For our two specialty restaurant dinners that we had with Have It All, we chose Tamarind for an Asian night and Rudi’s Sel de Mer for seafood.  Tamarind is located high on the ship with a beautiful view over the aft.  There is also a bar in Tamarind that you can go to without going to the restaurant and they have a few specialty cocktails and offer some Asian appetizers at the bar for a small per piece fee.  Our server was terrific in explaining the menu and making suggestions.  There are plenty of options and various heat levels of spicy.   We had some appetizers, a Thai beef salad and as an entrée, fried seabass in an XO sauce.  The seabass could easily be one of the best dishes I ate on the cruise. 

Lastly, on one side of Tamarind is the bar, on the other is Morimoto Sushi.  A traditional sushi bar by Chef Morimoto that is open every night from 5pm and you can have a meal or a snack of sushi.  This is all for a per item cost rather than a cover charge for a meal.  It is a shame that on sea days that this venue was not open during the day as we would have happily paid for a lunch of sushi (I know they have sushi at the buffet; it is not the same).  We did stop one day at 5pm to try a sushi roll or two and it was quite good.  The octopus sushi roll was a visual and taste masterclass.

Rusi’s Sel de Mer is located on the main deck tucked away across from Ocean Bar.  Draped in deep reds with a marine inspired mural, the décor sets the tone for an elevated dining experience.  It was.  The menu is less seafood focused then we originally thought.  Plenty of options for both the seafood lover and the land lubber.  The menu lends itself most to a French bistro.  For appetizers, we both had the foie gras torchon which is something I do not see on an average, even upscale, menu.  It was delightful.  This was followed by the fresh tuna nicoise salad which was perfectly prepared, light and flavorful.

Finally, the entrée of dover sole.  This required a small upcharge which was well worth it.  The sole comes to the table whole and fileted by your server tableside.  Watching the skillful movements that lead to perfect filets on my plate with absolutely no bones, is always a treat.

As an added treat, on sea days the Pinnacle Grill offers a lunch menu for $25 per person.  As we had some on board credit to burn, we took lunch here one day.  The look and décor is similar to any steakhouse on a cruise ship.  Our server quickly pointed to some options that she stated were not only popular but were her favorites.  We followed her lead on the tomato salad which was surprisingly good.  I am so used to unripe tomatoes on cruise ships.  Not here.  Also tried the crab cakes which were good but not outstanding.   We opted for the lamb chops which were quality and cooked perfectly.  Admittedly, it was a big lunch as we do not eat like that daily but it was a nice treat and wise of Holland to offer an upscale paid option for lunch on a sea day. 

All in all, we enjoyed the specialty dining on Holland America.  Our experiences felt like they were truly an elevated experience from that of the regular dining.  This has always been hit or miss for us on other cruises.  This was a home run on this one.