QE2 Dining

Dining on the QE2 was truly special. During her service, the ship boasted five main restaurants. The most exclusive was the Queens Grill, a ‘first class’ single-seating dining room added in the 1972 refit. It featured a wonderful menu, and passengers could even order off-menu. Located on Quarter Deck were the twin restaurants, Princess Grill and Britannia Grill. From 1994, these became accessible from the Crystal Bar on Upper Deck. While similar to the Queens Grill, they were slightly less exclusive.

Also on Quarter Deck was the Caronia Restaurant, originally named The Columbia Restaurant. This large, single-seating venue spanned the ship’s width and was considered first class with assigned tables. The fifth restaurant, the Mauretania, was situated on Upper Deck. Initially called the Britannia Restaurant, it offered double seating. Though considered the least formal of the five, it still provided a spectacular dining experience. Remarkably, the menu on QE2 changed daily throughout her 39 1/2-year career, reportedly never repeating. While the food quality and selection were considered superior to today’s Cunard fleet, modern ships offer a wider range of vegetarian, vegan, and special order options.

QE2 also offered a full buffet option in The Lido, snacks and takeaway in The Pavilion, a pub-fare at the Golden Lion Pub. She also had 24/7 room service at no extra charge.

The Menu

Here is a sample of QE2’s menu from 1995. This was the menu I had on the second night of my very first QE2 cruise, in the Mauretania Restaurant.