Norwegian Cruise Line’s La Cucina is the cruise line’s Italian specialty restaurant, serving classic dishes like pasta, risotto, seafood, pizza, and hearty entrées inspired by traditional Italian cuisine.
La Cucina is a venue designed to bring together traditional Italian flavors in a relaxed setting with handmade pastas, classic sauces, pizzas, and comforting entrées.
During my recent European cruise aboard Norwegian Pearl, we decided to use another one of our included Free at Sea specialty dining credits to give La Cucina another chance.
Because we were disembarking in Ravenna, Italy, we thought the last night of our cruise should be spent at La Cucina with an Italian dinner. After sailing around the Mediterranean, ending the evening with pasta and Italian comfort food before arriving in Venice seemed like the perfect choice.
However, this wasn’t our first time dining at La Cucina. My friend, Rosina, and I had previously tried La Cucina aboard Norwegian Dawn during our Africa cruise, and unfortunately, we weren’t very impressed.
The meal felt fairly average and ended up being one of the more forgettable specialty dining experiences from that sailing. We paid out of pocket for the experience, which made it more disappointing.
Because of that, our expectations were probably lower than the average person heading into dinner. Thankfully, this experience was much better.
La Cucina was warm and inviting, with a cozy atmosphere that was more relaxed than Le Bistro. It still felt slightly more upscale than the main dining room and reminded me of an Italian trattoria.
On our sailing aboard Norwegian Pearl, it was $40 per person to dine at La Cucina. Guests using Free at Sea specialty dining could apply one of their included meals instead of paying for the cover charge.
Because our dining package covered the meal, this was an easy choice for us! And unlike our previous experience aboard Norwegian Dawn, this dinner changed our opinion of La Cucina.
The food was much better and several of the dishes surprised us. Overall, La Cucina on Norwegian Pearl exceeded our expectations.
Here’s a look at the La Cucina menu and everything we ordered aboard Norwegian Pearl.
Note: This menu is from our May 2026 sailing aboard Norwegian Pearl and reflects offerings available during our cruise.
Norwegian’s La Cucina is more relaxed than other specialty restaurants
Compared to some of the other restaurants on Norwegian Cruise Line, La Cucina is more relaxed.
The menu focuses on classic Italian comfort food, including pasta dishes, seafood, risotto, salads, pizza, and heavier entrées. You’ll find dishes like carbonara, lasagna, shrimp fra diavolo, osso bucco, and tiramisú alongside lighter options and vegetarian selections.
The vibe reminded me of an Olive Garden with its cozy and inviting ambiance. This is a great option for families, couples, date nights, or anyone wanting classic Italian comfort food.
Most guests were dressed in smart casual attire, although the restaurant itself didn’t feel especially dressy.
Norwegian La Cucina Menu (2026)
Zuppa / Insalate / Pasta
- Pasta e Fagioli: Cannellini bean soup, pancetta, pasta
- Mozzarella Caprese: Heirloom tomatoes, basil
- Risotto ai Funghi di Bosco: Wild mushroom risotto
- Calamari Fritti: Marinara sauce
- Insalata con Pere, Noci e Gorgonzola: Mixed greens, pear, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, choice of dressing
- Spaghetti Carbonara: Pancetta, egg yolk, black pepper, pecorino cheese
Pizza (12-Inch)
- Margherita: Mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil
- Vegetali: Mozzarella, peppers, onions, mushrooms, black olives, garlic
- Meat Lovers: Mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, ham, mild peppers, onions
Secondi
- Salmon Grigliato con Crema di Cannellini e Croccantino di Prosciutto: Grilled salmon, white beans, crispy cured ham
- Gamberi Fra Diavolo: Sautéed shrimp, spicy tomato sauce, linguini
- Pappardelle al Ragù di Costine di Manzo: Pappardelle pasta, braised short rib, tomato ragù, soffrito, pecorino romano
- Scaloppina di Maiale Marsala: Sautéed pork scaloppini, dry marsala sauce, mushrooms
- Pollo Cacciatore: Chicken simmered in fresh tomatoes, rosemary garlic sauce, peppers, onions
- Osso Bucco alla Milanese: Braised lamb shank, lemon, garlic and parsley gremolata, saffron risotto
- Beef Lasagne al Forno: Beef bolognese, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cream sauce
Add a Lobster Tail to any Entrée ($25 Supplement)
Dolci
- Tiramisú: Lady fingers, espresso, mascarpone cream
- Panna Cotta alla Vaniglia: Blackberry marsala compote, meringue crunch
- Cannoli: Sweet ricotta filling, pistachios, chocolate, tutti frutti
- Torta di Ricotta con Crema al Limone: Ricotta cheesecake, lemon curd, milk chocolate sauce
Café
- Espresso Single (3.25)
- Espresso Double (3.65)
- Cappuccino (4.45)
- Caffè Latte (4.45)
Review of everything we ordered at La Cucina
Here’s everything we tried during dinner at NCL’s La Cucina restaurant, along with our honest thoughts.
