Oasis of the Seas; Which specialty restaurants.

We are trying to secure reservations for the chef's table, hopefully that will happen. We would however like to try one or two of the specialty restaurants on board. Any recommendations?

We are trying to secure reservations for the chef's table, hopefully that will happen. We would however like to try one or two of the specialty restaurants on board. Any recommendations?

We tried 150 Central Park, I'd give it a thumbs-up. Very little choice in the menu (a fixed menu with a couple choices of substitutions) but the items were very well executed.

Also tried Giovanni's Table. I did not order as well as the others at the table, I was disappointed with my entree but sampled the others and thought they were great.

Tried Izaumi for lunch, wanted to go back for dinner since the menu was more extensive at night. So-so sushi.

REALLY wanted to try tapas at Vintages, the people at the table next to us were really enjoying it, but we did not have any free evenings left at that point. (no surcharge for the tapas)

Mike

Just got off Oasis two weeks ago and we tried all of them. Chops was as good as always. Giovanni's table was very good for lunch or dinner. We did 150 Central Park with the $75 up charge for wine pairing and found it not to be as good as the Chef's table where you get extra pours of wine. The best kept secret is the Solarium Bistro for dinner. They transform the room at night into a very relaxed, romantic atmosphere. It has a great ocean view and sunsets. It is not very busy at all because it is free for breakfast and lunch and most people do not consider paying for dinner. Great selection of healthy food and the bison steak is as good as I have had.

REALLY wanted to try tapas at Vintages, the people at the table next to us were really enjoying it, but we did not have any free evenings left at that point. (no surcharge for the tapas)

 

Mike

There was when we were on last week.

We also enjoyed 150, Giovanni's and the Seafood Shack. The bison and lamb dishes in the Solarium Bistro were very good.

Chops and Giovann's. Giovanni's is not typical Italian food and some are disappointed. It is more rustic. We loved it.

So how far ahead did you all plan your meals at these restaurants? Which nights would you recommend staying in the main dining room?

So how far ahead did you all plan your meals at these restaurants? Which nights would you recommend staying in the main dining room?

I booked our specialty dining last month for our upcoming January cruises on the Allure. They just opened the entertainment bookings this week and I was able to work that around the specialty dining. Find the menus on this board and decide what nights in the MDR appeal to you and go from there.:) I found that Chops filled up the quickest on the Oasis.

There is an charge for the tapas in vintages. The solarium bistro was by far my favorite, chops was chops, giovanni's was a great lunch but would have rather had dinner so I could get the ravioli and chioppino.

We like to be in the MDR on formal nights but other than that any night is good to do other options.

Would not even consider the chefs table, and didnt want to pay the higher price at 150, although after meeting the head chef at 150 we might have changed our minds, she was adorable.

There was when we were on last week.

 

I guess I assumed there was no charge since the bartender brought over few little plates of olives from the tapas menu and did not charge us.

Mike

We are trying to secure reservations for the chef's table, hopefully that will happen. We would however like to try one or two of the specialty restaurants on board. Any recommendations?

Did the Chef's Table on Oasis and thoroughly enjoyed it. Didn't care for some of the wines (one or two were way too sweet for my taste) but the food was excellent.

I highly recommend 150 Central Park. Limited selection again, as it's a chef's menu, but it was extremely good.

I also enjoyed Giovanni's Table, although the service was severely lacking. Try the blue cheese gnocchi...OMG!! A friend and I still talk about that dish!

Which nights would you recommend staying in the main dining room?

None!! :D

Seriously, while I enjoy the MDR experience of having the same waiter who gets to know your preferences etc. the selection of restaurants on Oasis/Allure great, and if you can afford the additional cover charges, I say try as many as you can.

Last year on Oasis we ate in the MDR the 1st night. Prior to booking we had made reservations for 3 additinional nights at various restaurants. Once onboard though, we added the Chef's Table one night, then decided to try Izumi another night. We had 1 night remaining, but we enjoying the alternate restaurants so much more than the so-so food of the MDR that said the heck with it, and made yet another reservation for the last remaining free night.

