When you sail on Royal Caribbean, when it comes to Italian food, you have two different choices depending on which ship for specialty dining. The options are Giovanni’s Table and Jamie’s Italian. I have not had the privilege of trying Jamie’s yet but I had the delight of trying a different ship’s Giovanni’s Table.
Growing up near a little city called Rome, New York that was chuck full of Italians, my standard on Italian food is a little high. One of my favorite places is a whole in the wall style restaurant that doesn’t event take credit cards. I don’t think any cruise ship will ever come that close but I was good with eating at Giovanni’s again after having a great experience on Oasis of the Seas last year. This time I was also bringing my mother and her husband along for their first time ever.
Giovanni’s on Vision of the Seas is tucked off to the side of the Schooner Bar on Deck 6. The appetizers and pasta dishes are served family style. We were allowed to order however many we wanted. While we waited for our selected dishes, you are started off with a basket of assorted breads accompanied with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar for dipping. My favorite bread was soft with pesto flavoring and grape tomatoes baked in.
We ordered the Antipasti per Due, the Mozzerlla in Carrozza alla Giovanni, Capesante al Forno and Melanzane alla Parmigiana. For me the star of this round was the Mozzerella in Carrozza. It kind of looks like a crostini when it comes out wrapped in prosciutto. The crunch with the creamy mozzerella was probably one of the best things I’ve had onboard a ship.
Next up was the family style pasta round. We ordered the Pappardelle alla Crema di Radicchio e Pancetta, Risotto al Fungi Trifolati, Crespelle di Ricotta e Spinaci and the Ravioli di Polpa di Granchio. Everyone at the table was pretty split. There wasn’t a bad dish on the table. My favorite was the Crespelle di Ricotta e Spinaci. I am a sucker for anything with Ricotta Cheese, especially spinach too. The crepes that holds these two delicious ingredients were actually a little crispy which made for great texture. I would definitely order it again.
For dinner, I ordered the Rack of Lamb dish. I really enjoy rack of lamb but abstain from the mint jelly. I think the meat itself is very flavorful and the thought of a jello with it just doesn’t jive with me. This is one of the best rack of lamb dishes I’ve ever had. I wanted to be greedy and keep it to myself but I had to share a bite with everyone at the table. Everyone couldn’t believe how good it was. Everyone enjoyed their dishes. Again, not a bad choice was made.
Dessert is fun at Giovanni’s. The roll over a dessert cart that kind of makes me think of the scene from Beauty and the Beast during “Be Our Guest.” There were an assortment of delights like Panna Cotta, Tiramisu, Chocolate Cake and Cannolis. This is where my high Italian standards come into play. The cannolis are not great. We tried them last time but I’ve had way better. The tiramisu was pretty good with well balanced flavors. This is my recommendation though, GET THE CHOCOLATE CAKE! You won’t be sorry. In fact, ask for two or three pieces. It is that good!
Giovanni’s in my opinion is worth the splurge. It is a nice change up from the main dining room and provides are more intimate experience. Are you a fan of specialty dining?
