5 Best Restaurants in Oranjestad and Environs, Aruba

The second location of chef Urvin Croes’ poke, bao, and sushi spot is an ideal place to watch the boats in the marina and enjoy an awesome alfresco lunch, dinner, or post-shopping or pre-casino snack. The award-winning chef is known island-wide for his artistic plating and modern cooking at his upscale outfit called Infini, but this franchise shows off his playful side with fun creative tweaks on fusion Asian cuisine and comfort food. Chef Croes takes creative vegan dishes very seriously, and this place boasts some of the island’s very best.

This charming bistro dining spot is the quintessential meeting place for those seeking great signature cocktails, creative tapas, quality coffee, and healthy lunch options. They also offer a full dinner menu, with dishes that range from chicken cordon bleu to beef tenderloin with Dutch potatoes. Suikertuin means “sugar garden” in Dutch, and this spot is so named for the yellow sugar birds that frequent the courtyard behind the historic colonial heritage house.

Dutch pancakes are unlike North American–style flapjacks since they can be both savory and sweet, offering opportunities for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and this legendary spot in the Renaissance Marketplace is considered the best place to try them. More like thin crepes, they can be covered in (or stuffed with) a multitude of ingredients, which might include meats, vegetables, and cheeses. The menu includes dozens of varieties of both sweet and savory styles, as well as puffy little silver-dollar-size poffertjes. You'll enjoy them in the indoor-outdoor café, but if you eat outside, keep an eye on your syrup bottles, as the little resident sugar birds are always trying to get into them for a sweet treat.

Enjoy cool and creative cocktails and beach-shack eats in the afternoon on a pristine stretch of white sand and aqua sea, just minutes from Downtown Oranjestad. The fun and friendly vibe includes beach service, lounge and umbrella rentals, and happy hour drink specials. It’s also a great spot to watch sunsets over the sea and to see the planes pop up out of the blue en route to the nearby airport.

Opened by the same people who own Pinchos, this fun and friendly wood-decked grill joint offers casual fare like barbecue ribs and grilled shrimp by the dozen, as well as Caribbean bites like jerk wings, fried funchi (like a thick polenta) with Dutch cheese, and West Indian samosas. There are some surprisingly snazzy main dishes, and the signature "Beer-Ritas" (a full bottle of beer served upside down in a big margarita) are legendary. Located at the base of the new Linear Park, it’s the perfect place for sunset views over the ocean as the cruise ships come and go.