Qsine, Murano or Tuscan Grill?

[SoberJulie]

If you could only choose one specialty dining venue, which would it be and why? 

[C 2 C]

Love Murano!!!! best service and a formal menu and... the cheese course.

Loved Qsine but it has been replaced with the little chef with mixed reviews.

We used to love Tuscan but our favourite dishes were removed from the menu.   The setting however is awesome.

Great steaks and pasta but inconsistent service.

 

For any special event such as birthdays and anniversaries Murano cannot be beat.

 

[ghstudio]

Murano stands out as the best...by far.  QSine is now LePetitChef which is a very limited dinner with some cute entertainment projected on the table watching your meal be prepared (if you order the right meal, that is).  Tuscan has a new menu and even though you pay to dine there, they have two additional choices at even extra price.  Nice view, but the new menu leaves a bit to be desired.

 

Book Murano...,you won't be disappointed.

[phoenix_dream]

Everyone has a different opinion.  Have eaten in Murano twice and was not impressed either time with the food or the service (although the chocolate soufflé may be worth it on its own merits).  A lot can depend on the chefs and waiters on a particular sailing.  We might have just lucked into some exceptions to the rule.

 

My personal favorite then would be Tuscan, followed by Qsine, then Murano last.  

[BridgeMates]

For the first time in several cruises we were disappointed in Murano. 

We took advantage of the first night discount along with our friends.   Five of 6 had the steak and were disappointed.

I had the lobster which was fabulous.  Service, etc. just perfect.  Since we all had a dining package we went to Tuscan Grille a night or two later and everyone loved it, so we switched one of our Murano nights on the package to Tuscan.  No one wanted to return to Murano.  I'm sure it was a one off as we have always loved Murano.  Perhaps it was just more people on that first discount night than they are used to.  Previously we didn't care for Tuscan; but have to say, it was great on the Reflection!  You could cut the steaks with a butter knife. 

 

 

[PelicanLvr]

OP - What experience do YOU like:

 

Murano - Formal, elegant, white glove type service and fancy-French food;

 

Tuscan - Great view (on S class ships), very appreciated menu by most: Italian & Steaks, "nice restaurant" atmosphere;

 

QSine:  Quirky, fun "take-offs" on many different ethnic dishes, less formal yet very friendly atmosphere.

 

I rank them:

1. Murano - Lovely meal and service

2. Qsine - Lots of fun & variety of foods - Too bad it's being replaced LPC. - Last chance for us is on Summit in January.

3. Tuscan - good concept, but food and service could sometimes be better.

 

 

[Hlitner]

Not even a contest.  DW and I truly adore Murano which we think is one of the best dining venues at sea (and we have cruised on 14 cruise lines).  On our last 21 day Reflection cruise we booked dining packages that covered 16 meals.  We enjoyed 12 of those in Murano (which became like a 2nd home), 2 in Qsine, 1 in the Lawn and one in the Tuscan.  The only meal that was really disappointing was in the Tuscan...which has long been our least favorite dining venue on Celebrity.  But things are changing (many would say not for the better) in the past year.  Qsine has undergone some major changes and is not really the same (our vote is out since we have not tried the new concept).   So we are not sure how Qsine (or whatever you want to call it now) would fit into one of our future cruises.  We will say that previous to our last X cruise we had done many cruises in Aqua but finally grew tired of Blu and its menus.  We decided that it made more sense to book a lower price balcony (when compared to AQ2)  which saved us more then enough money to cover the cost of having most of our meals in Murano.  We did go to the MDR for meals on the Gala Nights because that is when they have the best MDR menus.  But on all other nights we dined in alternative restaurants.  In some ways it was the most satisfying X cruise we have taken in years (we have been Elite Plus for a few years).

 

Murano is not for everyone!  It is an elegant upscale dining concept which is best suited to those that want to dine (not eat a fast food dinner) and enjoy 2 hour dinners.  The Murano menu is excellent for those who enjoy lots of different cuisine.  Even dining in that venue a dozen times, DW and I each varied our dinner selection so that we seldom repeated an entire dinner menu.  In Murano you have steak (Chateaubriand), seafood and poultry.  Since we enjoy all of that we were never bored with the food.  Speaking of seafood, there is nothing even close to the Dover Sole (filleted tableside) in the MDR, Tuscan or the MDR.  The Chateaubriand is the best steak dish on the ship although one can sure make a good case for some of the different cuts offered in the Lawn.  The Tuscan tries to be something akin to an Italian Steakhouse...but we think it misses (badly) on both accounts.

