Top Ten Specialty Restaurants at Sea: Where Will You Dine Tonight?

By WALLACE IMMEN

Heres a rundown of the top choices (with a tie between Celebrity Cruises and Disney Cruise Line for 10th place):

THE PINNACLE GRILL Holland America Line.
Found on all HAL ships, Pinnacle is the elegant steak and seafood restaurant. Menus include their prime Sterling Silver Beef and sustainable seafood. On most voyages, the grill is transformed one evening into Le Cirque with menus developed in a partnership with the famous Le Cirque restaurants on land. Cover charge: $20.

TAMARIND Holland America Line.
Tamarind offers pan-Asian fare and is available on Holland America Lines Signature-class ships, Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam. Menus offer selections like snapper baked in rice paper, Penang red curry coconut chicken or wasabi and soy crusted beef tenderloin served on an oak plank. Cover charge: $15.

MURANO Celebrity Cruises.
Found on Celebrity Eclipse, Solstice, Century, Silhouette and Equinox, Murano features a decor inspired by Italian piazzas and the menu is worldly Mediterranean. A sample entree might be crispy Loup De Mer, featuring roasted artichoke, eggplant caviar, kalamata olive puree, sun dried tomato pesto and balsamic reduction. Cover charge: $40.


TUSCAN GRILLCelebrity Cruises.
The Italian-themed steak house is found on Solstice class ships. A typical entree choice may be pan seared salmon on orecchiette pasta with artichokes and olives. Cover charge: $30.

PORTOFINORoyal Caribbean.
Featured on a number of Royal Caribbean ships the Italian themed restaurants features seasonal specialties. Some nights are special themes including dinners that include wine parings. Cover charge: $20.

QSINECelebrity Cruises.
A hit on the new Solstice class ships and now being added to the Millennium class ships, the quirky restaurant has a menu-tainment approach that features a menu of comfort foods deconstructed into bite sized morsels that are served in incredibly inventive ways. The menu is on an iPad and the wine list resembles a Rubiks cube. Cover charge: $40.

CHOPS GRILLERoyal Caribbean.
A meat and seafood lovers hideaway featured on a dozen Royal Caribbean ships. Steaks are the main event offering a vast range of sauces. Service charge: $30

150 CENTRAL PARKRoyal Caribbean.
These are very cosmopolitan restaurants featured in the central atriums of the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. A favorite option is the multi-course degustation tasting-style menu, Cover charge: $35

SILK HARVEST Celebrity Cruises.
From its curtained-off group dining areas to its menu that spans the cuisines from Japan to Thailand, this is a unique dining experience prepared and served by people who have lived and trained in Asia. Even the cocktails are inspired by the Orient. Cover charge: $25

PALODisney Cruise Line.
This Venetian themed restaurant on Disney Wonder is a 130-seat Adult Exclusive retreat located on Deck 10 that caters to those 18 and over. The cuisine is Northern Italian. Cover charge: $20.

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