Current MDR Menu: What is Good and What is Bad?

[curtdesilets]

I'm getting mixed reviews on the food quality in the MDR on Celebrity.

 

Can anyone here share their experiences? Which are the items you liked and which should we avoid?

 

I usually like Seafood on the ship, but what meat dishes are good?

 

A few cruises ago, my wife chose mostly vegetarian meals, and they were quite good.

 

Thanks in advance for any tips. We board Solstice on Friday!

[happy cruzer]

I don't think the menus have changed in a few years. Of course each chef makes a difference so reports from recent cruises are good.

[81Zoomie]

From the Reflection in Feb. In the MDR all the food was presented well. Our main take away was overall, most dishes lacked flavor. My prime rib was so tough I couldn't cut it. I also avoided any beef listed as "sirloin". I do this on all ships now. Vegetable servings are tiny, more like garnish. The seafood was much better than the beef. The appetizers were all excellent. This was the only cruise I've been on where the food in the buffet tasted better than in the MDR. At least we have choices :-)

[Lois R]

I'm getting mixed reviews on the food quality in the MDR on Celebrity.

 

Can anyone here share their experiences? Which are the items you liked and which should we avoid?

 

I usually like Seafood on the ship, but what meat dishes are good?

 

A few cruises ago, my wife chose mostly vegetarian meals, and they were quite good.

 

Thanks in advance for any tips. We board Solstice on Friday!

 

Hi again, when was the last time you sailed Celebrity? The reason

I ask is:

You are going to find different answers about this subject for many

years now and I just want to let you know this is the type of question

that will continue to give you "mixed reviews"......ask 20 different

people and you will get 20 different responses.:eek:

 

I had 2 lamb dishes on my recent cruise....loved both:)....someone

else may tell you their lamb was not good.......:eek:

I had lamb chops one evening and lamb shank another......both

were delicious.

 

2nd formal night I decided to give the lobster a try and I was

pleasantly surprised:D....it was very tender and sweet! I don't usually

order it but thought, well, if I don't like it, I will get something else.

Didn't need to order anything else:)

 

What to avoid? Hard to answer that.....everyone is different and

we all like different things.....and remember, they are cooking for

1,000's........

[QE2_Fan]

We were on Solstice in March during her Sth Pacific season and we loved dining in the MDR, found food tasty, and well presented. The Veal Chop was a standout! Some on our table had the chocolate. Lava cake and said it was dry and to be avoided, but that's the only thing I recall as a negative. We had been on the Solstice the previous October and noticed the repeat of the menus but either chose differently or ordered a favourite - again we were not disappointed.

 

We also had friends on board jointing us for their first cruise and they were extremely impressed with the food, onboard. Also heard similar from the many cruisers we chatted to along the way !

 

Enjoy [emoji12]

 

 

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[jsf]

Also keep in mind that this is a Celebrity board and many reviews are tainted with just a liitle Celebrity love. While everyone's tastes are different it is hard to tell someone else what they will like.The best advice is to try something and if you don't like it order something else. The waiters will be only to happy to get you a different dish.

J.

[dkjretired]

Curt:

 

I mentioned in another thread but the buffet at night is much better than it used to be, they have some made to order items and you can get a steak right off the grill. Not the best quality but pretty good.

[curtdesilets]

You are all correct I think...everyone's taste will very different.

 

The Veal Chop sounds good as do the lamb chops.

 

I realize that the Seafood is usually a no brainer, and should be outstanding.

 

And I'm assuming I can still get escargot every night?

 

There was a time not too long ago that there was a shortage and they substituted "Stuffed Mushrooms" BLAGGHH!! :eek:

[upwarduk]

I like the way the food on the menus is recommended as Sugar Free, Lactose free, Gluten free and vegetarian.

No way could I recommend what you eat, as I wouldn't expect to be told what is good for me, as I have to keep away from dairy, as I am Lactose Intolerant.

[QE2_Fan]

You are all correct I think...everyone's taste will very different.

 

 

 

The Veal Chop sounds good as do the lamb chops.

 

 

 

I realize that the Seafood is usually a no brainer, and should be outstanding.

 

 

 

And I'm assuming I can still get escargot every night?

 

 

 

There was a time not too long ago that there was a shortage and they substituted "Stuffed Mushrooms" BLAGGHH!! :eek:

 

 

They were on the everyday menu back in March. Our friends 9yo daughter tried them on 'a dare' on the first night and pretty much had them every night thereafter!!

 

As for me, I had them once, but succumbed to my all time favourite, the French Onion soup!! Oh so good!! Thank goodness there has never been an onion shortage [emoji23][emoji13]

 

 

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Edited May 25, 2015 by QE2_Fan

[harz99]

 

There was a time not too long ago that there was a shortage and they substituted "Stuffed Mushrooms"

 

Yes; loved the crab stuffed mushrooms. Snails - Yukk.

[phillygirl2400]

Just off of 2 cruises (February and April) on the Equinox. The main courses in the MDR were never hot.

[DinaS]

Just off the Summit - loved the rack of lamb and the beef wellington. Hated the "lobster" - it was warm water (Caribbean) lobster and had no flavor at all.

 

We did the buffet for breakfast and lunch (most days), and the food was good. The surprises were that the pizza and pasta, as well as burgers and hot dogs were REALLY good.