 

Hank

[Luvcrusn]

MURANO!!!!  It's not even close. Great food and service. The others can't compare. Tuscan has the best view, but I don't need to pay extra for that, I can get it free from anywhere on the ship or my own private balcony. The food there is mediocre at best, (like a medium grade chain restaurant) and the service is only fair. LPC (formerly Qsine) is a cutesy one and done, but not worth the upgrade price IMHO. You can see it on YouTube and it's only relevant if you order the meal in the projection. Also, you have to keep pace with the other diners in the dining room to see the projection show.

Edited November 18, 2018 by Luvcrusn

[jelayne]

We have had 2 bad experiences (both food & service) in Murano, one ok experience and one very good.  We prefer Tuscan, the filetis excellent and we have always had good service. 

[floralscent]

In this order -

Tuscan (friendly service, superb views and great food)

Murano (upscale atmosphere and food with some table side prep, atmosphere is a bit stuffy but that doesn't stop us from eating there)

Qsine (fun, different atmosphere and variety of small bites)

 

your choice will depend on your liking

[Luvcrusn]

52 minutes ago, jelayne said:

We have had 2 bad experiences (both food & service) in Murano, one ok experience and one very good.  We prefer Tuscan, the filetis excellent and we have always had good service. 

Your answer and my previous one are a good argument for choice being a good thing. Individual tastes in food as well as likes and dislikes in atmosphere are so very personal. Diversity makes the world an interesting place and travel a great learning experience.

[JoePDX]

Husband and I adore Murano.   A very sophisticated experience from the food, to the ambience to the over the top formal service.   No choice for us!

 

Joe

 

[Luvcrusn]

12 minutes ago, JoePDX said:

Husband and I adore Murano.   A very sophisticated experience from the food, to the ambience to the over the top formal service.   No choice for us!

 

Joe

 

I couldn't agree more!

[peter pan]

Just got off of the Silhouette.  In our experience it seems that either Murano or Tuscan is the best bet.  This cruise on Silhouette we really enjoyed Murano.  We went to Tuscan the night after our tablemates had gone and complained of a tough Filet there.  We encounterd the same thing.  Tough meat, difficult to cut, really chewy.  Our service was not so good either.  We had been seated almost 20 minutes before anyone came to the table.  No water, no bread, no waitstaff.  It was NOT busy.  Murano on Silhouette, in our opinion, at this time, is a far better choice.  We have found each ship can be a different experience.

[Ginnyfyr]

It depends on what you like! Hubby and I love Murano and have never had a bad experience there. It's always one of our favourite meals and really takes our cruising experience up a notch. I love the unique variety of dishes Qsine and am sad to hear they've changed it to Le Petite Chef - though I always thought it was a restaurant experience best shared with friends/a group vs just two people (SO MUCH FOOD!) Have only dined in Tuscan Grille once so far but I look forward to trying it again on our next cruise! 

[CEOofVacation]

Our one experience in Murano on Solstice was so bad that we never want to return to it. Food was way too salty and service was cold.  It is one thing to provide great professional service but it was deadpan face service with inedible food.  I took 2 bites into the entree and just could not eat it.  When they cleared the plates there was not even a question asked if it tasted alright.  I subsequently got the server's attention and told him the problem.  He offered to get me a different entree but my taste bud and appetite were spoilt by the salt that I just asked for dessert to cleanse my mouth. 

Edited November 18, 2018 by CEOofVacation

[mickey89]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Not even a contest....... We decided that it made more sense to book a lower price balcony (when compared to AQ2)  which saved us more then enough money to cover the cost of having most of our meals in Murano.  

Hank

I concur, we have done the same for the last 8 cruises have eaten exclusively in Murano. 

 

An interesting point of note, check your cruise planner, the price of a 10 night package is the same as 8 since Celebrity increased the package prices a few weeks ago.   I wonder how long before Celebrity realise their error ?

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by mickey89

[Turtles06]

59 minutes ago, peter pan said:

Just got off of the Silhouette.  In our experience it seems that either Murano or Tuscan is the best bet.  This cruise on Silhouette we really enjoyed Murano.  We went to Tuscan the night after our tablemates had gone and complained of a tough Filet there.  We encounterd the same thing.  Tough meat, difficult to cut, really chewy.  Our service was not so good either.  We had been seated almost 20 minutes before anyone came to the table.  No water, no bread, no waitstaff.  It was NOT busy.  Murano on Silhouette, in our opinion, at this time, is a far better choice.  We have found each ship can be a different experience.

We just got off the Silhouette today as well and had EXACTLY the same poor service at Tuscan. It was NOT busy, yet we were totally ignored for so long that we would have walked out of a restaurant on land. The food, when we finally got some, was mediocre— especially the supposedly “home made pasta.”

