Portofino or Chops on Navigator of the Seas? Which do you prefer?

[marska]

Trying to decide on whether to choose Portofino or Chops for specialty dining and I'd like to hear from others regarding thier experiences with both.

Thanks!

[PH8]

We just ate at Chops on the NV last week,but my fav is Portofino......nothing wrong with Chops,but just prefer Portofino..

[MattInFLL]

The real question is: do you prefer a steakhouse or an Italian restaurant? They are completely different. For our upcoming Nav trip, I made a reservation at Chops because I have a gourmet cook Italian mother and very few Italian restaurants have ever been able to live up to her cooking :) And we like a good steakhouse. But plenty of people on here love Portofinos - so really, it is just a preference for what type of meal you are looking for.

[PH8]

I dont really consider Portofino your typical Italian restaurant(like Carabbas)..sure they have a pasta course(which I always skip--too much food),but the rest of the food is outstanding........heck,the beef is better than Chops......IMHO

[pinkrosesdeb]

We much prefer the menu at Chops. The only thing I liked better at Portofino was the dessert sampler.

[LAKaye]

1) Try to do both. Then you will have experienced them both, and your future cruises will perhaps be more fine-tuned as a result.

 

2) One odd reason to choose Chops, if you must choose between the two, is that on a few of RCI ships, they have only Portofino. Therefore on the Explorer, let's say, your ONLY option for a specialty restaurant would be Portofino.

 

Bon Voyage~~

 

Leslie

[woneill63]

We ate at both last year on the Navigator. IMHO Portofino was much better, from the food to the service. I have eaten a few times at the Chops on the Mariner, and the meals were excellent, but the Navigator Chops just didn't measure up. This upcoming Navigator cruise, we are skipping Chops and eating at Portofinos twice.

[otisishere]

We enjoyed Chops much more than Portofinos. The service was excellent in Chops as was the food. I don't ever remember having so many people servicing our table as we did in Chops. They were very pleasant, great service and constantly checking to make sure we had everything we needed. It was wonderful. Portofinos was good, especially the desert sampler, but I don't think it measures up to the experience we had in Chops. Why choose one? Try them both. You won't be disappointed. :D

[ivycruise]

On the Dec 11 NOS 4 day cruise I ate at Portofinos 3 out of the 4 days. The one day I missed I ate in Chops. I originally was going to split 2 and 2 but so enjoyed Portofinos that I cancelled Chops for my final night. Not that anything was wrong with Chops, the service was very good and steak was good. I just prefer Italian.

 

Additionally, Vincenzo Marchese and his staff in Portofino were just warmer,plus I had travelled to some of their home countries and speaking with them about their native land brought even more conversation. Although I don't compare the quality of food in Portofino to the best Italian restaurants I have experienced, it was very good and I much prefer the calmness, more personalized attention, ambiance and sanity of it compared to the MDR. I will be going their again on my January cruises. Just not sure if it will be for all 7 nights of my B2B but the food and staff make it likely.

[liberateny]

Thanks everyone for the advice!

[PhoenixCruiser]

We liked Chops better on the Navigator, however that was in 2004. Wow those five years just flew by....

 

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[MilliesMom]

Any one have "current" menus to post for Chops & Portofino's? Would the menu also be the same then for the Mariner in these restaurants?

 

Thank you.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Any one have "current" menus to post for Chops & Portofino's? Would the menu also be the same then for the Mariner in these restaurants?

 

Thank you.

 

The current menus are on RCI's website, just check out the F&B section :D

 

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[westcoastvecs]

Portofinos!

YUM! and you CAN get steak there too-

;-)

Robin

[MilliesMom]

Was doing a bit of research tonight and thought I would post it here also:

 

Current menu for Chops:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/conten...e_Menu_Eng.pdf

This classic chophouse offers fabulous steak and seafood dishes. It's a great place to celebrate a special occasion, or just another perfect day of vacation

 

Current menu for Portofino's:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/conten...ofino_Menu.pdf

Enjoy a delicious Italian meal in an intimate and romantic setting. From classic Italian dishes to new creations, the menu has something for everyone

[FMZ]

Both!!

[KJBBrett]

Just experienced both a few weeks ago.

 

Chops was incredibly tasty with a great glass of wine. Just a bit better than Portofino's if you ask just ME.

 

However the service in Portofino's was TOPS. Absolutely wonderful.

 

If money isn't an issue, try both. They are just slightly different, but great places to experience.

[mikepmcm]

Any one have "current" menus to post for Chops & Portofino's? Would the menu also be the same then for the Mariner in these restaurants?

 

Portofino dinner menu: http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/Portofino_Menu.pdf

 

Portofino dessert menu: http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/Portofino_Dessert_Menu.pdf

 

 

Chops dinner menu: http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/ChopsGrille_Menu_Eng.pdf

 

Chops dessert menu: http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/ChopsGrille_Dessert_Menu.pdf