Does the Chef's Table have the same menu on every ship?

[MrMarc]

I just did the Chef's Table on Dream, and the food was amazing.  I'm on Mardi Gras in January and would be interested in doing it again, but not if it's the same menu.  While the food is fantastic, a lot of the fun for me are tastes and combinations I have not had before.  Does anyone know if they do the same menu on each ship, or does the chef on the ship actually get to design his own menu?

[mondello]

You didn't even get to tour the ship galley, did you? I heard they were not allowing the galley tour because of Covid restrictions. I think it would be nice to peek behind the scenes.

I may be wrong but, I believe it has been posted the menu is the same fleet wide. Not positive because of the $75/95 cost variance.

[MrMarc]

10 minutes ago, mondello said:

You didn't even get to tour the ship galley, did you? I heard they were not allowing the galley tour because of Covid restrictions. I think it would be nice to peek behind the scenes.

I may be wrong but, I believe it has been posted the menu is the same fleet wide. Not positive because of the $75/95 cost variance.

No, but I've seen ones on other ships.  The beginning of it was really kind of strange and disorganized, then you had to sign a corvid form.  But once the food started, I really have to say it was incredibly good, and I have eaten "bites" prepared by many amazing chefs.  I probably won't do it again then because I think the only way for the quality of the preparation to go is down and my expectations too high.  Oh well.  If you want to try some really interesting and well designed and presented food, I strongly recommend it.

[rtrtx2]

2 hours ago, MrMarc said:

I just did the Chef's Table on Dream, and the food was amazing.  I'm on Mardi Gras in January and would be interested in doing it again, but not if it's the same menu.  While the food is fantastic, a lot of the fun for me are tastes and combinations I have not had before.  Does anyone know if they do the same menu on each ship, or does the chef on the ship actually get to design his own menu?

I can't answer you, but what was on your menu. Is it very seafood intensive?

 

[MrMarc]

1 hour ago, rtrtx2 said:

I can't answer you, but what was on your menu. Is it very seafood intensive?

 

No, only 2 courses.  There was a fish and a shrimp course.  They can modify the menu to some extent if you let them know ahead of time.

[johnboy036]

My wife and I are doing the Chef's Table for the first time on the Dream in 2 weeks. We are both (well at least me, since I am more of a foodie) looking forward to this dinner. So, I am very glad to hear it was an amazing experience. What day of the cruise did they hold it? Our cruise is the 6 day itinerary.

[IntrepidFromDC]

The experience is designed with the FOODIE in mind.  We only did Chef's Table once because it disappointed as follows:  We had experienced Steakhouse SUBLIME dinners 10 or so times before trying Chef's Table.  For reference, our best fine dining experiences include Daniel Boulard's flagship restaurant near Central Park on the East Side of Manhattan and L'Orangerie of Paris.  After being very impressed by Carnival Steakhouse experiences we expected that Chef's Table would rise to an even higher level like Daniel and L'Orangerie.  We were satisfied with the beauty of the food and the presentation.  The quality of the food left us very disappointed.  Better than MDR, to be sure, but on a par with Steakhouse quality, maybe even a bit less.  Up the price, Carnival, if you must.  But up the FOODIE EXPERIENCE.

Edited October 4, 2021 by IntrepidFromDC

[mondello]

59 minutes ago, johnboy036 said:

My wife and I are doing the Chef's Table for the first time on the Dream in 2 weeks. We are both (well at least me, since I am more of a foodie) looking forward to this dinner. So, I am very glad to hear it was an amazing experience. What day of the cruise did they hold it? Our cruise is the 6 day itinerary.

Pretty sure it can vary. I believe they can have it more than one day depending upon demand. It was listed in the Mardi Gras Fun Times almost daily.

Edited October 4, 2021 by mondello
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[chefchick]

I’ve done Chef’s table on inspiration (pre COVID) and Miracle (post Covid). Both were great experiences.  One in the ships galley and one in the nightclub with no galley “tour”, but both were excellent and both had different menus.  One was slightly less expensive but both were worth the price if you equate “value” with a new experience.  I love seeing what the chef can do when not hindered by budgets and constraints of pleasing the masses.

[Jasonsterling]

The menu does vary- at least sometimes and with some ships. It was different between the Vista and the Breeze- wildly different. The cost was the same on both ships. There is no galley tour at the moment due to Covid but that's not really the point of the dinner and you're not missing much. It's an industrial style kitchen much like any large convention hotel and the "tour" isn't terribly extensive or interesting. I had the impression that the menu is designed by the chef of the ship hosting it.  

[rtrtx2]

On 10/3/2021 at 11:00 PM, johnboy036 said:

My wife and I are doing the Chef's Table for the first time on the Dream in 2 weeks. We are both (well at least me, since I am more of a foodie) looking forward to this dinner. So, I am very glad to hear it was an amazing experience. What day of the cruise did they hold it? Our cruise is the 6 day itinerary.

