Portofino on Explorer --worth it?

[tofubeast]

This is going to be our first time on the Explorer. In fact, of all the Celebrity and previous RCCL ships I was on, this is the first time I am on a ship with a specialty restaurant. As a lover of Italian food, I just wanted to hear your opinions about the Portofino restaurant. Is it worth the surcharge? What are the menu items like? What makes is extra special over eating in the main dining room?

 

Also...can you reserve ahead of time, or do you have to wait till when you board?

 

Thanks!

danielle

[karmavacations]

Portifino's is worth the extra charge! The food and service alone merit the cost, but you are also dining at a more leisurely pace(meal takes about 3 hours). I have dined at Portifino's on the Explorer, Navigator,Serenade & Empress. If I am on a ship that offers this I make reservations to go at least once. I sometimes go to Chops but Portifino is my all time favorite specialty restaraunt. The food in the dining room is good but after many cruises it all seems to run together. This is why when I am on ANY cruiseline I like to try the specialty ones.

[Sue L]

YES! It was very worth it IMO, the food, service, ambience were fantastic. I started with tiger shrimp risotto, then a pasta dish and then one of the best and perfect prepared piece of filet mignon. We also loved the dining room. Here is the menu, though I believe from reports from other posters that some of things have changed.

 

Appetizers, Soups, Salads

 

Carpaccio Con Scaglie Di Parmigiano- Thinly sliced seared tenderloin with a salad of shaved fennel, argula and sun-dried tomatoes, finished with lemon-infused olive oil and roasted pine seeds

 

Sformato Al Formaggio Caprino, Insalatina Di Campo E Funghi Trifolati Profumati Al Tartufo- Warm double baked goat cheese souffle served on a bed of forest mushrooms with crisp garden greens, sage-infused cream and drizzled with truffle oil

 

Risotto Ai Gamberetti- Tiger shrimp sauteed with fresh herbs on a bed of creamy saffron risotto

 

Insalata Caprese- Vine ripened yellow and red teardrop tomatoes with baby broccocini, basil, and red onion

 

Zuppa Lagunare Agli Asparagi E Filetti Di Trota Affumicata- Cream of asparagus with julienne-smoked river trout

 

Zuppa Fredda Di Pomodori E Peperoni Dolci Con Capesante Ed Avocado- Chilled plum tomato and pepper soup with seared scallops and avacado

 

Zuppa Del Giorno- Soup of the day

 

Insalata Di Pere E Gorgonzola- Mesclun greens, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, slices of crip pears and roasted candied walnuts served with house dressing

 

Insalata All Cesare- Romaine lettuce with shaved parmesan, herb croutons, and traditional dressing. Prepared a la minute in the dining room

 

Pasta

 

Penne D'angelo, Salsa Di Pomodoro San Marzono Con Prosciutto Crudo E Basilico- Penne pasta with vine-ripened tomoatoes, prosciutto, fresh basil, and shaved Parmesan cheese

 

Pappardelle Mantecate Con Crema Marscaponem, Funghi Arrosto E Timo- Ribbon pasta with roasted mushrooms and fresh thyme, lightly tossed in a marscapone cream sauce

 

Spaghetti All'arargosta E Mazzancolle- Chunks of lobster, roasted zucchini, and garden peas, with a piquant lobster basil sauce

 

Main Courses

 

Gamberoni Cotti In Padella Al Profumo Di Mare- Tiger shrimp, roasted garlic and fresh herbs, served on a bed of grilled asparagus and baby vegetables

 

Saltimbocca Alla Romana- Thinly sliced veal wrapped with fresh sage abd prosciutto, pan-friend with porcini mushrom risotto and Marsala jus

 

Filetto Di Manzo Alla Piastra- Girlled North American beef tenderloin on creamy truffle mashed potatoes, roasted and carmelized garlic and seasonal vegetables

 

Filetto Di Tonno Ai Ferri Marinato Con Succo Di Limone Ed Olio Extra-Vergine D'Oliva- Olive oil and lemon marinated tuna steak with grilled fennel and chili-tomato compote

