We dined at six specialty restaurants during our last cruise on the Norwegian Escape.
In this video, we’ll provide an overview of each of the restaurants, as well as our
thoughts about our experiences.
Teppanyaki is the Norwegian Escape’s Japanese steakhouse.
It is located midship on Deck 6 on the starboard side -- or right side -- of the ship.
Restaurant guests sit at a shared table that surrounds a large, flat grill and enjoy a
dining experience that includes the chef cooking the food on the grill, performing culinary
tricks, and -- during our visit -- singing to the guests.
During our visit to Teppanyaki, we each ordered an entree from the menu and watched it being
sliced, chopped, and grilled as we were served Edamame, Miso Soup, and Seaweed Salad with
ginger dressing.
Entrees included seafood, beef, chicken, and vegetable options.
In addition to dipping sauces, the entrees were served with garlic rice and grilled vegetables,
which were also prepared on the grill.
For dessert, we could choose from Green Tea Cake or Sliced Exotic Fruits.
Teppanyaki has been very popular on all of our NCL cruises and there were times when
it was completely booked.
When we tried the restaurant on the Norwegian Gem, we were a bit less-than-impressed and
preferred the complimentary Orchid Garden Asian Restaurant that was located next door.
However, our experience on the Norwegian Escape completely changed our minds and we had an
amazing experience!
The food was so delicious and the entertainment was so fun that we’ll definitely pay the
additional fee to dine at Teppanyaki on our next NCL cruise.
Bayamo by Ocean Blue is the Norwegian Escape’s seafood restaurant.
It is located midship on Deck 8 on the starboard side -- or right side -- of the ship.
Bayamo is one of several restaurants on Deck 8 that have tables available inside in the
dining room, as well as outside on the Waterfront.
For our meal, we started with Sticky Thai Barbecue Ribs and Pan-Seared Scallops with
Caramelized Pork Belly for our appetizers.
Then we had the Fisherman’s Platter and Black Grouper for our main dishes, along with
Mushroom Risotto, Lobster Mac and Cheese, Brussels Sprouts, and Steamed Broccoli for sides.
For dessert, we had Key Lime Meringue Pie and Vanilla Cheesecake “In a Jar.”
When we visited Bayamo, we dined outside on the Waterfront as our ship departed port and
we were treated to a beautiful sunset while we enjoyed our dinner.
None of us are big seafood eaters, but the food we experienced at Bayamo was absolutely delicious!
It was so good that we kept commenting to each other that we would eat a lot more seafood
if it tasted that good every time.
Moderno Churrascaria is the Norwegian Escape’s Brazilian steakhouse.
It is located at the back of the ship on Deck 8 on the starboard side -- or right side -- of
the ship.
Moderno is one of several restaurants on Deck 8 that have tables available inside in the
dining room, as well as outside on the Waterfront.
Like Brazilian steakhouses on land, Moderno servers stroll through the restaurant with
a variety of slow-roasted meats on large skewers.
Each server will stop by your table with a different meat and carve you a serving if
you’re interested.
The card on your table allows you to communicate your service preference.
If you leave the green side up, that indicates you would like servers to bring you more meat.
The red side indicates you’ve had enough, for now.
To resume service, simply display the green side again.
During our cruise, the salad bar featured over 40 items, including cheeses, olives,
cured meats, ceviche, specialty salads, French beans, asparagus, potato, shrimp and roasted
garlic, hearts of palm, breads, and soups.
Tableside service included a selection of 12 meats:
Beef Tenderloin, Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon, Flank Steak, Signature Cut of Prime Top Sirloin,
Beef Ribs, Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Drumettes, Lamb Top Sirloin, Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast,
Leg of Lamb, Pork Loin, Brazillian Pork Sausage, and Parmesan and Wine Pork Sausage.
Several side dishes were also brought to the table including, white rice, black beans,
sauteed mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes, fried yucca, and Brazilian cheese bread.
For dessert, there were four options to choose from:
Coconut Flan, Rice Pudding, Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches Cake, and Banana Caramel Meringue Tartlet.
Our family has long been fans of Moderno and we actually dined here twice during our December
2019 cruise.
I’m particularly fond of the expansive salad bar and DaddyBean loves the meat selection.
Our JellyBean enjoyed trying many new dishes and she also liked being in charge of the
red and green service cards.
Regardless of what aspect of Moderno you enjoy the most, you definitely won’t leave hungry!
Cagney’s Steakhouse is the Norwegian Escape’s American steakhouse, which specializes in
premium cuts of meat.
It is located at the back of the ship on Deck 8 on the port side -- or left side -- of the ship.
Cagney’s is one of several restaurants on Deck 8 that have tables available inside in
the dining room, as well as outside on the Waterfront.
For our meal, we started with a Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and Thick Cut Bacon for our appetizers,
as well as Lobster Bisque and Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwich for soups.
For our main dishes, we had the Filet Mignon and the Ribeye, along with Creamed Corn, Mac
and Cheese, Creamy Cheese Polenta, and Potatoes Au Gratin for sides.
For dessert, we had Seven Layer Chocolate Cake, “OMG” Caramel-Butterscotch Cheesecake,
and a Decadent Chocolate Fudge Brownie.
We love dining at steakhouses and Cagney’s is no exception.
We definitely enjoyed the food, but what really stood out to us during our December 2019 visit
was the exceptional service we received.
We had an event scheduled a little more than an hour after our reservation time and we
advised the host and server of our dilemma.
Both went out of their way to make sure we were able to enjoy all four courses and still
make it to the event!
La Cucina is the Norwegian Escape’s Italian restaurant.
It is located midship on Deck 8 near the forward elevators on the port side -- or left side
-- of the ship.
La Cucina is one of several restaurants on Deck 8 that have tables available inside in
the dining room, as well as outside on the Waterfront.
The NCL website clearly states to come to La Cucina with a hearty appetite as the dishes
come in large portions and during our cruise, that was not an exaggeration.
For our meal, we started with Fried Calamari and Pasta e Fagioli for our appetizers.
For our pastas, we had Shrimp Ravioli with Lobster Tarragon Sauce and Spaghetti Carbonara.
In addition to a starter and main course, our meal also came with an eight-slice pizza
and we ordered plain cheese -- which was not listed on the menu -- so our JellyBean could
enjoy a slice or two.
As if that wasn’t already enough food, the meal included an additional main course!
We ordered the Braised Veal Shank with Saffron Risotto and the Beef Tenderloin with Blue
Cheese Ravioli.
Our JellyBean ordered a Pepperoni Pizza off the Kid’s Menu, for no additional charge.
However, instead of bringing out a small, four-slice pizza like they serve in every
other restaurant, La Cucina makes all of their own pizzas, so they served another full-size,
eight-slice pizza, which just added to the absurd amount of food we had, especially since
it was complimentary!
But, wait! There’s more!
The meal ended with dessert -- which none of us had room for -- and we ordered the Ricotta
Cheesecake with Lemon Curd, the Chocolate Tartlet, and some chocolate ice cream.
To say we were full when we left La Cucina -- with leftovers! -- would be a major understatement.
The food was plentiful and good, but don’t plan on eating there more than once during
your cruise or else your cabin refrigerator will be overflowing with Italian food.
The last of the specialty restaurants we dined at on the Norwegian Escape was Margaritaville,
which was located in the back of the ship on Deck 17 on the starboard side -- or right
side -- of the ship.
Unfortunately, the restaurant has been replaced by a new restaurant named “American Diner,”
which is themed like an American diner.
We’ll certainly miss the oversized meals that Margaritaville served!