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Restaurant Review: Sabor Modern Mexican on Navigator of the Seas

In:
24 May 2016

I have a little secret, and it is something you probably are keenly aware of if you have been reading Royal Caribbean Blog for a while.  I have some serious favorites among Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants.

But when it comes time to discuss some of the best choices for specialty dining, there are a lot of great choices out there.  Still, relative newcomer Sabor Modern Mexican continues to win my heart since it opened just a few years ago.

If you are wondering why, there are lots of reasons for that.  The restaurant boasts, in my opinion, the best guacamole I have ever eaten - some even better than guacamole in Mexico.

And truth be told, we make multiple reservations at Sabor Modern Mexican whenever we cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship that offers this restaurant in the name of "research" and seeing what is different, new and just plain tasty.

Atmosphere

Stepping into Sabor Modern Mexican for the first time, you will likely be struck by a couple of things.

First, while Sabor Modern Mexican is a Mexican restaurant, it looks nothing like the kind of Mexican restaurants most folks dine at.  Royal Caribbean designed Sabor Modern Mexican to not be just another Tex-Mex spot.  Rather, they wanted to offer more authentic and fresh options.

I really love the colors of Sabor, with lots of dark reds, bright yellows and deep blues.

Second, you are very likely to notice crew members if you happen to glance around (especially at dinner).  It is always a good sign when you see crew members dining at a given restaurant, because it indicates they like it enough to go there on their time off (and on their dime).  

For a restaurant that is not that large in size, they fit a lot of tables and booths in.  

There is even a main table that will make you feel like the guests of honor, if you happen to dine here.  I am told there is nothing special to do to dine there, just request it if your dining party is large enough.

The other design element that you are likely to spot is the use of flowers.  Specifically, the dahlia flower, which is the official flower of Mexico. 

Eats

In Spanish, the word "Sabor" means flavor, and Royal Caribbean designed this menu to be a fiesta for all your senses.

An easily overlooked aspect of your Sabor meal are the beverages.

Sabor features a number of specialty drinks, including two hand-crafted margaritas that are made table-side.

There are no mixes here, the margaritas are a blend of tequila and fresh juices mixed with unexpected garnishes. 

The Sweet and Spice Margarita and the Sabor Grand Margarita are the premier choices, but you can pick from another half-dozen cocktails that are just as tasty and creative.

If you fancy yourself a margarita fan, I think you will really enjoy the variety of margarita choices.  You have the traditional margaritas (Sabor Grand and Simply Perfect), but there are also the avocado and jalapeno-cucumber margaritas.

Sabor is also a wonderful place to try tequilas, because their tequila flights are exquisite and quite potent.  They are a tremendous value and really do the trick.

To help soak up some of those drinks, you will be served chips and salsa upon being seated.

The chips are definitely not from a bag and the salsa is freshly made pico de gallo that I recommend keeping some always around to garnish your other dishes (in addition to crazily dipping your chips).

Of course, if we are talking about Sabor, then there is always one word that comes to mind: GUACAMOLE!

Sabor has built its reputation among Royal Caribbean fans (including this one) for its amazing hand-crafted guacamole.

A crew member will wheel over a cart to your table and ask how you would your guacamole prepared, so it suits your tastes.  You can get it extra hot, extra mild, no tomatoes, extra limes....whatever you like.

Regardless of how it is prepared, the stuff comes out simply outstanding.  Excellent flavor and texture combined with super-fresh ingredients.  It is the gold standard of guacamole I judge all other guacamole against.

Perhaps the worst thing I can say about Sabor is at this point in the meal, it is really difficult to exercise some self control to not fill up on just the food and drink I have described up to this point.

Moving onto the dishes, there are a lot of choices.  Sabor Modern Mexican has a simple cover charge, so you can order as many dishes as you want.

Our two favorite appetizers are the sopa de tortilla and queso fundido.

Both are great starters.  Even on a hot Caribbean day, the soup really hits the spot with its bold flavor.

