Le Bistro: NCL's swanky French cruise restaurant (with menu)

Whether you're celebrating a special occasion, craving a romantic dinner with your partner or merely a fan of French fare, Le Bistro, Norwegian Cruise Line's French restaurant, doesn't disappoint.

The venue's refined ambience welcomes cruisers seeking a frilly, elegant dining experience that's likely to please even the pickiest of eaters.

Here's all you need to know about this upscale eatery on Norwegian cruise ships.

What is Le Bistro on Norwegian Cruise Line ships?

Le Bistro is Norwegian Cruise Line's French alternative restaurant, and you'll pay extra to dine there. Dishes focus on fish, seafood and high-end meats like duck and lamb.

When you arrive, a host will seat you, and a sommelier will appear to take your wine order. (As you might expect, there's an emphasis on Champagne.)

After placing your food order, be sure to take in your surroundings, which vary from ship to ship, ranging from wrought-iron chairs and tables with white tablecloths and pale blue accents to more opulent touches like bright red chairs and floor-to-ceiling chandeliers that serve as focal points.

Le Bistro is open for dinner only. Reservations are recommended. You might want to dress up a bit, lest you feel out of place among the posh decor.

Le Bistro NCL menu

NCL's Le Bistro menu is split into four sections: appetizers, soups and salads, mains and desserts.

Among the appetizers, you'll find items like beef tartare, seared scallops and escargots. Baked onion soup and mushroom soup are staples, along with goat cheese and beet salad and endive salad.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Email address

Sign up

By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Mains — divided into meats, poultry and seafood — might feature beef tenderloin, roasted lamb and pork chops, red wine-braised chicken, roasted duck breast, Dover sole, Mediterranean sea bass and lobster thermidor. A vegetarian section includes one measly offering: Napoleon of portobello mushrooms with a vegetable puff pastry.

Dessert selections vary from ship to ship and might include pistachio-almond sponge cake with strawberries, a wine-poached pear with vanilla ice cream, meringue with raspberry coulis or a cheese plate.

The wine list on Norwegian ships tends to be extensive, but the Le Bistro menu fittingly calls out Champagne options.

What does it cost to eat at Le Bistro?

Pricing at Le Bistro is a la carte, so what you order will determine your bill. Sample prices range from $9 for soup to $49 for lobster thermidor. Most desserts will set you back $12. A 20% gratuity will also be added to the check.

If you have a dining package, you can select one starter, one soup or salad, one main and one dessert for free. Even with the dining package, some mains will have a supplemental fee of $25 per person. Most drinks cost extra unless you have a beverage package. Children can eat free at Le Bistro if they order from the shipwide children's menu.

Which Norwegian ships have Le Bistro?

Expect to find Le Bistro on these ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet:

• Norwegian Breakaway
• Norwegian Bliss
• Norwegian Dawn
• Norwegian Epic
• Norwegian Encore
• Norwegian Escape
• Norwegian Gem
• Norwegian Getaway
• Norwegian Jade
• Norwegian Jewel
• Norwegian Joy
• Norwegian Pearl
• Norwegian Prima
• Norwegian Sky
• Norwegian Spirit
• Norwegian Star
• Norwegian Sun
• Norwegian Viva

Have cruise questions? TPG has answers:

• Banned items: What not to pack for a cruise
• Man overboard: Why do people fall off cruise ships?
• What is baked Alaska, and why is it paraded around cruise ships?
• What are the largest cruise ships in the world?
• What is a gentleman host on a cruise?
• What is the Jones Act, and how does it affect cruise ships?
• What is a lido deck on a cruise ship?
• What's a cruise cabin guarantee, and will it save you money?
• What's the difference between a cruise concierge and a butler?