As you could have read in my earlier Aruba blog my first visit to this Caribbean island in June was a big success and I was amazed with the beauty and diversity of Aruba. Resorts in Aruba are plentiful and offer a range of accommodations and amenities to suit various preferences.
But I was also very impressed by the big variety of high quality food and beautiful restaurants to choose from, ranging from vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, to fresh seafood, many grill options, Asian, and even Italian or haute cuisine. In this blog I will happily share my Aruba top 10 restaurants, foodie hotspots, and so much more!
I rarely write blogs solely dedicated to food, but love to sample and recommend good restaurants, am a big foodie and often post video’s and pics in my Instagram Stories of all the wonderful food I get to try during my trips!
Aruba foodie heaven
Although I really love the experience of a Michelin star restaurant, I actually like many different kinds of food and have a real sweet tooth, so the cocktails, ice creams, tropical fruits, breakfast pancakes, pastries and smoothie bowls on Aruba were totally up my alley.
But we also found an amazing Asian and Italian restaurant (on Aruba of all places😊), lots of great grilled food served in amazing settings, and a surprisingly big offering of healthy food, with gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options as well.
Therefore I really felt that Aruba’s restaurants deserved a dedicated blog, to show you all the jummy dishes we had, and to share the amazing venues Aruba Tourism took us to, so you can hopefully visit them yourself as well!
My top 10 restaurants & foodie hotspots on Aruba:
1. Eduardo’s Beach Shack
Location: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 87, Palm Beach, in front of Playa Linda Beach Resort.
This very Instagrammable shack on the more commercial Palm Beach is a definite must visit in my book! Not just for the pictures and beach setting, but moreover for the positive vibes and especially the photogenic, yet tasty food, with a big offering of gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and healthy options!
Open from 7.30 till 4 pm, so perfect for breakfast or lunch on the beach! Make sure to try their smoothies, don’t miss the acai bowls, pineapple fruit slider and some protein balls to start your day fully energized!
2. Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa
Location: J.E. Irausquin Boulevard 55, 99999 Palm - Eagle Beach.
As mentioned in my previous Aruba blog we stayed at this small-scale boutique resort right on Eagle Beach for 5 days. And not only does it have the best location and Spa, it also offers several great culinary options!
With just 72 rooms and 4 different dining venues it’s obvious that they value good food here. Besides the beach bar and laid back bistro, Manchebo beach resort also has an indoor restaurant called Chophouse, offering exquisite cuisine accompanied by live piano music. This restaurant also houses a sushi bar Omakase, serving classic Japanese cuisine, sushi and sashimi.
For a more casual option you can eat right on the beach at Pega Pega Beach Bar & Grill serving cocktails, delicious fruit smoothies, salads, burgers, panini’s and fresh-caught fish at the bar, the terrace or right on your sunbed. Just put your flag in the sand to signal one of the waiters, while enjoying the stunning view over the ocean.
Or a casual sunset dinner right by the pool at the open-aired:
Ike’s Bistro
Breakfast is served here every morning at the extensive buffet or á la carte, with 12 different fresh smoothies to choose from, which always brightened up my day.
And dinner here is no less delicious with several themes, such as paella night, and a Mediterranean/Caribbean-inspired menu with a big selection of healthy, yet tasty dishes. I was surprised to also find several vegan options on the menu, like the vegan duck we tried, which was hardly indistinguishable of the real thing.
3. Hostaria da Vittorio
Location: L.G. Smith Boulevard, 380 Noord.
I wouldn’t have expected to find this in the Caribbean, but for a real Italian meal in an authentic setting, this restaurant is the place to be! Italian food is among my favourites, so I was very excited to have lunch here, and when we arrived the entrance immediately transported us to Italy, as you can see here:
You have to taste it yourself to fully understand what I mean, but believe me when I say I truly had some of the best pasta and burrata here to date!
4. White Modern Cuisine
Location: Diamante 300, Gold Coast Villas, 00000 Noord.
