Norwegian Cruise Line’s Moderno Churrascaria is a Brazilian-style steakhouse inspired by the traditional churrascarias of southern Brazil. Moderno is a specialty restaurant across Norwegian’s fleet, meaning you will need to pay extra to dine at the South American-style rotisserie.
Instead of ordering one entrée, guests enjoy a continuous tableside service of grilled meats brought directly to the table on large skewers. You choose which cuts you would like to try as the servers make their way around the dining room, making for a fun dining experience!
NCL describes Moderno as a Brazilian steakhouse featuring authentic Brazilian meats and traditional sides. The restaurant also serves classic caipirinhas made with cachaça, lime, and simple syrup.
I’ve dined at Moderno multiple times while cruising with Norwegian Cruise Line, and it’s always such a good experience. It feels similar to a classic Brazilian steakhouse on land, but with the added fun of enjoying it while cruising. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and it feels like the food never ends!
Here’s what you can expect when dining at Moderno Churrascaria with Norwegian Cruise Line, with menu photos and reviews based on my 2026 sailing aboard Norwegian Pearl.
How Norwegian’s Moderno Churrascaria works
Norwegian Cruise Line describes Moderno as a South American-style rotisserie rooted in the traditions of Brazilian gaúchos.
The meal begins with access to a large salad bar filled with far more than just lettuce and vegetables. Depending on the ship and sailing, the selection may include salads, soups, breads, sushi, fresh vegetables, cheeses, cured meats, olives, and other cold dishes.
The salad bar is a fantastic way to start the meal, although it is worth saving room for the main event. Once you sit down, servers begin circulating through the restaurant with skewers of grilled meats. You can accept a piece or ask them to move along, making it easy to try as much, or as little, as you want.
Traditional Brazilian sides are also brought to the table for everyone to share as the carved meats continue coming!
How much does Moderno cost?
Currently, Moderno charges $50 per person to dine at the specialty restaurant. This includes access to the salad bar, shared Brazilian sides, and the tableside service of grilled meats.
Guests with Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea specialty dining package can use one of their specialty dining credits toward a meal at Moderno. This is what we opted to do during our most recent Norwegian cruise, and it was a fantastic way to use our Free at Sea credit!
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Moderno Churrascaria Menu
Brazilian Cocktails
- Caipirinha: Cachaça, fresh lime, sugar
- Strawberry Caipirinha: Cachaça, strawberries, sugar
Salad Bar
- Salad Greens and Fresh Vegetables: A variety of vegetables and salad ingredients
- Prepared Salads: A selection of chilled salads and specialty preparations
- Soup: Rotating soup selections, depending on the sailing
- Sushi: Assorted sushi selections
- Imported and Specialty Cheeses: A variety of cheeses to enjoy before the meat service
- Cured Meats: Charcuterie-style meats and savory selections
- Bread and Pão de Queijo: Traditional Brazilian cheese bread and other bread selections
- Olives and Accompaniments: Additional toppings, garnishes, and cold dishes
Traditional Brazilian Sides
- White Rice
- Black Beans
- Sautéed Mushrooms
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Fried Yucca
- Pão de Queijo: Traditional Brazilian cheese bread
Premium Cuts
- Medalhão de Contrafilé de Carne: New York strip medallion
- Fraldinha: Flank steak
- Picanha: Brazil’s signature cut of top sirloin
- Pernas de Galinha: Parmesan-crusted chicken drumettes
- Picanha de Cordeiro: Lamb top sirloin
- Peito de Frango com Bacon: Bacon-wrapped chicken breast
- Lombinho de Porco: Pork loin
- Linguiça: Brazilian pork sausage
- Barriga de Porco: Pork belly
Moderno Dessert Menu
- Coconut Flan: Toasted coconut
- Rice Pudding: Sweet mango
- Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches Cake: Coconut cream frosting
- Banana Caramel Meringue Tartlet: Dulce de leche
Honest review of NCL’s Moderno Brazilian Steakhouse
Here’s a look at everything we tried during our meal at Moderno Churrascaria, along with our honest thoughts on the drinks, salad bar, sides, meats, and desserts.
Strawberry Caipirinha
I love the strawberry cocktail. It’s so fresh and just a little sweet, making it the perfect drink to start the meal. I always order this one whenever I dine at Moderno.
Pão de Queijo
I also love the Brazilian cheesy bread. It’s very similar to the cheesy bread I tried while actually visiting Brazil, so I’d say it’s quite authentic. We asked for multiple bowls because we could not get enough of it. The bread is warm, soft, and savory, making it very easy to keep eating between courses!
Salad Bar
Moderno has a really nice salad bar with a large selection. It would be easy to get full before the main meal even begins, especially with all the meat still to come.
I usually go for the cheese and cured meats along with my salad, while my friend Rosina always goes for the sushi and fresh vegetables. There are so many options that everyone should be able to find something they enjoy.
Traditional Brazilian Sides
Every table receives the same four sides, although you can request more or less of each. Personally, my favorite sides were the mashed potatoes and fried yucca.
Rosina especially liked the beans, while neither of us was particularly interested in the mushrooms. The sides are served to the table for everyone to share, so there is plenty of opportunity to try a little of everything.
Premium Cuts
Of course, the meats are the star of the show at Moderno. We tried pretty much every option that came around, and everything was very good.
I enjoyed the beef selections the most, especially cuts like picanha, fraldinha, and the New York strip medallion. The chicken was a little dry for our liking, but we also enjoyed the bacon-wrapped options and Brazilian sausage.
The best part is that you can have as much as you would like! The servers continually come around with skewers and freshly carve the meat right in front of you, so you can accept a piece whenever something looks especially good.
Grilled Pineapple
The grilled sweet pineapple was easily one of my favorite parts of the meal. It was incredible, and I had multiple servings. Honestly, I could have made the grilled pineapple my entire dessert and been completely happy.
Desserts
We tried everything available except the rice pudding, including the coconut flan, chocolate coconut tres leches cake, and banana caramel meringue tartlet. My favorites were the chocolate cake and the tart—they were both so delicious.
Is Moderno worth a visit? I’d say yes!
For me, Moderno is absolutely worth trying, especially when using an included specialty dining benefit such as Free at Sea. It offers plenty of variety, generous portions, and an experience that feels different from the main dining room.
The menu and availability can vary by ship and itinerary, so it is a good idea to check the NCL app or onboard menu for the most current details. But if Moderno is available on your sailing, I would definitely recommend making a reservation.
