Favorite Specialty Restaurant

[hcazrat]

What is your favorite Princess specialty restaurant and why?

[JimmyVWine]

Sabatini's because it is my daughter's favorite. She gets so excited about eating there that her enthusiasm overwhelms me. I would eat there any time just to renew her excitement. Personally, I put it just a hair above Crown Grill. CG is noted for its meat, but I have had Veal Chops at Sabatini's that blow CG out of the water. Also, if you are on a ship that has Sabatini's up top with Adagio, the setting is second to none.

[Pam in CA]

I prefer the Crown Grill or Sterling Steakhouse over Sabatini's. I like some seafood but don't like many of the menu items. Plus, I would never order lobster on a cruise ship. I love the French onion soup or clam chowder, a rare petit fillet mignon with a baked potato and a yummy dessert in the Crown Grill or Sterling Steakhouse. Probably the only place on the ship where I eat dessert. Not a big fan of the Bayou Cafe as many of the items are either seafood or spicy. However, they do have a great peppercorn fillet.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Pam in CA

[Gunner22aa]

I love prime rib and the last time I had it on the Golden it was served perfect. Way too much for me with the full 14 oz cut. I politely declined the seconds that were offered as well as desert.

[dorisis]

Steakhouse for food. Sabatinis for atmosphere. Huge portions in both.

[geoherb]

My favorite isn't a specialty restaurant--it's the Ultimate Balcony Dinner. We had wonderful food and service when we did one on the Crown.

[Happy2cruise]

I prefer the Crown Grill or Sterling Steakhouse over Sabatini's. I like some seafood but don't like many of the menu items. Plus, I would never order lobster on a cruise ship. I love the French onion soup or clam chowder, a rare petit fillet mignon with a baked potato and a yummy dessert in the Crown Grill or Sterling Steakhouse. Probably the only place on the ship where I eat dessert. Not a big fan of the Bayou Cafe as many of the items are either seafood or spicy. However, they do have a great peppercorn fillet.

Totally agree:D:D

[IdahoCruises]

Sabatini's.

 

Food and service are great.

 

Crown Grill had great steaks, but we were rushed through our dinner.

[san diego sue]

How is Sterling Steak House on the Sapphire. We are on next week and want to try it. The location right next to Horizon Ct.and the seating looks like it too. Not a nice location . Is the food as good as Crown Grill on other ships? We have eaten in Sabatini's and want to try something different.

[RetiredNTraveling]

Each time we sail, we eat dinner at both Sabatini's and Crown Grill. However, we still can't decide which restaurant we like best. We always order something different each time at Sabatini's, but while at the Crown Grill we order the same steaks (14 oz Ribeye & 8 Petite Filet) each time. Absolutely fabulous each time with nothing to complain about or even have regrets about ordering. Whatever you order at Sabatini's you won't be disappointed.

 

Our favorite time in the Crown Grill was when we went with another couple. Everyone ordered different appetizers and deserts so we could see what the others ordered. The waiter brought extra 2 appetizers and 2 deserts for tasting. He was a great waiter, in that you never really saw him but he was always there if needed. Like the others on this board, the Black & Blue Onion Soup is to die for. Another thing to try at CG is the variety of salts presented during the meal. Each is unique in it's own way!

 

You can't go wrong at either of the "Specialty Restaurants"!

[LollyMoz]

Two votes for the Crown Grill. We had a 3-hour feast there during our recent cruise and have dined at CG on the CB as well. The atmosphere is dark and clubby, which we enjoy and our service has never been less than stellar.

 

Fabulous Dinner @ Crown Grill by lollymoz, on Flickr

 

Scallops by lollymoz, on Flickr

 

PC230065 by lollymoz, on Flickr

[Colo Cruiser]

Even though they removed the really good lobster choices from the menu a couple of years ago We still like CG the best although Sabatinins comes in a close second. ;)

[generichandle]

I rarely disagree with Pam on anything, but I must on this one.

 

I am an old suthin boy, and I loved The Bayou on Coral Princess. Everything

we had was great, the service was exquisite, and they had my old boyhood favorite, fried green tomatoes! They were fresh, slightly tangy, and I got them on butter toast with a slice of nice onion on the side. Then I ordered them again, and again, and again. Never had desert, so cannot speak to that, but everything we had was great. Oddly though, I remember few specifics except for the FGT's. :o

 

Will try Crown, where I have yet to be, on the Crown in March.

 

Doug

[OCruisers]

We also enjoyed Bayou on Island Princess. :)

 

LuLu

[Astro Flyer]

My favorite isn't a specialty restaurant--it's the Ultimate Balcony Dinner. We had wonderful food and service when we did one on the Crown.

I feel the same way and I've enjoyed a UBD on various sizes of balconies & even the time inclement weather forced us to enjoy it in our cabin. It's $50 per couple more than the Crown Grill or Sabatini's but for that price you get nearly $100 in extras...cocktails, champagne (exchanged for wine), flowers, photo & specialty coffee drinks. :D

 

I've also enjoyed dinners at the Crown Grill and Sabatini's & enjoyed the food and service at both restaurants. If I had to choose between them then the Crown Grill would be the place we would go. We feel the entrees are better although for other courses feel that Sabatini's is better. Both have wonderful selections for dessert so that's pretty even.

[helenb]

Since UBD counts, I will vote for Chef's Table!

 

Sabbatini's used to be much better, and we are unhappy with all the changes they have made to the menu over the years. Come on, an Italian restaurant where you can't even choose your own pasta? Crown Grill and Sterling's are meh. Nice steaks, but not a lot else to recommend them.

 

International Cafe is great, and it is one of our favorites.

[Coveguy4]

Love the Bayou on the Coral, Filet melts in your mouth, service and atmosphere the best...Jim

[Happy2cruise]

We also enjoyed Bayou on Island Princess. :)

 

LuLu

Bayou on Coral was fantastic too:D

[sssteele]

I don' t eat a lot of beef, but the filet at Crown Grill has always been wonderful, and I love the veggie selections.

 

I hope to be there one evening later this week.:D

 

Joanie

[rwep]

what are the dinner hours of Sabatini's and the Crown Grill...or when is the last seating?

[ctemkg]

For the Sapphire:

 

Are the menus at Sabatini's and Crown Grill the same each night or do they change?

 

Does anyone have the current menu for these two restaurants?

[Colo Cruiser]

For the Sapphire:

 

Are the menus at Sabatini's and Crown Grill the same each night or do they change?

 

Does anyone have the current menu for these two restaurants?

 

No the specialty menus stay the same.

[san diego sue]

The Sapphire has Sterling Steak House not Crown Grill.

Don't know for sure about the menu. Will try it out next week.

[JimmyVWine]

No the specialty menus stay the same.

...except for the Pasta of the Day at Sabatini's. That changes everyday. And if the pasta that day is not to your liking, if you have another suggestion, they kitchen can probably prepare it. On our last visit, the table next to us had a "picky eater" who was not enthralled with the pasta of the day and the server rattled off a whole host of other options that could be prepared if any of those would be more to his liking. Not complex preparations or ones with luxury ingredients, so I wouldn't try for Truffle-filled Agnolotti with Butter, Sage and Assiago. Or Hand-Cut Papardelle with Jumbo Lump Crab. But if a red-sauce pasta is not being served that day, they can do that, and vice versa if it is a red sauce and you would prefer a cream or butter sauce.

[Gunner22aa]

As mentioned it is fixed and doesn't change. That being said there are enough choices on it that you would probably have to go every night of a 14 day trip to find yourself in a position with nothing new left to try. The prime rib is phenominal.