 

The experience was hugely disappointing for us, especially as Tuscan had been so wonderful (both the food and the service) the last time we were on the Silhouette (four years ago), and we’d really been looking forward to dining there again. We had two other reservations at Tuscan, and we cancelled them both. 

 

We did enjoy our dinner at Murano, as well as our second dinner at the Lawn Club (it was was too cold and windy the first time).

 

We’ve never been fans of Qsine, too gimmicky, and Le Petit Chef seems even more so. 

 

For consistency, in terms of food and service, I would pick Murano, but only if the food appeals to you.

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by Turtles06

[hcat]

Q  sine for us was a one and done. Good food but too quirky  and not really a meal..just a series of small plate style food, way too much of it.

 

 Now with Le Petit Chef, we'd be a none and done!  Limited menu,  very gimmicky.  More like a  children's birthday party with cartoons

 

Tuscan is a decent mid range restaurant..home made pasta, great sauces, nice cheese selection.. Very nice decor...never feels too crowded.  We like that it does not take forever to enjoy our meal..

 

Murano is very upscale....bordering on pretentious for our personal taste.  Food  and service have consistenly been excellent... but it's a very long meal

 

Depends on what OP is looking for...

[cangelmd]

Another just got off Silhouette, with still another opinion.

Le Petit Chef - has it the first night on the 2 for 1 special - overall the best filet we had on board, relatively large and tender filet, obviously sous vide, good solid bouillabaisse, yummy chocolate sundae. Is the movie hokey - no doubt - but despite yourself, you get into it, and it was fun. Would I do it again, for half price, definitely. The steak was that good. If I did not like the things on the show menu, I would miss the point and might not repeat.

Tuscan - our first experience, and we went at lunch. Service was a bit slow, but we were not in a hurry, so it wasn’t annoyingly slow. Pasta is homemade (shipmade), we make our own occasionally and you can tell. The machine is set a little large, so pasta is a bit chewy because of size, but I think that is al dente for the size. I had carbonara, husband had red sauce. Mine was amazing and almost too rich to eat. His was quite good, the spices in meatballs and sauce were different than our usual Italian but still good. View is probably best draw, can’t comment on steak, but see above.

Murano - we have eaten at Murano several times now, and probably it is the restaurant we would go out of the way for. The main attraction for us is the ambiance- tables are widely separate, service is better, usually. I think the service had fallen off a bit on this trip, but compared to the Lawn Club issues, it was great. We had the chateaubriand, but I think the Qsine filet was as good, maybe better, just as a piece of steak.

 

all this too say, it depends on what you want, and does vary a bit from ship to ship. On this trip, I would not have gone back to Murano, I might have liked to try Tuscan in the evening

Edited November 18, 2018 by cangelmd

[Fogfog]

Murano.. every day

We really enjoy it and one cruise ate there 3 times in the week. Food and service is excellent.

We are going to miss that its not our our next sailing/ship

And with the "revolution" it will be lost. The revolution'd venues don't offer anything like it

[George C]

I perfer Tuscan, never disappoints 

[Husky61]

Well you have mixed reviews, which shows how subjective food is.  What others like you may not and vice versa.

 

We eat in allvof the specialty dining venues as well as Luminae and sometimes Blu.  We don't eat in the MDR because we don't care for it, but others do.

 

Food is sooo subjective.

[NantahalaCruiser]

48 minutes ago, mickey89 said:

I concur, we have done the same for the last 8 cruises have eaten exclusively in Murano. 

 

An interesting point of note, check your cruise planner, the price of a 10 night package is the same as 8 since Celebrity increased the package prices a few weeks ago.   I wonder how long before Celebrity realise their error ?

 

When I checked about a week ago, for out Reflection 9/6/19 cruise the 8-night was $265 while the 10-night was $331. I noted that the 9-night, at $299 was $0.09 more expensive per night than the 8-night!

[mickey89]

NantahalaCruiser - try again, it’s still the same price for a 8night or 10night package on Celebrity U.K. site and was the same in the US according to a guy on our Roll Call (Silhouette 9Dec). I have attached his comment below dated 11th November, I bought the 10 night package on 6th November the day after they increased the package charges for the same price as the 8night deal. -

 

On 11/11/2018 at 4:45 PM, signman said:

If you are planning on a Specialty restaurant almost every night, I was just logged in on my reservation and it displayed the 8 night package for $265 pp and ALSO the 10 night package for $265.    For 11 nights it was over $350.    So only $26.50 pp for 10 nights.   Don't know if this is normal or a glitch, but check it out if interested.