So this year for Allure, we went ahead and changed to My Time Dining, as we knew we would probably eat elsewhere every night and didn't want to leave our wait staff in the MDR hanging. So far we've booked Chops, Giovanni's Table and 150. Once onboard we'll sort out additional nights, planning on maybe doing some lighter meals at Izumi, Rita's and even just tapas at Vintages one night.

I would suggest Chops for one of your dinners and Givoanni's Table. We loved both of these and had eaten at Chops on other Royal lines. The tapas at Vintages was something we did in the afternoon one day, long before dinner (late seating). The charges were very small, for example, some items were $2.00, some were $3.00 and in some cases combo deals. They brought more than enough for my husband and I. We also ate at the Seafood Shack on the last day for lunch. We wanted to give that a try. We rarely eat fried foods at home, if at all, and although we both enjoyed the fish, we thought that it was a little heavy for us. We started w/a bread bowl at the Seafood Shack, and I would highly recommend this, we both ordered the fish and chips and as stated, a bit greasy, but still good. We had the key lime pie for dessert. It was nothing to write home about...I saw desserts others were getting at their tables and they looked wonderful. Truthfully by the time the dessert came we were too stuffed anyway. Have a great cruise and enjoy all the culinary delights on the Oasis!

We did the October 9th sailing and unfortunately the only negative aspect of our cruise was dining in the specialty restaurants. Our main dining room experience was much better than at Chops Grill or Giovanni's Table. Both specialty restaurants experiences were essentially the same, BAD. We have dined many times in Chops Grill and Portofino's on other cruises and have always had very good to excellent experiences. Royal pushes their specialty restaurants as a level above the dining room in service and food quality as well as a more quite atmosphere. On the Oasis we found Chops Grill and Giovanni's Table to be very noisy and overcrowded. In Chops the service was very poor and the food was way overcooked. In Giovanni's, the food was average, but the service was very bad. In each venue it was obvious they did not have enough servers to accommodate a full house. We had 6 newcomers to Chops Grill and they were perplexed as to why Royal charges $25 for inferior food and service. On this occasion we really couldn’t argue that point.

These restaurants on the Oasis for us were very disappointing but from our past positive experiences in Chops Grill I know this was not normal and we will continue to dine at Chops in the future.

We did the October 9th sailing and unfortunately the only negative aspect of our cruise was dining in the specialty restaurants. Our main dining room experience was much better than at Chops Grill or Giovanni's Table. Both specialty restaurants experiences were essentially the same, BAD. We have dined many times in Chops Grill and Portofino's on other cruises and have always had very good to excellent experiences. Royal pushes their specialty restaurants as a level above the dining room in service and food quality as well as a more quite atmosphere. On the Oasis we found Chops Grill and Giovanni's Table to be very noisy and overcrowded. In Chops the service was very poor and the food was way overcooked. In Giovanni's, the food was average, but the service was very bad. In each venue it was obvious they did not have enough servers to accommodate a full house. We had 6 newcomers to Chops Grill and they were perplexed as to why Royal charges $25 for inferior food and service. On this occasion we really couldn’t argue that point.

 

These restaurants on the Oasis for us were very disappointing but from our past positive experiences in Chops Grill I know this was not normal and we will continue to dine at Chops in the future.

Wow. I guess it really does depend on the specific day or cruise. (which it shouldn't - they should be consistent in delivering a quality experience).

We had a wonderful dinner in Chops with very good service.

We had a fabulous dinner AND a fabulous lunch in Giovanni's, and the service was amazing. (except for the incredibly obnoxious table next to us, and that's not RC's fault)

Just got off Oasis two weeks ago and we tried all of them. Chops was as good as always. Giovanni's table was very good for lunch or dinner. We did 150 Central Park with the $75 up charge for wine pairing and found it not to be as good as the Chef's table where you get extra pours of wine. The best kept secret is the Solarium Bistro for dinner. They transform the room at night into a very relaxed, romantic atmosphere. It has a great ocean view and sunsets. It is not very busy at all because it is free for breakfast and lunch and most people do not consider paying for dinner. Great selection of healthy food and the bison steak is as good as I have had.

Hi Hawk7, what items did you order in Chops?

Thanks!

