Samba Grill is one of Royal Caribbean’s most overlooked specialty restaurants, and we honestly walked in with pretty low expectations. But it ended up surprising us in the best possible way.

We booked it ourselves on our 7-night Mediterranean cruise (see review) and paid full price. As always, Royal Caribbean didn’t know we were reviewing it, so what follows is exactly what we thought.

Looking for another specialty restaurant? Here’s our Mason Jar review

Samba Grill on Allure of the Seas — Quick Verdict

Price: $39.99 per person (although varies by sailing)
Cuisine: Brazilian churrascaria (carved meats, salads, sides)
Best for: Meat lovers
What we liked: Good cuts of meat, attentive service, relaxed atmosphere.
What we didn’t: Limited veggie options, Salad bar is limited, Desserts are underwhelming.
Worth it? Yes — If you have a dining package. If you’re paying à la carte, the price is a little steep.

Prefer video? Watch our full onboard review here.

Samba Grill: What You Can Expect

Samba Grill is a Brazilian rodizio-style steakhouse that takes over the Solarium Bistro in the evenings. Servers carve fresh grilled meats at your table, with salads and sides included for one set price. It’s a quiet, relaxed dinner — very different from the usual Royal Caribbean options.

The Menu

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 Honest Samba Grill Review

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.

Is Samba Grill Worth It on Allure of the Seas?

David from Cruise with Ben and David at Samba Grill

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.

Review: Samba Grill on Royal Caribbean, Allure of the Seas