Culinary Curaçao:

Curaçao is a true hidden gem when it comes to culinary arts. The food is as delicious and high quality as it is diverse. Because the people of Curaçao have roots in so many cultures (Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Indonesian, South American, and more) the island truly has something for everyone and anyone at every mealtime.

The only bad food I ever had in Curaçao has been when I went to resorts where they tame stuff down for tourists.

Here are some of our favorite places!!

• Seaside Terrace;  a small seafood place, just North of Sunscape. Looks unimpressive from the street side, but it has a beautiful patio on the other side. This has some of the best sea food in Curaçao …amazing place.
• Brisa Do Mar/Pop’s Place; Great seafood, great sunset view…one of the best Goat Stew on the island, too!!
• Plasa Bieu; This is probably the most authentic island food in Curacao. It is located in Punda just past the Floating Market…ask anyone for directions. Amazing food, great price. It’s my favorite lunch place
• El Gaucho; Near the East of the island; the BEST STEAK in Curaçao!! Awesome desserts too. And great sunset view
• Angus Steakhouse and Bar; The Location isn’t as nice as some other places, but the food is amazing and the presentation is very, very special.
• Batik Asli: Simply the best Indonesian food in Curaçao, including a fully authentic rijsttafel with more than 15 delicious dishes.
• Jaanchie’s;  This restaurant is an absolute must see. The food is great…make sure you try a small dish of the iguana stew…it’s an aphrodisiac!! Lol. Also, Jaanchie (the owner) will feed the birds while you are there…they fly around like crazy just feet away from you…awesome place (at Westpoint, near Playa Forti and Playa Kalki)
• Olas y Copas: Conveniently located near the Mambo Beach/Sea Aquarium area, this restaurant has amazing breakfasts and coffee, but also a very satisfying and diverse lunch/dinner menu!! Everything from burgers to ceviche, and all delicious!!
• Il Barile da Mario: Our favorite Italian restaurant in Curaçao…and I’m Italian, so my opinion matters!!!
• Santa Anna Curaçao: Fantastic Chilean Seafood specialties, but with non-fish items as well…delicious.
• Shelterrock Paradise: This place is just too fun. On Friday nights they do a special where all the food is cooked in coconuts over an open fire. The food is delicious, side dished are perfect, and the view is amazing. Then, after dinner, it’s karaoke time!! It is an absolute blast!!
• Dal Toro: Wonderful Italian style restaurant with a truly amazing view and very, very good service. This is a top quality place.
• Esty’s: A very high calibre French Brasserie. The menu is fantastic, and service is great. The atmosphere is also excellent.
• Popcultr, Homemade Popsicles. This is in Punda in a small street that is near Mistral.
• Sneks; all over the island there are little shacks on the roadsides called “snek”….these are little snack shacks sort of like our chip wagons…but they serve beer!! They always have great local food, and each one will have a specialty depending on the history of the snek and who the owner is. (some may have curry dishes, some will have Dutch snacks only, others will others will have Indonesian or island food)…you can’t be scared by the appearance…the places can sometimes look a little shoddy, but the kitchens are clean and food is always good.
• Truki Pan: Literally translates to “bread truck”, these are food trucks. The food truck “industry” has exploded in Curacao, and the result is even more amazing food!!! Most food trucks open at 9pm. Our favorite is Koki Riba Bloki…simply the BEST!! BBQ Express which is now located in Pasawa (a “compound” with 5-6 amazing truki pan all in one location on Caracasbaaiweg. It has a full bar, servers, and some nights has live music. Absolutely delicious!!! Other great Truki pan are: The Don, Grote Berg Patate, VIP Grill, Tok Tok Grill, and Friday’s Baby Truck.

NOTE: Curaçao treats you must try!!

Although the seafood is great, the beef is phenomenal!!! Other local treats include:

• Keshie Yena: This might be THE Curaçao signature dish. This is a baked or steamed ball of cheese, stuffed with yummy ingredients which may vary from place to place, but is always yummy!!
• Funchi: a corn meal snack served often as a side dish
• Stoba di Kabritu (goat stew)….this is my absolute favorite island dish
• Stoba di Lagadish, or Stoba di Yuana (Iguana stew): really tasty, but lots of bones. Nice if you order a small dish for everyone to share, just to taste it
• Bitterballen: this is a bizarre little snack which is basically deep-fried batter. Tasty with mustard dip…might be fattening.
• Fried Plaintains: they have these everywhere and are amazing. The blacker the banana, the sweeter the meat!!
• Pastechi: these are my favorite snacky treat…sort of like Jamaican Patties…it’s a little meat or vegetable “pocket” …served hot. Usually they have chicken, beef, fish, cheese, and vegetarian. Usually available in the mornings.
• Kroket: this is hard to describe. It’s basically a breaded, deep-fried stick of a meat (usually) ragout. I know it sounds weird, but it’s delicious.
• Tosti: delicious!! This is basically a grilled cheese, but the filling and cheeses used can make them unique and tasty!!
• Jambo: Okra soup with salted meats/fish/etc. It has a sticky texture, but it is delicious and extremely unique.
• Pika: a spicy blend of scotch bonnet (or habanero, reaper, etc), onion, vinegar, etc. People use this in stoba or other dishes to kick things up a notch!!. Most places will have a mild one available. If you like more heat, you have to ask your server. Note: My Canadian XXX Pika is quite popular!! (and dangerous!!!)

Note: For info on eating Gluten Free in Curaçao, click here.

Also, for more info on restaurants, check out Otra Guide Curaçao. This app has an absolute ton of info on everything Curaçao.