The queso is more firm than your average cheese dip, and the dipping tortillas are an excellent contrast to the traditional chips you might use as well.

While I often wax poetically about the virtues of Sabor's guacamole, the "sleeper hit" of the menu has to be tuna crudo tacos.

The recipe is simple enough: 3 crispy corn tortillas, fresh tuna, salsa mexicana, guacamole.  

The thing is, they taste amazing and I could easily order just these and be happy.

I also tried for the first time the spicy chicken flauta, which are rolled tortillas, filled with a spicy chicken.

It is served with sour cream, salsa verde and tomatoes and onions, but this is the perfect dish to take some of that salsa you have on the table and drench these bad boys in it.

While it is safe to say the tuna tacos are still my favorite, the flautas are another great choice.

Speaking of great choices, Sabor's quesadillas are really quite tasty.

If you ask me, what makes a quesadilla different than just "Mexican grilled cheese" are the cheeses used.  In the tres quesos quesadilla, there is melted Monterey Jack, queso fresco and Chihuahua cheeses. It is a really solid combination.

If you like a little more variety in your quesadillas, try the El Juarez.

Portobello mushrooms, roasted poblanos and Oaxaca cheese are great for vegetarians or people that just like something tasty.  Again, use that salsa liberally to really turn up the flavor.

If there is one aspect of the Sabor Modern Mexican meal that goes unheralded and unrequited, it has be the desserts.

Sabor serves up a dessert sampler plate of a few different desserts and each is worthy of a plate of its own.

Unlike children, I do not have any problems choosing favorites. 

The chocolate banana empanadas and the chocolate crepes are, well, amazing.

The empanadas are warm, gooey blend of chocolate and banana in a fried casing.  Apologies for the drool on your keyboard.

The crepes are best described as "Mexican devil dog cakes".  It was worth the likely week of exercise required to burn away those calories.

Overall

As you can tell, I really love this place.  Sabor hits all the right notes with me, with its offerings of traditional and modern Mexican food.

I could be satisfied with just parts of this menu as a meal, so to combine them all only leaves me lamenting my stomach is not larger.

Arguably the main issue with dining at Sabor is the same issue nearly all specialty restaurants have: is it worth the extra cost?

In general, I think Royal Caribbean does a tremendous job with its specialty restaurants.  They offer food that is either nonexistent elsewhere on the ship or nowhere near the same quality. In fact, specialty restaurants are now a part of the cruise experience, just like shore excursions have been for years.  Yes, it costs extra, but it is a big part of the experience.

When you consider how many dishes I absolutely loved - the guacamole, salsa, tuna tacos, quesadillas, dessert sampler - it really justifies the additional cost because the meal at Sabor is a home run.

There are also ways to save on the cost of your Sabor meal: lunch is regularly cheaper than dinner ($5 less at last check) and there were special discounts offered if guests booked a reservation at one of the guacamole demonstrations held around Navigator of the Seas.

Add some fun cocktails, festive atmosphere and table-side fun, and you have a memorable Royal Caribbean meal.

Is Sabor Modern Mexican one of your favorite Royal Caribbean dining destinations? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts!

5 things you will love about Royal Caribbean's Sabor Modern Mexican restaurant

In:
14 Sep 2015

Since Royal Caribbean added Sabor Modern Mexican to a few of its cruise ships, guests have been loving this new specialty restaurant for everything it offers.

On your next visit to Sabor Modern Mexican, be sure to try these favorites, regardless of if it is your first visit or just first visit that day!

5. The dessert tray

Let us start with the last part of the meal, dessert!

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of a meal at Sabor is the amazing desserts they have.  

Royal Caribbean has a rich history of offering amazing desserts and the dessert cart at Sabor is one not to be missed.

Your table will be served a small sampling of each dessert, so everyone at your table can sample a little of everything. 

There are a lot of great choices but the churros and chocolate banana empanadas are slap-your-grandma good.  

4. Chips and fresh salsa

Fair warning, I am a self-admitted salsa fiend.

