The allure of a neighbourhood European wine bar graces Europe’s rivers as the APT Solara and its sky-high hero venue debuts in 2025.

Aboard Europe's newest river cruise, the APT Solara, the Grüner Bar & Dining is an ode to Germany’s fresh food markets, with its winning trio of local produce, ingredients prepared in-house, and a menu that changes with the seasons. The venue itself, engineered with a hydraulics system that elevates the entire space to the Sun Deck, evokes the relaxed elegance of a European wine bar, where guests can take their time drinking a glass of Grüner Veltliner Pfaffl and savouring share plates at a pace that’s as leisurely as a river cruise.

River Cruise Dining Reimagined

More than just an onboard restaurant, this floating wine bar represents a new age of river-cruise dining. Monique Lane of Fellow Hospitality envisioned Grüner Bar & Dining as a European neighbourhood wine bar, where the staff know your name and have your drink of choice at the ready. “A wine bar is the ultimate hospitality experience,” Lane says. Designed to set guests at ease, the bar is designed to create a sense of community, where Austria’s finest drops are poured among friends, plates of marinated olives and crumbly cheese savoured between sips, and stories shared. At the unveiling of Grüner Bar & Dining, Lane and Fellow Hospitality’s vision was met with unanimous praise – its execution flawless in every detail.

An Elevated European Wine Bar

Unlike your standard neighbourhood wine bar – or any cruise ship dining venue, for that matter – Grüner Bar & Dining elevates onboard dining in every sense, courtesy of its world-first hydraulic lift system that raises the entire venue from Deck 3 up to the Sun Deck. In an incredible feat of engineering, the world expands as the riverside views unfold, to be enjoyed from this unique vantage.

Exceptional Dining, Exceptional Service

At Grüner Bar & Dining, the welcome is personal – guests are greeted by name, with their favourite tipple ready to be poured. Lane recommends a crisp glass of Grüner Veltliner Pfaffl, a white variety which Austria is renowned for. Taking a sip, the refreshing notes of pear, lemon and grapefruit are the first to hit, the sweetness of the fruit softened by the acidity of the wine.

The wine pairs perfectly with some of the venue’s most esteemed dishes. Begin your culinary sojourn with a warm, soft pretzel baked in-house and served alongside whipped ricotta and vegetables pickled in the onboard kitchen. A plate of smoked trout rillette soon follows, with pickled beetroot for a flavoursome crunch and fresh slices of rye to scoop up the spread. Championing the more relaxed end of the menu is Lane’s personal favourite: the fish finger sandwich. Unassuming in its simplicity, the sandwich offers a powerhouse of flavours thanks to its lashings of remoulade. “All dishes have been designed to share,” says Lane. “Aside from the fish finger sandwich. You’ll want to eat that one all on your own.”

Words by Felicia Arhontissas

APT Solara is now cruising the Rhine, Danube and Main rivers. Click below to discover your next luxury river cruise.