39 Best Restaurants in Aruba

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.

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 Ellis family converted its 126-year-old manor into a bistro with an atmosphere that is elegant, intimate, and always romantic. You can feast in the small dining room, which is filled with antiques, or outdoors on the terrace by the pool. The chef mixes Continental and Caribbean cuisines to produce sumptuous seafood and meat dishes. Those seeking a bit of novelty can order one of the hot-stone dishes, which come to the table sizzling. Service is unhurried and the atmosphere is laid-back. The old home's living room was recently converted into an elegant speakeasy-style escape called Pappa’s Cigar Lounge, replete with private butler service and high-end spirits.

Unfettered sea views and stellar sunsets with tiki torches and lit-up palms make this the signature dining spot of Divi Aruba Phoenix. The menu offers contemporary global cuisine, with classic offerings like rack of lamb, salmon, and Caribbean mac and cheese. The intimate tables set up mere steps from the sea on brilliant white sand beach are perfect for couples. Open to the public, this spot is often overlooked as a romantic toes-in-the-sand option for all, though it remains well-appreciated by the resort's guests.

Built around the concept of the Bushiribana gold mill ruins (the name means "ruins by the sea"), the Hyatt's signature restaurant offers up seafood specialties prepared with a fusion of Caribbean and Mediterranean flavors as well as excellent steaks and freshly prepared Italian dishes. This enchanting oasis is the consummate romantic setting, with a koi lagoon, waterfalls, and a rooftop bougainvillea garden; indoor and outdoor dining is available.

Choose from a simple and elegant indoor dining area or a tropical outdoor garden oasis as you sample a creative international menu that includes choices of quality meats, homemade pastas, and fresh fish and seafood, all with suggested wine pairings from the well-regarded cellar. The menu also includes an impressive offering of avant-garde vegetarian dishes.

The décor here is white, modern, and minimalist—the perfect stage for local chef and owner Urvin Croes's outstanding culinary experiments, like sea bass with shrimp and chorizo risotto, sweet basil coulis, tomato chips, and a creamy tomato Pernod sauce. Everything on the menu is creatively prepared and stunningly presented. Chef Croes isn't shy about taking risks, like adding lionfish (a threat to Aruba’s reefs) to the menu as a regular item. Though the location in a mall is not the most conducive to romance, it’s hard not to fall in love with this restaurant.