#NomNom Must Try Specialty Restaurants Aboard Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas

Cruises are well known for their all you can eat options. However, a trend that has grown in popularity, is specialty restaurants aboard the ships. Usually these restaurants have an additional fee and offer something different from the complimentary variety of food options the ship offers. Below I give my review of 5 different specialty restaurants, Wonderland, Jamie’s Italian, Izumi, Chops Grille, Johnny Rockets, and Costal Kitchen, aboard Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of The Seas.

Wonderland

Venture down the rabbit hole with the imaginative cuisine of Wonderland. The magic begins when you use your paintbrush to unmask the menu. It reveals its 5 elements of Sun, Ice, Fire, Water, and Earth allowing guest the pleasure of experiencing a little bit of each.

This was my second time at Wonderland and the second time was a charm! I do have to say that I enjoyed the presentation more on the Harmony of the Seas (you can see what I mean by checking out https://www.memoriesmealsandmiles.com/memories-1/2018/1/13/top-5-must-tries-on-the-harmony-of-the-seas) but the food on a whole was better on Anthem of the Seas. The food was deliciously appetizing and flavorful.

I started my meal with the element of Sun and radiant vegetables playfully reinvented. Baby Vegetable Garden

Then I moved on to the element of Ice chilled to exhilarate your palate.

Crab cones

Next I heated things up with the element of Fire and the Buffalo Chicken Eggs alongside the shrimp kataifi.

I arrived at the element of Sea with the oceanic inspiration of the tides and the Branzino in crispy bread.

I ended the element experience with Earth and the terroir beef and the slow roasted chicken.

The steak is an absolute must and truly to die for!

The meal concluded with a mouth watering ice cream, chocolate, and caramel combination that tasted as good as it looks.

Wonderland is an adventure! I recommend eating here especially if you’re celebrating a birthday or want to try something new and step out of the box of the traditional dining experience.

Attire: Smart Casual

Fee: $54.99 + 18% Gratuity

Jamie’s Italian

Jamie Oliver brings the feel of Italy and his love for Italian cuisine straight to Jamie’s Italian. The atmosphere gives all the vibes of Italy making it the perfect destination for a dinner “getaway”.

We started with the famous antipasti plank filled with a variety of meats, pickles, and cheeses along with the Ultimate Garlic Bread.

We went on to three different entrees.

Truffle Tagliatelle: a luxurious silky black truffle butter with aged Parmesan, nutmeg, and more black shaved truffle.

Penne Pomogoro: with sweet tomatoes, garlic, basil, mozzarella, and herby breadcrumbs.

Pan-roasted Salmon: sustainable salmon with a rich shellfish, tomato, white wine, and fennel stew topped with garlicky aioli.

We concluded our meal with raspberry gelato, Raspberry Ripple Pavlova, and lemon meringue cheesecake. The Raspberry Ripple Pavlova was interesting. It reminded me of the marshmallows from lucky charms.

Attire: Casual

Fee: $24.99 + 18% Gratuity

Izumi

Izumi offers guest an exotic Asian inspired dining experience with foods from the likes of sushi, sashimi, hot and cold appetizers, to desserts, and much more. The food is loaded with flavor and impeccable presentation.

I went with the shrimp tempura for my appetizer.

Watch as the chief whips up a sushi roll.

Following my shrimp tempura appetizer, I went on to have the spicy shrimp tempura roll. Yummy!

Attire: Smart Casual

Fee: A La Carte

Chops Grille

Chops Grille is the steak house aboard the Anthem of The Seas. The sophisticated restaurant features the first dry-aged steak at sea. Each piece of meat is hand selected and aged for nearly 4 weeks to achieve maximum flavor. There is an abundance of succulent dishes paired with scrumptious sides and yummy desserts at Chops Grille.

The Caesar salad was the best Caesar salad I tried on the ship!

I moved on to the 6 oz “Petite” Angus filet Mignon. It was tasty but honestly speaking, I had a much better steak at Wonderland.

The spicy jumbo shrimp with creamy garlic mashed potatoes was delicious.

And, you can never go wrong with the grilled chicken.

I ordered a side of truffle French fries that were good but could have had more truffle.

I ended with a wonderful cheese cake, chocolate melting cake, and apple pie a la mode.

My biggest hang up about the experience was that the service was very slow.

Attire: Smart Casual

Fee: $49.99 + 18% Gratuity

Johnny Rockets

The famous Johnny Rockets, known for its dancing employees, burgers, and milk shakes, wasn’t all that impressive aboard the Anthem of The Seas. The milk shake was worth the praise, but the food wasn’t anything special. I’m sure you could find a better sandwich and fries in the Windjammer for free.

The BLT, Chicken sandwich, and a side of fries are below.

Attire: Casual

Fee: A La Carte

Coastal Kitchen

Coastal Kitchen is exclusively reserved for guests in suites or Pinnacle Members. The restaurant is much smaller and intimate in comparison to the traditional dining rooms. Coastal Kitchen features gourmet California-Mediterranean dishes and highlights healthy options made with the freshest ingredients. They have an extensive collection of California wines. Below is a quick look at some of the options you can find here.