Opinions on Food in the Speciality Restaurants

[dateacher]

Would love your opinions on the meals in the specialty restaurants and if they are that much better than the MDR. Food is very important to us ( I don't like the term foodie) but am just wondering if it's worth the additional expense.

[igraf]

Not really that much of a difference in the PG in some (but not all) cases. I ordered a New York steak in the MDR on a recent cruise and noticed that it was the same larger cut as in the PG. Even if it was the smaller cut I could just order two steaks in the MDR, which is not allowed in the PG.

 

I would also say that the PG has little or no advantage over the MDR on formal nights.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

 

Would love your opinions on the meals in the specialty restaurants and if they are that much better than the MDR. Food is very important to us ( I don't like the term foodie) but am just wondering if it's worth the additional expense.

Edited May 12, 2014 by igraf

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

IMO food is somewhat better in the Pinnacle Grill than in the MDR. We have had better luck in the PG on the R and S class ships than the Vista ships. What I like most about dining in the PG is the quiet as opposed to the noise in the MDR. I also like the lunch choices in the PG. I would say try a specialty restaurant at least once and you will know.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We eat a lot in the Pinnacle and the 2 ships that have the Tamarind. The food is a much better quality -- JMO. And we do feel that it is worth the price.

Canaletto -- we had a couple of bad meals when they had the original menu. When the menu was changed to where you now have to share items -- that is not an attraction to us. So we have not tried it and can't tell you if it is worth the $10 per person.

[Alberta Quilter]

Tamarind, only on Eurodam & Nieuw Amsterdam, is fabulous! OMG fabulous! In fact, my DM and I were just talking about it yesterday, how we wished our upcoming cruise ship had a Tamarind. Try the chicken pho (a meal in itself), the shrimp (sexy legs), and the wasabi encrusted beef tenderloin.

 

Pinnacle Grill, I can take or leave. I haven't tried it since they changed the menu and removed some favourites. Le Cirque was good but not worthy of the extra charge, IMO.

 

Have not tried Canaletto as the smell of garlic in that area of the Lido is off putting to us (and I love garlic!).

[Katie333]

We recently had lunch and dinner at the Pinnacle for the first time. We have been on 15 cruises and had never eaten at a for-fee dining room.

 

The steak was far superior to that offered in the dining room/buffet IMO. The rest of the meal (dinner) was also great, and there is definitely emphasis on really special things like baked Alaska, creme brulee etc. We also found the table side Caesar salad preparation kind of neat, as well as the amuse-bouche.

 

Lunch was very nice, but felt more similar to dining elsewhere. The atmosphere was very nice and this made for a pleasant dining experience.

 

Our ship also had the Tamarind which offers a free lunch to literally get a taste for the type of menu they offer. Definitely try out this lunch to see if you want to spring for dinner, assuming this an option.

[cp556]

The Pinnacle Grill is an event, not a quick meal. Service is excellent, but don't expect a rushed environment. Having said that, the food is generally wonderful and we prefer it to the MDR. DH said that his filet mignon was "just about the best steak I've ever had" ... and he should know:)

 

We'll try the new Canaletto menu in a week. We've always enjoyed Canaletto (especially the Antipasto, which is off the menu now) so we'll see. I wonder if the new menu includes the cotton candy? I always thought that a tad strange ....

 

Tamarind!! I'm with Alberta Quilter that I love Tamarind! Not on all ships (unfortunately) but I could eat there several times during a cruise and be very happy.

 

Remember, too, that 3* and above Mariners receive a discount on specialty restaurant meals.

[zookiebird]

We used to enjoy the Pinnacle but our last visit there was disappointing both in quality and service. On the other hand, Tamarind on the N.A. and E-Dam was terrific. Definitely a dining experience to look forward to.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

We felt the Pinnacle was very good, but we just loved the Tamarind......that is, if you love Asian food.

[jtl513]

In our experience the PG food is a bit better than MDR equivalent dishes, but "worth the extra expense" varies with the eye of the beholder. We once (Westerdam) had poorly prepared food and bad service. Now we only go if we get a freebie from our TA or are celebrating some occasion. Remember it's not just $29 pp, but that plus the value of the meal you're not eating in the MDR.

 

The Tamarind, however, is well worth it IMO, and have two dinners booked there for our next cruise. I suppose being cheaper than the PG makes it more "worth it" to us.

