Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Dawn

Venue Overview (6.88)

Le Bistro is one of Norwegian’s high-end specialty restaurants, definitely the spot to celebrate an anniversary with a romantic dinner It is located on Deck 6 Midship, right by Gatsby’s and La Cucina. Being one of the more sophisticated restaurants on the ship ($20 cover charge per person, excluding drinks) the expectations are high, but the restaurants lives up to it.

Decorated with original works by Van Gogh, Matisse, and Monet, lit by dimmed lights and candles on the table, Le Bistro is the perfect place for a romantic dinner.

Signature drinks include the Kir Royale, French Kiss and more. Dishes are classic French cuisine: escargot in garlic herb butter and moules poulette au Pernod (steamed mussels with Pernod) for appetizers and bouillabaisse (Mediterranean fish soup) or coq au vin (Burgundy chicken) for entrees. There are some specials on the menu too, but they cost $10 more. Desserts range from crème brulée and profiteroles to the always-fresh cheese plate. Port wines, Cognacs, and liqueurs are also offered on the menu.

Lunch / Dinner

Le Bistro’s dinner is delicious and keeps up with expectations. As a complimentary amuse bouche, we got a salmon spread with olives and toasted baguette. The mussels in Pernod-cream sauce were excellent, and for the more adventurous gourmets Le Bistro offers escargot with a garlic-herb crust. We chose the coq au vin (chicken in red wine broth) for the main course. The chicken melted on the tongue, and the skin was delicious (yes, you really should try it). Only the onions in the sauce were a little too undercooked.

As for seafood, Le Bistro serves a fruit de mer course, with mussels, shrimp and fish, on a bed of linguini with a creamy white wine sauce. Think this sounds good? It is.

Also very good is the 32 oz. Angus rib eye steak for two, carved at the table. The meat was medium rare and very tender, and it could easily feed three.

Dessert

Cheese after a meal is supposed to help digest the heavy French food. On Le Bistro’s cheese plate are samples of Camembert, goat cheese, Roquefort and Munster, along with some figs, cranberries, and crackers. We would have liked to see more variety and maybe another french cheese instead of the Munster, but it’s a good finish.

The Chocolate Napoléon is a flowerless chocolate cake with hazelnut crunch and cream, not too heavy but still very chocolatey. Another good dessert is the Classic Apple Tatin, a little apple tarte, served warm. Don’t forget the dessert of all desserts: crème brulée with a crusty top and sweet vanilla creme.