Coral Princess specialty restaurants

[Cybercsp]

Food preference is subjective, but I am wondering if anyone would be willing to weigh in regarding their experiences at Bayou Cafe or Sabbatini on Coral Princess. Our cruise answer book lists them as having a "cover charge" and am wondering what it is at present.

Thanks!

[judynorth]

Food preference is subjective, but I am wondering if anyone would be willing to weigh in regarding their experiences at Bayou Cafe or Sabbatini on Coral Princess. Our cruise answer book lists them as having a "cover charge" and am wondering what it is at present.

Thanks!

 

We were on the Coral in February and ate in the Bayou Cafe. The cover charge was $15pp. I'd give it mixed reviews. The filet was wonderful - very moist and tender and perfectly cooked. The sides were OK but not outstanding. The appetizer that I had was very good - sausage and grits. The gumbo and jambalya were both spicy HOT and the portions were huge! The dessert was good but not great and I was too full to appreciate it anyway. Just the 2 of us went and I think it would be more fun with a table full.

 

We didn't eat at Sabatini's but it was $20pp.

[southpawsdakota]

As far as Sabatini's goes, it was not crowded so I think the meal went faster than we would have liked. We felt that they came on too quickly with the appetizers, very tasty. The entree was good and the dessert was very good. We have traveled to Italy quite a bit so for us it was a little bit of a disappointment as we were comparing to Italy. But the atmosphere is very nice if you want to have something different and pay the $20 as well as for whatever you want to drink. We felt that the food in the regular dining room was very good and it was included! We are headed back on the Coral Princess for an Alaska cruise this monday.

[sunsetbeachgal]

We love the specialty restaurants on Princess ships (especially the Crown Grill on the Emerald), and would rate the Bayou cafe exactly as Judy said above-the filet was absolutely wonderful (flavorful, tender, cooked perfectly as ordered) but the rest of the items were just so-so at best. My DH likes ice cream for dessert (or something yummy that comes with a scroop of ice cream) and we found it odd that they had no ice cream at the Bayou, and then the wonderful waiter volunteered to to go the dining room and get ice cream for everyone-now that is good service!!

[HMK8273]

We ate in both Bayou and Sabitini's for dinner on the 5/25/09 SB on the Coral. $15 per person at Bayou and $20 per person at Sabitini. Dinner at Bayou does have entertainment - lounge singer type stuff - can't remember the ladies name or it may have been a trio. We did this the first formal night - timing was a fluke - but very good and worth the money. Service was good and it was definitely not crowded. Interesting selections on the menu - things that I never thought I would want to try and weren't afraid to ask for more than one appetizer - crocodile ribs were interesting - but nothing spectacular to me - taste gets lost in the BBQ way it was prepared.

 

We did Sabitini's as a group of 8 people - happened to be 2 groups of 4 people - all of us became friends from bumping into each other along the way - it took 3+ hours to eat dinner. We weren't rushed at all and loved it. One of the most memorable dinners of the cruise (biggest highlight for food for us was Chef's Table - loved it!). Food was great - we are not native Italian and have been there - was it authentic Italian? I am sure pretty close but wasn't trying to compare but just enjoy the ride. There is one waiter - hopefully still there - can't remember his name that looks like Elvis and was doing Elvis impersonations as he helped with lobster tail shells - very amusing! Again - not crowded at all. You can make it go as fast or slow as you want. There was one couple who entered after us and left way before we did - yes we had more food to deal with in terms of the number of people but they didn't eat everything offered - or at least it seemed. Make a night of it because it does last a long time and you don't seem to eat alot until you try to get up and walk out. I wanted to do Sabitini's again but didn't have enough nights on a 7 day cruise.

[JNCRUISEBUMS]

We ate in both Bayou and Sabitini's for dinner on the 5/25/09 SB on the Coral. $15 per person at Bayou and $20 per person at Sabitini. Dinner at Bayou does have entertainment - lounge singer type stuff - can't remember the ladies name or it may have been a trio. We did this the first formal night - timing was a fluke - but very good and worth the money. Service was good and it was definitely not crowded. Interesting selections on the menu - things that I never thought I would want to try and weren't afraid to ask for more than one appetizer - crocodile ribs were interesting - but nothing spectacular to me - taste gets lost in the BBQ way it was prepared.

 

We did Sabitini's as a group of 8 people - happened to be 2 groups of 4 people - all of us became friends from bumping into each other along the way - it took 3+ hours to eat dinner. We weren't rushed at all and loved it. One of the most memorable dinners of the cruise (biggest highlight for food for us was Chef's Table - loved it!). Food was great - we are not native Italian and have been there - was it authentic Italian? I am sure pretty close but wasn't trying to compare but just enjoy the ride. There is one waiter - hopefully still there - can't remember his name that looks like Elvis and was doing Elvis impersonations as he helped with lobster tail shells - very amusing! Again - not crowded at all. You can make it go as fast or slow as you want. There was one couple who entered after us and left way before we did - yes we had more food to deal with in terms of the number of people but they didn't eat everything offered - or at least it seemed. Make a night of it because it does last a long time and you don't seem to eat alot until you try to get up and walk out. I wanted to do Sabitini's again but didn't have enough nights on a 7 day cruise.

What do you mean Chef's table? Where was that and how much did it cost? Thanks! Nancie

[HMK8273]

Chef's Table is a "private dinner" for 10 passengers that costs $75 per person. I say private because it is by invitation in essence - you can't make reservations - you have to put yourself on the list and hope you get chosen. The head chef determines the menu which is different from the dinner menu in the main dining rooms. Evening starts in the kitchen area with champagne, and hors deuvres. Then you sit at a table in the main dining room with dedicated service from the head waiter and some other servers. Wine is included, which depending on the menu can include both white, red and dessert wine - we went through a couple of bottles of white for sure - don't worry about cost per glass - it is all included. At the end, we got a menu book signed by the head chef and the head waiter (I think - don't exactly remember beyond the head chef and their signatures are barely readable), as well as photos of just the two of us and the whole group and the table - which they deliver to you before you are done with dessert. We signed up the first day of our cruise - it is advertised in the patter - so get on the list early. On our cruise, 11 people signed up, 7 people pulled out - they allowed 11 when it is normally limited to 10 because the last people to sign up was a party of 3. You cannot be sick of any sort because you do start out in the kitchen area. So we ended up with only 4 people at our table which made it more initimate. Meal was incredible - every one would be different - we had crab salad, beef tartar, lobster tail, filet mignon, veal, some sort of dessert that I can't remember what it was called but served on a sugar plate made by the head pastry chef who we also met. For $75 - it was worth it and then some. The cook book sells for $50 by itself and the two of us polished off at least 1 bottle of champagne and 2 bottles of wine by ourselves if you add up all the glasses they kept refilling without needing for us to ask. Service was beyond awesome. Would do it again in a heart beat. If they do it on a cruise, it is usually either a sea day or a day where everyone is on board early - our day in Alaska was the last formal night so we were dressed up. I am sure if you do searches for Chef's Table you will find other comments.