations, with a dedicated burger menu alongside rotating meat and poultry dishes.


Burgers

Black Angus Burger or Cheeseburger

  • Black Angus beef patty

  • Thousand Island dressing

  • Lettuce

  • Choice of Swiss cheese or cheddar

Black Angus Texan Burger

  • Black Angus beef patty

  • Thousand Island dressing

  • Lettuce

  • Cheddar

  • Applewood-smoked bacon

  • Sautéed red onions

  • BBQ sauce

Salmon Burger

  • Salmon cake

  • Tartar sauce

Coral Lentil & Zucchini Burger

  • Coral lentil and zucchini patty

  • Plant-based mayo

  • Pico de gallo

  • Sweet potato fries available on request

Other Grill Dishes

  • Steak Diane with mushroom sauce

  • Duck magret yakitori with mushroom and wasabi soy

  • Beef paillard

  • Chicken scalloppini

  • Yakitori chicken meatballs with teriyaki glaze

  • Minute steak

Fruits of the Ocean

Fruits of the Ocean is one of Emporium’s main hot seafood stations, combining seafood stews with fish and shellfish cooked to order.


Seafood Stews and Prepared Dishes

  • Bouillabaisse Marseillaise

  • Zarzuela — Spanish seafood stew

  • Cioppino

Cooked-to-Order Seafood

  • Grilled Corvina

  • Grilled lobster tail

  • Grilled tuna

  • Grilled shrimp

  • Grilled red snapper

  • Grilled salmon

Sides and Accompaniments

  • Arroz Moro — rice and beans

  • Spiced roasted cauliflower

  • Ajo blanco almond sauce

  • Manchego

  • Arugula

Sauces and Condiments

  • Tartar sauce

  • Lemon wedges

  • Lemon butter

  • Garlic herb butter

  • Beurre blanc sauce

  • Melted butter

  • Salsa cruda

Ocean Pearls

Ocean Pearls is Emporium’s raw bar and cold seafood station, and one of the most visually impressive areas in the venue.


Seafood We Documented

  • Oysters

  • Crab claws

  • Shrimp

  • Green mussels

  • Fresh whole fish

  • Shellfish displays

Prepared Seafood Dishes

  • Tuna ceviche

  • Make-your-own ceviche

  • Crab meat salad with avocado and grapefruit

  • Salmon gravlax with buckwheat and goat cheese cream

  • Shrimp Tower

  • Green mussels with salsa cruda

Ceviche Garnishes

  • Avocado

  • Tomato

  • Red onion

  • Herbs

  • Citrus-style accompaniments

Fermented bread was also offered alongside some of the cold seafood preparations.

Pasta Station

The Pasta Station is one of the standout areas of Emporium. Fresh pasta is displayed at the counter and cooked directly by the chefs.

Homemade Pasta Shapes

  • Spaghetti

  • Fettuccine

  • Pappardelle

  • Caserecce

  • Maccheroni

  • Fusilli

  • Plant-based spinach pasta

Filled Pasta

  • Ravioli stuffed with truffle

  • Black ink ravioli with bacalao

Sauces

  • Aglio olio

  • Bolognese

  • Rustic tomato sauce

Risotto

  • Lobster risotto

  • Spinach risotto with anchovy cream and jumbo capers

  • Artichoke risotto with pecorino and crispy guanciale

Al Dente

Al Dente offers a rotating selection of hot dishes and sides, and the exact menu can change considerably from one service to another.


Main Dishes

  • Salmon with mustard seed crust and broccoli

  • Fish & Chips with tartar sauce

  • Duck Green Curry

Vegetables and Sides

  • Baked potatoes

  • Roasted potatoes

  • Grilled tomato

  • Steamed vegetables

  • Frank’s mashed potato

  • Jasmine rice

Chef de Cuisine

Chef de Cuisine had a particularly strong Asian influence during the services we documented.


Wok of the Day

  • Shrimp

  • Calamari

  • Chicken strips

  • Chicken

Sauces

  • Japanese yakitori sauce

  • Indonesian spicy soy sauce

  • Singapore curry sauce

  • Mongolian stir-fry sauce

Other Dishes

  • Vegetable Tempura

  • Fried Rice

  • Stir-Fry Rice Noodles with egg, calamari and vegetables

  • Glazed Carrot

Destinations

Destinations is one of Emporium’s most varied stations, with rotating dishes inspired by different parts of the world.


Dishes We Documented

  • Stewed Pyrenean Beef Cheeks with red wine sauce and piment d’Espelette

  • Vegetable Curry

  • Burrito

  • Stir-Fry Egg Noodles

  • Steamed Vegetables

  • Red Snapper with Sweet Chilli Pineapple Sauce

  • Mushroom Persillade

  • Stir-Fried Udon Noodles with broccoli, asparagus, carrot, ginger, bean sprouts and chilli garlic sauce

  • Grilled Fish with Virgin Sauce and Roasted Potato

Mosaic Carvery

Mosaic Carvery is the dedicated roasted and carved-meat section of Emporium.

The exact proteins rotate, with roasted meats carved during service and paired with changing hot sides and sauces.

Because the offering can vary substantially by day, the best way to use Mosaic Carvery is simply to check what is being served when you arrive.

Pizzeria

The Pizzeria operates like a small open-kitchen pizza restaurant inside Emporium. You can watch chefs working the dough directly at the counter before the pizzas are baked in the dedicated oven.


Pizzas We Documented

  • Pizza Margherita

  • Yellow Margherita

  • Pala-style Margherita

  • Rotating rectangular pizzas with changing toppings

The crust is airy and blistered, and the pizza programme forms part of Explora Journeys’ wider culinary development, with senior chefs involved in refining the concept, dough and execution.


Our photos also include members of Explora Journeys’ culinary team, including Gianluca Mazza and Frédéric Godineau, whose work extends far beyond the Pizzeria into wider menu development and culinary execution across the ships.


We also had the opportunity to sit down over a cup of coffee with Alban Gjoka and hear more about the story behind Explora Journeys’ food philosophy, the thinking that shaped the onboard experience and some fascinating insights into the future direction of the culinary programme.


Boulangerie

Boulangerie covers the breads, croissants, pastries and other baked items.


Bread

  • Artisan loaves

  • Baguettes

  • Rustic breads

  • Bread rolls

  • Breadsticks

Viennoiserie and Pastries

  • Plain croissants

  • Pain au chocolat

  • Chocolate pastries

  • Fruit pastries

  • Raspberry pastries

  • Custard and cream pastries

  • Almond-style pastries

  • Muffins

  • Filled laminated pastries

Doughnuts

  • Chocolate-glazed

  • Pistachio-topped

  • Pink-glazed

  • Other decorated varieties

The Orchard / Sweets

The Orchard and Sweets area combines fresh fruit with individually prepared desserts.


Fresh Fruit

  • Watermelon

  • Melon

  • Pineapple

  • Strawberries

  • Mixed fruit cups

Desserts

  • Dark Chocolate Hazelnut

  • Cassis Mont Blanc

  • Peanut Cheesecake

  • Chocolate Mousse

  • Key Lime Pie

  • Vanilla and Raspberry Cream Cake

  • Cassis Choux

The presentation is much closer to a hotel pastry counter than a traditional buffet dessert section, with many desserts served as individual portions.

Patisserie

Patisserie expands the dessert offering even further.


Small Pastries and Mignardises

  • Fruit tartlets

  • Chocolate pastries

  • Layered cakes

  • Glazed petits fours

  • Mignardises

Cakes and Biscuits

  • Spice Dry Cake

  • Nankhatai

  • Chocolate chip cookies

  • Three-chocolate chunk cookies

  • Chocolate brownies and pastries

  • Larger cakes and tarts sliced during service

Drinks at Emporium Marketplace

Emporium also has proper table and wine service, which helps the venue feel more like a relaxed restaurant than a conventional buffet.


Red Wines We Documented

  • Bottijo Rojo Garnacha

  • Lo Zoccolaio Succulé Barbera d’Alba Superiore

  • Banshee Pinot Noir

  • Oveja Negra Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon / Syrah

  • Guenoc Cabernet Sauvignon

  • M.A.N Family Wines Shiraz

  • Domaine de Montine red wine

  • Mouton Cadet Bordeaux

White Wines

  • Château Ste. Michelle Riesling

  • JASCI organic Italian white

  • Dr. Loosen Riesling Dry

  • Conti d’Arco Trentino Chardonnay

  • M.A.N Family Wines Chenin Blanc

We also documented chilled sparkling and rosé bottles, including several ELÉM wines.

What We Actually Ate

The station displays are impressive, but the finished plates are where Emporium really proves its value.

During our visits we ate across several different stations, including:

  • Fresh pizza
  • Pappardelle Bolognese
  • Ravioli with tomato-based sauces
  • Black Angus-style burger
  • Texan burger with cheese and bacon
  • Sushi rolls
  • Salmon and tuna sushi
  • Lobster
  • Roast and grilled chicken
  • Asian-style curry with rice and vegetables
  • Fresh pasta dishes
  • Risotto
  • Seafood dishes
  • Champagne served at the table

One of the best things about Emporium is that you can make the meal as simple or as elaborate as you want.

The Dining Room

Emporium Marketplace is the biggest dining venue onboard the Explora ships, occupying a substantial part of Deck 11 and combining a large indoor restaurant with dedicated outdoor seating.

Despite its size, it does not feel like one enormous dining hall. The room is divided into a series of smaller seating areas, including tables along the panoramic windows, more intimate interior sections, softer lounge-style seating and areas positioned closer to the culinary stations.

The panoramic windows are one of the strongest features of the dining room, especially at breakfast and lunch. Natural light fills the space, and many tables have direct views of the sea.

Warm wood, pale marble, neutral upholstery and subtle lighting give the room a refined, contemporary feel that is much closer to a luxury hotel restaurant than a traditional cruise buffet.

The layout also works well practically. You can sit close to the stations if you want quick access to the food, or choose a table further away if you prefer a quieter meal.

Emporium also extends outdoors, giving guests the option of dining in the open air when weather conditions allow.

Our Take on Emporium Marketplace

Calling Emporium Marketplace a buffet is technically understandable, but it massively undersells the experience.

A conventional buffet is mostly about choosing food that has already been prepared. Emporium is different because so much of the experience revolves around the stations themselves.


You can watch sushi being prepared, choose seafood for grilling, order fresh pasta, select your sauce, order a burger, watch pizza dough being worked, build a charcuterie plate, choose oysters and ceviche, order wok dishes and finish with individual patisserie.

That makes Emporium feel much closer to a collection of small restaurants sharing the same dining room.

It also fills an important role within Explora Journeys. Some evenings you want a longer restaurant dinner at Sakura, Fil Rouge, Marble & Co. or Mediterranean Yacht Club. Other evenings you simply want very good food without a reservation, without a fixed menu and without spending two hours at dinner.


Emporium gives you that freedom without feeling like a compromise.


For us, it is not the place we go when we cannot get a restaurant reservation. It is one of the dining venues we actively want to return to.

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