 

Ice cream was a treat and was very good.

 

Cafe Al Bacio was great for coffee drinks, but the desserts were just mediocre. Breakfast items (croissants and donuts) were pretty good.

 

Aspen Coffee was GREAT, but it had way too much alcohol to coffee ratio.

 

**Sorry I got carried away - you only asked about MDR food :)

Edited May 25, 2015 by DinaS

[awhfy]

Eclipse in March this year (Equinox past 2 years). Rack of lamb was superb. Lamb shank was gigantic but very tasty. Beef Wellington was a favorite at our table. I love fish & was surprised that there were few fish entrees. The standout for our table was the Porterhouse steak, never had a better steak on a cruise (& that includes specialties). Hot dogs/burgers by the pool are always good. Pasta to order in the buffet was quite good. The ice cream (especially the pistachio) in buffet is wonderful (& missed)

[lovetotraveltx]

Eclipse in March this year (Equinox past 2 years). Rack of lamb was superb. Lamb shank was gigantic but very tasty. Beef Wellington was a favorite at our table. I love fish & was surprised that there were few fish entrees. The standout for our table was the Porterhouse steak, never had a better steak on a cruise (& that includes specialties). Hot dogs/burgers by the pool are always good. Pasta to order in the buffet was quite good. The ice cream (especially the pistachio) in buffet is wonderful (& missed)

 

Was the porterhouse steak something you had to request or just on the regular mdr menu one night?

 

Thank you!

[Oxo]

Was the porterhouse steak something you had to request or just on the regular mdr menu one night?

 

Thank you!

 

The same question from me, too. In the past 6 Celebrity cruises, never saw a Porterhouse steak on the MDR. In fact, the only steak is normally on the left hand side of menu.

[Lois R]

The same question from me, too. In the past 6 Celebrity cruises, never saw a Porterhouse steak on the MDR. In fact, the only steak is normally on the left hand side of menu.

 

Hi, not just 6 cruises.....I would say in all of my cruises, in 12 years,

I have never seen a Porterhouse on the main dining room menu.

[Oxo]

Hi, not just 6 cruises.....I would say in all of my cruises, in 12 years,

I have never seen a Porterhouse on the main dining room menu.

 

We been on Celebrity since 1994 and many times we were told by the MD, do not order steak off of the menu (MDR.) We knew them, so we took their word.

[cruisestitch]

Millennium April-May 2015

 

The lamb chops were small, the lamb shank was huge, the rack of lamb was just right. There was also a braised lamb wrapped in phyllo that was delicious.

 

Prime rib, steak Dianne were both very good but the beef Wellington was amazing. Best beef I've had on a ship.

 

The onion soup is a generous bowl and very messy to eat.

 

Shrimp scampi over pasta had only three shrimp but they were happy to bring more.

 

The "top chef" menu seems to have drifted away from its original recipes and presentation, but the barbecue chicken w/ mac & cheese is still good

 

All the fish was good except for one night, I believe that was the sea bass. It was very fishy and most people sent it back and got some other entree that night.

 

The appetizers were all good -- not a loser among them.

 

No more "palate cleansing" sorbet between courses on formal nights. It was missed.

[wvufan]

We just returned from a 10 nighter on the Millie. We have had many Celebrity cruises, and the consensus among our friends was the MDR food was the worst ever. I think the main variable is the chef himself. Buffet was pretty good at night ( we went there several nights due to poor food in the mdr) Burgers were great.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[cruisestitch]

Well there you go, we were on the same cruise and thought that the food was the best ever!

[llamo68]

WE got off the Summit 3 weeks ago. I thought the food was delicious! Beef Wellington, Signature Beef Tournadoes, spinach ravioli, all wonderful. My husband thought the portions were a bit small (but of course we never left hungry and he could have asked for more). I loved the french onion soup and chocolate cake. But I'm also not too fussy. As long as I'm not having to slave over a hot stove, I'm pretty pleased. The only meal we did not enjoy was lunch on final sea day in MDR. We ordered fried chicken. Please do not. It was not fried, it was pressed chicken pieces, and the breading was panko break crumbs. Only disappointment of the week. We also enjoyed the buffet.

[d4m]

Two long cruises in the last year. We had prime rib at least two nights and it was terrific! Also liked the tornados, lamb & onion soup is a favorite. Actually have had a few good chicken recipes too!

 

As far as we are concerned, love Café Al Bacio for the oatmeal raisin cookies. Other must feel that way about those cookies as they are always gone quickly!

[awhfy]

Was the porterhouse steak something you had to request or just on the regular mdr menu one night?

 

 

 

Thank you!

 

 

Regular MDR on the daily side of the menu! None of our table ever remembered a porterhouse before either (& we all ordered it)

Edited May 25, 2015 by awhfy

[curtdesilets]

I think you can have salmon everyday, as well as the French Onion Soup and escargot, from what I remember. If the Steak is available everyday, it must be good.

 

I do remember the Pistachio Ice Cream as being really good, as well as something called "After Eight", which was based on those British mints!

 

My favorite MDR desserts from years ago were table side Crepes Suzettes and Table Side Cherries Jubilee. I bet those are only available in the Specialty Restaurants now. bummer!

Edited May 25, 2015 by curtdesilets
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