Dinner in Aruba

Hello all !!! We are sailing to Aruba in may 2017 and will be docked from 2-1130 . We have a tour booked with Trikes Aruba from 230-630 . With our early dining time dinner is probably just going to be done on the island . Anyone have any good recommendations? Also what about later in the night after dinner any must do's or see's?

TIA

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In easy walking distance from the dock, there are ample casinos for late night entertainment...just keep track of the time! There won't be any shops or anything like that open late.

I can't remember the name of the place we ate...they had an outdoor seating area, and a band was playing...the food was "so-so", but the atmosphere was nice! It was on the right side of the road after taking a right out of the port area. Seems to me I had something Italian....

We were in port until 2am....so we had lots of time after dinner.

Hello all !!! We are sailing to Aruba in may 2017 and will be docked from 2-1130 . We have a tour booked with Trikes Aruba from 230-630 . With our early dining time dinner is probably just going to be done on the island . Anyone have any good recommendations? Also what about later in the night after dinner any must do's or see's?

 

TIA

 

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A quick word of warning here-

When you return home and mention having had dinner in Aruba, EVERYONE is going to ask if you ate at El Gaucho:

http://www.elgaucho-aruba.com/

If you want to "please your fans", eat there. :p

In easy walking distance from the dock, there are ample casinos for late night entertainment...just keep track of the time! There won't be any shops or anything like that open late.

 

I can't remember the name of the place we ate...they had an outdoor seating area, and a band was playing...the food was "so-so", but the atmosphere was nice! It was on the right side of the road after taking a right out of the port area. Seems to me I had something Italian....

 

We were in port until 2am....so we had lots of time after dinner.

If you are talking about the Italian Restaurant on the waterfront, it closed years ago.

Hello all !!! We are sailing to Aruba in may 2017 and will be docked from 2-1130 . We have a tour booked with Trikes Aruba from 230-630 . With our early dining time dinner is probably just going to be done on the island . Anyone have any good recommendations? Also what about later in the night after dinner any must do's or see's?

 

TIA

F

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There are lot of good restaurants along the waterfront. Casual include Iquana Joe's, The Paddock, and a little further down, West Deck, which is one of our favorites. There are a lot of places to eat at Renaissance Marina, next to Seaport Casino, including, Casa Tua, Cilo, Cuba's Cookin, Cafe The Plaza, Sidebar, Dutch Pancake House. More expensive choices include Pinchos and Barefoot (a long walk, so I would take a taxi), Yemanja, and Que Pasa. Really expensive but all the rage right now is Wilhemina's.

With so much time on the island, you could take a taxi to Palm Beach, eat there and walk around, visit the casinos, bars, etc. It is where all of the action is at night.

Thank you all for your advice . I will definitely look at the menus so I know ahead of time what they serve .

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May sound a little odd, but our favorite restaurant in Aruba is Bavaria German Restaurant in Palm Beach (next to Wendy's). Great German food and pretzels to die for. Do check first to see if they are opened before going as we didn't the last time and wasted taxi fare to/from.

A quick word of warning here-

When you return home and mention having had dinner in Aruba, EVERYONE is going to ask if you ate at El Gaucho:

http://www.elgaucho-aruba.com/

If you want to "please your fans", eat there. :p

Just looked at the menu and reserved for our May 2017 trip! Looks AMAZING. Thank you for the tip:D

Skip El Gaucho. I was unimpressed (but I am also spoiled by big city steakhouses).

At at Yemanja in August and it was really good, but service was impossibly slow. Might not be the best choice if you are on a compressed schedule (or at least inform them in advance).

It's not near the port (it's a 10 minute car ride), but Madame Janette is still my favorite restaurant in Aruba. I know some people think it is not what it once was, but I was there the past August and food and service were both impeccable.

Skip El Gaucho. I was unimpressed (but I am also spoiled by big city steakhouses).

 

At at Yemanja in August and it was really good, but service was impossibly slow. Might not be the best choice if you are on a compressed schedule (or at least inform them in advance).

 

It's not near the port (it's a 10 minute car ride), but Madame Janette is still my favorite restaurant in Aruba. I know some people think it is not what it once was, but I was there the past August and food and service were both impeccable.

I agree. We stay in Aruba every year, and we stopped going to El Gaucho years ago. We just ate at Jemanja last month, and we had excellent service, as always. We ate at Madame Janette also, and it was wonderful. My favorite restaurant is Barefoot. A lot of people love Passions for the atmosphere, but I haven't found the food to be as good there.

just on the island last week and we had lunch twice at el gaucho and found it to still be good steak at fair prices. I like the skirt steak while my husband prefers the 16 oz el gaucho style steak. I have been going to the island since 1988 and still find it to be a good meal.. used to go for dinner but now prefer to eat my bigger meal for lunch.

also like the panini cafe along the hi rise road where all the new restaurants have been built -- decent lunch for $12 of a panini, beverage and scoop of gelato.

Atardi at the Marriott on Palm Beach is lovely. You sit at tables right on the beach. Time it right and you can get a spectacular sunset view. The Marriott is only a 15-20 cab ride from the port. You would want to make reservations in advance. Check the sunset time before reserving.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147249-d1060867-Reviews-Atardi-Palm_Eagle_Beach_Aruba.html

May sound a little odd, but our favorite restaurant in Aruba is Bavaria German Restaurant in Palm Beach (next to Wendy's). Great German food and pretzels to die for. Do check first to see if they are opened before going as we didn't the last time and wasted taxi fare to/from.

This is on our Cannot miss for our visit in May. Good advice on checking because we missed eating their last year because they are closed on Sunday. Love Great German Food!!!:cool:

I agree. We stay in Aruba every year, and we stopped going to El Gaucho years ago. We just ate at Jemanja last month, and we had excellent service, as always. We ate at Madame Janette also, and it was wonderful. My favorite restaurant is Barefoot. A lot of people love Passions for the atmosphere, but I haven't found the food to be as good there.

Hatteras51...we did not eat at Barefoot last year but since we are staying 2 weeks in May we will have to give it a try. Now along with the atmosphere at Passions we both enjoyed the food and recommend it to anyone looking for a romantic evening.:cool:

I liked Barefoot's menu and its proximity to the port. I also appreciated the fact that I could make a reservation way in advance.