A closer look at the restaurants and bars onboard Norwegian Dawn

We embarked on a deep dive of Norwegian Dawn as NCL returned to African waters in 2024 for its second and longest season.

Norwegian Dawn offers passengers culinary gems that range from the contemporary to the classic. Yes, the beauty of having seven complimentary dining options onboard and a range of specialty eateries means that many of the world’s most celebrated cuisines are represented. It also means there will be a diverse range of dining and drinking options to please even the pickiest palate.

You can read all about what it’s like to sail on a Norwegian Dawn cruise and get the lowdown on the rooms and suites. Otherwise, read on to discover everything from where to get the best burger, which pasta dish you’d like to give a twirl, and which main dining room should be on your radar. Here’s the lowdown on the seven complimentary dining options and eight specialty eateries.

Hot tip: Download the NCL app ahead of your cruise to ensure you don’t miss out on the restaurants you want to dine at as reservations fill up quickly.

Complimentary Dining| Specialty Dining | Bars

Norwegian Dawn Complimentary Dining

Aqua

This Main Dining Room can seat a whopping 338 passengers. Not that you’d know it when dining at Aqua. The eatery, refurbished in 2016, has been carved up into intimate spaces with a mix of tables set for two, four or more. The best spot, in my view, is in the cushioned embrace of one of the plush banquettes upholstered in a metallic-grey fabric that colour matches with the silvery gleam of the sea.

There are chandeliers that hang upside down like driftwood sculptures fashioned from beach glass and partitions that divide the main dining area. Head here for lunch of hummus and peperonata with grilled pita bread or a spinach Caesar salad. The fish cake sanga is also a good shout.

Venetian

The Venetian is decked out in a kind of Old World opulence and was our favourite place to dine. There are tables squeezed quite close together that encourage chit-chat between adjacent diners. Others are spaced apart for intimate tables of two. Read the room to determine whether those seated beside you want to join you in a conversation or stick to their happy huddle.

We settled on the Venetian as our mainstay after a week on our 12-night Norwegian Dawn cruise around Africa. The best thing about dining here most days is we got to know our waiters by name and knew to arrive 10 minutes before service to nab a table with a view. We’d go to the gym via the Venetian after a breakfast of Bircher muesli. Get seated to watch the sky turn to copper at sunset over beef moussaka and a rich red from California.

Bamboo: A Taste of Asia

Bamboo is one of the hottest tickets onboard. Be ready to join a group of diners to enjoy a parade of pan-Asian dishes such as kung pao chicken, spicy seafood Udon noodles, Peking-style chicken and vegetable fried rice.

Meals at Bamboo are included with your cruise fare and the restaurant is popular for its appetisers (think pot stickers and spring rolls). The complimentary menu is rather concise,  but you can also order sushi and sashimi at a la carte prices and premium entrees such as Cantonese lobster and Chilean sea bass.

There’s a full sake bar within the restaurant. But non-smokers should be aware that the smell of cigarettes may waft up from the casino and cigar lounge which are directly below.

Bimini Bar & Grill

This casual come-as-you-are Key West-style beach bar and grill is a must for burgers, hot dogs and fries. Forget your keto diet for a day and indulge in your favourite comfort foods. Afterwards? Spend an hour or so doing laps of the top deck drinking in the salty sea breeze.

All up, the casual eatery overlooking the pool seats about 130. It’s best to go in a group to Bimini Bar & Grill as there are often live bands on the deck and there is stadium-style seating nearby with ocean views.

Garden Café

This indoor buffet-style restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The seating capacity is 404 and unless you get here early you can forget about a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Breakfast is served on the apple-green chairs in the Garden Café between 7am to 10.30am; lunch between noon and 1.30pm and dinner between 5pm and 9.30pm. There are also grab-and-go snacks from 9.30pm-11.30pm.

Make like Homer Simpson and do a hot lap of the Garden Café to devise a plan of attack. Know there are multiple omelette stations at breakfast time, a carver’s station at lunch and dinner, and pop-ups that range from a wok station to a pizzeria. There’s also a juice bar selling fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Head here in non-peak times to avoid the rush.

Topsiders

I didn’t try Topsiders, but the bar is located on Deck 12 near the Oasis Pool and hot tubs. Topsiders is the extension of the Garden Café and serves burgers and hot dogs and is open from noon to 5pm.

O’Sheehan’s Neighbourhood Bar & Grill

O’Sheehan’s is filled to capacity on sea days. The venue seats 128 on a mix of high tables and booths in hues of chocolate and green. And it was generally agreed upon that English-style classics such as fish and chips and bangers and mash are the gold standard here.

The 24-hour restaurant is super casual and the staff ultra efficient. There’s a direct view of the stage where musicians perform in the main atrium below and it’s a top spot for a laid-back dinner without a price tag. The Irish pub doubles as a sports bar and is a great spot to cheer on your favourite team.

Norwegian Dawn Specialty Dining

Eating our way around a few of the specialty dining venues was one of the highlights of the cruise. As NCL newbies, we made the mistake of not booking all our Specialty Dining venues onboard Norwegian Dawn ahead of time, as was recommended. And while we still managed last-minute reservations by queuing each day to determine if there’d been any cancellations, take the advice offered by NCL and book in advance. Reservations are required for all the specialty restaurants.

Cagney’s Steakhouse

Although Cagney’s is obviously a meat-centric venue, the seafood is also on point. While carnivores will love the slabs of Angus beef and lamb, the ahi tuna tartare and surf and turf with filet mignon and lobster tail are also outstanding.