A beautiful design restaurant a bit hidden, tucked away in a villa quarter in Aruba Noord, yet truly worth a visit.
Not only for the beautiful setting and sleek interior, but also for the fine wines, creative cocktails and top notch food prepared by Aruba’s number one chef Urvin Croes. A unique fine dining experience that can not be missed!
5. Garden Fresh Café
Location: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 87, Palm Beach, next to Playa Linda Beach Resort.
This uber healthy café is open daily from 7 am till 9 pm, and is super clean, fresh and organic. Unfortunately not the most photogenic spot on Aruba, but its lunch menu more than makes up for that!
With their sustainable approach they try to avoid the use of plastic as much as possible, and their unique ‘’create your own’’ system offers lots of healthy options to assemble your own lunch bowl, salad, wrap or sandwich, which I loved!
Don’t forget to try their super healthy sugar-free smoothies and chocolate vegan cake, guiltfree and so worth it!
6. Craft
Location: J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 348-A, Palm Beach.
On the same strip, in one of the most vibrant areas of the island, you can find this unique breakfast/lunch spot and bar, open daily from 8 am till past midnight.
This hotspot is located in between several cool café’s and casual dinner spots, one even more photogenic than the other.
Their waffles, porridge and acai bowls are a must, they have many healthy, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes, and the happy hour and cocktails should be brilliant as well!
7. Bohemian Restaurant
Location: J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 83, Palm Beach.
This stylish restaurant in a lush secret-garden was one of the highlights of my foodie tour of Aruba. The laid-back atmosphere here was perfect, accompanied by live lounge music, super friendly waiters, and a big variation of French-oriented delish dishes to choose from.
See what I mean in this gallery and make sure to add this hotspot to your list!
8. Hadicurari
Location: J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 230, on the beach between Marriott Surf Club and Moomba, Palm beach.
Want to have a laid-back sunset dinner with your feet in the sand, perfect ocean and pier views, surrounded by atmospheric lights and palm trees? Then this is the place to be!
Their grilled sea food and cocktails are not to be missed and this certainly is one of the best dinner settings with that unique island vibe.
For dancing and drinks the neighboring Moomba is the perfect stop after dinner!
9. Azia Restaurant & Lounge
Location: J.E. Irausquin Blvd. 348, Palm Beach.
Asian food on Aruba? Yes please! This Lounge/Restaurant is one of the most atmospheric stops along Palm Beach Boulevard and serves some of the best teppanyaki and sushi I tasted in ages!
But also having cocktails on their stylish garden terrace, while watching the sky turn pink is recommended. We had the best farewell dinner here!
10. The Westdeck
Location: L.G. Smith Blvd at the Governor's Bay on the Beach, Linear Park (next to The Queen Wilhelmina Park-adjacent to The Renaissance Suites).
Looking for a casual lunch or dinner spot by the sea with direct views upon the planes flying in? Then this laid-back beach bar is a must!
Open from 10.30 am to 11 pm with some of the most jummy dishes and cocktails of the island. The perfect place to sample the local kitchen in a relaxed Caribbean atmosphere, or to make sure your tummy is filled with some of that delicious Aruban food, before flying home, like we did!
Are you hungry yet, did you like my Aruba top 10 restaurants and are you ready to book your flight to one happy island soon? Then I hope you can use this list to make your trip an unforgettable one with lots of fun, food and delight! For even more sightseeing tips, you can go to my previous Aruba blog.
Of course there are many more good breakfast, lunch and dinner spots to recommend on this Caribbean island, but unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to try all of them myself. I am however more than happy to come back for that soon😊
For more hotspots & restaurants on Aruba you can also go to Aruba Tourism, and don't forget to check my Aruba guide + practical map.
Or go to my Caribbean page for even more tropical inspiration, foodie hotspots, Instagrammable things to do, the most beautiful beaches and unique accommodations on Aruba, all based on my own experiences.
If you want to find even more hotels in the Dutch Antilles, based on your own preferences you can check out this Aruba hotel page or the region page.
And do find me on social media via the buttons at the bottom of this page.
