What's your favorite specialty restaurant?

[CarolinaMamma]

We bought the ultimate dining package for our upcoming cruise on Spirit. We have 9 nights and 4 specialty restaurants, Cagney's, Le Bistro, shogun and La Trattoria.

 

Because I really like to be on deck with a cocktail to watch every sail away, and because we have kids who need their sleep, we can't totally go with the flow and take our chances on availability,, I am making reservations in advance.

 

So, of those four restaurants, which do you like and what are your favorite menu items?

 

I am leaning toward going to each place twice and Le Bistro one extra time. But with La Trattoria being basically part of the buffet that is converted into a specialty restaurant at night, is it worth going more than once? Should we go to Cagney's three times instead of 2?

 

Also, are any of these restaurants open for lunch to non-suite guests? (I realize this would not be included in the UDP.)

[RJ2002]

I would say that Le Bistro is our favorite. We cook steaks a lot at home, so when dining out we like to eat dishes we don't normally prepare. At Le Bistro, we enjoy the rack of lamb. We also like to start with the escargot (love the garlic butter!).

[Chris4205]

Cagney's on the Getaway as fantastic. Sitting outside is such a nice option. Loved it.

[jayjay10704]

Out of those I would say Le Bistro...get the FRUITS DE MER if you like seafood!

 

Too bad the Spirit doesn't have the Brazillian Steakhouse (Moderno)...best specialty restaurant out of all of them.

 

Carney's is good too and a value compared to what a land based steakhouse charges.

 

I wouldn't waste time on the Italian one and I would definitely do Teppanyaki if you want Asian.

[bonnie voyage]

Le Bistro's mushroom soup is so yummy - I love it!

 

At Cagney's I usually get the Lobster - I think there is an upcharge for it, but heck, I'm on vacation so I like to splurge a little

 

We really enjoy the Italian restaurant too. Neither my husband or I cared much for the Brazilian restaurant - Moderno.

 

We also like the coffee in specialty restaurants - pressed

 

Cannot wait to sail on the Sky in three weeks :)

Edited March 14, 2014 by bonnie voyage
added more information

[TrumpyNor]

I was on the Spirit for 9 days a couple of months ago - and my favorites were (as "always") Le Bistro and Shogun. I have 15 NCL cruises under my "belt" so far - on seven different ships, so I have found my favorites.

 

At le Bistro I usually have the rack of lamb or the fruits de mer (the last one usually cost $10.00 extra, not sure if that is included in the UDP) - and my husband always goes for the "filet de boeuf grillé" (grilled beef tenderloin). For starters I try to vary a bit myself, but my husband always goes for the mushroom soup or the snails in garlic butter. For dessert the creme brulée is very nice.

 

At Shogun, I always choose one of the spicy dishes (don't remember the name unfortunately). My husbands preference is the "mahi-mahi" (fish) - he says it is fantastic. And the spring rolls they have at Shogun as a starter are really nice with a spicy chili sauce.

 

Just go ahead and pre-book all your restaurants - you can always change your mind when on board (usually more than 24 hours in advance, but just ask at the restaurant counter). If you should decide to only have dinner one time in one of the restaurants, just ask them to change the second reservation you have for that particular restaurant for one of the others.

 

If the Teppenyaki is included in the package, you should book that for one night as well. It is great food and even greater entertainment - also for the kids.

[Out to sea!]

Out of those I would say Le Bistro...get the FRUITS DE MER if you like seafood!

 

Too bad the Spirit doesn't have the Brazillian Steakhouse (Moderno)...best specialty restaurant out of all of them.

 

Carney's is good too and a value compared to what a land based steakhouse charges.

 

I wouldn't waste time on the Italian one and I would definitely do Teppanyaki if you want Asian.

 

And to me, the Italian one is the best! I nearly died after trying the Shrimp Risotto (in a good way ;)).

[jayjay10704]

And to me, the Italian one is the best! I nearly died after trying the Shrimp Risotto (in a good way ;)).

Come to NYC and eat in a good Italian place & then tell me the on on NCL iis good! LOL

[Va. Plumber]

Come to NYC and eat in a good Italian place & then tell me the on on NCL iis good! LOL

 

I realize it may not be up to New york standards, but try to get out of a New York restaurant, Italian or otherwise for $15.00.

[LrgPizza]

I realize it may not be up to New york standards, but try to get out of a New York restaurant, Italian or otherwise for $15.00.

I'll bet you can easily do it for $15 plus the price of a cruise, which is what was really paid. It's not correct to act like you are only paying $15 for the specialty restaurant.

[johnsak123]

It is so hard to choose

I feel le bistro is a more romantic restaurant and the food is great

Cagney's to me has always been hit or miss but the out of the last 6 times i ate their it was 4 hits two miss and the two miss where the first two so thats why i went back

Third time is a charm

BTW Moderno is great

I think you can go wrong no matter which you choose except

i hated and i mean hated Teppanyaki. I know its a strong word but the whole experience was a bad one and the food wasnt good at all

[kdzkatz]

So you like NYC italian.....I think it sucks....you like to bash someones opinion I just thought I would return the favor. The original poster did not ask for critiques of peoples opinions of what they enjoy for specialty restaurants on NCL ships. Let's stay on topic. If you have had the italian food on NCL and don't care for it then I think you can express that. We enjoy the italian food on NCL. Once we had it and it wasn't as good as other times but we loooooove the focaccia bread. We have been on 5 NCL cruises but have actually only been in the 2 of the current specialty restaurants (italian and teppenyaki) We enjoyed them both. We are considering the UDP for our cruise this May as it is our last cruise before Platinum (that will give us 2 complimentary meals which makes UDP not a great deal).

