Britannia Restaurant vs the Princess Grill

[sparkyrmc]

forgive me if i am wrong but,wasn't the question,what is the difference between princess grill restaurant and the Britannia grill restaurant,can someone clarify the situation:confused:

[RMSLaconia]

forgive me if i am wrong but,wasn't the question,what is the difference between princess grill restaurant and the Britannia grill restaurant,can someone clarify the situation:confused:

 

 

I believe that the original question referred to the difference between the PG and Britannia. The PG & BG restaurants are on the QE2 not QM2.

 

There was however a later reference to the "Britannia Club" section and the difference bewteen it and the PG on the QM2.

 

Now, I'm becoming confused......

[JPH814]

I would definitely do a lunch and not a dinner in Todd English. It's not worth missing a dinner in the grills. As for paying for the grills and eating in Brittania, I know others on these boards have talked about it, but don't understand why on earth anybody would want to do it. I've posted on another thread that I went early to lunch in Brittania for a singles gathering, ordered very lightly, and after this went up to the Princess Grill and had a big lunch. Maybe a breakfast would be what to have if you insist on going to Brittania.

 

 

"... why on earth anybody would want to..."

 

Here is my thinking in starting this thread. This is what I read on the Cunard Website about the two dining rooms

 

"Make a grand descent down the sweeping staircase of the splendid, three-deck-high Britannia Restaurant, Queen Mary 2's main dining room, reminiscent of the opulent dining salons of the past."

 

"If you're staying in one of the P categories, savor the sublime creations of the Princess Grill. Cunard's Grill restaurants have been long acclaimed by food critics as the finest dining experience at sea."

 

It sure makes the Britannia sound like something not to be missed and implies that the Princess Grill simply is a small dining room with a few extra menu items where one can eat without mingling with the great un-washed?

 

If we are into such things, will my wife and I make a "grand" entrance into an "opulant" Princess Grill? Is there really that much grandeur and opulence to the Britannia? Is there that much difference between the "Chateaubriand Bearnaise, Young Vegetables, Perigourdine Sauce" and the "Chateaubriand, Boletus Parmentier & Foie Gras Sauce" Is the service that much better?

 

Having no first hand experience, I was looking for insights from those that do.

[wripro]

Please don't pay attention to the marketing gimmicks about making a grand entrance. Trust me, no one will be paying any attention. And a large part of Britannia diners eat upstairs and enter through a different set of doors. It's like the original ads for the QM2 where women were vacuuming in ball gowns just waiting with bated breath for the arrival of the ship. Unfortunately it was just marketing. The PG is much smaller, more intimate and a totally different experience. Britannia is a grand room but large and service cannot compare. Also food does not come from the same kitchen. And although a lot of the menu is similar the service and presentation is totally superior. Plus you can order off the menu in PG.

[sullaRaffaello]

Please don't pay attention to the marketing gimmicks about making a grand entrance. Trust me, no one will be paying any attention. And a large part of Britannia diners eat upstairs and enter through a different set of doors. It's like the original ads for the QM2 where women were vacuuming in ball gowns just waiting with bated breath for the arrival of the ship. Unfortunately it was just marketing. The PG is much smaller, more intimate and a totally different experience. Britannia is a grand room but large and service cannot compare. Also food does not come from the same kitchen. And although a lot of the menu is similar the service and presentation is totally superior. Plus you can order off the menu in PG.

 

 

I agree with you, WRIPRO.

 

JPH814, I think it depends on what you're into more, the room, or the food and service. I think that Britannia is very large and brightly lit. From what I could see of the service, the one time I was there, it was very hustle-bustle, banquet hall like. The grills, on the other hand, are like a private intimate club, with understated, sophisticated elegance. It becomes very personalized very quickly, as the staff is trained to learn your preferences. The choice is much larger than on Britannia. One of the many advantages of the grills is that you have the same table and waiters for all three meals. In Britannia, you only have this at dinner. Breakfast and lunch are open seating. Another advantage with the grills is that they are open for lunch on embarkation day (not on QE2 as I have been informed). Britannia is not. So, no need to make a decision now. After your first lunch and dinner in the Princess Grill, stop in Britannia the next morning around breakfast time and have and look around and then make a decision. I just feel that one pays so much more for the grills, why miss it for, at best, a pleasant, inferior product.

