47 Best Restaurants in Aruba

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.

Sandra Brown, the Mother of legendary baseball player Xander Bogaerts, is the "Mama" of this soup takeout spot downtown. The menu changes daily, but she usually has a choice of five different soups using the likes of goat, pigtails, oxtails, fish, oyster, pumpkin, bull foot, chicken, and more. There are also a few homemade baked goods for dessert.

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.

Look for the big smiling pastechi sign and a line of locals waiting to grab Aruba’s favorite fast food (think empanada). Order one for yourself and wash it down with a cold batido (fruit shake). They also have little crab cakes to go as well.

This spot tucked away in the corner of Metro Mall serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but it's also a very cool place to drop in for coffee or cocktails for photo-printed drinks. A nifty machine imprints photos right from your phone into the foam on top of your drink in impressive detail—all you need to do is to just send your picture via the QR code on the table.

Tucked away in the lobby of Azure Residences on Eagle Beach, this is another culinary venture by legendary Chef Urvin Croes (owner of Infini), but here Croes strays from high-end upscale modern cuisine to create Asian comfort food. His fresh takes on poke, sushi, and steamed baos are inspired by his Chinese heritage; he also offers up some delicious vegan versions as well. There's another Po-Ké Ono outlet in Renaissance Marketplace.

Despite the name, the fare here is not Mexican but much more international with some real surprises, like a comprehensive sushi menu. The staff is helpful and friendly, creative chef specials change often, and it's a great spot to stop in for signature cocktails and special tapas; don't miss their a la carte weekend brunches or their Grand Dessert, four chef-special treats on one plate. This funky eatery is also part art gallery.

The owners of the legendary Downtown restaurant Driftwood and its sister operation, Driftwood Fishing Charters, opened this much smaller and far less formal eatery centered around fresh fish and seafood. You can never go wrong with their catch-of-the-day, Aruban fish soup, or their surprisingly creative craft cocktails.

This hole-in-the-wall is the place for the best sacos, paper bags full of fried chicken, ribs, chops, plantains, fries, and johnnycakes. Locals and regular visitors often make a trip across the island just to have it.

These expat American owners brought a taste of home to their alfresco Palm Beach bar hut with authentic Wisconsin brats and sausages, Chicago-style hot dogs, and their great selection of loaded fries. They also have funnel cakes, coffee, and some killer creative cocktails. Breakfast sandwiches are also big, and sometimes they have live steel pan music.

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.

With a name that means "pirates" in Dutch, this alfresco restaurant sits right on the Savaneta pier, where the local fishermen bring in their daily catch. The menu is basic: the day's fish and other seafood, fried almost as soon as it's lifted out of the boat and served with sides of local staples like fried plantains. You can chase it all down with a cold local beer or homemade popsicles made from exotic local fruit. The restaurant has become very popular with locals and visitors alike, so expect it to be busy, especially on weekends. On Sundays, there is often a line down the street.