The Buffet (MS Gabriella, Viking Line)

by Raymund · Published February 18, 2020 · Updated January 20, 2020

I am starting to get used to this breakfast buffet but it’s not good for my waistline, need to go back to basketball and rugby once I head back home to New Zealand. Our breakfast buffet this time is at Viking Line’s MS Gabriella called The Buffet, another Scandinavian breakfast smorgasbord, plus a little more.

Like our earlier breakfast we chose to wake up early so we can go in the line first, not to have the first dibs on the food but to have good seats in the bow of the ship for a nice scenic view of the approach to Helsinki. Food is plenty so there’s nothing to worry if you woke up late, they are always filled regularly so if the scenery is not that important to you then you are free to come in late.

Like the earlier cruise crossing ships we took the breakfast are typical of any Scandinavian countries. Starting with Cold Cuts (Smoked ham, Turkey breast pastrami, Boiled ham, Salami, Smoked beef, Liver pâté and Pickled Finnish cucumber); Cheese, herring and vegetables (Finnish butter, Lactose-free margarine, Soft cheese with herbs, Cottage cheese, Dutch Edam cheese, Emmental cheese, Le Maubert brie, Spinach and pea crème spread, Vegan cheddar cheese, Cold smoked salmon, Roe paste, Anchovies, Norwegian herring with onion, Vegan “pickled herring”, Black seaweed caviar, Tomato slices, Cucumber, Bell pepper and Lettuce); Sour milk, yoghurt and accompaniments (Natural yoghurt, Fruit yoghurt, Oat “yoghurt”, Sour milk, Curd Milk, Blueberry soup, Muesli, Corn flakes, Fitness flakes, Rice puffs, Chocolate puffs, Wild berries, Plum wedges with star anise, Apple compote with cardamom, Honey, Orange marmalade, Sugar-free marmalade); Raw food station (Goji berries, cane sugar, coconut flakes, Chia seeds, Finnish broad bean crumble, Cinnamon, Sun flower seeds, Hazel nuts, Pumpkin seeds, Raisins, Banana chips, Dried apricots, Soft dried pineapple, Soft dried papaya)

Then there were also tons of options for Fresh bread (Four different rolls, Four different countryside breads
, Baguette, Toast, Potato flat bread, Rye bread, Kunto crisp bread, Mini crisp bread ); Fruits and pastries (Grapefruit, Oranges, Melon , Biscuits, Mini donuts, Mini tosca cake, Nutella); plus a lot of Hot dishes (Porridge, Apple purée, Lingonberries, Scrambled Finnish eggs, Vegetarian scrambled eggs, Soft boiled Finnish eggs 3 min., Hard boiled Finnish eggs 7 min., Fried bacon, Mini sausages, Meatballs, White beans in tomato sauce, Focaccia with spinach, Green pea crêpes, Carelian rice pie with egg butter, Pancakes, Strawberry jam, Whipped cream)

And yes drinks are included which is a selection from Milk, Orange juice, Apple juice, Tropicana multi vitamin drink, Organic coffee, Earl Grey Tea, Ceylon Tea, green tea, lemon tea, black currant tea, rose hip tea and Hot chocolate.

Yes there are many new things to try (at least for me). It is a lavish breakfast buffet, definitely a perfect start to our day. Service was great, place was clean, and you won’t feel crowded as there is ample space in the restaurant, especially if you are in the front row. Overall it was good, the bonus was the new things I tried which I haven’t seen something similar on this trip.