 

Canaletto - meh! We liked it on the Prinsendam as much for the space (which is a lot different than on other ships) as for the food. Maybe if you're bored with the MDR, or there's nothing on the menu that appeals to you some night, try it for variety.

 

Our ship also had the Tamarind which offers a free lunch to literally get a taste for the type of menu they offer. Definitely try out this lunch to see if you want to spring for dinner, assuming this an option.

But the dinners are drastically different from the dim-sum lunch, so I don't think liking or disliking lunch would be a good indicator of whether you would like or dislike dinner. Edited May 12, 2014 by jtl513

[shrimp56]

I love lunch in Pinnacle. Lovely menu and lovely peace. And a bargain.

 

Tamarind rocks.

 

Canaletto can be variable. It was wonderful on Veendam and very so-so on Eurodam.

 

Only time we've been to Pinnacle for dinner was on Zuiderdam. The space is ugly, but the food and especially the service, were excellent. We're trying it on Noordam this June and will report back.

[Mary Ellen]

I agree that 'worth the extra expense' is a personal opinion. Tamarind we love. We've had good, and not so good, experiences in the PG. Canaletto - meh. One thing to consider with the PG, food is cooked to order. In the MDR it is mass production. ;)

[POA1]

One couple's opinion: The specialty restaurants make for a nice change on occasion, but we wouldn't eat in them exclusively. My recommendation: Take a look at the menus on HALFacts.com to get a feel for the main dining room offerings. If they appeal to you, then plan to sample the specialty restaurants just to switch things up a bit. I also recommend trying the specialty restaurants for lunch as well.

 

You're going to find that some people prefer to dine exclusively in the Pinnacle Grill. You're also going to hear from people who don't set foot in the MDR, preferring the buffet style of the Lido Restaurant.

 

Read the menus and see what you think. You should find plenty to tempt your palate.

[kazu]

One couple's opinion: The specialty restaurants make for a nice change on occasion, but we wouldn't eat in them exclusively. My recommendation: Take a look at the menus on HALFacts.com to get a feel for the main dining room offerings. If they appeal to you, then plan to sample the specialty restaurants just to switch things up a bit. I also recommend trying the specialty restaurants for lunch as well.

 

You're going to find that some people prefer to dine exclusively in the Pinnacle Grill. You're also going to hear from people who don't set foot in the MDR, preferring the buffet style of the Lido Restaurant.

 

Read the menus and see what you think. You should find plenty to tempt your palate.

 

and that just about sums it up:D

 

We like doing the Pinnacle for the change - we've always had great meals until the Maasdam cruise of just over a month ago. Generally speaking though it has been wonderful. But it does vary ship by ship.

 

We don't normally care for the Canaletto but we did enjoy it on the Prinsendam.

 

I echo the sentiments on the Tamarind, however the lunch pales in comparison to the dinner IMO.

 

PG lunch is a great switch up and a bargain IMO :)

[dateacher]

Thanks for all of the input. I guess we will decide when we get on the ship. We will have just come from a vacation in Las Vegas where our emphasis is on the food so we may be just as happy with the MDR. I don't think we have ever eaten at the buffet for dinner on a cruise but Alaska is different any way.

[travelinjones]

Thanks for all of the input. I guess we will decide when we get on the ship. We will have just come from a vacation in Las Vegas where our emphasis is on the food so we may be just as happy with the MDR. I don't think we have ever eaten at the buffet for dinner on a cruise but Alaska is different any way.

 

If you are interested in a dinner meal in the Pinnacle you may want to book in advance as reservations may be scarce on-board due to all of the Explore 4 promo diners already booked.

 

We think the Pinnacle Grill food quality and service is far superior to the main dining room, especially on non-formal nights. Plus, as others, we love the Tamarind for lunch and dinner. Canaletto - in our opinion - is just okay; not usually worth extra charge.

 

1 note: we do get 1/2 price off specialty restaurants as a 4-star Mariner benefit, but even without, we'd go to Pinnacle at least 1-2 times/cruise.

[POA1]

I second TravelinJones. There will be a lot of people with Explore 4 complimentary Pinnacle reservations on your cruise. Book ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

[sail7seas]

We recently had lunch and dinner at the Pinnacle for the first time. We have been on 15 cruises and had never eaten at a for-fee dining room.

 

The steak was far superior to that offered in the dining room/buffet IMO. The rest of the meal (dinner) was also great, and there is definitely emphasis on really special things like baked Alaska, creme brulee etc. We also found the table side Caesar salad preparation kind of neat, as well as the amuse-bouche.

