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Regionally inspired gourmet fare stars on new World Navigator

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World Navigator's main restaurant is Porto, featuring themed dishes nightly, drawing inspiration from destinations such as Greece, Peru, Spain, Italy, Japan and Mexico and with a special Alma menu of traditional Portuguese specialties
Atlas Ocean Voyages' World Navigator may be a small expedition ship but it offers an ample range of dining choices — six in all.

Regionally inspired gourmet fare is featured in the menus of Porto, Alma, 7AFT Grill, The Dome, Paula’s Pantry and in-room dining.

Porto is World Navigator’s main dining room, named to honor Atlas Ocean Voyages’ Portuguese heritage. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with indoor and alfresco seating. Breakfast will present a la carte and continental buffet options, while lunch offers international fare and local dishes, balancing freshly prepared proteins with plant-based superfoods, smoked vegetables, cheeses, cold and carved meats, soups and more.

Regionally themed dinner plus special Alma menu

Dinner will be regionally themed nightly, drawing inspiration from destinations such as Greece, Peru, Spain, Italy, Japan and Mexico. Dishes like dorade and Greek fava dip (fillet of fresh dorade, traditional fava dip, pickled red onions, fried capers and new potatoes) and solomillo de cerdo Iberico (precision-poached and grilled Iberian pork tenderloin, patatas bravas and spinach) evoke the flavors of some of World Navigator’s inaugural season itineraries.

Dinner in Porto is open seating with the restaurant extending its hours to accommodate all guests and provide for social distancing.

Porto's special Alma menu, available on alternate evenings, is a way to experience Portuguese flavors. Alma means 'soul' in Portuguese, and the recipes have been passed down from generations of home cooks. They're made using artisanal techniques like ceramic jars and other traditional cookware. Dishes include bacalhau a bras, shredded Portuguese-salted cod with onions, thinly sliced fried potatoes olives and scrambled eggs, from Lisbon; alheira de Mirandela, traditional Portuguese sausage, wilted green radish tops and potatoes, from Mirandela; and the regional dessert torta de Azeitão, egg custard rolled in egg dough, from the municipality of Setúbal.

Chophouse experience with 'jospering'

The intimate 7Aft Grill features 'jospering,' a method of grilling that originated in Barcelona in 1969 and is now considered an epic preparation technique in gourmet charcoal gastronomy. At dinner, Josper-grilled specialties will include black angus filet mignon, New York strip steak, lamb saddle, Dover sole, grilled shrimp and lobster.

Lunch is also served on 7Aft’s pool-deck location and offers modern gastropub-style fare such as smoked bread, chicken marinated 24 hours in blonde beer, hot dogs, smoked ribs and a range of a la carte soups, pizzas, proteins, carbs and vegetables. Specialty lunch offerings such as a beef tartare burger served on brioche bread are freshly made on board, and 7Aft’s angus burgers will always be fresh, never frozen.

Light lunch in The Dome

The Dome is World Navigator’s 270-degree, forward-facing observation lounge with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, and, by day, the spot for a light, late lunch after a morning of exploring. Items at The Dome include teas with hot herbal infusions, such as fresh mint and rosemary, iced tea, juices and cold infusions such as cucumber and lime, cookies, cakes, specialty sandwiches, savory spreads and cheeses and daily vegetarian selections.

Paula's Pantry

Travelers looking for grab-and-go fare with an eco-friendly sensibility can visit Paula’s Pantry, named for Paula Ferreira, Mystic Invest executive, co-owner and the wife of Chairman Mário Ferreira, the founder of Atlas Ocean Voyages. From early morning through 6 p.m. daily, Paula’s Pantry will serve easy-to-carry beverages such as espresso and specialty coffees made with small batch-roasted, organic and Fairtrade-certified CaffèMilano beans, Kusmi teas and fresh juice-based detox offerings featuring celery or turmeric; a variety of cold specialty sandwiches and salads, soups and cupcakes.

No single-use plastics

Neither Paula’s Pantry nor any other World Navigator venue will hand out single-use plastics; instead, serving materials include bamboo straws and cutlery and biodegradable plates and cups.

Another World Navigator dining option is service, with an 'always available' menu for all passengers featuring options such as an organic tomato cream soup, burgers, club sandwich, eggplant vegan burger and a Buddha bowl salad. Breakfast choices are available in a classic or healthy breakfast menu.