Escape - Best Restaurant

[jkbec101]

In your opinion what was the best Restaurant on the ship (Non-Haven)?

 

Best service? 

Best food?

Best ambiance?

 

What restaurant would you avoid if sailing on the same ship again and why?

 

[CaptainBazz]

Our favourite is Cagney's...great food...great service and a wonderful atmosphere. Second would be Le Bistro.

Did not enjoy Q...but I put that down to a less than half full ship...the food had been sitting under heat lamps for ever (it was all very dry) and there was only 3 tables occupied all the time we were there. Maybe if it was full and they served freshly bbq'd food it would have been different.

[foothillangel]

I don't believe Escape has Q.  I have enjoyed Q on Bliss and Encore.  I have yet to be on Escape but will be be doing a TA in Nov. 2022. Cagney's has been our favorite so far of the 4 ships we have been on.

[JamieLogical]

Pinchos Tapas was my favorite. With the new post-COVID menu in Le Bistro, that would probably be my favorite now.

[CaptainBazz]

3 hours ago, foothillangel said:

I don't believe Escape has Q.

You are right...I was mixed up with Encore, we sailed both within a couple of months of each other.

 

 

[BirdTravels]

For us, Pinchos Tapas has some of the best food on the ship. We'll always eat there when we are on the Escape. 

[lexxfield]

Of the restaurants I tried, I agree that Pinchos Tapas was the best the last time I sailed on the Escape.

[JamieLogical]

8 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

For us, Pinchos Tapas has some of the best food on the ship. We'll always eat there when we are on the Escape. 

 

Even with the new Le Bistro menu (which I am obsessed with) I would still eat at Pinchos a couple of times if I were back on the Escape. I would pay a la carte prices there rather than use a specialty dining credit, though.

[laudergayle]

In Pinchos Tapas using a specialty dining credit is it limited to 4 items per person or like the restaurants that allow you to order app, second, entree and dessert?  Besides Escape is Pinchos on other ships?

[AviationInScale]

I sent my steak back twice at Cagney's as it was not cooked properly. The manager came over to chastise me, as if I were trying to get a free meal. I was. It's called Free at Sea. The issue was, their staff could not simply cook a Medium Rare NY Strip. Worst cruise experience ever.

 

Our best meal that cruise was at Le Bistro. Everything was perfect.

[BirdTravels]

1 minute ago, AviationInScale said:

I sent my steak back twice at Cagney's as it was not cooked properly. The manager came over to chastise me, as if I were trying to get a free meal. I was. It's called Free at Sea. The issue was, their staff could not simply cook a Medium Rare NY Strip. Worst cruise experience ever.

 

Our best meal that cruise was at Le Bistro. Everything was perfect.

We have always had perfectly cooked dinners at Cagney's. 

[AviationInScale]

Just now, BirdTravels said:

We have always had perfectly cooked dinners at Cagney's. 

You seem to be following me around tonight. Thanks for making me the center of your Universe.

 

Our steaks on Bliss were beyond perfection, I'm so happy everything in your world is so perfect.

 

See you in my next post!

[JamieLogical]

18 hours ago, laudergayle said:

In Pinchos Tapas using a specialty dining credit is it limited to 4 items per person or like the restaurants that allow you to order app, second, entree and dessert?  Besides Escape is Pinchos on other ships?

 

I believe it's a certain number of items per credit, like Food Republic. However, I've never used my specialty dining credit there, as the number of items we order and the per item pricing means it's sort of a "waste" of a specialty dining credit when we get more "bang for our buck" at places like Le Bistro. We have always used OBC or just paid outright for our meals at Pinchos.

[BirdTravels]

19 hours ago, laudergayle said:

In Pinchos Tapas using a specialty dining credit is it limited to 4 items per person or like the restaurants that allow you to order app, second, entree and dessert?  Besides Escape is Pinchos on other ships?

Like Jamie said, you get 4 items for a specialty dining credit... which is a bummer because it used to be unlimited.... and we would order most of the menu (there are normally two skewers or items per dish which is perfect to share). 

 

Pinchos is only on the Escape. Originally, Pinchos and Bayamos were the creation of Iron Chef Jose Garces. After a couple of years, NCL ended their contract with Chef Garces and the restaurant was not carried forward to any other ships. On other ships, NCL chose to use the space to make Ocean Blue a lot bigger. 

 

That being said, NCL does have a complimentary Tapas bar in the food hall on the Prima. We have an upcoming cruise on the Prima, so we'll see. Here's the lunch menu. 

[laudergayle]

Thank you for such great insight into Pinchos.  Their menu looks like something I’d enjoy.  We’re on Prima next May to Bermuda, so we’ll be interested in your review of your experience…including Tapas in Indulge.  Happy sailing!

[mikebisch]

I was on Escape for my first NCL sailing, which happened to be our honeymoon in 2018.  Best thing I ate that trip was the fish taco at WaaHoo's in St George Bermuda!  LOL.

 

On Escape we tried...

 

Teppanyaki. Seemed to be about the same or similar to every Hibachi we have gone to, which to say for us, was good.  Although Carnival Horizon's Teppanyaki this past Feb. might have been a little better.  We love Hibachi normally.

 

Tapas.  We liked it.  Didn't know what to expect, but we were both pleased I remember.

 

Moderno.  Didn't like it.  It was just too much for us.  Really salty meats and I like salt!

 

La Cusina.  Not too good.  Not inedible however.  Funny, the Italian joint on Pearl this summer was pretty good!

 

Normally on cruises I like to hit the steak restaurant, but have ran out of time or its been completely booked on all the NCLs I have been on.

 

The MDRs?  Seeing as this is my and my wife's second marriage, and we made friends with people on this cruise, we were pretty lit most of the time.  I don't remember much of the MDR to be honest.  LOL.

Edited October 4, 2022 by mikebisch