Marina special restaurants

[aldrin]

Which is the best specialty restaurant? Which do you recommend we try on the Marina. Thank you

[thunderbird56]

Which is the best specialty restaurant? Which do you recommend we try on the Marina. Thank you

 

Why limit yourself. Try them all, you can't go wrong and the price is right!! Our personal favorite was Red Ginger, but you may have a completely different opinion. Good luck.

[LHT28]

Which is the best specialty restaurant? Which do you recommend we try on the Marina. Thank you

Depends on your personal tastes

I agree try them all then decide;)

 

Lyn

[spindrift]

Absolutely--try them all as they are the "best" in their specialty. My favorite is Red Ginger, but that is my taste. Second is Toscana (the Osso Bucco--yum, yum) then Polo. Jacques is "French," if that is your taste.

Just enjoy. Actually, Tapas on the Terrace is my all-time favorite for casual!!!!!!!!!!

[TKS]

I agree. Try each one, as all four are wonderful and very different from one another. I highly recommend you book your allowed reservations online as soon as possible to get your preferred seating times. You can often add reservations for your favorites after you board too. Just go to Terrace Cafe in the morning and if reservations are available you can book, or your butler can do it if you are in a penthouse, or above.

 

Red Ginger is my personal favorite too, with Toscana second. The Miso sea bass literally melts in your mouth! And the watermelon/duck salad is terrific too.

 

Whatever you decide, you're in for a culinary extravaganza. Enjoy!

[kreastman]

Just got off Marina in Copenhagen, and will add another vote for Red Ginger. It was the only specialty restaurant we absolutely had to go to a second time. The duck/watermelon salad and the miso sea bass entree are must-try items.

[no fuss travel]

Another vote for the Red Ginger. Next was Toscana quickly followed by Jacques.

[aZ4me]

We loved Red Ginger, but definitely try them all. You can't go wrong.

[HawkeyeCruisr]

. . . You can often add reservations for your favorites after you board too. Just go to Terrace Cafe in the morning and if reservations are available you can book . . .

 

Actually, Marina has a Dining Reservation desk on deck 5 that is manned all day long for adding/changing reservations. We thought it was much more convenient than the desk at Terrace Cafe used on the R ships.

 

Your favorite restaurant will be a matter of personal taste but we loved Red Ginger (the miso-glazed sea bass! the lobster pad thai!) with its stunning decor and incredible service. We also had an excellent meal in Toscana. The food at Jacques seemed a bit too rich for us; neither were we impressed by the decor. The biggest disappointment was Polo Grill where the service seemed careless and the beef did not always come cooked to order.

[TKS]

Actually, Marina has a Dining Reservation desk on deck 5 that is manned all day long for adding/changing reservations. We thought it was much more convenient than the desk at Terrace Cafe used on the R ships.

 

 

Oops! Sorry. We were lucky enough to have a PH cabin, so our butler made the reservations. I didn't realize it wasn't the same as the R ships.

[TERRIER1]

Red Ginger gets our vote. The sea bass, duck with watermelon and lobster pad Thai were great. Toscana is next with. Normally we like Polo but my husband actually ordered a rib eye that was inedible, however, my pork chop was great. We liked Jacques but my moules frites in the cafes in the ports we visited were the best and made Jacques pale in comparison. It all a matter of preference and there will be good and not so good nights in all the restaurants.

[allboard]

Red Ginger was the best followed very closely by Toscana. The Polo Grill had nice steakhouse atmosphere but the steaks were only fair in quality and preparation. I had written a comment to Oceania stating that if i were Jacques Pepin i would want my name removed from that resatuarant as the food, preparation and service were sub par at best.

[Paulchili]

I had written a comment to Oceania stating that if i were Jacques Pepin i would want my name removed from that resatuarant as the food, preparation and service were sub par at best.

 

I wonder if Jacques agrees with you? :D

I know I don't, though I respect your opinion. We ate there several times on 3 segments and not everything was perfect all the time (things rarely are always perfect), but I would not consider it sub par IMO.

[PVPatti]

My husband and I recently returned from Barcelona to Copenhagen trip. We loved Red Ginger, Jaques and Polo Grill. On our previous cruise we couldn't get enough of Toscano, but this time both of us were very disappointed with our meals. I see where many of the comments posted on this thread regard Toscano as a favorite or in second place after Red Ginger....maybe you could share your favorite choices so we'll know what to order next time.

[JimandStan]

I wonder if Jacques agrees with you? :D

I know I don't, though I respect your opinion. We ate there several times on 3 segments and not everything was perfect all the time (things rarely are always perfect), but I would not consider it sub par IMO.

 

 

It seems that the mixed reaction towards Jacques has to do with the deliberately casual ambiance and menu.

 

Although a Bistro can be charming, I overheard a number of people saying that if they are going to splurge on the calories involved in a French meal, then they want something a little more special.

 

LOL, after all, it is a specialty restaurant :rolleyes:

[sweep]

Absolutely--try them all as they are the "best" in their specialty. My favorite is Red Ginger, but that is my taste. Second is Toscana (the Osso Bucco--yum, yum) then Polo. Jacques is "French," if that is your taste.

Just enjoy. Actually, Tapas on the Terrace is my all-time favorite for casual!!!!!!!!!!

 

Are there tapas on the terrace every evening? Is it just a tapas or two before dinner or can you spend the whole evening eating tapas instead of going to the Dining Room.

