Ocean Blue vs Cagney's vs Le Bistro...which would you pick?

[mickeysgal]

 We are debating on which restaurants to book.  We have Onda booked and want at least one more...its between Cagney's, Le Bistro, and Ocean Blue.    Has anyone tried Ocean Blue?  I see plenty of comments about Cagney's and LeBistro, but not that many about Ocean Blue.  We will be on Encore.  Which do you recommend? 

[www3traveler]

I love Ocean Blue.  Very small space alloted for it but does have outside dining if the weather is good (may need a sweater because of the movement of the ship).  I love seafood.

 

Enjoy

[BirdTravels]

15 minutes ago, mickeysgal said:

 We are debating on which restaurants to book.  We have Onda booked and want at least one more...its between Cagney's, Le Bistro, and Ocean Blue.    Has anyone tried Ocean Blue?  I see plenty of comments about Cagney's and LeBistro, but not that many about Ocean Blue.  We will be on Encore.  Which do you recommend? 

 

Definitely Le Bistro. 

Second Choice Ocean Blue

Third Choice Onda

Fourth Choice Cagney's 

 

Onda is only o.k. It is one of the new kids on the block so,,, everyone wants to give it a try. We have dined there 4 times (3 on Encore and 1 on Prima). 

 

Ocean Blue is the seafood restaurant. When it was first introduced on the Breakaway, it was run by Iron Chef Geoffrey Zacharian. When NCL took over and dumbed down the menu, it became somewhere to have seafood. Personally, we stick to grilled fish there. Some of the fancier specialties (e.g., Cioppino, Hong Kong Snapper) have always disappointed.  

 

For us, Cagney's has slowly moved to the bottom of the list of Specialty restaurants. The quality of the food and the quality of service at Cagney's across the fleet has been on a steady decline (pre- and post-COVID). 

Edited February 1, 2023 by BirdTravels

[GeezerCouple]

33 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

<snip>

For us, Cagney's has slowly moved to the bottom of the list of Specialty restaurants. The quality of the food and the quality of service at Cagney's across the fleet has been on a steady decline (pre- and post-COVID). 

 

If you are interested in a nice steak, such as a filet, then, surprisingly, Cagney's is NOT the place for you.

Go to Le Bistro 🙂

They have the best filet, by far.

(And other choices have been terrific as well.)

 

We've only eaten at Cagney's a few times (pre-COVID), because it was awful, and didn't get better.

The final time, I got that humongous Tomahawk steak.  Yes, I like red meat!  When it arrived, DH looked at it, looked at me, looked back at it again. 😋  He was glad there would be enough to share.

That cut is not supposed to be hard to eat, but mine... was for starters, hard to cut.  VERY hard to cut.  And hard to chew, as in, I couldn't eat it.  Chew, chew, chew, and chew some more.  I ate very little of it.   It may have been the worst steak I've had in decades, perhaps since my college years and eating at "cheap cafeteria-style steak houses".  At least those had great flavor!  (And maybe my jaws were stronger back then!? 😉 ) 

DH tried one small bite (that HE had to cut); nothing more.

 

And Le Bistro has something else very good, a real sleeper.  I'm not sure why we even tried it, but thank goodness we did.

The coq au vin!  Tender and *SO* tasty... terrific sauce, the kind where you want to lick the plate/bowl.
We had it a couple of times, even though we love the filet, because it was so flavorful.

 

On land, we can get a good filet at a couple of favorite places, but *good* coq au vin? Not so much.

(If you aren't at all a fan of chicken, then I wouldn't recommend this.  It's still chicken, of course.)

 

We won't go back to Cagneys again.  It was a major problem/disappointment on more than one ship.  And surprisingly, the service wasn't good, either, any of the times.

GC

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

If you are interested in a nice steak, such as a filet, then, surprisingly, Cagney's is NOT the place for you.

Go to Le Bistro 🙂

They have the best filet, by far.

(And other choices have been terrific as well.)

 

We've only eaten at Cagney's a few times (pre-COVID), because it was awful, and didn't get better.

The final time, I got that humongous Tomahawk steak.  Yes, I like red meat!  When it arrived, DH looked at it, looked at me, looked back at it again. 😋  He was glad there would be enough to share.