It seems like the stuff out of a jar you can get at home just does not cut it when you get "the real thing" and Sabor Modern Mexican definitely offers some fresh and tasty salsa.

The salsa you find at Sabor Modern Mexican is served at your table right when you are first seated, and it's some of the best salsa we have had outside of Mexico.

Tomatoes, cilantro, onion all combine to make some of the best dip for your chips we have run across (yet).

My recommendation is save some salsa (or ask for more) for your entrees and liberally drizzle your tacos, quesadillas and anything else you can put in your mouth with salsa for an even more amazing taste. 

3. Tequila flights

Anyone that really knows good tequila will tell you not all tequilas are made the same and the stuff you might remember from college or that trip to Senor Frogs is not quite the same as real top self tequila.

On the menu you will find two tequila flights to choose from: the vertical or horizontal flights.

Each flights offers a sampling of some great tequilas, including Don Julio Reposado, Sauza Hornitos Reposado and Corazón Reposado.

After sampling these tequila shots, I think you will find not only a smooth and enjoyable drink but also you will be in the right "frame of mind" for much of the evening!

2. Hand crafted margaritas

To compliment those tequilas, you have to try the hand crafted margaritas that can only be found at Sabor Modern Mexican.

There are usually two margaritas available on the menu that your waiter will make right in front of you.

You get the entertainment of having a cart full of margarita ingredients wheeled in front of your table and an explanation of what ingredients are being added to the concoction.

Of course, the pay off is enjoying these magnificent drinks that are a Sabor Modern Mexican exclusive.  

Salud, amor y pesetas. Y tiempo para gastarlas!

1. Hand crafted guacamole

Perhaps the pièce de résistance of Sabor Modern Mexican is the food they are best well known for, the hand crafted guacamole.

No meal at Sabor is complete without a waiter bringing a cart full of avocados, tomatoes, limes and more to your table to create some of the freshest guacamole you will ever eat.

Light and incredibly tasty with a slight kick to it, you can have the Sabor staff make the guacamole exactly to your liking.  Want extra tomatoes? No tomatoes? Really spicy? They can do it all for you.

In short, the guacamole at Sabor Modern Mexican is not to be missed and something we have dreams about well after your cruise.  It is the kind of food you will be thinking about well after your meal and the impetus for booking additional reservations!

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast Episode - Sabor Modern Mexican

In:
09 Jul 2014

Listen to the Show

I really love eating on Royal Caribbean cruises and one of my newly discovered favorite Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants deserves its own show as I take time this week to review and explore everything about Sabor Modern Mexican.

Share with me your thoughts, questions and comments via...

On this episode:
Running time:

Restaurant Review: Sabor Modern Mexican on Navigator of the Seas

In:
18 Feb 2014

The newest specialty restaurant to be added to Royal Caribbean's fleet is Sabor Modern Mexican, described as a contemporary twist on traditional Mexican food. 

Sabor first debuted on Navigator of the Seas in February 2014 and we had a chance to try her our to see what exactly "modern Mexican food" really is.  The short answer is it means amazing food.

Atmosphere

Located on deck 4 of Navigator of the Seas, Sabor is in the former Dungeon nightclub.  Unlike any of the other specialty restaurants on Navigator of the Seas, there are no windows to the sea so its a dark establishment with lots of red, yellow and brown colors around you.

It looks like the designers wanted a chic look, so the decor in Sabor is definitely not like your favorite Tex-Mex place down the street.  No maracas, sombreros or cactus' here.

When you walk into Sabor, you will see the restaurant is divided length wise by a divider, with the section farthest from you the longest.  It's not a giant restaurant but certainly not the smallest specialty restaurant either. 

The modern look is what Sabor emphasizes and we found the atmosphere eating in Sabor to be like that of a new restaurant that opened up that everyone is talking about.

Eats

Once you're seated in Sabor, you get the usual menu but one of the complimentary things you will receive is guacamole made right at your table.  

A waiter brings a cart of ingredients around the restaurant and stops eat each table to explain how guacamole is made and shows you as he/she does it right in front of you.

