Bistro on 5....I tried, really, I tried

[Muushka]

A cornucopia of opinions about Bistro on 5!

 

They cooked ours made to order...and some cooks there are better than others.

 

I think that may be the key, made to order. Not sitting in a pan for hours.

 

From my experience, the service is usually extremely slow. This is primarily because the wait staff (and maybe the cooks, too) are trainees. You can see how nervous they are, and how awkward. If you aren't in a hurry and you make it very clear what you want, it can be quite tasty.

 

I did notice that about the servers, they did seem inexperienced. I really don't mind that though. We all had to start somewhere.

 

Thanks for all of the opinions. When we go, I will try to 'customize' my order so that hopefully it will be custom (read: freshly prepared) for me. I'm low carb now so maybe ordering just the filling with extra onions for example might yield a delicious dish. Fingers crossed!

[jelayne]

We have tried 3 times on different ships- food was mediocre at best and service was horrible! Last time we tried Bistro on 5 was on the Eclipse in July and DH had to get up and go to the Martini Bar get me a glass of wine because we couldn't find a waiter.

[Ma Bell]

When Bistro first started the crepes were made to order out in front where you could see them and the waiters were all from the specialty restaurants. Things have changed.

 

As I said, it's not the greatest food but is mostly good to very good at times and it's a nice place to have a relaxing meal.

[hulamoon]

I will say the service was very good during my first cruises however it was poorer during the last two...like they put very green people in there. I had no idea they stopped doing made to order.

 

The buffet can be overwhelming and we dislike walking around trying to find a seat. I like the buffet when it is slow.

[elena7seas]

When Bistro first started the crepes were made to order out in front where you could see them and the waiters were all from the specialty restaurants. Things have changed.

 

As I said, it's not the greatest food but is mostly good to very good at times and it's a nice place to have a relaxing meal.

 

I was on the Silhouette in October and went to Bistro for our embarkation lunch, as we always do. We were the first people in the Bistro for at least the first 40 minutes and the service was still exceptionally slow, as it always has been. I just don't get why that is, but we don't really care. I too love the serene, relaxing ambiance in Bistro, and am just so happy, and relieved, to be on the ship, with a glass of wine in hand. I know that eventually someone will bring me a freshly-prepared lunch, without me having to trip over someone's luggage, or avoid being hit in the head by someone's backpack, up in the buffet. (This is a bigger issue for me, at 5'1" than it is for my husband at 5'10", but let me assure you, it's dangerous down there, so I will do almost anything to avoid the buffet on embarkation day.)

 

I have never had a bad crepe at Bistro, and I have had terrific crepes in Paris and in Montreal, so I know a decent crepe when I see one. Bistro may not serve the best crepes I have ever had, but they have all been freshly cooked and acceptably thin....nothing like a pancake, and they have all arrived hot to the table. I always have the same thing...a buffalo chicken crepe, which is hardly traditional, but I enjoy it, as I do the dulce de leche crepe I have for dessert.

 

I am always surprised that they haven't ramped up the menu and the service in Bistro, because it is clearly underused, which it really shouldn't be.

[floralscent]

I agree the crepes are certainly nothing to write home about and the soup and salads are average at best. Even though the service is at a snails pace and we aren't thrilled with the food...we find it peaceful and very nice to sit and relax since we typically are nearly the only people in the restaurant.

 

All of your comments make me feel better as I thought we were the only ones that felt this way.

[royalcruz]

We ate there and the crepes were not true crepes... but I enjoy the quiet ambiance and eat their salads....and the lady threw in a glass of wine for me... :D

 

CC

 

Why do you say they aren't "true crepes"? They use the same crepe making appliance that I've seen all over Paris. Is it the batter that isn't a true crepe?

[jkgourmet]

A cornucopia of opinions about Bistro on 5!

 

 

 

I think that may be the key, made to order. Not sitting in a pan for hours.

 

 

 

I did notice that about the servers, they did seem inexperienced. I really don't mind that though. We all had to start somewhere.

 

Thanks for all of the opinions. When we go, I will try to 'customize' my order so that hopefully it will be custom (read: freshly prepared) for me. I'm low carb now so maybe ordering just the filling with extra onions for example might yield a delicious dish. Fingers crossed!

 

Warning: Onions are not low carb.

[lara68]

The food is just mediocre and I don't even like crepes! What we do LOVE is the peaceful atmosphere amidst all the frenzy on the day we board and avoiding the madhouse in the Oceanview! A glass or two of wine also helps!

[uktog]

Food is so variable.

 

Service is also so variable - the explanation on trainees might explain things as on embarkation day it was almost comical - at least we had the time to sit and it was as other say a much quieter place to be.

 

It can also be good on a sea day when perhaps the weather is not so good and everyone is trying to pile into the buffet because it is too cool to be on the burger bar or eating outside and the dining room is not serving the sort of dishes you want to choose that day

[jveevers]

Been on S Class for 50 days and never seen more than 3 tables being used at a time. The creperie takes up quite a large area. Given that Celebrity took out Cellar Masters (or was it Michaels Club), because of little use, I dont know why it hasnt been converted to something else.

[Bobocasey]

WE found the food to be at the best average and the service to be really really sub par. Worst service on the entire ship. Won't eat there again.

[flyingv4me]

We loved Bistro on 5 while on the Millie, but they also had paninis on their menu. The Silhouette was just crepes when we were on her. I think the difference was the Silhouette also had the Porch for paninis, a wonderful place away from the crowds by the lawn.

 

Quite frankly, we've grown tired of pancake crepes (WAY too thick) with lukewarm ingredients.

[curtdesilets]

We have not tried Bistro, but my wife is trying to avoid sugar.

