Meals aboard Viking Mississippi are taken in one of two dining venues: The Restaurant on Deck 1, or the more casual River Café on Deck 5.
Both venues offer a mix of regional and international cuisines. Expect to find dishes like catfish, wild mushroom etouffee, beignets and succotash alongside Viking favorites like the Chairman’s Poached Salmon (a Norwegian-inspired dish loved by Viking founder and Chairman, Torstein Hagen).
Menu items are often similar between the two venues, so it really comes down to whether passengers want a more traditional, sit-down affair in The Restaurant or a more casual, buffet-esque experience in The River Café. The latter has an edge in that a nearby barbecue pit offers up traditional American barbecue specialties like brisket, roast seasoned chicken, sausages, and other assorted Barbecue items, alongside a raw bar that serves specialties like oysters, shrimp, and sushi and sashimi selections.
Room service is not available aboard Viking Mississippi.
Free Restaurants on Viking Mississippi
The Restaurant aboard Viking Mississippi serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner in an open-seating environment (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The Restaurant (Deck 1): Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, The Restaurant is Viking Mississippi’s traditional dining venue, with table service for every meal. All meals are open-seating, allowing guests to dine whenever they want, with whomever they choose. And, unlike the line’s European river cruise ships, dinner at The Restaurant is typically served between 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., allowing guests to come dine at any point during the venue’s opening hours as they please.
Improvements made to The Restaurant in early 2024 closed off the formerly open-concept galley, making the room far quieter and more inviting. Those who have sailed aboard Viking’s oceangoing fleet will notice design similarities with The Restaurant aboard Viking Mississippi, with most tables offering great views of the Mississippi River. New design elements, like canoe-shaped light fixtures adorned with paddle-inspired dividers, add a touch of local flair to the room, which is done in tasteful light wood tones accented with sky-blue hues.
Service in The Restaurant is friendly and efficient regardless of where you sit. Some wait staff are still learning the ropes, but they still treat guests with enthusiasm and kindness.
Menus in The Restaurant differ little from the more casual River Café, though there is always at least one dish that is on offer only in The Restaurant’s more formal setting. Breakfast is a set menu of favorites that never rotates each day, but lunch and dinner both offer a menu of “Always Available” favorites on the right-hand side, along with a selection of daily and destination specialties on the left-hand side of the menu.
Evening dress codes, however, are quite relaxed: there’s no need for formal wear aboard Viking Mississippi, with most opting to wear slacks and collared shirts or informal sun dresses to dinner.
The River Cafe offers plenty of seating for those wanting a more casual meal (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
The River Café (Deck 5): Viking Mississippi’s more casual dining venue offers sweeping panoramic views of the Mississippi river in a bright and airy environment. Overhead fans twirl silently, giving the entire room a Southern Veranda vibe.
Menu selections here often mirror those of The Restaurant on Deck 1, with two distinct advantages: the nearby outdoor barbecue pit offers up grilled sausages, chicken, brisket, and other specialties, while an adjacent raw bar is the place to be for seafood selections as well as sushi and sashimi.
The outdoor barbecue pit aboard Viking Mississippi (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Additionally, the aft end of The River Café is dominated by a large full-service bar that’s great for afternoon glasses of wine or evening sundowners.
The adjacent Aquavit Terrace offers outdoor seating for The River Café, but between the heat from the barbecue during dinner hours and the oppressive 109F (43C) heat on our sailing, much of the outer deck space remained unused for most of our voyage as guests retreated into the cooler, air conditioned interior spaces.
What Restaurants Cost Extra on Viking Mississippi?
Diners enjoy dinner in The Restaurant as Viking Mississippi speeds northbound (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
There are no for-fee restaurants or dining options aboard Viking Mississippi. All venues are provided complimentary.
Dietary Restrictions on Viking Mississippi
The River Cafe aboard Viking Mississippi provides a scenic place for casual meals (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Viking is careful to cater to those with allergies or dietary restrictions onboard Viking Mississippi. Servers in The Restaurant ask passengers if they have any allergies or dietary restrictions before meal orders are placed, and inquiries about ingredients in dishes are taken seriously.
Passengers dining in The River Café on Deck 5 will have to ask about ingredients as most dishes are self-served, but plenty of staff on-hand are available to assist.
