MSC Bellissima – Food and Dining
Welcome to the second post in our Bellissima reviews – in the first we talked about our Inside Cabin (you can read that here); in this review we are going to talk all things food and dining.
From when you wake up until you go to bed, there is food available, the buffet is actually open 20 hours a day! If food is important to you like it is to us, hopefully you will find this article useful as we’ll take you through the main dining venues.
By the way, if you haven’t already seen our full Bellissima ship tour (one of the most comprehensive Bellissima tours you can find might we add), head of to our YouTube channel or click here.
Market Place Buffet
One thing we were very impressed with on our previous MSC cruise on Preziosa was the buffet. We usually try and avoid buffets as they are a right pain the backside – you end up stuck behind dithering people, get pushed and shoved and then end up searching for somewhere to sit while your hot food gets cold and the cold food warm – leaving you with a plate full of disappointment.
Anyhow, like we said, the buffet on Preziosa was great so we were definitely looking forward to see what Bellissima would have to offer. We’re happy to report it too was great!
With a wide variety of food on offer and loads of seating, we ate here several times during the cruise. Usually we skip breakfast to avoid the hassle, but heading to the back of the buffet you could always find a quiet spot. There were even some tables outside overlooking the wake, a beautiful spot to sit and eat. We did hear other passengers comment that there wasn’t a great selection, we really couldn’t agree with them on that as we thought there was a really good one, better than we’ve had on other ships.
Main Dining Rooms (Le Cerisier, Il Ciliegio, Lighthouse Restaurant and Posidonia Restaurant)
Our assigned dining room was Le Cerisier at 9pm on a table of 8. We thought this was a little late and are not fans of big tables, a table of 4 is ok, but 8 is far too many as we find keeping up with all the conversations can be hard with everyone talking. We queued up and managed to change our dining time to 8:30 and a table of 2, but being in a row of other tables it meant you were close enough to talk to the table next to you.
One thing you will notice is how close the tables are, they are very close – amazing how the waiters can manoeuvre around. Our waiter was Tony, he was a nice guy and made sure we were always happy and our wine glass never empty!
The food quality and choice has definitely improved since our Preziosa cruise. We don’t think there was one dodgy meal during our nights in the Main Dining Room.
Butchers Cut
Best meal of the cruise. Fact! Actually, it’s probably one of the best speciality dining venues on any ship.
This was one of the restaurants in our Dining package. American themed, you will find a selection of craft beers, American wines and cocktails to quench your thirst and some delicious food. We opted to eat outside the actual restaurant in the area over looking the galleria.
We went for a Shrimp Cocktail and Chop salad for starters, followed by a steak for our main course and a scrumptious desert of New York cheesecake and Peanut Butter chocolate cookie. Yummmmm!
The food was spectacular! We could have eaten here every night!
Carousel Lounge
The Carousel Lounge is where you will find Cirque Du Soleil at sea. We didn’t eat here, but instead opted for a cocktail and show. But guests can book a meal and show, so you will enter before the show begins to have your meal. Find out more at MSC reveals the creative process behind Cirque Du Soleil at Sea
¡Hola! Tapas Bar by Romón Freixa
A 56-seat restaurant with both communal and individual seating and a classic tapas menu curated by a daring and innovative master. Throughout the day, HOLA! Tapas Bar serves a selection of delicious food with starters, main dishes or tapas to share along with a variety of wine and beer options and cocktails, like famous Spanish sangría.
Kaito Teppanyaki and Sushi Bar
Described as “modern East-West cooking style of Japanese cuisine on four teppanyaki grills, where chefs delight and entertain guests with spectacular flips and tricks, while preparing authentic, mouth-watering meals. Next door, master sushi chefs prepare the freshest sushi, sashimi and tempura at sea overlooking the bustling promenade”, Kaito is a must visit.
This was another restaurant on our dining package and it was definitely an interesting experience. As first-time sushi eaters, we really enjoyed the meal, starting with miso soup and then some shrimp, a selection of sushi and a desert of Green Tea ice-cream.
One point of criticism and big let down here was the service. Firstly, being turned away at our booked time as they were ‘too busy’ and then once we did get seated, the server seemed rushed and confused. We were never offered drinks and couldn’t get the attention of the server, but conveniently Masters of the Sea was next door so we popped there to grab drinks so that was problem solved. Overall the food was good but the service was a BIG let-down. Maybe next time we will try the Teppanyaki?
L’Atelier Bistrot
New to MSC this bistro offers a selection of savoury snacks such as tartares, charcuterie and cheese selections, as well as larger traditional French dishes such as Boeuf Bourguignon, Steak Tartare and duck confit.
Another of our dining package venues, we had a great window seat but unfortunately it was dark so we didn’t really get a view.
We both opted for the quiche starter which tasked nice – followed by Liver and a rib eye steak before finishing with an Apple tart and Lemon Curd tart. The food was nice and we had a very enjoyable evening here.
Sweet treats
If you are looking for sweet treat, you have two places to head, but remember they are paid for venues.
Jean-Philippe Maury Chocolat & Café
- Over a thousand possibilities to customise personal chocolate bars on an electronic tablet
- 16 types of chocolate bars
- 13 types of macarons
- 6 types of round truffles • 40 kinds of chocolate products and biscuits
Jean-Philippe Maury Crêpes & Gelato
- 13 flavours of ice cream
- 4 flavours of sorbet
- 10 types of signature crêpes
- 5 types of milkshakes
- 3 “stay fit” blend beverages
- 4 types of smoothie
- 9 types of sundae
Dining Packages
Just thought we had to mention these. If like us you want to get a taste of all the restaurants, the dining package offered exceptional value for money. Purchasing each package at the restaurants would work out more expensive, so buy before you go!
There are a number of packages available, log in to the website and you will see what is on offer and remember if you pre book the package – there are huge savings to be had.
Hopefully that has ticked your taste buds and giving you a good idea of what to expect when it comes to dining on the beautiful MSC Bellissima. Please take a look at the posts below for more MSC Bellissima goodness.
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MSC Bellissima Inside Cabin Review & Video (Bella 9016)
MSC Bellissima Maiden Cruise Diary
