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ARUBA:
DINING
As you would expect
on an island that's home to 40 nationalities, Aruba offers cuisine
from around the globe. Chinese, Indonesian, French, Japanese,
Argentinean, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Mediterranean, Dutch,
and American food are all available. Fast-food outlets are plentiful,
especially along the Oranjestad waterfront. (And don't laugh
-- they can offer an interesting slice of Aruban life. We popped
into McDonald's for an inexpensive breakfast one morning and,
as in a small-town diner, eavesdropped on conversations over
the Papiamento newspaper.)
But don't miss the
Aruban dishes. Fried fish with funchi (cornmeal), stewed lamb
with pan bati (pancake), and keshi yena (a hollowed wheel of
Edam cheese filled with meat and baked to combine flavors) are
popular local dishes.
Price Chart
Restaurant prices
are for dinner per person, including an appetizer or a salad,
an entrée, and a drink. All prices are given in US dollars.
$ under $15
$$ $15 to $30
$$$ $30 to $45
$$$$ over $45
L'Escale Restaurant
Aruba Sonesta Resort and Casino
Seaport Village, L.G. Smith Boulevard, #9, Oranjestad
297-8-36000
Dress Code: dressy
Reservations: recommended
$$$-$$$$
We think this is one of the most romantic restaurants in the
Caribbean, thanks not only to its beautiful décor, harbor
view, attentive staff, and excellent dishes, but also to its
musical entertainment. Every night, from 8 to 10 pm, a Hungarian
string quartet strolls through the eatery, taking requests from
diners. We heard everything from Beatles to Brahms, all performed
tableside under low romantic lighting by these outstanding musicians.
Have them play your special song and re-live your first date.
If that's not enough for lovers, the menu presents plenty of
additional reasons to visit L'Escale. Baked Caribbean grouper,
calypso chicken stuffed with king crab, chateaubriand, and pasta
with shellfish are presented in style. There is also a fairly
extensive wine list, with many Chilean vintages and other choices
to please any discerning palate.
The Old Cunucu
House Restaurant
Palm Beach 150
297-8-61666
Dress code: elegant
Reservations: recommended
$$$-$$$$
Housed in a restored 80-year-old Aruban homestead, this well-known
restaurant features local cuisine. Entrées include specialties
such as an appetizer of Aruban mezze, cheese pastiche, or Aruban
fish soup. Follow up with keshi yena, fresh conch, or seafood
Palm Beach, a dish of lobster, fish, scallops, and squid in
a cream sauce with wine, flamed with pernod. Open for dinner
Monday through Saturday.
Charlie's Bar
Zepperfeldstraat 56, San Nicholas
297-8-71517
Dress Code: casual
Reservations: not needed
$$
Located in San Nicholas, about a 15-minute ride from downtown
Oranjestad, lies Aruba's best known and loved bar. Charlie's
is an institution known to generations of Caribbean travelers
looking for a watering hole. Many visitors have left memorabilia
-- from yacht flags to pieces of clothing -- on every available
surface in the structure. After a drink, settle in for a meal
of garlic shrimp.
Pavarotti
Palm Beach 21A
297-8-60644
Dress Code: dressy
Reservations: recommended
$$$
Operated by the same management as the Old Cunucu House, this
Italian restaurant and American grill tempts diners with an
extensive menu. Choose from Italian favorites such as pasta
with clams, penne pasta with pink vodka sauce and shrimp and
crab, or angel hair pasta with clams, scallops, calamari, shrimp,
and octopus in marinara sauce. Grilled items include lamb chops,
filet mignon, and T-bone. Open for dinner only, Monday through
Saturday.
Le Petit Café
Emmastraat 1, Oranjestad
297-8-23166
Dress code: casually elegant
Reservations: optional
$$
Located on a busy corner off Oranjestad's main street, this
indoor-outdoor eatery specializes in meat prepared on hot stones.
Waiters bring the sizzling dish to your table.
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