We had a bad experience at Chops on Oasis too, and I've gone to Chops many times on other ships. On the other ships, they seem to stagger the reservations so that the restaurant is never full. On Oasis, it was crowded, loud, and the service suffered.

It was a very busy week onboard, so maybe it isn't always like this.

we are going on the oasis for dec 23 sailing and booked every specialty restaurant but the chef plate. Didnt see it on the list when I was online. How do you book and whats the surcharge, etc. menue..

We loved chops on our last cruise but didnt like portofinos. We did for the oasis book all of them because we do MTD and heard the dining food is just average.. any suggestions?

Just off yesterday......Thumbs up to Giovanni's, 15.00 PP upcharge....worth every dollar.....MUST sit outside so wait for a sidewalk table.....Central park takes on a different atmosphere at night....TRULY BEAUTIFUL!!!! We also did the Solarium Bistro...again 15.00 upcharge....again a MUST. Here we went with 2 other couples and had a 3 hour dinner...Our Choice......if you can...try to meet new friends, you will be so glad you did especially at dinner time. Order anything or everything...that is the beauty with all of these resturants....not like at home where you pay for extras. Lastly, I heard from 3 different couples.....CHEFS TABLE was to die for. ( 75.00 PP )..about 2.5 hours but it comes with 4 different wines and the chef is with you all of the time telling you about everything you are eating and drinking...we will do next time on the Allure for sure.

Also had dinner in the WindJammer one night...it was Good, stuff that i wanted......and one of the best things to do if you want to bumm for the night....build your own Pizza at Sorrento's, Over the week...we built 4 of the pies. YUMMIE!!!!! :)

Mike

We tried 150 Central Park, I'd give it a thumbs-up. Very little choice in the menu (a fixed menu with a couple choices of substitutions) but the items were very well executed.

 

Also tried Giovanni's Table. I did not order as well as the others at the table, I was disappointed with my entree but sampled the others and thought they were great.

 

Tried Izaumi for lunch, wanted to go back for dinner since the menu was more extensive at night. So-so sushi.

 

REALLY wanted to try tapas at Vintages, the people at the table next to us were really enjoying it, but we did not have any free evenings left at that point. (no surcharge for the tapas)

Mike

Do you have to purchase wine to order the tapas?

Is Giovani's Table as nice as Portofino? I loved the menu and the ambiance of Portofino.

Did the Chef's Table on Oasis and thoroughly enjoyed it. Didn't care for some of the wines (one or two were way too sweet for my taste) but the food was excellent.

 

I highly recommend 150 Central Park. Limited selection again, as it's a chef's menu, but it was extremely good.

 

I also enjoyed Giovanni's Table, although the service was severely lacking. Try the blue cheese gnocchi...OMG!! A friend and I still talk about that dish!

What is the fixed menu?

Is Giovani's Table as nice as Portofino? I loved the menu and the ambiance of Portofino.

I believe that it is but it's different than Portofino food wise. Much more rustic Italian. Some did not like it as they were expecting Spaghetti and Meatballs, etc. It's not that kind of Italian. The food is very good.

we are going on the oasis for dec 23 sailing and booked every specialty restaurant but the chef plate. Didnt see it on the list when I was online. How do you book and whats the surcharge, etc. menue..

We loved chops on our last cruise but didnt like portofinos. We did for the oasis book all of them because we do MTD and heard the dining food is just average.. any suggestions?

The only way to book the Chef's Table is to call RC directly & request it. You give them 3 preferred evenings, then they email you and let you know if you are in & for what night. Dinner with wine is $75 per person & very well rated.

Before we sailed we were emailed by RC and invited to the chefs table on a certain day, for our sailing. (Oasis) We declined because of the "fixed" menu. I have no idea why we did get the email, it was our first RC sailing.

We were not impressed with Chops. :)

Major Thumbs up for the Solarium Bistro and try to get Ebony as your server. She's a sweetheart! It's a great venue, which the few of us who tried it kept coming back. But mostly it was empty which is why I guess its going away on Allure which is sad.

Chops was good, not as good as other ships. The dessert menu is lacking especially.

Izumi I didn't enjoy at all.