75 Best Restaurants in Aruba

Though diners might be lured to this elegant international eatery for the novel opportunity to dine in a canopied bed, it’s the exquisite culinary experience created by their award-winning chef that has them returning for more. One of Aruba’s most popular restaurants is also a favorite because of the talented barkeeps who have garnered a loyal clientele at their classy lounge. Those guests who prefer the classic table-and-chair dining option can dine inside or out as well.

Reservations for the beds a must as there are only a few.

This legendary island landmark was once best known for the opportunity to dine in canopied beds, but the real draw has always been the top-notch food with French leanings and an award-winning wine selection. You can still dine indoors, but they have since ditched the beds and created a romantic alfresco experience with mood lighting on a toes-in-the sand dining deck—all without actually being at the beach. They also have an impressive selection of fine bourbons and American whiskies.

After a very successful run on Eagle Beach, dynamic duo Chef Kelt Hugo Maat and his partner, sommelier/host Sebastian Kruisselbrink, decided to relocate their Senses Fine Dining chef’s table experience to Palm Beach—but with a twist. Now operating as the signature dining spot of the Radisson Blu Aruba, this new concept encompasses a dual space that includes the chef’s table in a dedicated walled-off corner and a classy a la carte restaurant that is open for lunch and dinner. They also have an inviting alfresco terrace overlooking the resort’s water circuit. The chef’s table seats 16 guests (for those 18 and older) and offers an 8-course dinner, with or without wine pairing. They also offer a unique luxury brunch chef’s table. The a la carte menu features high-end mains like tomahawk steak.

Foodies in the know are beating a path to this down-to-earth eatery housed in a beautifully restored 100-year-old heritage house to enjoy locally sourced fare, especially fresh fish and local lobster. The menu changes daily depending on the bounty but rarely disappoints, with the driving force of repeat business due to the larger-than-life personality of owner Nathaly de Mey and the culinary skills of her top-notch chefs and creative mixologists. Dine indoors or alfresco in the courtyard or street-front patio. You can also raise a pint in the surprise Irish-theme pub on-site, a labor of love by the owner who lived in Ireland for a spell. 

There's always something cool happening at this bright and lively indoor--outdoor spot. The international kaleidoscopic menu includes everything from Dutch pancakes and Asian specialties to gourmet burgers and Caribbean seafood—surprisingly, they do it all very well. The many rotating special nights and monthly Bubbles & Bites evenings are very popular.

As the name suggests, this is a local favorite for pizza in Santa Cruz, but they also serve great snack platters, chicken, and burgers. There's outdoor garden seating and cold beer on tap, too. The prices listed on the menu are in Aruban florins. They do take USD, but you'll most likely get your change in florins.

The crowning glory of all the options at The Cove Mall is this aptly named second-story bar and restaurant where a private elevator introduces guests to incredible vistas. But it's not so much the view that draws the crowds here as it is the vibe—think private beach cabanas with killer mixologists behind the bar, and romantic tables for two scattered around a rooftop—and the food, which ranges from creative tapas and shareables like seafood towers and charcuterie boards to upscale mains like steak, lamb chops, lobster, and fresh fish. Don't miss the crispy fried Jerusalem artichokes or the blue crab and gnocchi.  Check out their Facebook page for many special events.

Overlooking Divi Village from a circular glassed-in dome, this elegant indoor affair is famous for its all-you-can-eat à la carte Royal Sunday Brunch that includes endless mimosas, as well as its unique late-night brunch every Friday night with entertainment and cocktail specials. Regular dinnertime offerings focus on upscale Italian fare, with classic pastas and Mediterranean favorites on the menu.

One of Aruba's very first forays into the chef's table experience, here you'll enjoy an intimate evening of culinary entertainment that plays like a fun dinner party with friends rather than something you pay for. At most,17 guests are assembled around the U-shaped communal dinner table for a 5-and-a-half course creative gourmet adventure. The menu changes every 10 weeks, and there's a selection of optional wine pairings available by the glass (regular $70, reserve selection $130). Meals are not vegan or vegetarian-friendly, and this is strictly an adults-only experience. Reservations are advisable at least a few weeks in advance, but there's now a wait-list option on the website.  Be sure to state any dietary restrictions in advance.