[kdzkatz]

Just to clarify....I like pretty much all italian food so my previous bash on NYC italian was just to prove a point.:D:)

[Out to sea!]

Come to NYC and eat in a good Italian place & then tell me the on on NCL iis good! LOL

 

No thanks. Cruising is cheaper than eating out in NYC. ;)

 

Actually though, I have eaten at Sal's in Little Italy for my daughter's 18th birthday 3 years ago. While it was very good, it was not as good as that Shrimp Risotto on board the Epic. Sorry if you didn't like it but I LOVED it!!

[Out to sea!]

I'll bet you can easily do it for $15 plus the price of a cruise, which is what was really paid. It's not correct to act like you are only paying $15 for the specialty restaurant.

 

Paying for a week on a cruise is cheaper than paying for two nights in a hotel in NYC! So that part of the equation really doesn't work.

[Out to sea!]

So you like NYC italian.....I think it sucks....you like to bash someones opinion I just thought I would return the favor. The original poster did not ask for critiques of peoples opinions of what they enjoy for specialty restaurants on NCL ships. Let's stay on topic. If you have had the italian food on NCL and don't care for it then I think you can express that. We enjoy the italian food on NCL. Once we had it and it wasn't as good as other times but we loooooove the focaccia bread. We have been on 5 NCL cruises but have actually only been in the 2 of the current specialty restaurants (italian and teppenyaki) We enjoyed them both. We are considering the UDP for our cruise this May as it is our last cruise before Platinum (that will give us 2 complimentary meals which makes UDP not a great deal).

 

We've decided to go with the UDP for our Sun cruise in Nov. Can't wait to try out the other specialty restaurants, especially Moderno ad Cagney's. French doesn't do much for me but we'll even try Le Bistro, just to say we've done it if nothing else.

[buckeye82]

We bought the ultimate dining package for our upcoming cruise on Spirit. We have 9 nights and 4 specialty restaurants, Cagney's, Le Bistro, shogun and La Trattoria.

 

Because I really like to be on deck with a cocktail to watch every sail away, and because we have kids who need their sleep, we can't totally go with the flow and take our chances on availability,, I am making reservations in advance.

 

So, of those four restaurants, which do you like and what are your favorite menu items?

 

I am leaning toward going to each place twice and Le Bistro one extra time. But with La Trattoria being basically part of the buffet that is converted into a specialty restaurant at night, is it worth going more than once? Should we go to Cagney's three times instead of 2?

 

Also, are any of these restaurants open for lunch to non-suite guests? (I realize this would not be included in the UDP.)

 

 

My husband and I just got off the Spirit last Monday. We did the UDP and really enjoyed Cagney's (DH's favorite-He loves the filet mignon) and Le Bistro (my favorite-the lobster dish was excellent and not extra for UDP). I had really enjoyed the Italian Restaurant on Pride of America and was looking forward to it on the Spirit. I was very dissapointed. It just wasn't very good.

 

We didn't realize until we were on board that Teppanyaki was included in the UDP since we were unable to reserve it online in advance. They only have one Teppanyaki table on the ship which holds 10 people at a time. It was offered on sea days for lunch and we booked that once. It was included in the UDP. The Sushi bar and noodle bar were also open for lunch on sea days. Since those are ala carte you would get a discount with UDP.

 

We found that in Cagney's, Teppanyaki, and Le Bistro we were EACH given a check a the end of the meal that had a zero balance but a place to include extra gratuity if desired. In Shogun and La Trattoria no check was given and we were told that we were good to go.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy the specialty restaurants!

[newmexicoNita]

We bought the ultimate dining package for our upcoming cruise on Spirit. We have 9 nights and 4 specialty restaurants, Cagney's, Le Bistro, shogun and La Trattoria.

 

Because I really like to be on deck with a cocktail to watch every sail away, and because we have kids who need their sleep, we can't totally go with the flow and take our chances on availability,, I am making reservations in advance.

 

So, of those four restaurants, which do you like and what are your favorite menu items?

 

I am leaning toward going to each place twice and Le Bistro one extra time. But with La Trattoria being basically part of the buffet that is converted into a specialty restaurant at night, is it worth going more than once? Should we go to Cagney's three times instead of 2?

 

Also, are any of these restaurants open for lunch to non-suite guests? (I realize this would not be included in the UDP.)

 

Does the Spirit not have Modernos? Too bad, that is our favorite on the other ships. We have been on the Spirit twice: we love Le Bistro: I don't really have a favorite entrée there, but always get the escargot and our daughter swears by the mushroom soup. We also love Shoguns.

