The main dining room (MDR) on a cruise ship used to be the only place where you would eat dinner with your fellow passengers. As times and tastes have changed, the MDR has made way to a plethora of specialty restaurants taking up more and more space on today’s ships offering everything from sushi and Asian dishes to Italian classics and steakhouse favorites.
One of the most popular specialty restaurants onboard any ship is the steakhouse. Whether it be Chops Grille on Royal Caribbean, Pinnacle Grill on Holland America or the Sterling Steakhouse on Princess, there’s no shortage of beef on the high seas.
On the MSC Divina, which sails year-round Caribbean cruises out of Miami, the onboard steakhouse is guided by the folks from Eataly. Besides having an extensive line of products imported from Italy, Eataly operates several authentic Italian restaurants including the Eataly Steakhouse on Divina.
Unlike other white-tablecloth steakhouses on land or sea, Eataly Steakhouse is informal. The formality of dark wood, white linen, and tuxedo-clad waiters is missing the minute you take a look inside. Taking their place is bright lights, light wood, placemats, and clear acrylic chairs. Even the bread basket is gone, with pre-dinner bread being served in a paper bag.
When it comes to the food, Eataly Steakhouse serves La Granda Piedmont and Angus beef as well as seafood. There’s a hint of Italian in there too which you will soon see as we progress through my dining experience.
Not unlike the steakhouses on the other major cruise lines, Eataly Steakhouse on MSC Divina is an additional cost. You can enjoy Eataly Steakhouse as part of an MSC dining package or you can order ala carte off the menu.
Dinner starts out with your server bringing you over some of the bread I mentioned earlier and pouring some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar onto a plate so you can dip and enjoy. If you’ve never eaten bread like that, you don’t know what you’re missing!
On the appetizer menu, if you’re a fan of Prosciutto, you owe it to yourself to try the two different types available. The Parma -vs- San Danielle puts the two against each other so you can see which one you enjoy most. If you’re like me, you’ll have a hard time deciding and just end up saying you love them both. The portion is huge and definitely enough to share with the table.
Not in the mood for all that Italian ham? You can always try a delicious assortment of a few different types of imported Italian meats that will provide a more diverse selection.
Another appetizer worth trying, and there’s enough of it to share, is the Beef Carpaccio. Rare tenderloin, sliced paper thin served with an arugula salad with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese on top. If you’re a fan of carpaccio, give it a shot as it’s worth every bite.
Since you’re dining on an Italian ship, you must enjoy a pasta course! After all, every meal in Italy is served with some kind of pasta and on MSC Divina you can’t escape it, and it’s some of the best pasta you’ll ever enjoy.
I enjoyed the Afeltra Gragnano Spaghettone, which features imported pasta (spaghetti) tossed in a light and delicious sauce served with a bit of mozzarella. All the pasta on MSC Divina is served al dente and this was no different and was certainly enjoyable.
Another pasta worth mentioning that was absolutely incredible is the Afeltra Gragnano Pacchero. Imported pasta tubes tossed in a seafood sauce with shrimp, scallops, calamari and fresh tomatoes. There are no words to describe how delicious this pasta is, so I’ll leave it up to you to try it when you’re onboard MSC Divina.
Time for the main event – the steaks. For one visit, I enjoyed the 8oz Angus Beef Tenderloin which I ordered rare. It was perfectly grilled and seasoned and a definite hit. On par with any land-based steakhouse.
During another visit to the Eataly Steakhouse, I tried the 11oz rib eye which I ordered medium rare. The cut was somewhat different from what one would expect at a steakhouse back home and the cut was rather thin. I made note that it was more of the kind of steak you would get on a steak sandwich. This particular steak was not my favorite.
A third steak I tried was the 10oz New York Strip which I ordered medium rare. This steak was tough in parts, but very well seasoned and cooked to my desired temperature. This steak and the rib eye I would pass on in the future and go with the filet and I would recommend that cut of beef to you as well.
One thing I will note, the three steaks I had, all were cooked to the perfect temperature. Many times, on land or at sea, steaks are often under or overcooked to what the person requested. I did not have that issue at the Eataly steakhouse on MSC Divina.
Be sure to save room for dessert when you’re dining at Eataly Steakhouse as there are a few different ones to choose from. One one occasion I went for the Strawberries and Gelato. Now, on MSC all the Gelato is made fresh onboard, as you would expect from an Italian ship. What can I say… simply delicious and a perfect ending to the meal.
Not in the mood for Gelato, how about a homemade cannoli? My server said, “it’s best eaten with your hands” so don’t worry about who’s watching, just go for it, you’ll enjoy it.
For a classic Italian dessert, try the Bomboloni and Ice Cream. Mini fried dough balls coated in sugar and served with a scoop of vanilla. Delicious but a heavy end to a big meal.
Overall, the Eataly Steakhouse on MSC Divina isn’t the best steakhouse at sea, but it does serve some good, solid dishes that you won’t find in the main dining room. Like I mentioned earlier, you can either enjoy Eataly Steakhouse as part of a dining package or a la carte. If dining a la carte, be sure to stop by the restaurant before making a reservation to view the menu and pricing to make sure it fits in your vacation budget.
I would love to hear about your experience in the Eataly Steakhouse on MSC Divina. Be sure to share your comments below.
