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Opinion/Thoughts on Which Allure Specialty Restaurants to Choose


mbk999

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For our upcoming Allure sailing (celebrating 25 years), we have one specialty dining included with the reservation (dinner on port day) and we are looking to do a Bogo for the first two nights.  Izumi is out since sushi is a no-go for my wife and it's more of an appetizer for me.  Our last Chops experience on the Enchantment was good but not spectacular.  We want to try Giovannis and since our TA marked the second night as our anniversary date, I'd like to see if I can get 150 Central on that day.   So thoughts on Sabor vs Samba Grill vs Chops for the third reservation, with the caveat on Sabor that neither of us are guacamole fans (sorry Matt but I re-gifted the patreon avocado peeler to my co-worker who uses it multiple times a week).    I'm was actually leaning towards Samba but I haven't seen much on it other than it can get very warm in there (sailing in Oct).    

Thanks!

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We spent two weeks on Allure for our honeymoon in October, and while we love Izumi and Sabor (honestly, we just go straight to the bar for margaritas and an order of guacamole for $7 rather than a full meal), I would absolutely pick Giovanni's Table and 150 Central Park. We ate at GT several times during our trip and it was a great atmosphere, amazing food, and the service was always outstanding. 150 Central Park was all of those, but definitely a more upscale feel and experience. 

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1 hour ago, mbk999 said:

neither of us are guacamole fans (sorry Matt but I re-gifted the patreon avocado peeler to my co-worker who uses it multiple times a week)

?

1 hour ago, mbk999 said:

thoughts on Sabor vs Samba Grill vs Chops for the third reservation

I haven't tried Samba Grill, but I've heard good things.  To me, it would be a toss up between Sabor or Samba.

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I completely agree with KLA.  Sabor on the O class ships is a far cry from the full service Sabor on the Freedom class ships, IMO and good for a snack and a margarita but in no way a celebration destination.

Samba Grill is one of the big disappointments of my recent cruise history.  We were on Allure for her second sailing ever (2009) and went to Samba Grill.  It was a wonderful experience. The place was beautifully decorated, there were exotic Brazilian style dancers who put on a show, the food was good if not great.  We sailed Allure again this past April and what a letdown.  No table linens, no dancers and the food was very mediocre.  I have moved from a "recommended" to a "no way" vote on the Samba Grill.

So I also recommend Giovanni's and 150 CP for your BOGO.  Giovanni's is solid (I do not care for Jaimie's Italian much so enjoy Giovanni's) and 150 is very very good.  I love the salts from around the world !

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1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

No table linens, no dancers and the food was very mediocre

Thanks for the review.  I can live w/o the first two but if I'm spending extra $$, I want the food to be good.

1 hour ago, Matt said:

To me, it would be a toss up between Sabor or Samba.

It's interesting that no one is saying Chops.  Which is probably my fifth choice as well.  It was good not great on the Enchantment but I'd imagine it can vary ship to ship.

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5 minutes ago, mbk999 said:

Thanks for the review.  I can live w/o the first two but if I'm spending extra $$, I want the food to be good.

It's interesting that no one is saying Chops.  Which is probably my fifth choice as well.  It was good not great on the Enchantment but I'd imagine it can vary ship to ship.

I know a lot of people really enjoy Chops, but 1) It's quite a bit more expensive on Allure as opposed to other smaller ships and 2) It's a pretty traditional portion of meat + sides kind of meal, as much as I love their Crispy Goat Cheese Salad, and I just don't find it that exciting (personally!)

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33 minutes ago, mbk999 said:

It's interesting that no one is saying Chops.  Which is probably my fifth choice as well.  It was good not great on the Enchantment but I'd imagine it can vary ship to ship.

Seeing how the meal is a TA comp, maybe give Chops a second chance. If you really liked 150 CP or Giovanni's go back again.

Sabor, with it being a lower cost venue I'd rather pay out of pocket. The price for two would end up being being the price for one anywhere else. Samba, never been so I can't pass judgment.

Me personally, I'm partial to 150 Central Park. I would dine there multiple times without hesitation.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/29/2018 at 7:51 AM, mbk999 said:

For our upcoming Allure sailing (celebrating 25 years), we have one specialty dining included with the reservation (dinner on port day) and we are looking to do a Bogo for the first two nights.  Izumi is out since sushi is a no-go for my wife and it's more of an appetizer for me.  Our last Chops experience on the Enchantment was good but not spectacular.  We want to try Giovannis and since our TA marked the second night as our anniversary date, I'd like to see if I can get 150 Central on that day.   So thoughts on Sabor vs Samba Grill vs Chops for the third reservation, with the caveat on Sabor that neither of us are guacamole fans (sorry Matt but I re-gifted the patreon avocado peeler to my co-worker who uses it multiple times a week).    I'm was actually leaning towards Samba but I haven't seen much on it other than it can get very warm in there (sailing in Oct).    

Thanks!

If you can't reserve the specific restaurants and times in advance, then find the dinner reservation stand as soon as you get aboard the ship.  When I was on the Allure in March, we boarded on deck 5, turned left and found the reservation stand right in front of the Bow & Stern Pub.

We did the 4-night deal and originally booked Chops, Gio's, 150 and Samba but wound up dropping Samba for a second visit to Chops.  We really enjoyed all three and it was hard to pick which one to repeat.  Chops only won because the availability worked best with our other plans.  Definitely go to Gio's & 150 as the first two, and either repeat the one you like best or book Chops.  I wouldn't waste the reservation on any of the other choices.

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16 hours ago, Orange Crush said:

If you can't reserve the specific restaurants and times in advance, then find the dinner reservation stand as soon as you get aboard the ship.  When I was on the Allure in March, we boarded on deck 5, turned left and found the reservation stand right in front of the Bow & Stern Pub.

Thanks for the tip on the location!

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These are my rankings in order for Allure's specialty restaurants, based on our March sailing.

 

1) 150 Central Park. We loved it so much that we went 2 nights. 

2) Chops. A very close second for us, and one we love very much. 

3) Giovanni's. The food and service were excellent, but the top 2 are in a league of their own. I also think Giovanni's pales in comparison to Jamie's.

4) Izumi. The hibachi is great, but I personally have a hard time paying what I did at sea vs. what I normally do on land for a similar experience. However, the sushi is some of the best I have ever had. 

5) Sabor. I thought this was a good meal, but it just didn't stack up as well for me when compared to the competition. Plenty of people love it though. 

6) Samba. Without a doubt, this was the weakest of the 6 for me. They had a lot of meat options, but I wasn't blown away by any of them. 

 

Ultimately, if you are torn on what to try, I'd highly recommend getting the ultimate dining package and going to all of the specialty restaurants at least once. You also get free lunches on sea days. We did this on our Allure cruise and it was well worth it to try all the specialty dining on that great ship. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/24/2018 at 10:28 AM, tonyfsu21 said:

What about the Chef’s table as an option? We have had some pretty amazing meals (and wines) across the Oasis Class. Not necessarily recommending it as an intimate dining choice for an anniversary but it’s a really great experience for another night. 

It's not included in the dining package and while I'm sure I'd enjoy it, my wife is not a foodie (nor does she drink) so it wouldn't be worth it for us in this case.  

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