That cut is not supposed to be hard to eat, but mine... was for starters, hard to cut.  VERY hard to cut.  And hard to chew, as in, I couldn't eat it.  Chew, chew, chew, and chew some more.  I ate very little of it.   It may have been the worst steak I've had in decades, perhaps since my college years and eating at "cheap cafeteria-style steak houses".  At least those had great flavor!  (And maybe my jaws were stronger back then!? 😉 ) 

DH tried one small bite (that HE had to cut); nothing more.

 

And Le Bistro has something else very good, a real sleeper.  I'm not sure why we even tried it, but thank goodness we did.

The coq au vin!  Tender and *SO* tasty... terrific sauce, the kind where you want to lick the plate/bowl.
We had it a couple of times, even though we love the filet, because it was so flavorful.

 

On land, we can get a good filet at a couple of favorite places, but *good* coq au vin? Not so much.

(If you aren't at all a fan of chicken, then I wouldn't recommend this.  It's still chicken, of course.)

 

We won't go back to Cagneys again.  It was a major problem/disappointment on more than one ship.  And surprisingly, the service wasn't good, either, any of the times.

GC

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Cagney's no longer serves the Tomahawk. They've replaced it with an upcharge Porterhouse. Sorry you had such a bad experience with what should have been a delectable cut of meat.

 

LeBistro now charges $10 for the filet, probably due to added liver...though some have reported being able to get the filet, sans charge, if they order without foie gras. Mmm, that coq au vin sounds yummy. I may need to try it!

 

Like you, I will no longer go back to Cagney's as the filet and ribeye we had were not prepared properly. We asked for medium. Both were underdone, thankfully I am ok eating medium rare. My husband...not so much. The sides, especially the potatoes au gratin were not good. Just barely lukewarm slices of potato in a sauce that resembles a bechamel, but with no cheese taste.

[RocketMan275]

Even thoug I plan on going to Le Bistro, I will pass on the filet and the coq au vin.

The filet is covered with foie gras.  I can't stand liver.

Coq au vin is made with the whole chicken.  I do not care for dark chicken.

I'm going with the Dover Sole or the lobster thermador.

[reeinaz]

I thought ocean blue was amazing. I either get the cioppino or the fillet or the grilled fisherman's platter. Their bread is fantastic. 

[suzequ]

We have avoided Cagneys for years - I can do better steak at home - it’s not  “specialty”  at all.

 

We have made Ocean Blue our first and last night go to dinner and have rarely been disappointed.  The scallops w/pork belly appetizer has been excellent and dh loves the blazing shrimp app.  We generally do grilled fish.  Dh loves the mousse cake and I think the basil sorbet is special.

 

Le Bistro has been on the up-swing.  We tried the crab wrapped in smoked salmon appetizer and it is lovely.  The lamb chops are wonderful as is the coq au vin and the sea bass.

 

And lastly we enjoy La Cucina.  I know many people have problems with it but we never have.  I enjoy the grilled salmon w/white beans (and I’m specific with temp i want it cooked to) and the red snapper or chicken cacciatore are good; and the Osso Bucco may be one of best entrees on board.

[RocketMan275]

14 minutes ago, suzequ said:

We have avoided Cagneys for years - I can do better steak at home - it’s not  “specialty”  at all.

 

We have made Ocean Blue our first and last night go to dinner and have rarely been disappointed.  The scallops w/pork belly appetizer has been excellent and dh loves the blazing shrimp app.  We generally do grilled fish.  Dh loves the mousse cake and I think the basil sorbet is special.

 

Le Bistro has been on the up-swing.  We tried the crab wrapped in smoked salmon appetizer and it is lovely.  The lamb chops are wonderful as is the coq au vin and the sea bass.

 

And lastly we enjoy La Cucina.  I know many people have problems with it but we never have.  I enjoy the grilled salmon w/white beans (and I’m specific with temp i want it cooked to) and the red snapper or chicken cacciatore are good; and the Osso Bucco may be one of best entrees on board.

Several have recommended the crab wrapped in smoked salmon appetizer.  I had planned on ordering it next cruise.  However, it has been removed from the online menu's in the last few weeks.

[greatestvalue]

We just did all 3 of these on our Panama Canal cruise.  I have to say Ocean Blue was the most fun, because we did the upcharge for the lobster.  Wore bibs, and it was my first time cracking a lobster.  My father would have been so proud of me...LOL 

 

We choose the grilled lobster and it was outstanding.  My husband felt like being royalty that night and the waitress was more than willing to take care of getting all the meat out of the lobster, for him. 

