Palo brunch versus dinner

[CaLuCa]

Sooo...do BOTH, right??

But, can anyone highlight the differences? I've done brunch twice, and really enjoyed it, but it was at least 5 years ago.

Going on the Magic this summer if there's any difference in ships (barring global destruction of the corona).

 

[CamColt]

I haven't been on the Magic since 2012, so I'm not really much help with that, but in general, I prefer brunch over dinner. I like having such a wide variety of food and I definitely try it all! Well everything but the seafood to be precise. I enjoy dinner, but I find my choices are more limited just based on what I like and don't like. When we do just 1 we choose brunch. This also helps eliminate the planning/guessing of what night we want to try to miss in the MDR as we don't have to miss any.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Sooo...do BOTH, right??

I prefer brunch. My husband prefers dinner. So we alternate from cruise to cruise.

Brunch is a buffet-style service also with menu (table service) items. Lots of food choices and really good. Great views since it's daylight out.

Dinner is sit down table service, great service.

 

[Budzooka]

We prefer brunch. Dinner was good, but took a very long time. Brunch is more self-paced.

 

[FightingIrishman]

Dinner is slow but exquisite meal that takes 90-120 minutes.

Brunch is order drinks, order a dish, and dive into the all you try expansive buffet of fine delicacies that takes 60-90 minutes.

 

[Shirl56]

Brunch is quicker then...right?

 

[dclpluto]

Brunch is a lot better.
At dinner the anti pasta is great. The anti pasta is the best part of dinner.

 

[o&smom]

Brunch is quicker then...right?

Not if you eat as much as we do! There are sooo many options from savory to sweet. We just have to try them all...well, almost. We enjoy so many items from the buffet that we often do not even order any made to eat entrees.

 

[o&smom]

Sooo...do BOTH, right??

But, can anyone highlight the differences? I've done brunch twice, and really enjoyed it, but it was at least 5 years ago.

Going on the Magic this summer if there's any difference in ships (barring global destruction of the corona).

We have enjoyed our past dinners at Palo, but we absolutely LOVE their brunch. We actually are having dinner there for the first time in years along with our brunch on our cruise next week. A few years ago, they changed the dinner menu, and it just did not look as appealing to me. Since our cruise is 14 days, we thought we would check it out again.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

With how much they hyped up brunch I thought it would blow diner out of the water...

CLEARLY diner was much better and the food was to die for.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

With how much they hyped up brunch I thought it would blow diner out of the water...

CLEARLY diner was much better and the food was to die for.

Sorry, I don't find dinner "to die for". I'm not that great a fan of Italian food. I will say the newest menu in Palo is better than the menu we had for dinner in Palo on our first cruise, though.

 

[lorimay]

We like both!
The brunch is always a great meal, with a ton to choose from.
Dinner is really good, IMO you will never get the same quality, perfectly cooked tenderloin in the MDR.
In Palo the steak is cooked to order, they just can't do that in the MDR's, too many dinners all going out at the same time.
The antipasti is wonderful. Its a great highlight to the meal.
Then there's the mushroom risotto, the calamari, the ravioli, the list goes on and on.
Don't forget a soufflé for dessert, sooooo yummy.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Sorry, I don't find dinner "to die for". I'm not that great a fan of Italian food. I will say the newest menu in Palo is better than the menu we had for dinner in Palo on our first cruise, though.

I just had it on the wonder when I tell you the diner was amazing, it was truly awesome. Like really good

 

[dclpluto]

Brunch is quicker then...right?

It’s up to you. A lot of people brunch will be longer. Most people you have no where to go after brunch. So you take your time. At dinner you have somewhere to go. If you have a early dinner you would want to get done before the show starts. If you have a later dinner you want to get to the nightclub for that nights shows.

 

[orion2185]

we prefer dinner

 

[freshmanjs]

palo dinner is on par with a decent Italian chain like carrabbas, but with fawning, awkward, over-attentive service. Brunch food is a bit better imo, but it gets annoying when the servers start trying to fill your buffet plates for you.

 

[MomOTwins]

To me the main reason I prefer brunch is not because of what is offered at Palo, but because of what it is replacing . We much prefer the MDR dinner to MDR lunch or Cabana's/pool deck. So for me, Palo brunch is $40 per person to replace a lackluster meal, compared to $40 per person to replace a very nice meal--the value proposition is so much better at brunch.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We like both!
The brunch is always a great meal, with a ton to choose from.
Dinner is really good, IMO you will never get the same quality, perfectly cooked tenderloin in the MDR.
In Palo the steak is cooked to order, they just can't do that in the MDR's, too many dinners all going out at the same time.
The antipasti is wonderful. Its a great highlight to the meal.
Then there's the mushroom risotto, the calamari, the ravioli, the list goes on and on.
Don't forget a soufflé for dessert, sooooo yummy.

We agree. But note, the mushroom risotto is no longer on the menu (at least on the Magic when we sailed in January). Also, you must order the antipasti from the appetizer selections (we still order our own appetizers as well), so it is only served upon request.

 

[breakingd_awn]

We just got off the Magic yesterday and had both Brunch and Dinner. IMO dinner isn’t as good now. They use to have this trolley of olives, yummy cheeses and meats. For some reason they stopped doing that? That was one of my favorite parts. Also I guess I should have ordered 2 items from each side. My dinner consisted of calamari and the tuna(which was delicious) and that’s it. Oh and dessert. I also had to keep asking for refills , I had finished my tea and almost finished my still water. I then asked for a refill, I drank that also (small glasses) then went back to my half drank water. Never getting a refill again. IMO it was the worst Palo experience I’ve ever had. We’ve been there 8 times.

 

[Lisa F]

Just got off the Fantasy and did both (added dinner after having such a great and non-awkward brunch) and brunch was amazing, dinner was just okay.

I don't have a huge appetite so I did not request the antipasti, as I'd been eating antipasto plates out of the cafes with a glass of wine every night before dinner (had late seating) and I have very limited stomach space (I skipped most of that stuff at brunch as well and it did not look) - I did notice it was listed as an appetizer choice and I didn't ask for it but wondered if I was "slighted" by not getting it as I thought it was the default - my server was the same as I had for brunch so he was aware of me not eating a whole lot too, but I'm glad to hear you had to have requested it (not that I had room for it anyway!)

I booked it after a while on board and booked it at a time most convenient and with the least interesting dinner menu so I didn't feel like I missed out all that much with the MDR but brunch was definitely the superior choice. I will post reviews with photos of both when I get a chance as a solo!