NCL Food Republic menu: What to order and what to know about Norwegian Cruise Line's street food restaurant
When you see the names of most of Norwegian Cruise Line's alternative dining eateries — Cagney's Steakhouse, Q Texas Smokehouse, Le Bistro, Moderno Churrascaria — it's pretty easy to figure out what kind of food they serve. But what about Food Republic?
The name alone doesn't give away too much, which I suspect is part of the reason why it's been nearly empty every time I've eaten there — and that's a shame because it's one of my favorite restaurants at sea. Cruisers are truly missing out.
So what, exactly, is Food Republic, and what kind of cuisine does it offer? Here's everything you need to know about this hidden gem in case you'd like to try it for yourself (and, trust me, you should).
What is Food Republic on Norwegian cruises?
Food Republic is an added-fee restaurant found on several of NCL's vessels. Because it's hardly ever crowded, it's one of the few dining venues on the line's ships for which you likely won't need reservations.
The theme is international street food. Although the menu items hail from various countries — including Mexico, Germany and Peru — options lean heavily Asian, with Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Thai selections available. Plus, there's a sushi bar.
When you arrive at Food Republic, you'll be seated in a large dining room filled with a mix of high-top tables and standard ones. The decor is spartan and on the modern side.
Guests can order items from a touchscreen tablet. You don't need to order your entire meal at once, so consider starting with a couple of items and adding more if you're still hungry. The dishes take almost no time to prepare, and they show up as they're ordered and ready, rather than in a traditional starter-main-dessert cadence. (In other words, if you order three plates and dessert all at the same time, you'll receive them as they're made, which might mean you get your dessert early in the meal.)
Don't confuse Food Republic with Indulge Food Hall, a restaurant with a similar concept found on Prima Class vessels. That dining venue is similar to Food Republic in that it's street food-themed, and you order from a touchpad. The difference is that you seat yourself, and it's complimentary to dine there.
Interestingly, Prima Class ships have both venues, which could also explain why Food Republic is almost always empty. Why would passengers pay for something they can get for free elsewhere on board?
NCL Food Republic menu
When it designed the Food Republic menu, NCL split it into five sections, most of which consist of small plates: Sushi Bar, Sharing Is Caring (sharing plates, which are still on the small side), Handhelds (sandwiches and other things you eat without utensils); Noodles, Rice and Soups; and Sugar Pump (desserts).
Items on the sushi menu include a crispy salmon roll, tiger roll, California roll and other choices. Sharing plates feature shishito peppers, Korean fried chicken, calamari, tuna poke nachos and Peruvian beef skewers.
Handhelds encompass Thai chicken lettuce wraps, pork belly bao buns, kanpachi wonton tacos and shrimp, among other selections. Several varieties of noodles, rice and soup — such as shrimp pad Thai, kimchee fried rice and Vietnamese pho tai — are also offered.
Because of the manageable portion sizes, you'll likely need at least three to four items to feel full, depending on your appetite. The good news is that, with smaller plates, it's easy to save room for dessert. Choose from a green tea jar with a chocolate brownie and green tea mousse, Black Forest cake and baba with rum.
Although there are two or three selections for cruisers who don't eat meat, most options are meat- or fish-based. Keep that in mind if you're vegetarian or vegan.
Alcohol choices specific to the venue are sake by the bottle or glass and a small list of cider and beer. The cocktail menu has just five drinks; I loved the Thai rum and tonic.
Food Republic does not offer a children's menu, but little ones can order from the ship's kids menu, available at all onboard restaurants.
Note: Menu items are examples only, and they're subject to change without notice based on ship and itinerary.
Cost to dine at Food Republic
Norwegian includes Food Republic in its dining packages; if you have one, it will be free for you to eat there. You can choose four dishes per person, including dessert. If you order more than four items, you'll pay a la carte for the extras, just like anyone who dines there without a package.
It pays to redeem your meals on the most expensive restaurants to get the best value from your dining package. Food Republic is one of them.
A la carte pricing ranges from $15 to $19 per roll for sushi and from $8 to $19 each for sharing plates. Handhelds will set you back between $13 and $16 apiece, and noodles, rice and soup come with a price tag of $16 to $21. Desserts are each priced at $9. If you order three to five plates, you'll likely pay between $40 and $85 for a meal.
Most drinks cost extra unless you have a qualifying beverage package. A 20% gratuity will be added to all food and drink bills.
Which NCL ships have Food Republic?
Six ships in the Norwegian fleet have Food Republic.
- Norwegian Bliss
- Norwegian Encore
- Norwegian Escape
- Norwegian Joy
- Norwegian Prima
- Norwegian Viva
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.