Queens Grill and ordering off menu

[Se1lad]

Looking forward to my third voyage in QG later this year - on the previous 2 I did not really appreciate you could order off menu.  It would be great to get some suggestions based on what others have ordered off menu in the past.....

[Host Hattie]

It really depends on what you like to eat, with enough notice they can manage lots of dishes if they have the ingredients on board.

On our last QG trip we had Veal chops (ordered the previous evening) and Escargots ( the waiter overheard me mentioning that they were on the Britannia menu that evening and offered them).

[cruiseluvva]

As a vegetarian I have requested all sorts. My particular favourite being a simple fresh tomato sauce with spaghetti. Or a vegetable stir-fry. On one trip, the “specials” chef prepared a surprise for every night and I had some seriously great meals that time.

 

Talk to the Maitre d’ , he will assist you.

[Victoria2]

We have cruised Queens Grill for well over a couple of hundred nights over the past decade, the latest being a couple of Victoria's world cruise sectors this year, so I think I’m  reasonably experienced and am certainly up to date.

 

As I have stated many times on CC, if the ingredients are on the ship, you can have it. Just remember, some one off menu orders will need a few days advance notice e.g. Peking Duck, and most will need to be ordered the day before although it’s worth asking at breakfast time for a dinner order. If the chef isn’t too busy with pre orders, a late dinner order might be accepted but be flexible if the answer is sorry but chef already has a full complement of orders as happened once last month. I asked if a dinner order might be OK and no, too late. That's fine. Order it for another night. You can have the specials, for lunch or dinner but we tend to go for more elaborate dishes at dinner time.

 

Simple items such as a lunch time salad can be ordered at breakfast time the same day and crepes, a popular evening dessert, can often be ordered that night if extra crepes were supplied for orders already asked for.
Caviar is available on request at the time of ordering. No need to pre order.

 

My favourites are pasta dishes, scallopini being a special favourite, and Chinese dishes, Sweet Chilli Chicken being another must have.

 I read you've cruised Queens Grill before so must think it worth repeating the experience. I know some say the food has gone downhill in QG and I agree, it's not perfect all the time. The occasional steak has gone back and some evenings, we look at the dinner menu [you can have a look at the following day's offerings, the night before if you ask the Head Waiter] and think tomorrow is an off menu night because nothing hits us, it's still pretty ace. We love it. 

[BklynBoy8]

Caviar everyday or every other day, table side Caesar Salad

 

Langostines Scampi or Dover Sole w Meuniere Sauce 

 

Steak Diane or Chateaubriand for Two with accompaniments or Beef Wellington.

 

Enjoyed different styles of Crepes as desserts.

 

Items may be offered but we ordered these on the off days (items not interested in on menu)

 

 

[laktex]

5 hours ago, Se1lad said:

Looking forward to my third voyage in QG later this year - on the previous 2 I did not really appreciate you could order off menu.  It would be great to get some suggestions based on what others have ordered off menu in the past.....

 

We particularly like adding a specific fish course, Sole Bonne Femme or Sole Veronique are our special favourites.

[bz]

Just wondering if you are in a princess suite can you also order off menu?  I'd love a nice steak Diane, steak au poivre, veal or sole francais.

[exlondoner]

27 minutes ago, bz said:

Just wondering if you are in a princess suite can you also order off menu?  I'd love a nice steak Diane, steak au poivre, veal or sole francais.

 

From hearsay, I believe they are somewhat reluctant. But you might find some of these items on the menu.

[BklynBoy8]

3 hours ago, laktex said:

 

We particularly like adding a specific fish course, Sole Bonne Femme or Sole Veronique are our special favourites.

Keeping in mind for the next opportunity...

[Mickb]

We ordered off menu in the PG on the QV. There was no problem

[Solent Richard]

On 5/11/2019 at 8:32 PM, Mickb said:

We ordered off menu in the PG on the QV. There was no problem

Of course you can, its just not widely promoted by the staff as it is in the Queens Grill.

 

Having just completed 19 nights on Queen Victoria I have to say that between the 'a la carte' and  'du jour' menus there was little need to order 'off menu'.

 

As I have recorded in my recent review, on this particular cruise the food in the Princess Grill exceeded expectations...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2019/05/06/queen-victoria-singapore-to-cape-town/

 

[Se1lad]

Thanks all for the tips.  I’m sure there will be plenty of choice on the menus but you have certainly given me food for thought (pun intended!)  I might also give Steak Tartare a go as a starter.

[tv24]

In our experience, ordering off menu in Princess Grill is not welcomed by the staff.  But on our last QV cruise in PG, the chef prepared a pretty good curry for us off menu once the serving staff understood that we liked spicy ethnic food.  In Queens Grill we found the off-menu options to be somewhat limited to typical classic old fashioned cruise ship fare, nothing adventurous or modern.

