Chops or Portofino?

[slp1323]

We will be sailing on Freedom of the Seas this summer and wanted to try one of the specialty restaurants. It will be our first experience and want to try the best one. I know its a matter of opinion but can anyone give us a suggestion?

Thanks!:)

[Parkay]

I say do both. :) Otherwise, I would do Chops. But this is a decision you'll ultimately have to make for yourself because the responses here are going to be pretty evenly split between Chops and Portofino.

[yogimax]

We like the steak served in Portofinos!

[novalab]

Portofino...more variety. We tried both & our all female group last June thought Portofino was the best of the 2. Chops is good, very good but it is a steak house & tends to appeal more to the guys.

 

We will be eating at both next month on our Mariner cruise. This will be the first time for my DH at the specialty restaurants. He is a real meat lover. It will be interesting to hear which one he likes best after trying them both.

[jana616]

We've only had the chance to try one (Chops) and it was 4 years ago. That being said, it was hands down the best meal I have ever had. I initially wanted to try Portofino because I love Italian, but my husband preferred to try Chops and I am SO glad we did. I have no idea if their menu has changed, but we loved the crab cake appetizer and the Mississippi Mud Pie. Plus our waiter was super nice and got me the flourless chocolate cake from Portofino, which was I most wanted to try there. We loved Chops!

[cruisindoggie]

Chops or even chops and then maybe chops!

[luvtocruise08]

We tried both on the Independence a few weeks ago and they were both excellent!!!!

[slp1323]

Thanks for the responses so far. Another question I had was the time spent there...is that table yours for a certain period of time or can you take your time? Also how do you know which night to go to the specialty restaurant?

[pltag]

They are both great! If I had to choose one, I'd give the edge to Portofino!

[PhoenixCruiser]

We used to believe that Chops was better however now we are perplexed because both were OH so GOOD on the Mariner!! You will be more than fine with either :)

 

How was that for being helpful ;)

 

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[mistergq]

I would recommend doing both if that is in your budget. if not, my vote is portofinos. It has more options and the food is great. That is not to say CHops is bad, in fact, the exact opposite. I just like Portofinos better.

 

Also they do not rush you to get out. Its probably an 1 1/2 to 2 hour experience.

[gskline]

I would recommend doing both if that is in your budget. if not, my vote is portofinos. It has more options and the food is great. That is not to say CHops is bad, in fact, the exact opposite. I just like Portofinos better.

 

Also they do not rush you to get out. Its probably an 1 1/2 to 2 hour experience.

 

 

This may sound like a dumb question, but do you have to pay extra for these two restaurants? This is our first "Family Cruise." My wife and I cruised by ourselves twice. They only had the MDR on the two ships we were on. Our group will be 7 people with kids ranging from 17 to 23 years old. I don't want to sound cheap, but I was just curious.

[PhoenixCruiser]

This may sound like a dumb question, but do you have to pay extra for these two restaurants? This is our first "Family Cruise." My wife and I cruised by ourselves twice. They only had the MDR on the two ships we were on. Our group will be 7 people with kids ranging from 17 to 23 years old. I don't want to sound cheap, but I was just curious.

 

Yes it is extra, $25 pp for Chops and $20 pp for Portofino.

 

You do not sound cheap at all, it is hard planning for a group. If someone decides they want a Chops steak they can still order it off the menu in the main dining room for $15.95.

 

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[mamacat3]

Thanks for the responses so far. Another question I had was the time spent there...is that table yours for a certain period of time or can you take your time? Also how do you know which night to go to the specialty restaurant?

 

 

The table is yours for as long as you want to sit in the restaurant and enjoy the ambiance!! IMHO Portofino has more to offer in the way of a great dining experience. The ambiance and the presentation are wonderful. Chops is a steak house with a steak house atmosphere and the vegetables are served family style.

[Paul65]

I'll be sailing on the Voyager, so I don't have to make that difficult decision. She doesn't have a Chops, so Portofino it is. But, if I did have both options available, I'd probably choose to try both. :D

 

Seriously, though, Portofino would probably be my choice between the two, but that's mainly personal preference. We're more into Italian than steakhouse. Keep in mind, though, that Portofino is not Italian-American. I've actually seen some people say they came away disappointed, because it wasn't the lasagna and spaghetti and meatball fare that they were expecting from an "Italian" restaurant....You can see sample menus for both restaurants on the rccl website.

[PudgiPoo]

Does anyone know if they serve lobster at either. I don't really care for the way the lobster is served in the MDR. Chopps will be new to us, so I know I must try it.

[tmoore4075]

I prefer portofino so I would say go with that. But to be honest they are both very good.

[dbird]

Does anyone know if they serve lobster at either. I don't really care for the way the lobster is served in the MDR. Chopps will be new to us, so I know I must try it.

 

I just returned from the Mariner and had dinner in Portofino's. I had the seafood plate that includes shrimp, scallops, salmon and lobster....however the lobster was not good, very tough and over cooked. I mentioned it as a quiet side note and they did offer to bring me a new one(I declined, was too full) When we had lobster in the main dinning room two evenings later, if was much the same experience. The pasta in Portofino's was so wonderful,fresh, homemade. My husband and I asked if we could split one, so they added a pasta course between our appetizer and main course.

[rubrrick]

Actually some of the ships will allow certain items from either Portofino's or Chops to be served in the other restaurant. So, if you enjoy the ambiance of Portofino's, but want something off of the Chops menu, many times the staff will be willing to accommodate you.:)

 

Sussssssh!!

 

Rick

[im4golf]

WE are going on Radiance of the Seas in July. I ran off the menu for Portfinios, and it doesn't even mention a steak on the menu. Just wondered if they still have it?

[bplazo]

I thought that the steak at Portifinos was better than Chops. So, I choose Portifinos.

[slp1323]

Thanks for all the replies. We are definitely going to Portifinos and may also go to Chops. Why not...we're on vacation...right? :)