On the Oct 31 departure, they held it twice, both times on formal nights.......so first full sea day and Cozumel port day

 

[travelplus]

I booked my.Chef's Table on the Panorama. Your expectations of it being akin to a $350 dinner in Paris is way out of line so I can see why you were disappointed..When I go to a highly  rated restaurant  like Chez Daniel in Paris and my bill is $800 then I expect good service..The Chef's Table is an elevated service and I expect it to be above the MDR and any specialty restaurant 

 

Cunard,Princess  and Carnival have different standards so for me the Chef's Table is a chance to put Carnival to the test after eating at Guy's,Blue Iguana, MDR, Lido Buffet etc. If they can't do the Chef's Table right then thee must be a problem. I am a Foodie but am reasonable in my expectations. I am expecting an elevated experience

 

 

If Carnival rises to the challenge then I am happy if not then at least I tried it. 

 

One way that I know if a restaurant is good is if their bread is good and their restrooms are clean. I always ask for a sample of their bread and to use their restroom . If they refuse they may be hiding something and I move on. Bread us a basic item so if they screw it up then they might as well screw my dinner.

 

 

 

[keels81]

Here's my Chef's Table menu from the Mardi Gras in October, so you can compare and contrast.

 

I also did a course-by-course and overall experience breakdown on my Twitter. I also have a shellfish and mollusk allergy, and in my Twitter thread I mention what the replacement offerings were from the provided menu. 

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by keels81

[DPTexas]

I don't know about the menu rotation on each ship, but I believe it depends on the head chef.  We have always dined at the Chef's Table, except for our most-recent cruise which was a shorter one.  We love experiencing a variety of foods, tastes, company, behind-the-scene tour of the galley, and demonstration on how to make the chocolate melting cake  (with the recipe).  Our experience is that it is usually held on the 2nd night - often conflicting with formal night.   Depending on the requests and the length of the cruise, it may be held on several nights.   We always look forward to it and have never been disappointed.  (It is interesting how tastes differ per person because we dined at the Steakhouse this last cruise for the first time and were very disappointed in the quality of the food - especially the steaks - and delay in service.)  The last time at the Chef's Table we had the best sea bass I have ever tasted, along with a variety of other meats and dishes.  It was my birthday, so the Chef made a specially designed/autographed dessert plate for me, as well as for two couples celebrating anniversaries.  There was also a woman who had sensitivity to gluten, so they exchanged some items for her, always being aware of her allergy, but making sure she had a wonderful experience.  Always a highlight, so I would not mind if the menu repeated.  The only caveat I offer, is to pace yourself because there are a lot of courses and a lot of food!   

[Runaway Parent]

Thanks for the updates on this. We've done Chef's Table several times, and have had repeat menus. We'd like to do it again, but don't want the same menu. The one posted in this discussion is different than what we've had before. Can others who have been on post-Covid shutdown cruises and done Chef's Table also post their menus, or share whether or not the one posted here was the same they experienced? I'd appreciate it!

 

[staceyglow]

I don't have a copy of the menu, but we did the Chef's Table on the Pride last week, and our menu was similar, but not exactly the same as the one posted above.  I thought it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten.

 

And by the way, the bread was absolutely amazing.  It was so good that I threatened to steal a fellow diner's because she hadn't eaten it!

[DCDragonfly]

If you were there 11/11, we were with you.   We considered it a high point of an up-and-down cruise, foodwise.

[staceyglow]

9 hours ago, DCDragonfly said:

If you were there 11/11, we were with you.   We considered it a high point of an up-and-down cruise, foodwise.

LOL, based on your name, I think I know exactly who you are.  Cheers!  Hope you made it home safely!

[PekingeseLady]

On 10/3/2021 at 10:30 PM, chefchick said:

I’ve done Chef’s table on inspiration (pre COVID) and Miracle (post Covid). Both were great experiences.  One in the ships galley and one in the nightclub with no galley “tour”, but both were excellent and both had different menus.  One was slightly less expensive but both were worth the price if you equate “value” with a new experience.  I love seeing what the chef can do when not hindered by budgets and constraints of pleasing the masses.

You wouldn't have a pic of the post covid on the Miracle would you? I'm boarding on the 20th and seriously thinking of booking. I've never done one and sailing solo for the first time. Might just be my opportunity. 

[Colorado Cruzer]

I love to try new things but the menu that was posted above would just not satisfy me for the upgrade price. I have tried so many times in my life to like lamb and fish but I just don't care for it.  Half of the menu would be a bummer for me.  I'll stick to the other specialty restaurants I guess.

 

Thanks for all the info!