The upscale steakhouse, all dark woods and elegant seating, is named after tough-guy Hollywood actor James Cagney who was known for his love of good food. Do order the double-cut Australian lamb chops  with an iceberg wedge with blue cheese and bacon bits on the side. The truffle fries are also exceptional.

Moderno Churrascaria

On paper, Moderno’s is an airy, intimate Brazilian steakhouse aimed squarely at rampant carnivores. But the salad bar at the Churrascaria also deserves its own sonnet. In fact, said salad bar is so sensational that it’s easy to do a Peter Rabbit and peak especially when you serve yourself a mountain of Caesar salad. Do save some room for the skewers of meat being carved at the table by the passionate pasadores. There’s also a world-class selection of condiments, cured meats and cheeses.

Moderno is an intimate Brazilian steakhouse.

La Cucina

The pasta on offer at La Cucina showcases the kitchen’s skills to good effect. Wining and dining in this modern dining room is also a pleasure thanks to timber tones and muted nautical palette. In addition to the curved banquettes that border the room, there is a selection of tables anchored to the centre of the dining room. The ceilings in La Cucina are low, and the dim lighting complements the intimate space. Although this is a place for people with big appetites, you can keep it light with insalata di rucola e grana and pollo cacciatore.

La Cucina is Norwegian Dawn’s Italian specialty eatery.

Los Lobos Cantina

Los Lobos Cantina is one of the most popular restaurants onboard Norwegian Dawn especially on port days when those returning from shore excursions are handsomely rewarded with unpretentious Mexican street food. Gourmands will know that good food doesn’t require a white tablecloth. But there’s also something about the riot of colour that sets the scene in this 66-seater dining room. Sit near the windows that frame the view to enjoy margaritas and guacamole followed by tacos stuffed with pollo adobado (dry-rubbed rotisserie chicken).

Los Lobos Cantina serves up unpretentious Mexican street food.

Le Bistro

We didn’t manage to secure a dinner reservation at Le Bistro but those that did were buzzed about the French cuisine on offer. The décor at the bistro is meant to transport diners to the charming sidewalk cafés of Paris. Make up your own mind about the experience over escargot, foie gras and coq au vin and a bottle of Chablis.

Le Bistro is the go-to for French cuisine fiends.

Teppanyaki

One is guaranteed to eat well at Teppanyaki, a nod to the Japanese style of cooking where dinner and a show are guaranteed. Gather here with strangers who will likely become friends while you bond over a menu designed to showcase the knife skills of the chefs who slice, chop and grill steak, seafood, chicken and vegetables on a large steel grill in front of you. Forget about fine wine. Sake and wasabi cocktails are the preferred option here. Arrive hungry. Teppanyaki is near to the casual Sushi Bar on Deck 7 where sushi and sashimi are prepared fresh to order.

Dinner and a show are guaranteed at Teppanyaki.

Java Café

Caff-fiends take their passion seriously. And connoisseurs onboard Norwegian Dawn all seem to agree the Java Café had the best coffee onboard. Order a cappuccino with a pastry from the Bake Shop Treats to go and eat every last crumb.

Whether you’re down for an immersive shore excursion or it’s an action-packed sea day, you’re going to need the energy. Java is always jumping as the bar is in the main atrium.

Norwegian Dawn Bars

Sugarcane Mojito Bar

What better place to enjoy a refreshing rum-based cocktail than at the Sugarcane Mojito Bar? Ask the barkeep to muddle you up a jalapeno cucumber mojito garnished with mint leaves, jalapenos and lime wedges. You can upgrade your cocktails by ordering off the drinks list of Premium Plus Spirits which includes a Mojito Flight of six of the signature drinks. The small bar is a sidecar to Moderno and has inside and outside tables.

Sugarcane Mojito Bar offers a Mojito Flight.

Gatsby’s Champagne Bar

This bar on Deck 6 is also next to the casino and in relative proximity to the glass-enclosed Havana Club Cigar Bar. A quick look at the forums shows that we’re not alone in being offended by the smell of cigarette smoke, which seems to linger in the carpet here. If this doesn’t bother you, it’s a great place to meet and partake in a range of activities.

The bar is open to Deck 7 and serves a range of drinks in addition to sparkling wine. In addition to a roster of pianists who play themed sets at night, the bar also stages origami, trivia and jewellery seminars.

Dawn Club Casino Bar

There are some cruise passengers, like me, who avoid the casino at all costs and are picky about where they splash their cash. This is for those who like to gamble and play the pokies.

Bliss Ultra Lounge

Bliss is open late, and aimed at those who like to party. By day, the ship’s second main show lounge is reserved for bingo, dance classes and game shows such as the Not-so-Newlywed Show. At night, Bliss can accommodate up to 460 guests and has its own bar and dance floor. The ship seemed to be divided into two parts: those who boogied at Bliss all night and those who went to the fitness centre.

The Cellars – A Michael Mondavi Family Wine Bar

This intimate bar was one of our favourite bars on the ship. It’s where we sampled a selection of premium wine chosen by NCL’s sommelier as part of a wine-tasting session. Once you’ve brushed up on your wine knowledge at the tasting table you can order wine with dinner based on what you’ve sipped and swished at The Cellars.

The Cellars is an intimate wine bar.

The Cellars celebrates Michael Mondavi, the winemaker who helped to establish the Napa Valley, and this tutored tasting includes many varietals from this world-class grape-growing region of California. A top spot for a pre- or post-dinner drink.

It’s the perfect spot for a pre- or post-dinner drink.

Dive deeper into NCL’s Norwegian Dawn with our extensive review of the staterooms and suites, as well as the overall cruise review of Norwegian Dawn.