Where they really Vow2Wow

The Norwegian Epic has no shortage of options when it comes to food and drink. Here's our honest take on everything we tried.

Before we get into the specifics — the service across every single dining venue was excellent. Genuinely excellent. The staff want you to have a good time and they show it. Where the ship consistently missed the mark was on food quality. We came in expecting the specialty dining to justify the extra cost and it didn't. We came in expecting the included restaurants to clear the bar for a premium cruise and they didn't quite get there either. The service was exceptional throughout. The food was not.

Garden Cafe

The main buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It opens around 1 PM on embarkation day, so plan your first afternoon accordingly. On busy port days with late docking, the Garden Cafe can become completely unmanageable — see our Barbados morning for a detailed account of that. Always have a backup plan, and that backup plan should be O'Sheehan's.

O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill

Open 24/7 and quietly one of the best spots on the ship. Breakfast was excellent — we had peach Bellinis, an omelette and pancakes and everything hit. Beers on St. Patrick's Day, wings on Antigua night — O'Sheehan's was a reliable go to for us. This is the kind of spot that doesn't get the credit it deserves due to the laid back at.

• O'Sheehan's is a quiet MVP. When the buffet is chaos and the specialty restaurants disappoint, O'Sheehan's delivers.

The Great Outdoors — Pool Deck

Casual and convenient for a midday bite between activities. The food was solid overall but the chicken was noticeably dry — a miss worth mentioning. Fine for a quick pool deck lunch, but not somewhere you'd seek out.

Taste & The Manhattan Room — Included Dining

Both are complimentary sit-down dining rooms sharing the same rotating menu. The Manhattan Room has a sophisticated supper-club feel and Taste has its own distinct atmosphere with a self-playing piano in the atrium. Both are good options if you're looking for a slower-paced, more formal dinner experience.

The service in the Manhattan Room was exceptional — some of the best on the ship. The staff really do want to make sure you're having a good experience and that comes through in every interaction. The food though is where we have to be honest. Heather's pork chop leaned heavily on the sauce for its flavor. Matt's 'mini tostadas' appetizer arrived as literally three tortillas on a plate with a tiny amount of pork and salsa on top. We'll be including photos of that one in the post. The food simply doesn't match the effort the service team is putting in.

• The Manhattan Room service team is a genuine highlight. They care and it shows. If only the kitchen matched their standard.

• The included dining food quality needs to be elevated. An upscale atmosphere and exceptional service team deserve a menu that delivers more than sauce-dependent proteins and three tortilla chips on a plate.

Le Bistro — Specialty French Restaurant

Le Bistro requires an additional surcharge on top of the base cruise fare, so the expectation going in is that it should be noticeably better than the included options. It wasn't — not by enough to matter.

Matt had the French onion soup to start followed by the sautéed sole, paired with a Sauvignon Blanc. Heather had the goat cheese croquettes and the beef tenderloin with the same wine. The sole arrived with a few bagged croutons on top that genuinely added nothing to the dish. That was the specialty restaurant garnish. Heather's steak was good but you could find a better steak for less money at a comparable restaurant. Overall, Le Bistro was ever so slightly better than the included dining rooms — but that's not what you're paying the specialty surcharge for.

If we cruise this ship again, we would not book Le Bistro. We'd put the money toward a great shore excursion instead.

• When guests pay a specialty surcharge on top of an already expensive cruise fare, the food needs to be exceptional. Le Bistro is not exceptional. Bagged croutons on a specialty fish dish is not an acceptable finish.

Shaker's Martini & Cocktail Bar

This is where the ship redeemed itself on the drinks front. Alex behind the bar knew exactly what to suggest and how to make it. We had a basil and cucumber twist that was delicious and a Negroni that was absolutely perfect. The kind of bar you come back to more than once and we did. If you're a cocktail person, make Shaker's a priority.

• Petar at Shaker's Martini Bar is the real deal. Tell him what you're in the mood for and let him take it from there.

The Manhattan Room — One of two main dining rooms on the ship, the Manhattan Room offers a sophisticated New York supper club atmosphere complete with panoramic ocean views. Menu highlights include Warm Spinach Salad, Create Your Own Pasta, Beef Wellington, Veal Oscar, and New York Style Cheesecake. It is included in the base cruise fare.

Taste — The second of the ship's two main dining rooms, Taste shares the same rotating menu as the Manhattan Room but features a distinct ambiance. The decor is an interesting juxtaposition of brick and brightly colored stained glass, with an open atrium and self-playing piano in the center. It's a complimentary venue and reservations are recommended for prime seating in the atrium.

Garden Cafe — Norwegian's main buffet venue, offering a large selection of international dishes, carving stations, fresh salads, and themed dinner nights throughout the cruise. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it's the go-to spot for casual, all-hours dining with something for everyone.

O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar & Grill — Open 24/7, O'Sheehan's serves pub-style comfort food like burgers, wings, and Fish n' Chips in a relaxed, casual setting ideal for anytime dining. It's a fan favorite for late-night bites and catching a game on the big screen, and it's included in the cruise fare.

Cagney's Steakhouse(Specialty) — A classic steakhouse featuring premium cuts of beef, seafood, crab cakes, and truffle fries, all served in a warm, elegant atmosphere. Starters range from Crab Cakes to Ahi Tuna Tartare, with mains including Slow Roasted Prime Rib, Petite Filet Mignon, and Ribeye.

Le Bistro(Specialty) — An upscale French dining experience offering refined classics like escargot, filet mignon, and rich desserts in a romantic setting with elegant décor and soft lighting. Le Bistro is one of NCL's most celebrated signature restaurants and has been a staple across the fleet for years.

La Cucina(Specialty) — A vibrant Italian restaurant serving freshly made pasta, pizza, and traditional favorites like lasagna, risotto, and creamy tiramisu. The attention to detail is impeccable, and the space has a romantic, intimate feel, making it the most vegetarian-friendly specialty dining restaurant on board.

Moderno Churrascaria(Specialty) — A Brazilian steakhouse where servers bring endless cuts of fire-roasted meats to your table, plus a large salad bar with fresh sides and accompaniments. The restaurant has a wonderful location with huge windows looking out the stern of the ship.

Teppanyaki(Specialty) — An interactive hibachi-style dining experience where guests sit around a large communal table while a chef prepares meats, seafood, and fried rice on a grill right in front of them. It's as much of a performance as it is a meal, making it a popular choice for groups and families.

Wasabi(Specialty) — Norwegian Epic's yakitori and sushi bar, seating 25 guests, located midship. It offers top-quality sashimi, rolls, and sake in a sleek, intimate setting tucked inside the ship's Asian dining area.

Shanghai's Noodle Bar — A complimentary casual Asian restaurant serving freshly prepared noodle dishes and Chinese-inspired fare. It's a quick and satisfying option for guests looking for something lighter and more casual than a sit-down specialty meal.

Spice H2O Grill — A casual outdoor venue located at the aft of the ship near the adults-only Spice H2O area. It opens for continental breakfast with lunch selections ranging from burgers, hot dogs, and chicken wings to Indian dishes, desserts, salad, and fresh fruit.