 

Lunch was very nice, but felt more similar to dining elsewhere. The atmosphere was very nice and this made for a pleasant dining experience.

 

Our ship also had the Tamarind which offers a free lunch to literally get a taste for the type of menu they offer. Definitely try out this lunch to see if you want to spring for dinner, assuming this an option.

 

In our experience the PG food is a bit better than MDR equivalent dishes, but "worth the extra expense" varies with the eye of the beholder. We once (Westerdam) had poorly prepared food and bad service. Now we only go if we get a freebie from our TA or are celebrating some occasion. Remember it's not just $29 pp, but that plus the value of the meal you're not eating in the MDR.

 

The Tamarind, however, is well worth it IMO, and have two dinners booked there for our next cruise. I suppose being cheaper than the PG makes it more "worth it" to us.

 

Canaletto - meh! We liked it on the Prinsendam as much for the space (which is a lot different than on other ships) as for the food. Maybe if you're bored with the MDR, or there's nothing on the menu that appeals to you some night, try it for variety.

 

But the dinners are drastically different from the dim-sum lunch, so I don't think liking or disliking lunch would be a good indicator of whether you would like or dislike dinner.

 

 

I agree that lunch in Tamarind is very different than dinner in Tamarind. I don't care for dumplings so am not a fan of Tamarind's lunch menu but really like dinner there. We totally enjoyed every dinner we had in Tamarind on both Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam.

 

Too bad the other ships don't have a Tamarind. :)

 

[cruz chic]

The Tamarind is awesome. Pinnacle is pretty good too. Canaletto was fine before they changed to the recent menu and that menu sucks IMO.

[sun~]

Hubby and I pretty much only eat in the specialty restaurants. Personally, I think they are dirt cheap. Freshly prepared food. Quieter than the main dining rooms. It is a much better experience.

 

I have been to the Tamarind many, many times on the NA and on the Eurodam. It is one of the best speciality restaurants on the main stream cruise lines. Love the chicken pho soup (it isn't like a real pho from your local vietnamse pho place, definitely a "fusion" item), so good, I got the recipe to make at home :) We have only good things to say about the Tamarind for dinner.

 

PG was excellent in the past, but we were a bit disappointed with the new menu. We have been many times on the NA and Eurodam. The overall experience was good, the steaks and cesaer salad ;) could have been better. Hopefully things have improved since we were on the NA in January.

 

Canaletto is pretty good our last visit. The sharing thing worked out OK for four people. I didn't like the old menu and it wasn't very good, more like run of the mill chain restaurant stuff. The menu has been stepped up a bit, no silly candy floss thingy in sight. The service was meh. Wine attendant forgot about us. The service can be hit and anywhere though.

 

I think it is worth it to pay a few dollars (really very few $ in comparision if you eat out in half way decent restaurants) to supplement the cost of meals. The fact that food is prepared to order is important to hubby and I.

Edited May 12, 2014 by sun~

[SeagoingMom]

Three years ago we ate at the Pinnacle Grill on Zuiderdam -- wouldn't go back. We were perfectly happy with the MDR (food and service) and have not found specialty restaurants worth the price on cruise ships (HAL or Celebrity). We were pretty much the only ones in the PG, so I guess it wasn't popular on our cruise! I should think the answer to your question would be, as you said, try it on board and see if you like it! Tastes differ so...

[cbr663]

As food is important to you then I would recommend that you at least try some of the speciality restaurants. Our favourite is bar none the Tamarind for dinner. The food is expertly prepared, the surroundings are beautiful and the service is absolutely top notch. We have always found the staff to be so warm and welcoming and certainly part of the success of the evening.

 

We also really enjoy the Pinnacle Grill, however, I must state that the experience can vary from ship to ship. We have never had a bad experience at the PG, just some are so much more memorable than others. Our recent PG experience on the Volendam tops all other PG experiences. We found the decor and surroundings to be much more to our liking, the food was perfectly prepared and the service exceptional. We went for lunch and dinner and both surpassed our expectations. Neither could hold a candle to the MDR experience.

[dateacher]

Is the Tamarind on the Volendam? I don't remember seeing anything about it.

[Mary Ellen]

Is the Tamarind on the Volendam? I don't remember seeing anything about it.

Post #5:

Tamarind, only on Eurodam & Nieuw Amsterdam, is fabulous!

[jtl513]

Is the Tamarind on the Volendam? I don't remember seeing anything about it.

No, just Eurodam and Nieuw A.