 

LaBistro - we were so afraid we would not like/want anything on that menu.  As its just not our style of food.  However, it was the best Medium Well Filet I have ever eaten. I dont usually order filet because they have never been able to cook it outside of red.  This filet was beyond amazing.  The French Onion soup was awesome.  

 

Cagneys - we always get the prime rib.  Never fails.  And the chocolate layer cake was to rich for us this time.  However, we found a new loved dessert the caramel cheesecake.  If you cant eat it during dinner just ask them for it to go.  

 

All great restaurants...just depends on what you feel like eating!  All of them will also be good because you dont have to cook or clean!  Enjoy

[OttawaJohn]

Everyone will have their own views obviously, but we love Cagneys, especially the pork chop.

 

Only ate at Ocean Blue once but it was delicious.

 

Personally, we found the food at Le Bistro too rich for our tastes.

[rxlowry]

13 hours ago, suzequ said:

 

Le Bistro has been on the up-swing.  We tried the crab wrapped in smoked salmon appetizer and it is lovely.  The lamb chops are wonderful as is the coq au vin and the sea bass.

 

 

The crab and salmon app was so good!  Alas, it was removed.  

[Beer Belly]

We were on the Getaway in April of 2022 and gave Ocean Blue a shot. I had some sort of Fisherman's Platter, and Scallops and Pork Bellies. Fishermans Platter was okay, fish had bones (huge turnoff), Scallops and Pork Bellies was phenomenal IMO. Wife had the Iceberg Lettuce (she absolutely loved it), and some sort of dish with Mussels and Clams which she was surprised came as some sort of soup, never touched it. I did get food poisoning from my meal at Ocean Blue, but that is just my experience. We've had Cagneys a few times, never disappointed, and during our upcoming Prima sailing, will hit Cagneys again, and will be trying LeBistro for the first time.

[SunshineGal2022]

How is the filet at Ocean Blue compared to Le Bistro?  OB has no surcharge. I haven’t seen the best reviews at Cagneys lately so I was avoiding that restaurant.  

[BirdTravels]

Our last Cagney's attempt was on the Prima. The service was a bit better than "usual". We ordered a filet and a porterhouse. Both medium-rare. The porterhouse was near medium-well. The filet was under,,, it went back to the kitchen. I was kinda shocked that the exact same steak, cut in half, was re-served (i.e., they put a contaminated steak back into the oven). 

 

For a restaurant whose primary product is steaks for a charge, it is embarrassing that you can't hit a temp. That's culinary school 101. And if you can't tell the temp by touch, pull the thermometer out of your sleeve and make sure product goes out prepared to order. Even an armature like me can tell the temp of a steak by touch. 

[seemoreroyals]

1 hour ago, SunshineGal2022 said:

How is the filet at Ocean Blue compared to Le Bistro?  OB has no surcharge. I haven’t seen the best reviews at Cagneys lately so I was avoiding that restaurant.  

 

Wife and I both ordered filet at Cagneys  on the Bliss in November.  Cooked perfectly.  Probably best steak we have ever had on a cruise ship.  If we dined there 10 times it's anyone's guess how many times it would be cooked to this level of perfection. 

 

As others have said food and food service is highly subjective and dependent on many variables.  At the present time Cagneys is at the top of our list for specialty diners.  That may change after our next cruise.

[PappyDays]

We ate at Cagneys, Le Bistro and La Cucina on our recent cruise on the Escape, and I’d rank them best to worst in that order. The service we had at Cagneys was the best of the three and my ribeye was cooked perfectly at medium rare. The seven layer chocolate cake is also one of the best cakes I’ve ever had even though I couldn’t finish it. This was our second time eating at Le Bistro, and my meal was very good, but my wife’s special dietary needs were not fulfilled to her satisfaction this time compared to our first visit where we we were both very impressed. Our Le Bistro server was also not as good this time as our first experience. Having said that, I’ll go back to both Cagneys and Le Bistro in the future. La Cucina was a bit of a service disappointed and food disappointment. I don’t recommend their fish dishes. We’ll probably give it another try someday, but not before trying other restaurants on board. 