 

Are the crepes sweetened with a lot of sugar?

 

Or are there dinner style crepes that are basically not sweet?

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance on this.

[hcat]

Chef Emanuelle on Ref was excellent...esp homemade soups....great salads and paninis...did not try crepes this time around,

 

Maybe the promised new menus will improve attendance and result in more positive feedback...too many areas get converted to bars....so hope they retain the space as a light menu eatery...

 

recent posts about gastropub say food prices are high..only good for drinks...disappointing!

[Muushka]

We have not tried Bistro, but my wife is trying to avoid sugar.

 

Are the crepes sweetened with a lot of sugar?

 

Or are there dinner style crepes that are basically not sweet?

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance on this.

 

At dinner they're not sweet, but if she is trying to avoid sugar, she might look at the carbs instead. Skip the crepe and just eat the filling. And don't add extra onions I guess.:eek:

 

So, can I conclude that Bistro on 5 is like the Emperor's New Clothes?:D

Hopefully the powers at be will read threads such as these and make improvements needed.

[Dorset Cruiser]

We ate there once last year on the Solstice and I loved it. I like savory crepes and I thought these were very good. I don't know how a crepe could be pre-made. The filling maybe, but not the crepe itself.

 

Never tried breakfast there but we are looking at the Solstice for a cruise down under, so I will get my chance.

 

A crepe is like an English pancake which I make in batches and freeze down interleaved with greaseproof paper. I take them out when needed and a minute or so in a hot pan and they make a good, quick dessert. So, yes, a crepe can certainly be pre-made.

 

Went past Bistro most days on our recent Celebrity cruise and hardly saw anyone in there - thought it was a waste of space.

 

 

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Edited December 1, 2014 by Dorset Cruiser

[sheila77]

I cruised on Celebrity for the first time on the Summit in October. I was really excited to go to Bistro on 5. But I too was disappointed. I felt like it was a fat pancake, not a crepe and the fillings tasted like leftovers!

 

We do eat at a restaurant often that serves great crepes - both savory and sweet and really wanted to like Bistro on 5.

 

After reading so many positive reviews here on CC, I thought I just had a bad day in the Bistro. But we only went once, since we did not enjoy the food.

 

But we never went hungry on the cruise

[keithm]

We have eaten here at least 10 times. My husband loves it, me, not so much.

I find the food to taste like leftovers heated up. Not fresh in the least.

I've tried about 5 different ones without any that I would call 'good'.

 

So my question is, anyone else have this problem or is it just me? I always read great comments about it here on the CC.

 

Also, is there something special that you order, maybe in a different way from the menu,

that might make these bad boys taste better?

 

We enjoy getting away from the MDR (especially on long cruises) and this is a great alternative.

 

Thanks!

We ate there a few times(on the Eclipse) we found the food quite nice, more of a "brunch" sort of place.

[Mparis184]

I can't understand why they charge $7 to eat at the Bistro, enen if it was complimentary I would never go again. The food was not very good and their menu was nothing special.

 

 

Marion

[davekathy]

We ate at Bistro on 5 once. It was turn around day on our B2B Cruise on the Summit. No charge. We weren’t impressed. Maybe it’s what we had, even though we both had something different and sampled one another’s. However the service was great.

[ghstudio]

We eat at the bistro on 5 every time we embark on a cruise...to avoid the buffet. In all of our cruises, we have never dined there any other time. The crepes always seem to taste/feel like they have been reheated rather than freshly made...perhaps I've been spoiled by watching them being made in front of me in Paris. Bistro on 5 always seems empty....I often wonder why it's survived this long on the ships. Most anything else would bring in more revenue, even another bar.

[Jaddy]

We ate at Bon5 while we were aboard Connie for the 16 day TA starting in Rome (really Naples) on Nov. 5. It was ok but it was depressing to be in there for dinner and be the only table the entire time. The space is lovely and the waiter was very nice. I was curious about the place so I kept an eye on it for the rest of the voyage. 3 or 4 tables we the max we saw taken, and then mostly by officers. Most of the time there wasn't anyone using the venue. Looked like a morgue.

 

I'm no a marketing expert but it's clear to me thar Bon5 is a failed concept. So here is my idea, convert Bon5 to a New York deli! You know, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches and all that. It would have to be really good stuff or forget it. Call it 5th Street Deli.

 

If there are any similarly minded people out there let's stand on our pickle barrels and demand change!

[Dorset Cruiser]

We ate at Bon5 while we were aboard Connie for the 16 day TA starting in Rome (really Naples) on Nov. 5. It was ok but it was depressing to be in there for dinner and be the only table the entire time. The space is lovely and the waiter was very nice. I was curious about the place so I kept an eye on it for the rest of the voyage. 3 or 4 tables we the max we saw taken, and then mostly by officers. Most of the time there wasn't anyone using the venue. Looked like a morgue.

 

I'm no a marketing expert but it's clear to me thar Bon5 is a failed concept. So here is my idea, convert Bon5 to a New York deli! You know, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches and all that. It would have to be really good stuff or forget it. Call it 5th Street Deli.

 

If there are any similarly minded people out there let's stand on our pickle barrels and demand change!

 

We were on our first (and probably last) Celebrity cruise on Constellation on its Black Sea cruise in October. It just seemed like such a waste of space with hardly any tables in use and at night it was so dark in that bar area with people just using it as a cut-through and we were never tempted to sit and enjoy a drink in the evening.

 

 

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[Lerin]

We ate there a few years ago, it was only $5 then. They threw in a couple random crepes that the chef was apparently testing out(weren't on the menu).

 

Liked it a lot, it was pretty quiet and quite empty. I believe they threw in a free drink too.