The output is some of the best guacamole I've ever eaten.  Combined with the chips that are also freshly made (I could see the oil on them from the creation process), it's really quite tasty.  

Part of what Sabor tries to do with modern Mexican food is to make sure everything you order is made fresh.  There's a large emphasis placed on how fresh the food is and any foodie will tell you fresh food always tastes the best.

There's also freshly made salsa available as well that is complimentary and it too was quite good.  I'm a salsa fanatic and for me, there is no such thing as too much salsa.  The salsa I sampled was terrific and like the guacamole, some of the best I've ever had perhaps.

Speaking of food made at your table, Sabor also features two margaritas that if ordered can be created at your table as well for $12 each. There's a margarita cart that will come around to create either the sweet and spice margarita or the Sabor Grand Margarita. 

There are a number of other margaritas available, although they are not made at your table.  Just like the guacamole cart, the margarita waiter explains how the drink is created and pours it for you on the spot. Once again, a very tasty margarita albeit an expensive one.

Sabor also features a number of tequilas and tequila flights to choose and if you enjoy a good tequila, there's no question this is the place onboard your Royal Caribbean ship to sample one.  Unfortunately there isn't a way to have a tequila or three without going to the restaurant and paying the cover charge.

Moving onto the food, there's a lot to choose from the menu.  Like most specialty restaurants on Royal Caribbean ships, you can choose as many dishes as you care to order.

The menu offers some traditional Mexican items like tacos and burritos as well as "platos fuertes", which are more authentic Mexican fare.

Assuming you did not fill up on the guacamole and salsa earlier, there are a number of appetizers to consider.  We tried the Queso Fundido, Oaxacan Ceviche of Red Snapper and Sopa de Tortilla.

The queso fundido is your typical cheese dip with a myriad of vegetables mixed into a block of Mexican cheese that is melted down.  Perfect for dipping chips in, the queso was above average what you may find at a Moe's or Chevy's.  

The ceviche was a small serving of fish and fruit and once again, you could taste the freshness of both.  It was light and quite tasty. I think it's a good sign when the reviewer finishes the entire dish alone, and this was the case with the ceviche.

Also unusual was the tortilla soup.  I've had a lot of tortilla soup in my day and this was by far not your typical tortilla soup.  

I felt it was more like Mexican minestrone soup to some degree but aside from its appearance, it was really quite tasty.  It was one of those dishes that is so different than what I'm used to that it's hard to compare but the bottom line is it was good.

By the time you get to your entrees, you might be getting full.  We had to force ourselves to stop eating the guacamole and salsa to save room for our main courses.

Our waiter recommended the chicken and roasted corn empanada and give that I wanted to try something other than a taco, this sounded great. 

The empanadas are fried chicken and corn in a green mole and peanut sauce.  The menu says spicy but I didn't find it spicy at all.  A little kick but nothing I'd warn anyone about.

The empanadas reminded me of a Spring roll that you might find at a Chinese or Thai restaurant.  It was a small dish and definitely something different than what I've ever had. Still, it was quite good and with a little leftover salsa that I put on top, I found this to be really good.

My wife ordered the tres quesos quesadilla, which came out just like she wanted.  I found them a little bland on their own but when dipped in the provided salsa (or dip it in the guacamole), it was a big hit.

Of course there are also side dishes that are really meant to be shared family style with everyone at the table.  

Yuca fries were interesting, reminding me a lot of plantains.  The calabacitas (zucchinim roasted poblano pepper corn, black beans) sounded better than they tasted.  I was trying to be adventurous but I think simple Mexican rice would have been a better choice.

Did we mention dessert yet? If you manage to save room, the good news is Sabor made the dessert ordering decision for you because each table gets an assortment of desserts to share.

I think the shared dessert idea is great because most often in my experience, desserts are something you want to share and something you rarely finish on your own.  Everyone raved about the chocolate banana empanadas, which I enjoyed too despite my aversion to cooked bananas.