 

I will add, you are making a good decision about the specialty dining rooms, but be prepared, they are upscale, especially Le Bistro and the service is slow and relaxed. You might, depending on the age of the kids find they will get a little antsy. Our granddaughter choose to feed her little girl at the buffet most nights and they take her to the kids camp while she and hubby enjoyed quiet time and a more relaxed meal.

[newmexicoNita]

Out of those I would say Le Bistro...get the FRUITS DE MER if you like seafood!

 

Too bad the Spirit doesn't have the Brazillian Steakhouse (Moderno)...best specialty restaurant out of all of them.

 

Carney's is good too and a value compared to what a land based steakhouse charges.

 

I wouldn't waste time on the Italian one and I would definitely do Teppanyaki if you want Asian.

 

I totally agree with you. I thought all the NCL ships had added Modernos. Too bad. I slightly disagree about the Italian, no, it isn't great, but we did enjoy it and Shoguns is very good. I don't think Teppanyaki's is included in the UDP.

[Out to sea!]

My husband and I just got off the Spirit last Monday. We did the UDP and really enjoyed Cagney's (DH's favorite-He loves the filet mignon) and Le Bistro (my favorite-the lobster dish was excellent and not extra for UDP). I had really enjoyed the Italian Restaurant on Pride of America and was looking forward to it on the Spirit. I was very dissapointed. It just wasn't very good.

 

We didn't realize until we were on board that Teppanyaki was included in the UDP since we were unable to reserve it online in advance. They only have one Teppanyaki table on the ship which holds 10 people at a time. It was offered on sea days for lunch and we booked that once. It was included in the UDP. The Sushi bar and noodle bar were also open for lunch on sea days. Since those are ala carte you would get a discount with UDP.

 

We found that in Cagney's, Teppanyaki, and Le Bistro we were EACH given a check a the end of the meal that had a zero balance but a place to include extra gratuity if desired. In Shogun and La Trattoria no check was given and we were told that we were good to go.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy the specialty restaurants!

 

Could you tell me which lobster dish was included in the UDP and you were not charged extra for?

[newmexicoNita]

Come to NYC and eat in a good Italian place & then tell me the on on NCL iis good! LOL

 

Jay, that is fine, but it also explains why we say food is so subjective. Not all of us are lucky enough to be able to get true, outstanding ethnic foods. I could say the same about good Mexican food. I know a lot of people that swear by chain Mexican restaurants: being raised in So Ca, living in Texas and NM I know good Mexican food, but I realize some people are very happy with American style Mexican. The same for seafood, living on both coasts I know good seafood, others are happy with what they have tasted most of their lives. So, I guess, though I might agree with you, I do realize for many NCL does have good Italian food. A lot of people think Teppanaki's (spelling) is wonderful: again, living in metro areas with a lot of Japanese dining establishments, I wouldn't pay $10 for the place. We have eaten at the table 3 times, twice on the SUn and once on the Pearl.

Edited March 15, 2014 by newmexicoNita

[buckeye82]

Could you tell me which lobster dish was included in the UDP and you were not charged extra for?

 

 

It was Homard Rotis Aux Beuree (Buttered Lobster Tail). They took the lobster meat out of the tail, cut it into smaller pieces and simmered it in butter sauce and then poured it back into the shell. My husband had the Fruits De Mer (also usually an upcharge, but not for UDP) which was lobster and other sea food in a puff pastry. He loved that.

[KeithJenner]

I will add, you are making a good decision about the specialty dining rooms, but be prepared, they are upscale, especially Le Bistro and the service is slow and relaxed. You might, depending on the age of the kids find they will get a little antsy. Our granddaughter choose to feed her little girl at the buffet most nights and they take her to the kids camp while she and hubby enjoyed quiet time and a more relaxed meal.

 

 

Yes, this is exactly how we do it. Our son would much rather be in the kids club than spend two hours over a meal. We occasionally take him to the Italian, but no more than once per cruise.

 

Other than that we either eat early at the MDR together or take him to the buffet early and then have a relaxed meal whilst he's in the kids club. Much more enjoyable for everyone.

[AweighToSea]

I will add, you are making a good decision about the specialty dining rooms, but be prepared, they are upscale, especially Le Bistro and the service is slow and relaxed.

Does upscale mean pax will dress better than say in a main dining room? Sorry to ask a 'what to wear' question. I also know dress standards even for upscale restaurants on land are much more relaxed than in the past. Just wondering if for example there would be any men wearing a jacket / sport coat

[bamagrad92]

Does upscale mean pax will dress better than say in a main dining room? Sorry to ask a 'what to wear' question. I also know dress standards even for upscale restaurants on land are much more relaxed than in the past. Just wondering if for example there would be any men wearing a jacket / sport coat

 

I have been on the Spirit and Star. Very few men wear jackets. My husband wears kakis and button down or golf shirt. Nice jeans are fine for most specialty restaurants. I would stay away from shorts. Nice capris for women are fine with a nice top and sandals. On the Spirit I thought the Italian was the most relaxed. Le Bistro is our favorite, Cagney's 2nd. Can't wait to try Moderno next week on the Jewel!