Aruba struck me the other when it was with food. I went there thinking that it was going to be the usual Caribbean resort foods and I walked out with 20+ places on the list I would fly back. Restaurants in Aruba are packed in this island, competing with large food cities.
The following is my raw, uncensored Aruba dining guide based on vibe, budget, and neighborhood. No nonsense, and all the spots that you can afford and your stomach.
In a Glance: The Best Aruba Restaurants
A quick overview of my best choices in all categories is shown before we get into it. Food only is per capita without drinks.
| Restaurant | Vibe / Cuisine | Location | Price Range |
| Wilhelmina | European-Caribbean Fine Dining | Oranjestad | $50 to $100 |
| Infini | Modernist 8-Course Tasting | Noord | $139 to $169 |
| 2 Fools and a Bull | Chef’s Table, 17 Seats | Noord | $130 to $140 |
| Flying Fishbone | Feet-in-the-Water Seafood | Savaneta | $75 to $120 |
| Screaming Eagle | French-Caribbean Bed Dining | Eagle Beach | $60 to $120 |
| Papiamento | Romantic Cunucu House | Noord | $60 to $100 |
| Zeerovers | Fried Fish on the Pier | Savaneta | $15 to $25 |
| The Kitchen Table | 12-Seat Chef’s Table | Eagle Beach | $125 fixed |
| Gianni’s | Classic Italian | Palm Beach | $40 to $70 |
| Pika’s Corner | Authentic Aruban | Noord | $10 to $25 |
| Passions on the Beach | Tiki Torch Beach Dining | Eagle Beach | $40 to $70 |
| Barefoot Restaurant | Gourmet in the Sand | Oranjestad | $40 to $80 |
Fine Dining Spots That Blew Me Away
I am not that kind of person who is excited at trying menus and prix fixe meals. But Aruba fine dining made my mind change. The culture of the chef table in this case is wild.
This scene was constructed basically by three chefs Dennis van Daatselaar, Urvin Croes and Erwin Husken. Their prints can be found on nearly every place of high end on the island.
Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina is behind a gate, on Wilhelminastraat, in the heart of Oranjestad, and it is as though she is in a secret garden party. The court is well lit, there are tropical plants and this European-Caribbean vibe which is simply effective.
Chef Dennis van Daatselaar spent his training in the Michelin kitchens in the Netherlands and landed here. The foie gras ravioli that is braised short rib is unreal. Expect $50 to $100 per person. Only adults, open on Tuesday-Sunday at 6 PM.
Infini
Only 14 seats. An 8-course tasting menu at 169 per head. Chef Ursvin Croes operates this small, dark, smooth noord room and all of his dishes are made with ingredients obtained through Aruban farmers.
It is the best restaurant in Aruba in case you are willing to have a dinner of a lifetime. Book weeks ahead. Wine pairing is an additional cost of 110. During off-season, the prices fall to 6 courses at 139.
2 Fools and a Bull
A 1915 cunucu house. Seventeen guests max. It is a U-shaped form of the bar that would face Chef Erwin Husken as he prepares your surprise 5.5 course dinner. The entire night lasts approximately four hours, beginning with cocktail on the patio.
There are rules in a house, and they are mythical: no children, no phones, no vegetarians. Not kidding. On their site, that is literally $130 to 140 a person. Wine pairings from $70 to $130. Book in advance before you book your flights.
The Kitchen Table by White
Chef Urvin Croes hits again. This is a twelve seater experience at Blue Residences, Eagle Beach. It starts with cocktails on the rooftop Mirador at sunset and then you descend to Urvin, who is cooking in front of you.
Eight courses at a cost of 125 per head. Wine pairing $75. The menu changes every month and Urvin describes every single dish personally. Reviewed as 4.9 on OpenTable. No kids under 10.
Screaming Eagle
It is a place where you can literally eat dinner in a bed. White canopy beds, wooden trays, the entire arrangement. It has a gimmicky tone, yet it is a valid fine dining Aruba experience in J.E. Irausquin Boulevard near Eagle Beach.
The Duck Liver Creme Brulee ($25) is ridiculous. The Tomahawk Ribeye 40 oz costs 250. Crepes Suzette are flambeed at the table. Estimate food cost at 60-120 USD per head.
Carte Blanche
The OG. This is where the whole movement of chef table in aruba began in 2010. Only 14 to 16 people at a curved granite bar in the open kitchen at Wilhelminastraat in Oranjestad.
The surprise menu is a 5 course menu that costs between 85 and 110 dollars. The evening starts with sparkling wine in the courtyard garden. This location essentially put the Aruba dining on the world map.
Restaurants on the Water: Sand Between Your Toes Dining
This is no joke, this is where Aruba stands totally out of all other islands of the Caribbean. The dining options available here are not mere picturesque backgrounds. Some of them literally drown your table in the sea.
Flying Fishbone
Tables in the real shallow ocean water in Savaneta. Tiki torches. You eat with waves washing your feet. It is Aruba restaurants on the water which is at its very best. In business since 1997, and rightfully so.
Get the Seafood History platter or the blackened mahi mahi with pineapple salsa. They flambe Baked Alaska tableside too. Runs $75 to $120 per person. You should reserve the 4 PM seat a few months in advance to have the water tables.
