Smaller ships: Which do you prefer - Polo or Toscana?

[dcsam]

Curious which specialty restaurant is your favorite?  We’ve cruised on the Riviera and enjoyed Red Ginger, but no Red Ginger on the Regatta 😞    So which specialty is your favorite on their smaller ships: Polo or Toscana?  Any favorite menu items you recommend?

[LHT28]

I like them both  DH prefers Toscana  he is not a big meat eater

 Crab cake  shrimp cocktail in Polo

Dessert

[Flatbush Flyer]

8 minutes ago, dcsam said:

Curious which specialty restaurant is your favorite?  We’ve cruised on the Riviera and enjoyed Red Ginger, but no Red Ginger on the Regatta 😞    So which specialty is your favorite on their smaller ships: Polo or Toscana?  Any favorite menu items you recommend?

Aragosta Fra Diavola in Toscana - almost as good as Nona’s.

[Jancruz]

Polo is my go to.

Jancruz1

[DeanoNorthPerth]

I’m with Jan.

[tvmovielover]

I always preferred Toscana but it was not good on our Feb Nautica cruise.  Service was not good but that might have been newer help.  The pasta was tasteless.  However on the first of our 2 visits (I tried again in vain), I tried the often recommended Oso Buco which was good, well done and warm enough when served.  It was not to my taste-too much meat-but I would still recommend it.

[shepherd really]

Sirena, Tuscan Steak was good, Red Ginger was better.

[ToxM]

24 minutes ago, shepherd really said:

Sirena, Tuscan Steak was good, Red Ginger was better.

 

That was our finding as well. 

 

I do think Toscana is nearing its best before date having eaten on the scaled down version on Sirena, and the full blown versions on Marina and Riviera.

 

May Red Ginger live forever, however.  

[mauibabes]

No worries, both are great.  If your taste buds call for surf and/or turf, definitely Polo. DW loves her Waldorf salad, Caesar is great prepped at the table, the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail is wonderful, the Filet, Porterhouse, Rib Eye, Prime Rib, need we go on?  I do find ordering Medium Rare to be the best option though, that way the beef will not be overdone and if too rare, that is when I stop eating. Also, for desert, order the Quintet so you get a two bite taste of about half the desert list.  
Toscana, DW’s ABSOLUTE go to place for Gramma’s Lasagne. OK, not called Gramma’s but as I recall, the recipe was from someone’s Gramma 🤪🙏👍. Love the Oso Buco, the Dover Sole and the Chef’s Special’s can be  AWESOME. Remember, virtually all the Pasta dishes can be ordered in an Appetizer size so you can taste multiple dishes. 
 

Which is best, up to you, just go and enjoy.

Mauibabes

[zalusky]

On our Regatta cruise in January we felt that Toscana was better.  The prime rib in Polo was too big and tough.  To be fair we did not hit either of them very much and probably should have to compare some of the other entrees.

[pinotlover]

Both restaurants are out of the same kitchen. What I have found on multiple cruises is that if one of those restaurants is hitting it well, so is the other. OTH, if one is off, it’s a bad omen. RG and Jacques, on the O ships,  have their separate kitchen, so their performance is more independent and chef driven.Typically a winner, but sometimes not.

[Acrusa]

17 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Aragosta Fra Diavola in Toscana - almost as good as Nona’s.

I agree just off Riviera ate 3 times in Toscana Aragosta Fra Diavola almost as good as Dom Pepise in Ozone Park Queens 

[YoPhilly]

I’m not a fan of the pastas in Toscana….they’re too over-the-top.  I always get the osso bucco there.  Having made it at home many times in the past for guests, now I prepare simpler meals at home.  Toscana’s is almost as good as mine - very tender. 😀

In Polo, it’s the ribeye, hands down!

[jackdeb]

YoPhillY what do you mean by the pastas over the top? Is it the pasta itself or the sauces and toppings they use?

[jondfk]

Polo by a mile here.  Toscana has never been remotely close, they may share a kitchen but front of the house differs by a mile.  All of our experience is on Regatta this far.

 

[Mura]

Back to the original question, we like both pretty much equally ... but if I have to choose one over the other, it would be Polo.  And just FYI we don't care that much for Red Ginger although Jan did set up a wonderful dinner for us a few years ago there.  We just aren't into fusion so much as Szechuan ,,, but Jan's choices were perfection.

 

Mura

[YoPhilly]

23 hours ago, jackdeb said:

YoPhillY what do you mean by the pastas over the top? Is it the pasta itself or the sauces and toppings they use?

Jackdeb, I shouldn't have said that, so please take it with a grain of salt.  My friends joke that I'm a snob when it comes to Italian food!  😁.  I come at it from a lifetime of Italian home cooking, Italian restaurants, cooking school in Bologna, and more.  Toscana's pasta is very good....it's just not my preference.  But I'm not kidding...the osso bucco is excellent!!!!!

[Redtravel]

It varies from cruise to cruise. I make my reservations and hope for the best.  I used to love Polo.  Most recent cruise on Marina, Polo was not as good as we had previously. In fact, we cancelled our 2nd reservation in Polo.  Instead we ate at Red Ginger. It has been consistently great. Toscana never disappoints.  Jacques is always excellent.

[jonthomas]

On 3/29/2023 at 4:33 PM, Acrusa said:

I agree just off Riviera ate 3 times in Toscana Aragosta Fra Diavola almost as good as Dom Pepise in Ozone Park Queens 

What is that?

Will be on Regatta in Sept.

I don't eat selfish.