Specialty Restaurants FAQ

Each ship has multiple specialty dining restaurants. These are restaurants that are open to everyone, but they come with an additional cost and this cost is paid per visit, per person. Instead of discussing each restaurant individually I will simply discuss general thoughts and ideas for all specialty dining in general. Feel free to scroll down for my personal thoughts on each specialty restaurant.

What is the cost for specialty dining?

The cost will vary, but the average range is $35 to $45 per person. Discounts are many times given out when the restaurants are slow and you can also receive a discount if you buy a package of multiple dinners (3, 5, or the full length of the cruise).

Do I need reservations for specialty dining?

Reservations are HIGHLY advised. On some nights the specialty restaurants can get full very quickly, so if you’re looking to go at a special time or on a special day for an important occasion, then I highly recommend you make reservations ahead of time. We’ve bought the dining packages in advance and when we’ve gotten on the ship. We typically make the reservations on the first day of the cruise for the rest of the cruise and then just alter the reservations as needed throughout the cruise. However, at least from day 1 we are able to have good dining times on the books that we know typically work for our schedule.

Does my drink package work in specialty restaurants?

Yes, of course it does!

Will specialty restaurants work around dietary restrictions?

The specialty restaurants have a set menu, but they can work around dietary restrictions. My recommendation would be to visit and speak with the restaurant prior to booking a specialty restaurant. If you’re paying extra you should know what you’re getting prior to paying and booking!

Specialty Restaurants

Tuscan Grill

Tuscan Grill has some great Italian food. I'm not thrilled with everything on the menu but my favorites will definitely have to be the steak tartare, fried calamari, chicken parm, and the filet mignon.

They have some great Italian cheeses and prosciutto so don't skip out on that. Sometimes we like that even for dessert. They have great limoncello that is made on the ship so be sure to try a glass!

Murano

Murano is my number 1 favorite specialty restaurant. I absolutely love it. When we've purchased the dining package for dinner on all nights we usually spend the majority of the nights here. It is elegant, it is beautiful, the service is impeccable and the food is amazing.

My favorite item on the menu is the Dover Sole. My favorite item OFF the menu is the Steak Diane but it must be ordered in advance (ask the day before). The lobster table side is a must and the dessert crepe also finished off table side is a treat to watch. If you only have time to go to one specialty restaurant while on board, this is the one to visit.

Qsine

Basically, try not to eat anything all day before you come here. It is a lot of food! All the food that comes out is meant for sharing. You order on an iPad and the waiter / waitress takes your iPads and starts bringing out food. The food is plated / displayed with a funky vibe and there is a lot of it but the quality is fantastic.

I think the only reason this is not my number one is because it almost feels like a chore to eat there once you're half way through the meal because of the amount of food! The lava crab, the bbq spring rolls, Sushi Lollipops, and M's Favorites are our favorites. See photo to the left...that is our oder on the iPad.

Silk Harvest

We visited Silk Harvest for the first time when we cruised Equinox in August of 2017. I wasn't sure what to expect and didn't have very high hopes but I heard great things. I was wrong. The food was FANTASTIC. It is all asian inspired cuisine and everything was cooked so so perfectly and had lots of flavor. My recommendation is not to skip it. It is a lot of food so definitely bring your appetite. My favorite item was the duck. I loved the duck.

Sushi on FIVE

Sushi on Five replaced Bistro on Five. While this place is known for Sushi it also has ramen as well as a couple other dishes. Everything here is a la cart but they do have some fixed priced options as well. I was not blown away with the sushi as we have some wonderful sushi places here in Chicago. However, given the fact that you're on a ship and fresh sushi cannot be flown in daily, it was excellent and we found the sushi to be of good quality. They have a nice little sake list as well as some fun cocktails that are only available there so don't forget about the cocktail list!