Zeerovers
The anti-thesis of Flying Fishbone and perhaps the most entertaining meal in the whole island. Zeerovers is a bare bones fish pier on Savaneta, where you pay by weight at a counter, take a wooden number block and sit at picnic tables over the water.
Wahoo, snapper, mahi mahi, all fried with fresh Aruban spices. Dining out costs approximately 36 dollars per couple. Bring cash. Closed Mondays. Lines get long at sunset but they move fast. Best food in Aruba at a price.
Passions on the Beach
Eagle Beach amuses into a romantic dinner at Amsterdam Manor each night. Sand tiki torches, live instrumental music and, frankly, one of the best proposals or anniversary spots in Aruba.
Coconut Grouper is solid. The Lobster tail (shrimp, barramundi) costs $69. Card only, no cash. With an OpenTable rating of 4.5 out of 5. Reserve a table at sunset.
Bugaloe Beach Bar and Grill
Rather partying than dining. Bugaloe is located on De Palm Pier between Riu and Hilton on the Palm Beach. Five-night live music, karaoke on Wednesday and Saturday nights and singing waiters.
Crazy Fish Monday offers a grouper platter at 17 dollar. Happy hour between 5 and 6 PM and between 10 and 11 PM. Budget $10 to $20 per dish. Low key is one of the best casual places to eat in Aruba.
The Old Man and the Sea
Hemingway is in Savaneta, right next to Flying Fishbone. Here there is the only private over-water dining cabana in Aruba, which is accessible by a dock and is illuminated by lanterns. Adults only (16+). Seriously romantic.
Stars are Caribbean seafood and keshi yena. In the case of non-resort guests, the reservation fee is 100 USD. Expect $60 to $100 per person. Worth it when you are celebrating something.
Where to Eat by Neighborhood
It is what the majority of guides in Aruba overlook. The location of your hotel dictates most of your evenings at restaurants, hence knowing when there is a concentration of restaurants in your area can save you as much time, money, and angry taxi trips.
Palm Beach (High-Rise Hotel Zone)
The busiest street in the island. Wedding walk to the Marriott and Hyatt, Hilton, Ritz-Carlton, or the new St. Regis. Restaurants in Aruba in this area are tourist orientated, though there are real gems within the plain sight.
Hit Azar because of open-fire Latin-Asian fusion (50-90 dollars). Steaks at the Marriott by Ruths Chris (Steaks: $80 to 150 and over). Gianni, classic Italian 40 to 70). The only wood-fired oven in Hostaria Da Vittorio in Aruba. Eduardo Beach Shack of acai bowls under 15.
Eagle Beach (Low-Rise Hotel Zone)
More easy-going and amorous. The number of restaurants within walking distance is low, but the beachfront restaurants here can be considered being genuinely world-class. This is where you turn up at the Aruba restaurants with a view that really makes a difference to the food as well.
Screaming Eagle, Passions on the Beach, Madame Janette (famous Almond Grouper since 1999), The Kitchen Table, and the new brand Terra of Michelin-starred Chef Jeremy Ford at Bucuti and Tara Resort. Everything in one shopping spurt or ride.
Oranjestad (Downtown Capital)
Dutch colonial houses, the cruise port and Wilhelminastraat which has snuck silently into becoming a true culinary hot spot. Recently the harbourfront was revitalized with new pier-to-plate seafood. Aruba restaurants Oranjestad continue to improve.
The fine dining is anchored by Wilhelmina and Carte Blanche. The West Deck is stunning casual waterfront. Que Pasa has all-you-can-eat sushi on Wednesday, in an 18th-century merchant’s house, at a cost of 33 dollars. The TripAdvisor best-rated steakhouse on the island is L.G. Smith’s.
Savaneta (Fishing Village)
The former capital of Aruba, some 20 minutes south of Oranjestad. The freshest seafood, the most real atmosphere, and cheaper prices than the tourist areas. When you come once to leave your resort area, go to Savaneta.
Flying Fishbone, Zeerovers, The Old Man and the Sea and Marina Pirata (28-year-old family-owned boathouse). This is the place to dine in Aruba when you are in need of real island food rather than resort food.
Best Italian Restaurants and Steakhouses in Aruba
Two questions I keep witnessing every day, where is the best Aruba restaurants Italian food and where can steak lovers get to? Fair questions. Allow me to dissect both.
Italian Picks
Ristorante Italiano of Gianni is a family owned restaurant that has had a history of around 30 years serving the Ferraras around Palm Beach. Their masterpiece is Spaghetti al Formaggio Parmigiano made on the table right in front of the audience in a real wheel of Parmesan and flamed with whisky. It is dramatic as it costs. 40-70.
In 2000 Master Chef Vittorio Muscariello opened Hostaria Da Vittorio across the road in front of the Hyatt. It has the only genuine wood-fired oven of Aruba. The Branzino al Sale (sea bass in a crust of salt) is unbelievable. Casa Nonna at the Ritz-Carlton provides a wonderful fit to the high-end niche by Roman-Tuscan cuisine and live violin.
Steakhouse Picks
The Steak and Chop House at Renaissance by L.G. Smith tops the TripA