Review: Samba Grill on Royal Caribbean, Allure of the Seas
One of the more underrated specialty dining options on Royal Caribbean is Samba Grill—a Brazilian-style steakhouse that quietly takes over the Solarium Bistro in the evenings. It doesn’t have the hype of Jamie’s Italian or the glitz of Wonderland. In fact, we assumed it was a brand-new addition, only to later discover it’s been on the ship since 2020!
We tried Samba Grill on our 7-night Mediterranean cruise aboard Allure of the Seas, booking it ourselves through the Cruise Planner. We paid full price, and Royal Caribbean had no idea we were reviewing it—so, as always, this is our honest and unfiltered opinion.
In this review, we’ll walk you through the full experience: what’s on the menu, what it costs, what stood out (both good and bad), and whether we think it’s worth your time and money. If you’re curious about trying something different on board, or wondering whether Samba Grill deserves a spot in your dining plans, read on.
And if you’d rather see it in action, don’t miss our full video review onboard Allure of the Seas here:
Cost of Samba Grill
At the time of our sailing, Samba Grill was priced as a specialty dining experience:
Dinner: $39.99 USD per person (plus gratuity)
Also available as part of the Royal Caribbean dining package
Drinks are charged separately but included if you have the Deluxe Beverage Package.
The Menu
Samba Grill is a classic Brazilian rodizio-style steakhouse—that means continuous tableside service of grilled meats, carved fresh by roaming servers.
Starter Salad Bar
A selection of fresh greens, charcuterie, cheese, olives, roasted veg, and prawns.
Hot Appetisers
All of these are brought to your table:
Pão de Queijo (Cheesy bread rolls)
Coxinha de Frango (Brazilian chicken croquettes)
Frango (Chicken wrapped in bacon)
Main Course – The Meat Skewers
Skewers of grilled meats are brought around one by one. You’re given a green/red coaster to flip—green for “more meat please,” red for “pause.” Although, our server just asked everytime they passed.
Options include:
Costela (Beef ribs)
Fraldinha (Beef bottom sirloin)
Lombo (Cheese and herb-crusted pork loin)
Cordeiro (Grilled lamb chops)
Picanha (Prime cut beef top sirloin)
Beef Tenderloin
Roasted Pineapple
Desserts
You select your desserts from the buffet, including flan, chocolate cake, banana fritters, and fruit.
The truffles are automatically brought to your table:
Beijinho (Coconut and condensed milk truffle)
Chocolate Brigadeiro (Chocolate fudge truffle)
Our Dinner Experience at Samba Grill
We arrived on time for our reservation and were warmly welcomed. The space was peaceful and very quiet.
Our server was wonderful—some of the best service we had on the ship! They explained the flow of the meal and encouraged us to pace ourselves—good advice!
We started with the specialty cocktail, Caipikoska, which was very refreshing with a great balance of sweet and sour.
The evening started with a visit to the salad bar. While not enormous, the selection was fresh and well presented. We especially enjoyed the marinated mushrooms, roast peppers, and shaved parmesan.
Although we enjoyed it, compared to Moderno on Norwegian Cruise Line, we felt the salad bar was a little lacking—and many of the items were the same as those from the Windjammer buffet.
Warm cheese bread and Brazilian croquettes were delivered to the table. Both were excellent—the cheese bread in particular was chewy, savoury, and a perfect little nibble between meats.
The Meat
Each skewer is carved tableside, and servers check in regularly so you’re never left waiting. Highlights for us included:
Garlic beef: Juicy and rich with just the right punch of garlic
Picanha: Tender and perfectly seasoned—classic Brazilian and beautifully done
Grilled pineapple: Coated in cinnamon and sugar, charred just enough to caramelise—honestly, it stole the show
Chicken wrapped in bacon: Moist and smoky, with a satisfying saltiness
The lamb was a little fatty for our taste, but still flavourful. The pork sausage was good but quite salty. We skipped a few offerings once we were full, and appreciated that the servers never pushed anything on us
Dessert
By the time dessert rolled around, we were very full—but we managed to squeeze it in for the sake of research!
We tried the flan and chocolate tray-baked cake. The flan was smooth and sweet—nothing revolutionary, but a nice finish. The chocolate cake was dense and rich, very sweet. It was nice, though not what we’d call a refined dessert. Like the starters, many of the items were also found in the Windjammer.
The highlight? The truffles—dense, rich, and absolutely delicious.
Our Final Thoughts
Samba Grill was a lovely surprise—quiet, calm, and satisfying. If you’re a fan of grilled meats, it’s absolutely worth a visit, especially on a longer cruise when you want a break from the hustle of the main dining room or buffet.
The service was excellent—friendly, relaxed, and perfectly paced. While the salad bar could be more expansive, the food overall was very tasty. The desserts were a bit disappointing, especially as many of the items were also available in the Windjammer. The standout? That cinnamon-glazed grilled pineapple. We’d go back for that alone.
If you have a dining package, this is a no-brainer. If you’re paying à la carte, the price is a little steep.
Our top tip: come hungry—and maybe skip lunch.
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