Restaurants on the beach

We have been to Passions on the beach for dinner, and would like to try out another restaurant the next time we are in port. The problem we have is our ship leaves at 8:00, so we must be back to the ship by 7:30. Passions starts dinner at 6:00. Not much time for 6-8 people to have a relaxing dinner on the beach.

I have looked at Barefoot Restaurant. Reviews are outstanding. I know it is pricy. They open for dinner at 5:00. This would give us more time to enjoy our dinner. How far away is it from the port? I know it is by the airport, but not sure just how far away that is.

We would be taking a taxi back to the ship. (possibly the bus to get there). Anyone been there lately for a review?

How does Barefoot compare with Passions on the beach in food, location on the beach, and ambiance?

Are there any other beachfront restaurants not far from the port that would have tables right on the beach, so we could eat our dinner with our toes in the sand?

Barefoot is only a mile to the south of the cruise terminal. If you are familiar with Aruba, Barefoot is a bit LESS than halfway to the airport entrance.

The only other option I can think of for dinner on the beach close to the ship would be Matthews. http://www.matthews-aruba.com/

It is 2 miles north of the cruise terminal, located at Casa del Mar resort.

Thanks so much! Have you eaten at each of these restaurants? Do they compare to Passions on the beach? We really loved our dinner at Passions! I will check out the reviews on Trip Advisor. If you could choose one over the other, which one would you go to, and why? We will have up to 10 people that may dine together. Ages up to 88 yr. old. :eek: All the rest of us are adults, me being the youngster at 54! :D

We have never been to Matthew's. Love Passions and liked Barefoot a lot!

I've eaten at Matthew's many times. They have seating under a palapa, and a few outside on the patio. I've never seen any tables on the sand. The food is very good, but not outstanding. Barefoot is my favorite restaurant. I think that the food there is better than Passions, but that is just my opinion. I only ate at Passions once, and while we thought that the ambiance and service were very good, my mahi mahi was tough. Ofcourse, that might have just been an off night. Barefoot has a palapa that you can sit under and dining right on the beach. We prefer to sit on the beach. The views from the beach are gorgeous.

Thanks so much. Sounds like Barefoot is more of what we are looking for. I prefer to be "barefoot" with my toes in the sand! :D

Hope you enjoy Barefoot. Be sure to take your camera. The staff will take your picture for you.

While not on the beach, Pinchos is another option to consider. It is located almost next to Barefoot. The restaurant is on a dock over the water, really quite nice. Beautiful place to watch a sunset and you can sit at the bar and have cocktails and appetizers if you prefer not to have a full dinner.

Mary