Owner Roxanna Salinas has created an authentic Peruvian-style dining spot to share a taste of her home with locals and visitors alike. Authentic specialties are artfully served in a warm and colorful enclave, and a portion of proceeds from the wares sold at the on-site Peruvian craft market go to a local Aruban cancer foundation. Upstairs is a unique stand-alone chef's table experience, a long table communal affair of eight courses called The Kitchen Table; it's the island's only family-friendly chef's table experience. Peruvian beer and pisco sours (the national Peruvian cocktail) accompany the offerings, and not to be missed is the sweet caramel-and-liquor-laden national dessert, suspiro a la limena.

This bopping beach space by day morphs into a surprisingly romantic pop-up, toes-in-the-sand dining spot at sunset. Fresh fish and seafood are the specialty, but carnivores will be well sated with excellent meat dishes. Soft live music adds to the enchantment.

The Dutch still have strong culinary ties to Indonesia, so this welcome addition to Downtown offers an ideal place to indulge in quality comfort food from that corner of the globe. Exotic and traditional Asian specialties also abound, and this is one of the few places on the island where you can sample the elusive rijsttafel (rice table), a large assortment of small dishes meant to be shared by a group. They also make authentic Indonesian bubble tea.  There's a four-person minimum and two-day advance reservation for rijsttafel as it’s very time-consuming and complicated to prepare.

This restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton is designed to replicate a New York–style steak house; but if you're looking for a more tropical vibe, opt for the ethereal dining room that leads out to a breezy garden terrace just steps from the sea for stellar sunset views that are unmistakably Caribbean. And though it's supposed to be all about the meat here, their pricey, but comprehensive seafood platter called The Royale is worth the splurge.

Fashioned after a New York–style steak house and sports bar, the focus of The Brownstone is good stiff drinks, great steaks, and hearty portions of ribs, chicken, and fish. Pretentious it's not, but the fare is first-rate, and they have a well-curated selection of creative cocktails using only top-quality spirits.

The cheery Ritz-Carlton breakfast spot known as Solanio takes on a whole new identity in the evenings as it transforms into Casa Nonna (meaning "grandmother's house"), dedicated to serving up authentic Italian cuisine. Service is exquisite (they even have a cocktail cart), and you can taste the care put into the handmade pastas and sauces. Don't miss the Mediterranean sea bass or grilled octopus for that real Italian coastal flavor, too.   Snag a table outside to catch spectacular sunsets and soft live music by the firepit.

Opened in 1986, this rustic nautical-themed restaurant owned and operated by the Merryweather family is justifiably famous for serving up the freshest catch of the day caught by the owners themselves. Typically they recommend the fresh fish be served Aruban-style for the best local experience (that means pan-fried and topped with a spicy creole sauce). Not to be missed is the fish soup that's been a family secret recipe since the very beginning. You can join them on their deep-sea fishing adventures through their sister company Driftwood Charters and have them cook up your own catch for dinner that night.

Look for the giant black-and-white-striped booth in the interior courtyard of Paseo Herencia for some truly decadent delights. Specializing in alcohol-infused gourmet baked goods, particularly little Bundt cakes (no cupcakes here) that are infused with your choice of liquor-laden syrups, there are also specialty coffees, sweet or savory crêpes, waffle bowls, ice cream, and frozen yogurt, all available with “drunken toppings.”

This Mexican restaurant was created to replicate an indoor-outdoor hacienda with a ruins garden one might find in Tulum. With a nod to Bajan fish and seafood, the exciting menu spans from corn cobs to traditional tacos with slow-cooked meats to conquistador-influenced carnitas. The open kitchen allows you to watch the masters at work, and the standalone bar is worth a visit for one of the largest selections of tequila and mezcal in the Caribbean.

Next to the iconic California Lighthouse in the former lighthouse keeper’s home, this restaurant is best known for its Italian fare and grand open-air terrace overlooking the rugged West Coast seascape. The menu offers a selection of gourmet pasta, pizza, risottos, fish, seafood, and meats served with classic Italian flair and an extensive wine selection. There are some good vegan options, too.  The restaurant's location and views make it a popular spot for events like wedding receptions, so reserve ahead to make sure they are open to the public. 

