In recent years, the concept of dinner at a restaurant has been redefined with cruising restaurants. These “restaurants” cruise across famous rivers and waterways, offering ever-changing views, restaurant-style food, drinks and even live entertainment onboard! As the popularity of these cruises increase, here are the best dining cruises all around the world that you should visit in 2026!
Sydney – Showboat Dinner Cruise (Sydney Harbour)
Sydney Harbour is THE hub for cruising, so it’s no wonder that the city has an abundance of cruising restaurants and dinner cruises in Sydney. The Showboat Dinner Cruise is one such icon. This dinner cruise runs on a New Orleans-style paddlewheeler and is the longest running cabaret and dinner cruise experience in the city.
The experience offers a 3-course plated menu, a drinks package and a live cabaret show onboard the cruise! Cruise past the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge as you enjoy a multiple course menu featuring international and Aussie classics!
Dubai – Rustar Dhow Cruise (Dubai Creek)
When it comes to the world’s tallest building and the largest shopping mall, Dubai has extravagant living down to the T, and the Rustar Dhow Cruise through Dubai Creek adds to the world of Arabian elegance. This handcrafted wooden vessel treats you to a ride through the waterway with gourmet dining and panoramic city views for a true Emirati experience.
The cruise includes a traditional Arabic welcome with coffee and dates, a lavish buffet dinner featuring Emirati, Continental and Asian cuisine with live cooking stations and live entertainment of traditional Tanoura performances.
Bangkok – Manohra Cruises (Chao Phraya)
Discover the City of Angels from the perspective of the Chao Phraya as the golden hour shines on Bangkok! See the Temple of Dawn and the Grand Palace as you dine onboard Manohra Cruises’ restored rice barges! These iconic vessels were once a primary mode of transport and now serve as your restaurant for the night. The cruise ambience is intimate and focuses on showcasing Thailand’s personality through premium dining and spectacular views of the city from the boat.
Enjoy set dinner menus featuring authentic Thai classics reimagined with a modern twist. The experience also comes with an option to upgrade to free flow of drinks, elevating the entire experience.
Istanbul – Mega Lüfer Dinner Cruise (Bosphorus)
The Bosphorus is Istanbul’s front row seat to both Asia and Europe, and dinner cruises on the strait are a perfect blend of this dual-continent culture. The Mega Lüfer dinner cruise is an experience that offers traditional Turkish hospitality with panoramic views of Ottoman Palaces and waterfront mansions!
The cruise includes a generous mulit-course Turkish dinner, unlimited drinks and live entertainment that feature folk dances, dervish performances and live music. As the cruise glides past Dolmabahce Palace and the Bosphorus Bridge, experience the warmth of the Mediterranean cuisine and people.
Paris – Bateaux Parisiens (Seine)
Cruise through the Seine and experience the city onboard Bateaux Parisiens. A typical Paris experience is not complete without a cruise along this famed river. Bateaux Parisiens is the city’s go-to for their signature dinner cruises. The glass-roofed vessels, refined dining and live music set the tone for an evening in the City of Love.
Guests can enjoy a curated multi-course French dinner menu made with locally sourced ingredients and paired with local wines. Dine while drifting past the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the city’s embankments. This dining experience offers a blend of fine dining and sightseeing that captures the timeless charm of Paris after dark.
New York – Bateaux New York (Hudson)
Now on the other side of the world, the Hudson River has again perfected the art of cruising restaurants. The Bateaux New York, sister company to the one in Paris, offers a more elevated sight of the Big Apple with views of the Manhattan skyline.
This cruise offers a gourmet plated multi-course dinner featuring dishes made from fresh local ingredients. Guests can access the cash bar for creative cocktails and drinks of their choosing to pair with their meal as they soak in views of the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge! Live entertainment includes a jazz band contributing to the relaxed ambiance of the evening.
A dining cruise proves that dinner doesn’t need four walls to feel extraordinary. Each city offers a completely different way to experience its culture from the water while maintaining the balance – delicious food, drinks and stunning views of the city!
