Fine Cut Steak House on Celebrity Beyond
Fine Cut Steakhouse can be found on all Celebrity Edge-Class ships and is a venue that serves USDA Prime steaks along with other offerings. Fine Cut Steakhouse is open for dinner every evening and may be open for lunch on some days, depending on your itinerary.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Fine Cut is definitely upscale and has the feel of a premium steakhouse. In the evenings, the lights are turned down low to give a romantic vibe. There are some oceanview tables, but you may have to arrive early to snag one of those.
Cost
On our sailing, there was a $65 per person cover charge to dine at Fine Cut. Reservations are most definitely required and the restaurant was completely full on our visit. However, our cruise was also booked to capacity. There is an 18% gratuity (or service charge) added to the bill. The total cost for our meal was $153 for two people.
The Menu
The menu at Fine Cut is quite extensive and offers something for everyone. In addition to the beef and lamb, there other meats and seafood on offer. However, first and foremost, Fine Cut should be reserved for lovers of beef.
The menu claims that they serve USDA Prime steaks, including a 30-day Dry Aged NY Strip. Many cruise lines claim to serve “Prime” steaks, but that term has little meaning in the real world of beef. USDA Prime, on the other hand, is an official classification only given to the highest quality beef. I was anxious to see if Celebrity truly does serve USDA Prime. And yes, I can tell the difference between Prime and Choice (the second-highest grade of beef from the USDA).
Service
Service was a little slow on our visit to Fine Cut but, most likely, that was because the restaurant was fully booked. Our waiter and wine steward were both very nice, but I was unable to get anyone’s attention after our main courses had been served. I was hoping to get another portion of the Chimichurri sauce to go with my steak.
Wait time in between courses, however, was acceptable for a high-end steakhouse.
Food Quality and Taste
We ordered three starters. Rickee ordered the Heirloom Tomato Salad, which she felt like was just okay.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
I ordered the Black Pepper Bacon and the Signature Crab Cake. The Black Pepper Bacon was a large chunk of pork belly slathered in a steakhouse-sauce glaze. The flavors were good, but the piece of pork I received was nearly all fat. Sadly, this starter was a miss.
Black Pepper Bacon
The Signature Crab Cake, however, was one of the best I have ever eaten. The large cake was filled with chunks of crab meat, perfectly fried and served with a lemon pepper aioli that was the perfect complement to the dish.
Signature Crab Cake
Rickee was not in the mood for steak, and quite frankly, did not bring enough of an appetite to make Fine Cut worth the trip for her. She ordered the Slow Pan-Roasted Chicken. Once again, she was underwhelmed. However, I think it may be because she was not that hungry. I tried a bite of her chicken and thought it was very good.
Slow Pan-Roasted Chicken
For my main course, I ordered the 16oz 30-day Dry-Aged NY Strip Steak from the Premium Cuts menu. I have never seen a dry-aged steak offered on a cruise ship before, so I had to see for myself if this was the real deal.
When my steak arrived, it was nearly 2” thick and served on a plate with no sauces, no mushrooms, just the steak and some natural juices that had leaked out from the meat. Honestly, that is EXACTLY how a good steak should be served, with nothing to hide the flavor.
30-Day Dry Aged USDA Prime NY Strip
When I cut into the steak, I could tell it was perfectly cooked to Medium, as I had ordered. The first bite confirmed that this was for sure USDA Prime beef. That alone would snag a $75 to $85 price tag at a Dallas-based upscale steakhouse.
Cooked perfectly Medium
The depth of this steak’s flavor could only have come from dry aging so, while not an expert on the matter, I am going to say that their claim of dry-aged beef is accurate. The steak was also perfectly seasoned. I never once had to reach for salt or pepper. Quite simply, this was one of the best steaks I have ever had on a cruise ship, and one of the best NY Strip steaks I have had anywhere.
As for sides, I ordered the creamed spinach and the Chimichurri Sauce. The creamed spinach was good, but I have had better. The Chimichurri was delicious, but the portion was tiny. I wanted to order more, but as I mentioned earlier, was not able to get a waiter’s attention to bring me more.
For dessert, Rickee and I shared the Ultimate Chocolate Sundae which was definitely large enough for two people to share. And, as with every dessert on this cruise, it was delicious.
Ultimate Chocolate Sundae
Final Evaluation
If you follow our blog and YouTube channel, you know that my favorite cruise ship steak of all time is the Bistecca Fiorintina on Viking Ocean Cruises. It is a delicious, massive, tender and juicy Rib Eye. I have had the Bistecca at least a dozen times on four different Viking Ocean ships and it never disappoints.
That said, this Dry Aged NY Strip at Fine Cut is right up there in terms of quality and flavor. While not as tender as the Bistecca (a NY Strip is never going to be as tender as a Rib Eye), it has a depth of beef flavor that is hard to find outside of a high-end prime steakhouse on land.
My personal opinion is that if you are not a beef eater, dine somewhere else on Celebrity Beyond. You will probably be just as pleased with your meal and you will save $65 plus gratuity. BUT, if you love steak and can really appreciate a great cut of meat that is perfectly prepared, you DEFINITELY should make a reservation at Fine Cut Steakhouse.
Now, as for the $65 cover charge, if you eat steak here it is not overly expensive when you compare the quality of the meat to what you would pay for the same cut at a land-based steakhouse. I am confident that the same meal with the sides, the wine, the dessert, the starters and the steak and chicken would have easily been over $200 at our favorite prime steakhouse in Dallas. And, while Fine Cut is not a bargain, it is certainly competitive with the best steakhouses on land.
Bottom line, we will definitely be dining at Fine Cut Steakhouse on our next Edge-Class sailing.