What began as a classy laid-back wine and tapas piano bar has evolved into more of a New York–style steak-lounge-meets-BBQ-joint thanks to the popularity of the Big Green Egg BBQ trend. Once they began using this ceramic outdoor charcoal grill to offer up big, hearty, juicy cowboy steaks and grilled lobster tails, the aroma and smoke drew an entirely different kind of hungry and hearty crowd. There's still live music but it's usually a great band, and there's a great selection of tapas and wines by the glass if you want to pop in before or after visiting the Alhambra Casino next door.

This small alfresco Spanish-theme restaurant at La Cabana is often off-radar for anyone that’s not a guest at the resort, but it’s worth seeking out for excellent charcoal-grilled steaks and superb seafood paella. Even though it’s not right on the water, you still can view stunning sunsets from its perch across the road from Eagle Beach.

This sprawling spot that takes over one entire side of Paseo Herencia’s interior courtyard is anything but lazy; it's a rollicking affair offering up an eclectic mix of interesting specialties like Cambodian chicken served alongside pastas, steaks, and seafood with fabulous soups like pumpkin with cashews or coconut-plantain. The revelry spills over to their neon-pink Flamingo’s Cocktail Bar across from their outdoor patio, with its own brand of zany nightlife offerings, creative libations, and snacks.

Considering its secret location in the bottom corner of Harbour House dwarfed by the docked cruise ships, this adorable little Peruvian-themed escape has garnered a big buzz for its food, likely because owner Chef Teddy Bouroncle is well-known for his culinary talents from his tenure at the Aruba Marriott. Dine inside or out and enjoy traditional Peruvian dishes like lomo saltado or their special take on ceviche. The menu is small and not all Peruvian, but each week the chef promises to change things up to keep it fresh while keeping the classics.  They have an exciting chef’s table sister spot next door called Ever. 

The food at this rustic alfresco garden restaurant, named after the Scotch bonnet pepper called Madame Janette in Aruba, is surprisingly French-inspired with a classically trained chef. Though some dishes are infused with Caribbean flavors, especially fish and seafood, you’ll find a lot of classic French sauces served with the meats; their claim to fame in the past few years has been the quality of their beef, thanks to their own dry-aging chamber. The bar has Aruba's largest selection of specialty beers due to one co-owner's avid interest in craft brewing. Also popular here is their original Hungarian goulash soup and specialty schnitzels.

The lively seaside eatery is popular with nonguests who make a special trip to enjoy great food (meats, fish, seafood, and a good selection of Italian specialties), superb sunsets, and the warm camaraderie of fun folks. It's a great place to catch the game or enjoy three daily happy hour specials with snacks.

Formerly La Vista, this restaurant offers Mediterranean plates and a pleasant beachfront terrace with stellar sunset sea views. Dinner mains include signature dishes like the lamb shank, branzino filet, and Spanish paella with jumbo shrimps, as well as more casual fare like brick oven pizza and homemade pasta. There is a nice assortment of specialty craft cocktails, an eclectic choice of hot and cold tapas and small plate shareables, as well as unexpected desserts like roses and pistachio cheesecake. The ethereal indoor section is a massive maze of seating arrangements with a capacity of 300, which is ideal for groups.

Best known as a beach party spot, this legendary hangout has good food and is a popular place for a seafront breakfast. Dinner under the giant palapa or on the beach is first-rate, as is lunch—particularly since it's the perfect place for people-watching along Aruba's busiest stretch of sand. The barkeeps are real showmen, and the resident mixologists make great signature cocktails.  Don’t miss the table-side flaming crème brûlée for dessert.

Right smack in the middle of the San Nicolas Art Walk, O'Niel's is a warm and welcoming eatery that's an ideal spot to get your Jamaican jerk on. Real-deal Jamaican dishes like ackee with saltfish and oxtail with beans are menu favorites, but there are also local Aruban specialties like goat stew and fresh local seafood; vegetarian and vegan dishes are also available.

Since the mid-1990s executive chef Ligia Maria has delighted diners with delicious and authentic crioyo (local) cuisine in a rustic and cozy traditional cunucu (countryside) house. Try the house version of Aruba's famous keshi yena—chicken, raisins, olives, cashews, peppers, and rice in a hollowed-out Gouda rind—or thick hearty stobas (stews) of goat or beef. The fresh catch of the day with a choice of special sauces is a treat, and the stewed conch is also very good. There's live music some nights.