[guernseyguy]

"... why on earth anybody would want to..."

 

I fear you have seen quite a lot of snobbery & inverted snobbery - often from people who have limited 'from the one time I lunched there...' or no experience of the dining room they seek to criticise......some seem anxious to justify their spending of (much) more money for 'the Grills experience'....others denigrate them for choosing to spend their money as they wish.......

 

Its your holiday - do as you choose.......at least in Britannia you won't have 'lookie-loos' looking in as they wander past on deck as you do in the Grills! QUeen Victoria's Grill set up seems much better planned in my view.

 

Peter

[sullaRaffaello]

QUeen Victoria's Grill set up seems much better planned in my view.

 

Peter

 

Very true!

[sparkyrmc]

Thank you for all your inputs i now have a clearer picture of what each restraunt is like,It seems to me if you pay more you get better personal service.Is this right ?

[No534]

For what it's worth, J M-G did a fantastic critique of the dining allocation on the QE2 in his follow-up book, "Liners to the Sun".

 

In one chapter, "Cruises Present", (I think), he referred to "Grill Class", long before Cunard ever did.

 

He describes the various implications for those dining in each restaurant together with the way in which the various passengers interact, ie: the public rooms to which each gravitate towards and their attitude towards each other, in his unique way. He also describes the different ameneties and standards of each restaurant including the history of each one.

 

It's a fascinating read and clearly sets out the "divisions" which arise from such dining allocations. It's been over 14 years since I was on the QE2 and I will be interested to see how the "system" has been "grafted" on to the QM2...

 

My one abiding memory however was the first question people would ask when they met you........ I wonder if that will happen again on the QM2. :rolleyes:

 

(My apologies if my observations are slightly "off-topic".)

[sullaRaffaello]

Thank you for all your inputs i now have a clearer picture of what each restraunt is like,It seems to me if you pay more you get better personal service.Is this right ?

 

Yes. That's right.

[Vic The Parrot]

 

My one abiding memory however was the first question people would ask when they met you........ I wonder if that will happen again on the QM2. :rolleyes:

 

(My apologies if my observations are slightly "off-topic".)

 

 

 

Have I got a story for you! :rolleyes: ;)

[No534]

Go on...... ;)

[kennethwthomas17]

We experienced dining in the QM2 Britannia Club last fall and enjoyed it completely. Although this will be our 5th sailing on the QM2, it will be our first in the Princess Grill. We would be most interested in any comments from guests who have experienced both dining venues.

[Brit abroad]

We crossed on the QM2 July 2007 & are due to repeat this wonderful experience again on 31st May this year - Britannia dining on both.

 

I must say on our first crossing we were a bit worried about dinning in a vast dinning room and concerned about the standard we could expect from such a mass catering experience.

 

I have to say all those worries vanished after a fab first evening meal, with delightful company and a setting that we thought was just outstanding. Our table staff were attentive, cheerful, friendly and beautifully trained, they kept everything flowing at just the right pace. We are 'foodies' with fairly substantial appetites who also love a good bottle of red wine - once we had a chat with the Sommelier (sp?) about what we liked & disliked, he recommended something, not too pricey, that we loved so much, that we repeated our order every night!

 

I have to say that we have booked Britannia again this time with eager anticipation, although I have no doubt that the Grills are something to praise very highly too.

[JPH814]

"We are 'foodies' with fairly substantial appetites who also love a good bottle of red wine - once we had a chat with the Sommelier (sp?) about what we liked & disliked, he recommended something, not too pricey, that we loved so much, that we repeated our order every night! "

 

 

 

Your description of your tastes and appetite sound very much like ours. I would be interested in hearing about the red wine you chose and the price. We will be aboard in July.

[Brit abroad]

Oh Lord - memory not that good I am afraid, as it was July 2007 :o, but I do know it was a Chilean Merlot and our table mates loved it too, so they also switched from their usual bottle of red 'frenchy'.

 

Think the price was about 25ish dollars a bottle, although perhaps now with the exchange rate as it is in Europe, that probably doesn't sound like such a great bargain as it was?

 

We have asked for a table of 8 this time around (we had 6 last time), so hopefully a good chance to do a bit of share & taste with table mates and then hopefully work out a little favorite again - hick;)!

