The Best Food aboard The Queen Mary Long Beach for 2026
It was May 27th, 1936, when the Queen Mary ocean liner took her maiden voyage. She was known for having five dining areas and lounges, two bars, and even below-deck swimming pools. Now, at the age of ninety, the grand dame is celebrating her golden years, permanently docked in Long Beach and even more revitalized, with fresh dining spaces to match her glowing exterior. Now let’s set sail to taste the Best Food aboard the Queen Mary Long Beach for 2026, with everything from the new Jubilee Coffee & Concessions to the Midship Marketplace, and eventually concluding with a Royal Sunday Brunch in the Grand Salon.
Jubilee Coffee & Concessions
Let’s begin our exploration of the restaurants aboard the Queen Mary with one of the newest: Jubilee Coffee & Concessions. This cafe was set up to provide a grab-and-go amenity for Starbucks Coffee and Ice Cream. The sweeping vistas that can be seen from the starboard side of the ship, however, also make it a delicious spot to settle in with a laptop.
Did you know you can enjoy many of the dining options aboard the Queen Mary without a reservation? Just purchase a $15 admission ticket and that amount can be applied toward your bill! You can also enjoy a self-guided tour of the vessel.
Jubilee is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Promenade Café
The Promenade Café is a popular spot for Breakfast. It’s also where you’ll enjoy a Full Breakfast Buffet ($28) as a hotel guest. Popular à la carte items include the Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats with hemp seeds and mint ($12) and the The Promenade Burrito with scrambled eggs, pork sausage, and salsa molcajete ($21).
Visit during lunch and dinner to enjoy a light and sweet Brussels Sprouts Salad ($19) or the highly requested Fish & Chips made with fresh, local cod and served with a side of sidewinder fries ($21). Everything is made fresh, in-house as much as possible, including a from-scratch Spinach Artichoke Dip served with grilled, crusty bread ($15).
The Promenade Café is open for Breakfast and Lunch daily from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for Dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 or 10 p.m.
Observation Bar
Everything in the Observation Bar ticked my fancy, from the Queen Mary Cocktails to the delightful plates made for sharing and intricate on-board adventures like a rotating No.3 Speakeasy Night you need a password to. This is also a new musical entertainment offering almost every night of the week, with everything from Jazz to Disco.
The Observation Bar retains almost all its original features from when it was the ship’s First Class Lounge, including the Royal Jubilee Week painting from 1935 by Alfred R. Thomson. It’s meant to unite the classes and hangs above the bar. Sip on a Lady in White made with tequila, coconut, and grenadine while you peruse the outer decks that flank the bar space, making for perfect photo ops ($15). Intimate tables make for wonderful rendezvous spots over Sweet Heat Pork Belly Sliders and an upleveled Charcuterie ($22). A sweet finish not to miss is the Smooth Road double-chocolate brownie ($16).
The Observation Bar from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and weekends beginning as early as 11 a.m. While that might feel early to start drinking, the food menu here has some real standouts, making it a great spot for lunch. Live music usually doesn’t begin until about 6 p.m., but the music playing over the speakers is pure 1940s gems.
Midship Marketplace
The Midship Marketplace is the perfect spot for a quick bite and is the lunchtime equivalent of Jubilee Coffee & Concessions. All Subs are sliced to order, like The Atlantic Stack with prosciutto, ham, salami, and cheeses ($17). Midship Marketplace has a wide variety of Flatbreads and Salads but the really special treat has to be the Rivet Burger ($18). Chef Andre Lane describes this as a “UFO Burger” because the brioche bun creates a sort of capsule around the meat that seals the juices in perfectly! It’s served with sidewinder fries.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Afternoon Tea
There’s no better place to enjoy an Afternoon Tea than on a British heritage site. Even more special is the exclusivity, as Afternoon Tea takes place only once a week, when the Chelsea Chowder Deck is transformed to accommodate it.
The menu features several types of Tea, freshly baked Scones with jam already inside, and Windsor Tea Sandwiches and Petit Fours. It should be noted that the Scones recipe is directly from the Cunard, and the Coronation Chicken Tea Sandwich recreates the recipe from the Queen’s actual coronation. This is just another of the ways that the Queen Mary is staying true to its roots – even in Long Beach, California.
Afternoon Tea takes place at 2 p.m. on Saturdays, and reservations are a must. The cost is $130 per person.
Chelsea Chowder House & Bar
Named one of the OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice Award winners for 2025, Chelsea Chowder House & Bar is a seafood paradise and much beloved for dinner that can be as extravagant or low-key as you choose. Perhaps you’d like to keep it light with a New England Clam Chowder ($12) and a Queen Mary Martini ($16) – my ideal meal. Or if you have a friend with you, why not enjoy a Seafood Tower for Two with oysters, clams, claws, shrimp, and all the trimmings ($78). House specialties like Grilled Lamb Chops with potatoes ($54) and a 12 oz NY Steak are also available for the land lovers ($55).
Chelsea Chowder House & Bar is also home to the special Dining Through the Decades Menu, which offers “period-true recipes” in a three-course tasting menu format for a relatively modest price ($65). The menu changes, but upon my visit, Delmonico Salad, Lamb Chop Tourangelle, and Ice Box Cake were among the choices available.
Chelsea Chowder House & Bar is open at 5 p.m. daily until 9 or 10 p.m.
Royal Sunday Brunch in the Grand Salon
Royal Sunday Brunch is among the most popular events on the Queen Mary and is the grand finale of this eating extravaganza. It’s not only all-you-can-eat, but you’re never to see the bottom of your Champagne glass – as they are always going around with The Queen Mary signature bubbly. If this is not to your liking, Cocktails are available to add on.
The buffet has dishes that span the globe, including fresh Carbonara pasta from Italy, Tacos from Mexico, a Sushi station, a Raw Bar, Prime Rib the size of a small child, and much more. Desserts include mini Cheesecakes, Bananas Foster flambéed before your eyes, and anything else you can think of to complete your meal. If you ask, it’s most likely there.
The room has been restored to its original glory as the Grand Salon, and at the end of the large hall, you’ll find a stage for Live Entertainment while you dine like royalty. The music harkens back to the first voyage.
Brunch hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday. In honor of The Queen Mary’s 90th Anniversary, the price is just $90 per person until May 27th, 2026 with a reservation.
Where to Stay When Visiting the Queen Mary
Turn your day out at sea into a real seacation by booking a Hotel Room at the Queen Mary. There are over 300 first-class staterooms to choose from, decorated in deep blues and rich wood hues, and the price is extremely reasonable for such gorgeous suites.
I’m also a fan of the Hotel Maya, which is only a short bay away from the ship dock.
So What’s the Best Food Aboard the Queen Mary for 2026?
It’s astounding that at seven different eateries you’ll find nary a crossover, which means it behooves you to try them all. I’m extremely partial to the food and drinks at The Observatory Bar and Chelsea Chowder House & Bar, but if I only had an hour on board, I’d be grabbing a Rivet Burger or a Bowl of Clam Chowder and a seat at the window.
The food aboard the Queen Mary is just the beginning of the fun you can have exploring the ship, viewing the art in the galleries, doing some shopping, etc. It’s a great spot for families and anglophiles alike, and there’s always something new going on. Discover your next voyage here.
