Butcher’s Cut on MSC Meravigia: Our Steakhouse Dining Experience

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There are a few things we take very seriously when cruising: finding a great spot for a cocktail, enjoying as much of the ship as possible and, apparently, steak.

On our recent sailing aboard MSC Meraviglia, we decided to have dinner at Butcher’s Cut, MSC’s American-style specialty steakhouse.

Having sailed with MSC several times, I’m always interested in trying the specialty restaurants. They give you a completely different experience from the main dining room, and sometimes it’s nice to turn dinner into the evening’s main event.

That was definitely the plan at Butcher’s Cut.

The Butcher’s Cut Atmosphere

The moment we sat down, Butcher’s Cut felt different from the larger dining venues aboard MSC Meraviglia.

Dark wood, leather seating, warm lighting and an open kitchen give the restaurant the atmosphere of a traditional steakhouse. It feels intimate without being overly formal, making it a great choice for a date night at sea.

We could see into the open kitchen from our table, which I always enjoy. There is something about watching a busy restaurant kitchen that adds to the whole dining experience.

Choosing Our Steaks at Butcher’s Cut

One of the fun touches at Butcher’s Cut was seeing the different cuts of meat presented tableside.

And if you’re a steak lover, this certainly sets the tone for what’s coming.

The presentation featured some seriously impressive cuts of beef surrounded by tomatoes, rosemary, garlic and lemon.

Suddenly choosing what to order became a very important decision.

Wine, Menus and a Date Night at Sea

Dinner at Butcher’s Cut isn’t meant to feel rushed.

Our server walked us through the menu and gave us plenty of time to decide what we wanted.

With a glass of wine in hand and nowhere we needed to rush off to, this was exactly the kind of relaxed cruise dinner I love.

And really, steakhouse dinner at sea calls for a glass of red, doesn’t it?

Even the Bread Deserves a Mention

Before dinner arrived, we were brought a basket of assorted breads with butter.

This is where the sensible part of your brain tells you:

Don’t fill up on bread. You ordered steak.

And then warm bread and butter arrive at the table and all sensible thoughts disappear.

It was a pretty good indication that we weren’t going to be leaving Butcher’s Cut hungry.

Starting With a Classic Caesar Salad

Kent and I both I started our meals with a Caesar salad.

Crisp romaine was tossed with creamy Caesar dressing and topped with Parmesan and plenty of crunchy croutons.

Nothing overly complicated—just a really nice classic Caesar and exactly what I wanted before a steak dinner.

Of course, I was also trying to convince myself that starting dinner with lettuce somehow balanced out everything that was about to follow.

Cruise math.

The Main Event: Steak

Obviously, you don’t go to a restaurant called Butcher’s Cut and skip the steak.

We each chose a different cut, which also gave us the perfect excuse to compare.

Mine was a beautiful thick-cut filet with a gorgeous char on the outside.

Kent opted for a larger steak, also grilled with those classic steakhouse grill marks.

The steaks were simply plated with roasted tomatoes and a few accompaniments, and I actually liked that.

There wasn’t a lot of unnecessary fuss on the plate.

The steak was clearly meant to be the star.

And in a steakhouse, that’s exactly how it should be.

Don’t Skip the Steak Sauces

One of my favourite little touches was the selection of sauces brought to the table.

Rather than choosing just one, several sauces arrived in individual pots on a wooden serving board.

It meant we could try different flavours with our steaks throughout dinner.

It’s a small detail, but it’s also one of those things that makes specialty dining feel like more of an experience rather than simply another meal onboard.

And Then There Were the Sides

Because apparently a large steak wasn’t enough food, we added sides.

The Brussels sprouts were one of my favourites. They arrived beautifully roasted while still having some bite to them.

We also had a rich potato side that paired perfectly with the steak.

Because when you’re already having steak and wine at sea, this probably isn’t the evening to suddenly become concerned about carbs.

Between the steaks, sauces and sides, this was definitely a substantial dinner.

Which naturally meant there was only one logical thing left to do.

Order dessert.

Dessert at Butcher’s Cut

There is always room for dessert on a cruise.

I’m fairly certain that’s maritime law.

We decided to try two—which I prefer to think of as important cruise restaurant research.

First was a beautiful strawberry-topped cheesecake with a crumb crust, fresh strawberries, strawberry sauce and mint.

It was colourful, fresh and a lovely finish to a fairly rich meal.

But then there was chocolate.

Our second dessert was a warm chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream.

Warm chocolate and cold vanilla ice cream is one of those combinations that really doesn’t need reinventing.

Sometimes the classics are classics for a reason.

A Proper Date Night on MSC Meraviglia

One of the things I enjoyed most about Butcher’s Cut wasn’t actually one particular dish.

It was the experience.

Cruise days can get surprisingly busy. Between ports, activities, shows, cocktails and everything else happening around the ship, we’re often moving from one thing to another.

Dinner at Butcher’s Cut gave us an excuse to slow down.

We had wine.

Lingered over dinner.

We ate far too much food.

And we had a proper date night at sea.

After all these years together, apparently romance looks a lot like sharing side dishes and debating who ordered the better steak.

I’m perfectly okay with that.

Is Butcher’s Cut on MSC Meraviglia Worth It?

For us, Butcher’s Cut was about more than simply getting a good steak.

Specialty dining gives you an opportunity to step away from the busier main dining experience and turn dinner into part of your cruise entertainment.

We enjoyed the atmosphere, the leisurely pace of the meal and having a dinner that felt like a proper steakhouse experience.

If you enjoy steak and are considering adding specialty dining to your MSC Meraviglia cruise, Butcher’s Cut is definitely one to consider.

Just come hungry.

Very hungry.

Between the bread, salad, steak, sides and dessert, you certainly won’t be leaving here looking for the buffet.

Tips for Dining at Butcher’s Cut

A few things I would suggest based on our experience:

• Make a reservation. If you have a particular evening or dining time in mind, I wouldn’t wait until the last minute.
• Arrive hungry. The meal adds up quickly once you factor in bread, appetizers, steak, sides and dessert.
• Share your sides. If you’re dining as a couple, ordering different sides and sharing lets you sample more of the menu.
• Try the sauces. They’re part of the fun, especially when you can compare several with your steak.
• Give yourself time. I wouldn’t schedule dinner immediately before a show you absolutely don’t want to miss. Part of what we enjoyed was being able to relax and linger.

Our Final Thoughts on Butcher’s Cut

Our evening at Butcher’s Cut ended up being one of those lovely cruise nights where there was nowhere else we particularly needed to be.

Good wine.

A really good steak.

A few too many sides.

Dessert when we absolutely didn’t need dessert.

And a date night at sea.

I’d call that a pretty successful evening aboard MSC Meraviglia.

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