StuartThere are many places to eat on board Azamara Pursuit, both included and at an extra charge. However, I didn’t really feel the need to eat in the extra-charge restaurants as the included dining was so good. However, I will mention them here for reference.
Windows Café
This is the Azamara Pursuit’s casual buffet restaurant which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can get made-to-order items in addition to the food on display. This makes it much more than your normal buffet. You also have real china, cutlery and glasses – no plastic here!
Breakfast
Breakfast had a wide range of items from full-cooked breakfasts to continental. They even had British sausages and bacon which is unusual for most cruise ships especially as it went out of Lisbon.
Lunch
Lunch had everything ranging from sandwiches to hot food. I had a delicious chicken wrap from here and some amazing lasagne, all washed down with some lovely pinot grigio.
Dinner
Dinner had a theme every night, ranging from British to Japanese. The food was always hot and tasty as they cooked things in smaller batches. I had the opportunity to witness a show cooking demonstration where a chef carved beef right in front of me and prepared pasta and noodle dishes according to individual orders. Every day, I could taste some of the most delicious ice cream I had ever experienced as Gelato was readily available.
The Windows Café also had outdoor seating which had heaters available on cooler days and it rarely got busy out there.
The service here was excellent. On the day I embarked, I requested champagne from the additional drinks package. The waiter did not have the details on his tablet that we had the drinks package. However, this wasn’t a problem as he went to sort it out immediately and provided the glass of fizzy nectar. After that, I had no further issues with the drinks package. The only thing I would have liked in the Windows Café was a list of wines that I could have.
In the Windows Café, I could also have items from the Patio Grill outside so if my partner wanted a Patio item but I wanted items from the Windows Café, we were both happy.
Patio Grill
Talking of the Patio Grill, this is an area available for lunch and dinner. This casual restaurant situated out on the pool deck offers a range of items such as burgers, salads, and hot dogs for lunch. In the evening, the restaurant supplements this with a wider range of food, including steak and cordon bleu chicken. All the food was excellent here apart from the cordon bleu chicken which I was not too keen on as it tasted pre-prepared. The service at lunch and dinner was excellent. Again, they had heaters for chilly evenings out on deck. This was also home to Swirl and Top, a help-yourself frozen yoghurt machine.
Discoveries Restaurant on Azamara Pursuit
This is the main included restaurant on board the Azamara Pursuit. You can have breakfast, lunch and dinner here and all meals are open seating so no need to eat at a set time every day.
The staff worked really hard here (as they did everywhere) and were always friendly. I didn’t have breakfast in here as I preferred the casual ambience of the Windows Café and I usually got up too late for the main dining room breakfast!
Brunch
However, on sea days they had a brunch buffet here. Upon arrival, a glass of sparkling wine was offered to me as a welcome gesture, and I was informed that I could choose any available table to sit at. However, I encountered some difficulty in finding a suitable table as certain ones had not been cleared, making it unclear where I could be seated. Nevertheless, when I addressed this issue in the mid-cruise survey, it was promptly resolved for the second brunch.
The brunch included a sumptuous selection of food together with musical entertainment. I could feast from breakfast items to pasta dishes, smoked salmon, eggs benedict, meats and cheeses and so much more. I could go to brunch until 12:30pm so there was no need to get up early and even when I got there later, the selection of food was still the same.
Lunch
Lunch had everything from burgers and soup to steak and chicken. It was a great alternative if I didn’t want to eat at the buffet.
Dinner
Dinner was quite an extravagant but relaxed affair. I discovered that the busiest time for dining was from 7pm to 8pm, and I had to wait for a table, even though the dining times ranged from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. However, this was not an issue as I could have a drink in the Discoveries Bar outside the restaurant and they would come and get me when a table was available. I also managed to get a table for 2 every night I went in there.
The food at dinner was amazing and they had always available items if I did not fancy anything on the daily menu. These included shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, steak, chicken and fish. Let’s put it this way, I never went hungry!
Mosaic Café
On board Azamara Pursuit, I frequently sat at this coffee shop to enjoy a café latte and a chocolate cookie. They have a wide range of teas and coffees together with sweet treats and sandwiches. It is a lovely place to sit a read a book. I also had coffees to take away which was no issue at all.
Room service on Azamara Pursuit
Room service is free in all staterooms and has a wide range of food items available 24 hours a day. From breakfast to pizzas and soups to sandwiches, there is something for everyone. I was able to have a delightful and relaxing breakfast on the balcony while observing the world passing by.
Extra cost restaurants on Azamara Pursuit
The two extra-cost restaurants on Azamara Pursuit open for dinner are Aqualina and Prime C. These both cost an additional $30USD per person at the time of writing. However, if you stay in a suite, you will get these restaurants included.
Aqualina is an Italian-style restaurant with a selection of homemade pasta and meat and fish dishes. This can be finished off with a traditional Italian dessert.
Prime C is the Steakhouse on board. This has dishes such as filet mignon and chateaubriand. Having spoken to other passengers on board, it is well worth the cost for a special meal.
I would recommend you book these restaurants as soon as you get on board as they do book up very quickly. One of the reasons I didn’t go to Prime C is because there weren’t any times available.
Overall Opinion of the Food on Azamara Pursuit
The food and service I experienced in every venue was nothing short of excellent. Nothing was too much trouble and dishes could be tailored to a degree if I wanted to mix things up a little. From casual dining to speciality steaks, the Azamara Pursuit has it all.