[Victoria2]

30 minutes ago, tv24 said:

In our experience, ordering off menu in Princess Grill is not welcomed by the staff.  But on our last QV cruise in PG, the chef prepared a pretty good curry for us off menu once the serving staff understood that we liked spicy ethnic food.  In Queens Grill we found the off-menu options to be somewhat limited to typical classic old fashioned cruise ship fare, nothing adventurous or modern.

 

Queens Grill off menu items, or specials are guided  by the presence or lack of, ingredients in the galley so there are no off-menu options as such. The galley is your oyster so although you can be guided by the restaurant staff for ideas, as  all off menu items are your choice, and having  had unusual [adventurous?] dishes prepared for me where I have given a rough outline of the dish to the Head Waiter,  maybe the limitations you experienced were down to you rather than the restaurant. Just a thought.

 

Edited May 14, 2019 by Victoria2

[Deafcruise]

Hi,

 

I read somewhere that the menu in QG is the same as Britannia? 

 

If if so what the point of QG or am I missing something? 

[BigMac1953]

42 minutes ago, Deafcruise said:

Hi,

 

I read somewhere that the menu in QG is the same as Britannia? 

 

If if so what the point of QG or am I missing something? 

 

It's a different kitchen with around 14 chefs.

 

The menu will have additional items available, plus the a la carte at dinner, plus the option of ordering off menu.

 

The QG/PG will have a Maitre d', two Head Waiters and 2 Sommeliers (QE and QV) or 3 on QM2. You will have a waiter and assistant. The service level is excellent.

 

You will also have a suite.

[Host Hattie]

1 hour ago, Deafcruise said:

Hi,

 

I read somewhere that the menu in QG is the same as Britannia? 

 

If if so what the point of QG or am I missing something? 

At lunchtime maybe but not at dinner, there are also additional choices on the breakfast menu.

[Solent Richard]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

At lunchtime maybe but not at dinner, there are also additional choices on the breakfast menu.

 

On my latest Queen Victoria cruise I frankly could not be bothered checking the balance of menu items between Grills and Britannia menus - Lunch and Dinner.

 

I have though, when I thought it useful, compared the respective offerings and found that the majority of items on the Queens(and princess Grill) 'du jour' menus were the same.

 

Breakfasts of course are a different matter. The selection of berries being most notable.

[cruiseluvva]

I have the berries every single time. I just love them, with some plain yoghurt.

[Solent Richard]

15 hours ago, cruiseluvva said:

I have the berries every single time. I just love them, with some plain yoghurt.

 

Good choice...

 

 

Or of course my daily staple for vitamin C intake...

 

 

Ordered segmented  'off menu'. of course. 😀

[Se1lad]

Poached eggs with kippers:)

[Bigmike911]

On 5/13/2019 at 6:42 AM, Se1lad said:

Thanks all for the tips.  I’m sure there will be plenty of choice on the menus but you have certainly given me food for thought (pun intended!)  I might also give Steak Tartare a go as a starter.

I have made it a habit to ask for Caviar on formal evenings. In the past Beef Wellington, and Chateaubriand as well, but as I now travel solo, that would be too much food. I like the idea of Steak Diane and will try that next time. It has always been a ritual to have two steamed Lobster Tails on the last night and that will continue. And don't forget the flaming deserts, Cherries Jubilee, Crepe Suzette, Bananas Foster. Those are big hits.

 

I remember a short five day voyage from NYC to Halifax over the Fourth of July. The first night we had cherries, the next night crepes, then Bananas Foster. There was a table of four near by and every time we got a flaming desert the scanned their menus looking for it. Finally on the fourth night one of the Gentlemen asked my how I got flaming desserts, and I replied airily "one asks for them". The next night, the last sea night, they had the cherries 

Edited May 16, 2019 by Bigmike911

[Windsurfboy]

Just had an email from Cunard,  trying to sell me another cruise, even though I've 3 booked, it was also extolling the grills experience. When i clicked on the link ( htps://www.Cunard.com/en-gb/the-cunard-experience/staterooms-and-suites/grills-experience ) a revised grills Page came up. When you look at QG dining there is now no mention that "the chef will prepare what ever takes your fancy",  ie off menu dining. Are they trying to slowly phase it out. 

 

Of course it could be another symptom of the sloppy implementation of the new website , there were other errors no mention of priority boarding for QG but PG had it.

[Windsurfboy]

Just Google cunard grills experience to find web page

[kentchris]

10 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 When you look at QG dining there is now no mention that "the chef will prepare what ever takes your fancy",  ie off menu dining. Are they trying to slowly phase it out. 

I don't recall seeing any explicit mention of off-menu ordering on Cunard's web site in the last few years - when do you remember last seeing anything? When I booked QG in 2016 I was only aware of it through following threads here, and I'd spent a lot of time researching Grills benefits in Cunard's online and printed material.