Overall

Let me be blunt: Sabor was my best meal I've ever had on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Period.

The quality and taste of the food blew us away and I think it's going to be a massive hit.  In just the two cruises Sabor has been open, the staff at Sabor reported they've been busy every night with customers and I think it makes perfect sense.

The cost is $25 per person, and I've read plenty of people who think it's too high for Mexican.  I think you can easily get your moneys worth and if I had to pick a Royal Caribbean specialty restaurant to eat at tonight, it would be Sabor. The freshly made food really stands out and the quality of the food was impressive.

Sabor is one of the initiatives of Royal Caribbean's new head of food and it along with the new Chops menu is part of the new wave of restaurant choices coming to ships.  If Sabor does well, you can expect it to be added to other Royal Caribbean ships, most notably Quantum of the Seas.

I was quite impressed with my meal at Sabor and for the rest of the cruise, we wished there was an option to eat at Sabor for just the guacamole and chips or the drinks.  To me that says a lot when you want to go back again that quickly.

Sabor Modern Mexican is open for dinner between 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. and we reviewed Sabor Modern Mexican aboard Navigator of the Seas.

Sabor Modern Mexican menu available

In:
22 Jan 2014

Navigator of the Seas is in the midst of a month-long drydock and among other changes, will receive a new restaurant called Sabor Modern Mexican.  Today we have its menu to share with everyone. 

Sabor Modern Mexican is brand new to Royal Caribbean and will cost $25 per person.

The new restaurant offers modern Mexican food such as red snapper, gazpacho, stuffed jalapenos.  There's also tacos and burritos, although the contents of which are not typical.  Instead there shredded short rib, slow-cooked duck and more.

Tacos, Burritos and Quesadillas

Platos

Sides

You can view the menu in its entirety here.

The new restaurant will be located on deck 4, where The Dungeon night club used to be.

Navigator of the Seas' first cruise back will be on February 5, 2014. Royal Caribbean Blog will provide live coverage of her first week long cruise after refurbishment on February 9, 2014.

Sabor Modern Mexican menu on Navigator of the Seas

Last updated on January 8, 2018.

Menus provided by RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com are unofficial and subject to change.

Featured Margaritas

Sweet and Spicy $12

Don Julio Reposado tequila, juices from fresh pineapple, carrot, lime and red chili pepper garnished with chile-cinnamon salt.

Avocado  $12

Patron Silver tequila, orange liqueur, avocado and lime juice rimmed with Aleppo pepper and lime salt.

Jalapeño-Cucumber $12

Don Julio Plata tequila, Cointreau liqueur, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice

Navigator of the Seas to get new Sabor Modern Mexican specialty restaurant

In:
28 Dec 2013

Royal Caribbean isn't done adding new things to Navigator of the Seas before she enters drydock next week for her refurbishment.  New Navigator of the Seas deck plans show she will get a new specialty restaurant called, "Sabor Modern Mexican".

The Mexican restaurant is a departure from Royal Caribbean's previous Mexican specialty restaurant that first debuted on Allure of the Seas, Rita's Cantina.  

The new restaurant will be located on deck 4, where The Dungeon night club used to be.

The new restaurant addition comes with this description about why the cruise line opted to develop a new offering, "Royal Caribbean International is furthering its commitment to total guest satisfaction by introducing a new specialty restaurant on Navigator of the Seas®.  Sabor Modern Mexican provides guests an opportunity to enjoy creative yet recognizable modern Mexican cuisine and beverages with polished casual service in a contemporary setting."

The cover charge for this new specialty restaurant is expected to be $25 per person.

The addition of Sabor Modern Mexican is another unique upgrade coming only to Navigator of the Seas first, including virtual balconies and a WiFi networking upgrade.

Navigator of the Seas will begin a month long refurbishment in January 2014 to receive upgrades and amenities that will breathe new life into the ship.  Her first cruise back will be on February 5, 2014.  Royal Caribbean Blog will provide live coverage of her first week long cruise after refurbishment on February 9, 2014.

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