[capnpugwash]

I am sure that the Grills provide wonderful food but a: I would get very fed up very soon having to think of something special to order, b; the food in Britannia is fine for me, albeit sometimes a wee bit slow but where am I rushing to? and c; for the cost of a QG, I can go on two more crossings which I would do any day of the week.

[soblue]

I am sure that the Grills provide wonderful food but a: I would get very fed up very soon having to think of something special to order, b; the food in Britannia is fine for me, albeit sometimes a wee bit slow but where am I rushing to? and c; for the cost of a QG, I can go on two more crossings which I would do any day of the week.

 

 

Going in the Princess Grill was definitely worth the experience, it felt like eating in a small exclusive restaurant. After coming out from the Princess Grill, seeing the Britannia Restaurant it looked weird so many people eating together in a large room. Personally I think the best choice is the Britannia Plus Restaurant. :D

 

I agree with Capnpugwash for the cost of a QG, you can go on two more crossings which I would do any day of the week.

 

But if you have the dosh! ;), go for the Grills as there are no pockets in shrouds. :eek:

[SeaMatesNYC]

a: I would get very fed up very soon having to think of something special to order

 

You know very well that a fine menu of daily selections is provided you, sir!

 

And if you think of special ordering as a game to see how sophisticated your neighbors will think you, well then, you are correct!

[Q-step]

This will be my first cruise (TA Westbound 08/29.) I always heard that part of the fun is being assigned to a large table and meeting new people. I guess there is some risk that you may get people who are not that interesting, or find us uninteresting.

 

I looked at PG & QG with single seating and small tables. But for the extra money I may as well take my wife to world-class restaurants a few times a year here on land.

 

Do you know if you can tour the Grills? Maybe when the Grillers are watching reuns of Ascott or slumming it with all day spa treatments? I remember touring the QE2 15 years ago and seeing all the Erte' artwork in the Queen's Grill.

[rjms74]

Hi Q-step,

 

you can still sit at larger tables in the Grills for 6 or 8 people. I must admit my experience of Queens Grill to date is linked to QE2 & I have always met some very charming & interesting people on the table of 6 or sometimes 7 that I have sat at - usually the same one on QE2 & I also have the pleasure of dining at some great Restaurants worldwide on land too! I like to enjoy both experiences both on land and at sea & am looking forward to trying QM2 for only my 2nd time in a few months this time in the Princess Grill. I tried the main Britannia Restaurant in 2005 & enjoyed this but as my preference is the Grills am trying one of them this time round & will post a full report upon my return.

 

That being said my last cruise on QE2 was in the Mauretania Restaurant - I could not get any cabin for the Grills as I booked last minute & they were sold out & I had a whale of a time at a table & hosted table for 8 people. I think probably when it is very quiet at night or indeed very early on the last day you can take a sneak preview of the Grills but other than this you must usually be bonafide Grill guests or invited by Grill passengers to get into these Restaurants or the QG Lounge Bar.

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Richard

[cinta]

I am sure that the Grills provide wonderful food but a: I would get very fed up very soon having to think of something special to order, b; the food in Britannia is fine for me, albeit sometimes a wee bit slow but where am I rushing to? and c; for the cost of a QG, I can go on two more crossings which I would do any day of the week.

 

Whatever Cap'tn, try the grills, no matter if it's PG or QG just once, give it a go, splashout, then give your opinion. I won't go into details, but you may be pleasantly surprised or even shocked at the whole experience.

 

Sharon

[rjms74]

Hi Sharon,

 

I could not agree with you more!

 

By the way I know Thornbury very will - living on the outskirts of Bristol as I do.

 

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Richard

[cinta]

Hi Sharon,

 

I could not agree with you more!

 

By the way I know Thornbury very will - living on the outskirts of Bristol as I do.

 

 

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Richard

 

Haha, where do you live Richard?

[moniquet]

The Britannia club section is small and tucked away, not worth the extra money for me. Never been PG but when walking past there were mostly just couples looking miserable! We prefer a large table and meeting different people. Our only disappointment...we have never been seated with guests who share our love of wine. Looking around this year scarcely anyone was having wine in the Britannia. Some even entered the restaurant carrying their half full glass from the bar..ugh!

 

I think Britannia is a super dining venue although the service is very bad. Worse we have encountered in 12 years of cruising.