 

Scaloppa Di Pollo Alla Parmigiana, Salsa Di Pomodoro E Pesto Alla Genovese- Corn-fed chicken, baked with eggplant and mozzarella, with an herbed potato cake and Ligurian tomato-pesto sauce

 

Filetto Di Halibut "Ippoglosso" Alla Piastra- Grilled fillet of Atlantic halibut on wilted baby spinach, with lobster ravioli and roasted purple onions, sun-dried tomato confit and basil oil

 

Desserts

 

Torta Al Cioccolato Gianduia E Mandorle Con Crema Al Caramello E Gelato Al Caffe Espresso- Flourless gianduia chocolate cake, served with semi-whipped espresso cream

 

Tiramisu Alla Portofino- A traditional favorite, with crushed marinated rasperries

 

Rollo Di Neve Meringata Alla Nocciole Tostate Ripieno Con Panna Profumata Al Frangelico, Crema Al Caffe- Roasted hazelnut meringue on mixed forest berries with Frangelico sabayon

 

Pannacotta Alla Veneziana con Agrumi Profumati Alla Menta- Buttermilk panna cotta with a refreshing minted citrus salad

 

Tartufo Di Cioccolato Bianco Al Latte Con Fragole- White chocolate truffle cake with vintage balsamic vinegar, tossed strawberries

 

Cheeses

 

Scelta Di Formaggi Assortiti- A samping of Italian cheeses

 

 

 

Don't blame me if you start drooling now.

 

 

Sue

[benandelena]

i was thinking of only doing chops on our cruise since i have previously worked in an upscale italian restaurant for 2 years. but this menu sounds amazing. i think we may have to forego two casual nights and book both restaurants! besides, i'd rather eat than go on an overpriced excursion!

[JWFogg]

We just returned from the Explorer today and dined at Portofinos on the 22nd.

 

Highly recommended. A first class dining experience. Make your reservations as soon as you get on the ship so you can get the times you want.

[rosie40]

It's SOOOOOOO worth it!! I can't even tell you. Those are some of our fondest memories. A romantic, intimate setting, excellent food, excellent service all at a very leisurely pace so you can thoroughly enjoy it. I could never step foot on a ship that had Portofino's and Chops and not dine there! We chose those venues for 3 out of our 6 night sailing on Jewel last week. Book as soon as you board for your preferred dining time. It books up early. You won't be disappointed!!

[AnthonyD]

Is it worth it? Yes. I did a 9 day cruise on Explorer and I took my wife there because we wanted a great meal for just the two of us. Here is my rating

 

The food: very good - excellent

 

Service: excellent. They really shine here.

 

Layout/decor: good

 

Other plus: you get a table for 2

 

 

If you won't feel rushed and love italian you should do this. Go hungry. But If you miss it because you're busy and just enjoying your cruise it is absolutely no big deal.

[dougp26364]

We really enjoy taking at least one meal in Portifino's when we are on a ship that has one. My wife prefers it to Chops but, IMO, they are equal in food quality and service.

 

When we were on Explorer we took our daughter and her then SO to dinner with us. It was a very nice, enjoyable meal and well worth the $20 pp we were charged.

[FPP777]

Nevermind

[bygoner]

On our cruise on EOS in October, made reservations for Portofino,s. The occassion was my wife and I celebrating our 56th wedding anniversary. About 2:30 PM on the day we were to dine I went into the restaurant with a gift for my wife. I asked the staff to hide it for me which they did. Our reservation was for 7 PM. We arrived about 6:45 and were immediately seated.at a table for two. There were other empty tables at the time. We had two wait staff assigned to our table. A female and a male and they were excellent. I won,t go into detail about the food we ordered but it was excellent. At the appropriate time the two waiters arrived at our table and presented us with a anniv ersary gift they had made for us, plus they handed me the gift for my wife which I presented to her. It was a very emotional moment. The waiters were just outstanding and my wife and I will never forget the occassion.