[Lupush]

For me, it's LeBistro every time.  I did not care for Ocean Blue at all when we were on Encore this past October.  I thought the menu was very bland and uninspired.  Cagneys has gone downhill over the years in my opinion.  The meat quality is not what it was pre-pandemic.

[KKB]

On the Getaway Ocean Blue was THE BOMB & Cagney's was very good; Le Bistro was OK. (August)

 

On the Encore last month...

Ocean Blue was NOT as good as Getaway--it was OK.

(and I ordered virtually the same things I did on the Getaway as they were THAT GOOD)

We felt Cagney's was better than Ocean Blue, tho still not as good as on the Getaway.

 

 

[FLcruisergrl]

Ocean Blue. Cagney’s is good. I’ve tried Le Bistro twice now and disliked it both times. The 2nd time made me sick. The bread at Ocean Blue is wonderful, as is the Blazing Shrimp appetizer and the chocolate dessert.

[farmecologist]

33 minutes ago, Lupush said:

For me, it's LeBistro every time.  I did not care for Ocean Blue at all when we were on Encore this past October.  I thought the menu was very bland and uninspired.  Cagneys has gone downhill over the years in my opinion.  The meat quality is not what it was pre-pandemic.

 

Good to hear.  The only decent reservations I could snag for our upcoming cruise was LeBistro and La Cucina.  I have been reading the fillets at LeBistro are arguably better than Cagneys..which surprised me.

 

We wanted to reserve Ocean Blue....but nothing available.  We may try to switch La Cucina to Ocean Blue once on board....but after looking at the menus, La Cucina actually looks pretty good.  Either way...we won't starve.  🤣  The Osso Buco at La Cucina looks right up my alley as well.  

 

[FLcruisergrl]

1 minute ago, farmecologist said:

 

Good to hear.  The only decent reservations I could snag for our upcoming cruise was LeBistro and La Cucina.  I have been reading the fillets at LeBistro are arguably better than Cagneys..which surprised me.

 

We wanted to reserve Ocean Blue....but nothing available.  We may try to switch La Cucina to Ocean Blue once on board....but after looking at the menus, La Cucina actually looks pretty good.  Either way...we won't starve.  🤣  The Osso Buco at La Cucina looks right up my alley as well.  

 

The filet at La Cucina was the best I’ve had.

[Brian V]

We were on Encore last September:

 

Ocean Blue - my meal was good, my wife's was disappointing - her scallops were under, like nearly sashimi under. Very surprising...they got sent back

 

Onda we both loved, would go back in a heartbeat. Not going to say the best I've had - you want Bolognaise go to Bologna 🍝 Can't compare it to la Cucina as we have never dined there.

 

La Bistro - This is our absolute favorite every time we have cruised regardless of ship 😍

Best fillet I have ever had, the onion soup is to die for, the escargot swimming in garlic butter...yum!  

The wife usually gets the Sole, perfect and flaky, moist, delicious! Great desserts.

 

We have not tried Cagney's - We have no problem getting really good steak in Alberta 🙂

 

We also tried Food Republic (good food, lots of fun but don't waste a specialty meal on it, just pay for it if you want to go) and Q BBQ (was OK but have had much better BBQ).

 

Your mileage may vary...

Edited February 2, 2023 by Brian V
Typo

[phillygwm]

It depends on the ship.  I've noted differences in quality among the same restaurants on different ships.  Depends on the chefs so unless you catch someone on the cruise before yours, you won't know until you know.

 

All else being equal, Le Bistro because the service (regardless of ship) is over the top.  Cagney's would be second.  I've been to Ocean Blue and enjoyed it as well, though I ordered a steak because I'm not a seafood fan.  

 

Basically, as long as you have a good chef/manager you won't regret any of the choices.

[P@inSWCO]

I agree with Phillygwm.  We've ate at all three on several different ships and have only really had one poor experience total over the years. Service is over the top at LeBistro and quality of the food is overall the best.   Cagney's still might be my favorite because I just love their menu and it is a little more relaxed the the other two.   Ocean Blue has been great and we've had some misses.   My recommendation would be to eat earlier than later there.   The times we've had hiccups have been at later reservation times.   With that said, I will never say anything negative about NCL's Food and Bev staff.  They bust their butts for an amazing experience day after day!   Side note, probably my favorite dish all time is the pan seared tuna at Onda.   

Edited February 3, 2023 by P@inSWCO