 

We are off on Marina in 22 days (and counting!) and have booked one meal in each of the speciality restaurants so I am interested in the posts on this thread.

 

Sweep

[JimandStan]

Are there tapas on the terrace every evening? Is it just a tapas or two before dinner or can you spend the whole evening eating tapas instead of going to the Dining Room.

 

We are off on Marina in 22 days (and counting!) and have booked one meal in each of the speciality restaurants so I am interested in the posts on this thread.

 

Sweep

 

Tapas on the Terrace is Oceania's version of the Lido buffet, don't picture traditional tapas.

[Maredog]

Are there tapas on the terrace every evening? Is it just a tapas or two before dinner or can you spend the whole evening eating tapas instead of going to the Dining Room.

 

We are off on Marina in 22 days (and counting!) and have booked one meal in each of the speciality restaurants so I am interested in the posts on this thread.

 

Sweep

Tapas on the Terrace is the buffet for Oceania. It is not a Tapas restaurant although there are definately a wide variety of small plates and main courses. We really enjoyed the Paella on Insignia last year that was served a couple of times. I believe on Marina, it also has an outdoor area on the back of the ship. If the weather is nice, there is no nicer place to enjoy a meal with the sun setting as you sail to your next port.

We sail on Marina in November. It will be our 5th cruise with Oceania. Can't wait!

Bon Voyage!

[Paulchili]

Are there tapas on the terrace every evening? Is it just a tapas or two before dinner or can you spend the whole evening eating tapas instead of going to the Dining Room.

 

We are off on Marina in 22 days (and counting!) and have booked one meal in each of the speciality restaurants so I am interested in the posts on this thread.

 

Sweep

 

Tapas is more applicable to the R ships. On Marina it is Terrace Cafe and it is anything but tapas only. They serve almost everything on the menu in the MDR, plus much, much more. They have a grill station that serves grilled lobster tails, jumbo shrimps, 2 kinds of steaks, lamb chops, sausage, salmon, fish and grilled veggies - every night (and I probably forgot a few others).

Then you have the salads, sushi, the breads, the cheeses, the desserts, etc, etc, etc. I hope you have better self control than I do :)

In fact, other than dining in the specialty restaurants we ate only here (almost exclusively).

We loved it and chances are you will too.

Food in general is the best thing about Marina, IMO

[Paulchili]

It seems that the mixed reaction towards Jacques has to do with the deliberately casual ambiance and menu.

 

Although a Bistro can be charming, I overheard a number of people saying that if they are going to splurge on the calories involved in a French meal, then they want something a little more special.

 

 

I don't know about that...

You don't have to wear a tux or sit in a very fancy setting to enjoy good food. It's all about the food - you either like it or you don't; regardless of the setting. It's fine if you don't like it but don't blame the setting.

Perhaps some people were surprised/disappointed in some of the less traditional presentations (escargot comes to mind).

It may be a Bistro but it's certainly nice enough with very good service as well.

I suspect Jacques created exactly what he wanted and it feels exactly the way he wanted it to feel - a good French Bistro. After all, isn't Oceania all about Country Club casual?

Heck, I loved the jumbo shrimps and lobster tails in the Terrace and it wasn't a "special" setting and had plenty of calories :D Judging by the lines at the grill (at times), I don't think I was the exception.

To each his own.

[wripro]

Personally, I found the food in Jacques to be exceptional for a ship. Yes, they call it a bistro but there's foie gras, rack of veal with bordelaise sauce, a superb fish soup with rouille, etc. etc. Plus a very nice cheese cart and great desserts. Can't think of a better way to splurge on calories.

[TKS]

While I would say Jacques was not my favorite of the Marina specialty restaurants (Yes, I agree Red Ginger is THE best), it was still wonderful. I'm not a French food "hound" (or is it a boar with all those truffles?) so I really didn't expect it to become my favorite, but it was still fully up to O's standards, and we experienced a wonderful meal.

 

My only complaint was that we dined there late in the cruise and I was so overfed by that time I couldn't eat much, and the Salmon appetizer I chose was a full meal by itself (and wonderfully tasty too), so I couldn't enjoy more. :D

[sweep]

Thanks for the clarification. It looks like our cruise is not going to be long enough - 4 nights in the speciality restaurants, one night at Tapas leaves only 7 to enjoy the MDR which also looks as if it serves delicious food. Perhaps we should book a B2B;)

 

Sweep

[CintiPam]

Personally, I found the food in Jacques to be exceptional for a ship. .... Can't think of a better way to splurge on calories.

 

My birthday meal there was my best meal on board Marina, and my best meal ever on a ship! To sum it up succinctly: great food and great service. Red Ginger: great presentation and great service, but the spice level was too dumbed down on the main courses for this cruiser's palate. (Again, thanks to Jim for recommending the exceptional duck and watermelon salad, a superb combination of flavors and textures.) Polo: great food as usual, but service has lost a bit of its efficient sparkle. Toscana: when I write my review (if I ever get to it), you will hear my unbelieveable story of the worst server I ever encountered on board or on land. This unfortunate South American server apparently believes that one listens only to a man; women do not have voices. Gerry had to step in extremely forcefully; and then the maitre d'.

[Sojourner02]

We just sailed from Barcelona to Copenhagen. Red Ginger was by far our favorite restaurant, followed by Polo.

 

We ate nine time in the specialty restaurants. Preferred them over the Grand Dining Room.