[katiel53]

We haven't been on Explorer, but have been to Portofino on Brilliance and on Mariner. It is by far my favorite restaurant. I did notice on Mariner though that they do not have goat cheese as an appetizer nor did they have the cream of asparagus soup. We were on Mariner in late November.

 

I would go to Portofino before I went to Chops. I can hardly wait to get back on Mariner to go there again. The salad with pear and gorgonzola is wonderful, the ribbon pasta with the mascarpone cheese sauce is to die for and the filet mignon is perfectly cooked.

 

I love the flourless chocolate cake for dessert. I can never eat it because I had too much in other courses so I ask for it to go and take it to my cabin. Geez, I am getting hungry.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

Katie

[raina*faith]

It was so romantic and well worth the extra money. Make your reservations early. Have fun! :D

[tofubeast]

Wow..the menu looks amazing!! I think we will definately skip a casual night in the dining room and go to Portofino's. Thanks for telling me all about it.

 

Are you able to reserve pre-cruise, or do we just reserve as soon as we step foot on the ship?

 

YUM YUM!

3 hours of italian food sounds heavenly.

[Sue L]

You can't reserve until you are onboard, make it one of your first stop upon boarding.

[CruisingCaraCat]

I'll chip in my two cents.

 

I have eaten on Portofinos on Explorer (although it has been awhile) and most recently on the Mariner (September) and on every cruise I've been on where it is available. I think it may be the best $20 pp you can spend on your vacation. Again the food is spectacular, the service is great and the ambience is very nice.

 

I know the menus vary from ship to ship but Mariner had a smoked duck salad with arugula and a grilled seafood skewer (lobster, shrimp, scallops, salmon) that I would have been happy to pay $100 pp to experience.

 

I'll also support the fettucine with mushrooms for your 'primi platti' as it too was exceptional.

 

I don't believe you can reserve ahead of your cruise but I would recommend making reservations one of the first things you do after boarding. Doing so we have nver had a problem getting a reservation.

 

Don't miss it!!

[Cruisehappymn]

Another yes!!! Just got off the Explorer yesterday. We found a reservation person for Portofinio's located in the Prominade shopping area. Like it has been stated, find him or her right away. They explained to us that they stagger the reservations to a table every 15 minutes in order to give the most attention and to allow the chef to spend the time needed. Food and Service was excellent!!

[ranger-red]

We had a problem with our table assignment on the Mariner. We ended up at Portofino. I once worked as a chef at an Italian restaurant and can tell you that this is well worth the money. The food and service in the main dining room is really good, but you get even better in this specialty restaurant.

[kdakda]

We were on the Explorer in October 2005 and, as others have said, the quality of the food and the service was very special. My husband absolutely wants to eat at Portofino's on our cruise this fall --- no discussion about it.

 

That said, we were very happy with the food in the main dining room, our servers were excellent, our tablemates were a lot of fun. I can understand why some people don't choose to spend additional $$$ dining in a specialty restaurant. We wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and try it, and it was so worth it!

 

I tried to book starting ~ 2 PM on embarkation day. No one was outside the restaurant, and I just couldn't find anyone in the Promenade..... maybe I was so glassy-eyed from the magnificence of the ship that I just couldn't see straight. So, I called ~ 4 PM and made reservations.

 

Enjoy!

[mitaxi]

I have a question.. I am sailing solo on the Navigator..but SO want to eat at Portofino's... did anyone ever notice any solo diners.. or would that be too awkward

[sgttami]

Portofino...(leave off the *S*!) is worth the surcharge!!

 

You won't feel weird dining alone..

 

It's what cruise food used to be before the masses took over!!

 

ENJOY!!!

[sea-cruise]

You will find it next to the Windjammer. I also recommend that you make your reservations as soon as you board. It was absolutely wonderful and well worth the fee.

[lakemom]

i didn't think it was that great. i would look for a date on the ship rather than go alone....it is a long meal and you'll want to talk.

maybe it was my company:rolleyes: