Virgin Voyages will debut a modern Indian restaurant on Valiant Lady following its dry dock this May.
Ariya has been developed in partnership with Indie Culinaire by celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan and will offer a range of Indian cuisine, pairing classics with coastal flavours and regional specialities. Dishes will include lamb shank biryani, Goan curried mussels, Malabar coconut crab cake, puffed rice and avocado chaat and tandoori pistachio-crusted snapper.
Ariya will turn Valiant Lady’s breakfast and brunch venue, Razzle Dazzle, into the 220-seat Ariya restaurant each evening. It will include a semi-private dining space framed by decorative screens made to resemble the interior of a traditional jewellery box, Cuddalore-inspired booths, a feature bar, backed by an eclectic DJ soundtrack of Indian classics, Bollywood hits, Punjabi pop and global sounds.
Virgin Voyages CEO Nirmal Saverimuttu said: “Ariya is the next chapter in our food and beverage collection that we’ve been building with real intention since day one.
“Every restaurant we open is a statement about what we believe dining at sea can be, and Ariya says something we haven’t said before. Indian cuisine, done with this level of craft and this much heart, belongs on Valiant Lady. Sailors who’ve sailed with us before will understand immediately why this belongs here. For those who haven’t, Ariya might be the reason they book.”
