Dining

Curacao, with its cultural diversity, provides travelers with a wide choice of appetizing and tasty restaurants. In addition, they also present an extensive range of international as well as local cuisines. Most restaurants usually add a 10% service charge besides the 5% government sales tax.

Restaurants in Curacao vary from stylish dining to roadside kiosks.

You could also choose from one of the restaurant outlets on the beaches and the famous Willemstad restaurants for fine and lavish dining. In order to feast on seafood, head straight to barbeque spots in the countryside.

For fast food, you will find many McDonald's and Pizza Hut franchisees.

If you are planning on an evening dining, it's always best to make reservations.

Since most of Curacao's cuisines have been imported over the ages, travelers can enjoy access to international cuisine with a local flavor. You could try wide-ranging varieties of Dutch, Spanish, Creole, and Indonesian dishes.

You will notice that in Curacao, hygiene and food quality are excellent. Even the portions served are quite generous.

Some basic dishes that are worth ordering for in most restaurants on the island are listed below:

- Erwten soep- this is a thick pea soup with ham, pork and sausage.

- Bami-this dish consists of long noodles, which are served with meat and vegetables

- Nasi goreng-Bean sprouts simmered with chunks of chicken and other meat.

- Rijsttafel- A tasty dish by itself, it is served along with 20 accompanying dishes.

Some other options of dishes are:

- Yuana- Stewed iguana, which tastes almost like chicken

- Sopi Yuana- iguana soup

- Kabritu-Stewed goat

Vegetarians must try:

- Kònkòmber-Cucumbers, often served with green papaya or cabbage

- Fried plantains- fried plantains, or a sweet soup made from plantains and vegetables, seasoned with peppers and cinnamon

- Promèntè-Small, colorful hot peppers and pickled onions

Other tasty dishes:

- Ayaka- flavorful meat tamales wrapped in banana leaves

- Keshi Yená-Stuffed cheese

- Bolo pretu-Black fruit cake

For desserts try some of these:

- Sunchi-Meringue "kisses," made of sugar and egg whites.

- Panseiku- a praline desert with toasted peanuts and almond essence, glazed with dark brown sugar.

- Kokada-Freshly grated coconut patties, held together in sugar syrup, tinted with food coloring.

A. Top Restaurants

Beach bar and Restaurants:

Azzuro Beachbar & Restaurant

Beach Bar

Blue Bay Golf & Beach Resort

Landhuis Blaauw

Piscadera

Tel: +(5999)/888 6489

Fax: +(5999)/888 6495

Serves lunch and dinner

Open on all days of the week

Situated on the heavenly palm beach of Blue Bay Golf & Beach Resort.

On this beach, you are bound to come across Blue Bay divers, a playground, a volleyball field and a large swimming pool. During the day, Azzuro is an enjoyable beach club that serves tasty luncheon comprising of select dishes of local and international origin.

At night, this place transforms into a fine restaurant, where travelers and tourist can relish the international cuisine in a tropical atmosphere. This is a perfect location for wedding ceremonies, private parties and barbeque buffets.

Additional information:

• Separate non-smoking and smoking areas available

• On-site Parking Available

• Access for disabled people

Blue Oceans Beach Bar

Bapor Kibra z/n

Seaquarium Beach

Willemstad

Tel: +(5999)/465 6699

Fax: +(5999)/465 6689

Serving: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Open: All days of the week.

Offers Latin-American cuisine.

Listen to the waves roll in while you enjoy your meal at this restaurant.

Additional information:

• Separate non-smoking and smoking areas available

• On-site parking available

• Adherence to dress code is expected.

Mambo Beach

Beach Bar

Seaquarium Beach Bapor Kibra

Willemstad

Tel: 5999/461 8999

Fax: 5999/465 8630

Serving: Lunch and Dinner

Open: All days of the week.

This restaurant is popular for its impressive beachfront location. Apart from the international menu, they also offer theme nights on certain days of the week which are listed below:

Tuesdays: Dinner & Movie (on the beach)

Wednesdays: Tapas night

Fridays: Fish market

Saturdays: Dance night

You could also visit this place on Sunday as they offer ‘happy hours' from 5:00 PM till 6:00 PM during which period they serve a delightful barbeque buffet.

Additional information:

• Separate non-smoking and smoking areas available

• Dress code required

• On-site Parking Available

Grills and Steakhouses

Grill King

Grill

Waterfortboogjes 2-3

Punda

Willemstad

Tel: +(5999)/461 6870

Fax: +(5999)/465 0170

The Grill King family steakhouse offers refined herb spices and turf-grilled dishes. You could sip on some of the best cocktails mixed to perfection by the bartenders.

Italian Cuisine

La Pergola

Italian

Waterfort Arches

Tel: 5-999/461-3482

Fax: 5-999/465-6728

Located on the historical Waterfort terrace in the heart of Punda.

Serving: Lunch and Dinner

The atmosphere at this restaurant is quite informal. The ocean view is mesmerizing and simply breathtaking. The menu is tantalizing and highlights some of the best homemade pasta, meat, fish, seafood and a delicious selection of pizzas. The dishes served include the unique flavor of Italian cuisine. You can select from some exclusive wines from Italy and before going on to the delicious tiramisu.

Additional information:

• Separate non-smoking and smoking areas available

• On-site Parking Available

Local cuisine

Angelica's Kitchen

Local Sea Food

Hoogstraat 49

Otrobanda

Tel: 5999/562-3699

Fax: 5999/462-3270

Located in a restored house in historic Otrobanda, in Willemstad, Curaçao.

Open only for dinner all days of the week

This place offers some of the best examples of Caribbean Cooking.

Specialties

Sjalotte

French

Floris suite hotel

Piscaderabaai z/n

Tel: 5999/462 6111

Fax: 5999/462 6211

Located on the beautiful Piscadera Bay.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

This garden restaurant is a part of the Floris Suite Hotel. It offers its visitors a relaxing atmosphere and friendly service coupled with a blend of international dishes on the menu.

Oriental cuisine

Avalon

Asian

Caracasbaaiweg 8

Tel: 5999/465 6375

Fax: 5999/465 6376

Serving Lunch and Dinner

Open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday

Chefs at this restaurant prepare cuisines with flavors from around the world and give a contemporary twist to local ingredients. The sushi chef blends the traditional Japanese sushi with South African flair to prepare Sushi Samba.

The desert menu varies weekly and includes some of the best sweet choices from around the world. Avalon has set new standards for dining in Curacao with outstanding service and excellent cuisine.

International Cuisine

Barbarossa International

Plaza Mundo Merced z/n (schoener Negrita)

tegenover The Movies

Willemstad

Tel: +(5999)/462 9097

Fax: +(5999)/461 9491

Serving: Lunch and Dinner

Open: Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

This restaurant updates its menu on a regular basis and offer a selection of specialties at reasonable prices. It is created around the theme of a pirate ship and is ideal for festivities and children's parties.