SPECIALTY RESTAURANT REVIEW:
|
|
Chops Grille
Chops Grille
has long been a popular specialty restaurant on Royal Caribbean
ships. The concept is straight forward – Chops is an
American-style steakhouse. Although the entrances are quite far apart, Chops Grille is next to Giovanni’s Table on Grandeur. Chops occupies most of the area that once was the Singing in the Rain lounge while Giovanni's has the remainder.
Unlike Giovanni’s, Chops has no interior section. Chops is one room and the port side wall consists of floor to ceiling windows. There are a variety of table arrangements. The large tables are along the wood-paneled inner wall while most of the tables on the window side are tables for two. Overall, the atmosphere is contemporary and business-like. There is little in the way of decoration. Rather, the room relies on the paneling and the windows to give it an atmosphere reminiscent of the type of urban steakhouse that corporate executives might frequent. In contrast to Giovanni's, the tables here are covered by full table clothes. While this lends an element of elegance to the room, in practice, Chops is not more formal than Giovanni’s. You see about the same number of men in jackets and smartly-dressed women in either venue. The menu in Chops is geared toward a three course meal. One page of the main menu is appetizers and one page is entrees. There is a separate menu for desserts. On the appetizer page, Chops mixes a number of traditional starters, soups and salads. The Dungeness Crab and Shrimp Cake is a highlight. Its crusty exterior contrasts well with the almost sweet interior. The Forest Mushroom Soup is scented with truffle oil and is a tasty, creamy soup. |
Chops' main courses include Baramundi fillet, Alaskan halibut, herb-crusted jumbo shrimp, and free-range chicken. But this is a steakhouse and so the stars of the show are the various cuts of beef.
The leader here was the 10 ounce filet mignon. As at Giovanni's, this arrived cooked as ordered, neither under-cooked or over-cooked, tender and flavorful. Enhancing the flavor was the sauce. At Chops, you have a choice of four sauces to accompany your main course. You can choose one sauce or ask for some of all four. While at steakhouses, we usually prefer a peppercorn sauce, on Grandeur, the Cabernet Reduction took the prize. Chops is open for dinner. ConclusionOn Grandeur of the Seas, both Chops Grill and Giovanni's Table have the wherewithal to provide a memorable experience regardless of whether you are just looking for variety during the cruise or looking to have a special evening. The service in both venues was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. The quality of the cooking in both was very good. The overall atmosphere was very similar. Thus, the choice between the venues comes down to which menu you prefer.
|
|
|
|
Cruise ship specialty restaurant review - - Royal Caribbean - Grandeur of the Seas - Giovanni's Table and Chops Grille