Bread service
Our experience at La Cucina started with warm bread served alongside olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
We really liked this! The bread was warm and fresh, and the olive oil with balsamic made it hard to stop snacking while waiting for appetizers.
Mozzarella Caprese
The Caprese salad was good, although it wasn’t especially memorable in my opinion.
The tomatoes tasted fresh, but I would have liked more basil and maybe even some extra pesto to boost the flavor a bit. It felt like it needed just a little more to make it stand out.
Insalata con Pere, Noci e Gorgonzola
This salad ended up being a pleasant surprises of dinner. It tasted very fresh and had a nice balance between the greens, pears, walnuts, and cheese. We both really liked this one.
Pizza
The pizza at La Cucina really surprised us!
During our previous cruise aboard Norwegian Dawn, we actually thought the buffet pizza was better than what we had at La Cucina, which definitely lowered expectations heading into this meal.
Luckily, that wasn’t the case here. This pizza was quite good and noticeably better than the buffet version we had onboard Norwegian Pearl. Rosina especially liked this pizza, and continued mentioning how tasty it was even after the cruise!
Beef Lasagne al Forno
I ordered the lasagna and thought it was fantastic. It ended up being one of my favorite dishes of the entire cruise!
The lasagna was warm, hearty, cheesy, and super flavorful. Sometimes lasagna can feel overly heavy, but this one had a really nice balance.
Pappardelle al Ragù di Costine di Manzo
The bolognese pasta was good, although Rosina said she had better versions before. The pasta itself was fine, but the sauce felt a little underwhelming. It could have used more seasoning and stronger flavor overall.
Although it was good, this one wasn’t super memorable.
Desserts
Of course, we had to try all of the desserts on the menu! The tiramisú was really yummy and one of our favorites from the dessert menu.
The cannolis were pretty good too, although they tasted slightly stale. I love a good cannoli, and this one was good enough for me.
The ricotta cheesecake with lemon ended up being one of my favorites! It was tart, fresh, creamy, and had a nice brightness after such a heavy meal.
Finally, the panna cotta was also quite good and lighter than the other dessert options. If you like a lighter end to your meal, this is a good one to consider.
Should you try La Cucina on Norwegian?
La Cucina ended up exceeding our expectations.
To be fair, our expectations were probably lower than most people because of our previous experience aboard Norwegian Dawn. We walked into dinner remembering a fairly average meal and hoping this visit would be better.
Thankfully, it was. We really liked the ambiance at La Cucina, the service was quick, and the food was generally very tasty. The food was also better than our previous experience.
The pizza was one of the highlights for us, and I absolutely loved the lasagna!
And because the cover charge was lower than the other restaurants at $40, I think this is a great restaurant to visit during your Norwegian cruise. You will want to keep in mind that the other restaurants have higher cover charges, which makes your specialty dining credits more valuable.
But, I would definitely visit La Cucina again on a future Norwegian cruise. Norwegian Pearl redeemed my perception of this Italian staple, and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes pizza, pasta, and classic Italian staples.
