here's a subject we have barely touched on that always sparks a lot of opinions.

what are your top five restaurants and your bottom two restaurants. why do you feel that way about them?

The Top 5 resturants is gonna always be a subjective question. Some people like spicy food some don't my top 5 willl not always be everyone elses top 5 but my favorite are 1) French Steakhouse; Loved the food and the location espacally the garden terrace part. 2.) Flying Fishbone :good service and when you get a table on the beach at sunset this is what Aruba is all about. 3) Texas de brazil I am a meat eater and this resturant has it in spades after a meal here you won't be hungry good service and food. 4)Madame Jennette the service here is good and also great food This one I have not heard people mentioned as one of the top ten resturants on other boards but I do remember what good food and graet service I recieved when I ate there and that is the 5) Waterfront Crabhouse they have every kind of crab dish you can think of Garlic crabs, hard shell and soft shell crabs the usual surf and turf steak and lobster Yes Maine lobster is served here and other good dishes and the meal was very inexpensive . I have no bottom 2 resturants

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Born to raise Hell and enjoy every minute of it. Hawklords

I totally agree with you Ron on the Waterfront Crabhouse! We went there for the first time this year and it was outstanding, my most favorite meal of the week! My tops are MJ's, Chalet Suisse, Driftwood, Waterfront CH, and Kukoo Kunokoo (for the drinks...haha), seriously Texas de Brazil.

My worst was Azzuro in Playa Linda. We certainly have missed many restaurants such as Flying Fishbone, French Steakhouse etc, it would take many many trips to Aruba to get them all in.....I will try though

As you say, picking restaurants is totaly subjective. Everyone will have a different opinion. If you have one bad experience at a restaurant,it reflects in your opinion. We got a couple of bad dinners at the Waterfront Crabhouse, so its off OUR list even though many boarders like it a lot.

Our top 5 favorites in no particular order are Madame Janettes, El Gaucho, Alfredos, Chalet Suisse and The Paddock. We also love the take-out at King Ribs. Eat it on the balcony.The chops and chicken are the best.

The only place we wont go back to is the seafood buffet at the La Cabana casino. That was THE WORST meal we ever got on Aruba or anywhere else.

We also love the Waterfront Crabhouse. The Maine lobster dinner was great and service was so nice. Also love Madame Janettes, Flying Fishbone (atmosphere), El Gaucho (a bit noisy)and Hostario de Vittorio. Do not like Captain's Table! Amicis - GREAT ice cream. Also - what happened to Bonoonoo's in town? Loved the Carribean food.

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gossip has it that bonoonoo's owners skipped the island with a lot of debt and a bunch of money. i loved their food.

I would have put Bononononos on my list also but they have been closed for at least 2 years now. Their jamacian Ribs were execellent and I had the best Caribbean Zombie made there. Yes it is a true story that the owners skipped out of Aruba one nite and took all the money and ran. Left all the employees with no jobs. Kinda of a shame because that resturant was listed in my fodors travel book as a resturant that should not be missed which is why I went there

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Born to raise Hell and enjoy every minute of it. Hawklords

Favorites: Hostario de Vittorio, El Gaucho, Waterfront Crabhouse, Don Carlos (our new favorite), Iguana Joe's (an old favorate), Texas de Brazil.

Least favorite: Sunset Grill (believe it or not), Driftwood (I got food poisoning or had an allergic reaction to locally caught fish), would love to try it again...but I can't get past that.

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"These are a few of my favorite things"
...Elisa
defecting to St. Thomas 5/24-5/31/08, Lauderdale by the Sea 2/4-2/11/09; St. Croix Oct. '09!

I gotta say I'm in the minority on the Waterfront Crabhouse. We've had dinner there 4 times, the only good experience was when they cooked up our fish that we had caught on our charter. The other times we were somewhat disappointed - but we keep going back, because we love seafood and the location is good. I know we'll go again, maybe we'll have better luck. Also very distracting watching the tiger while you eat, knowing he's probably hungrier than I am.

We love Iguana Joes for casual, FF for fancy/expensive.

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Top 5 no order

The Pelican's Nest- This place is Aruba's best kept secret. We eat our
first and last nites there. I could write a book about all the good things.
Giligans- Great burgers, excellent Pina-coladas
Iguana Joes- Great chicken sandwich, drink-Iguana mama
El Goucho- Combo platter, bad though, noisy and smokey
Blossoms- Japanese cooked in front of you

Bottom 2

Don Carlo's- had bad food, bad sevice, staff didn't care- wouldn't go back
even if it were free.
any American Fast Food joint- You can eat this stuff at home.


The great thing about Aruba, is there are so many choices everyone
will find someplace to call thier favorate!

later,
millertime

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ARUBA....One Happy Island

Later,
millertime

Kevin, I'm with you. We didn't enjoy the Waterfront Crab House either and wouldn't go back. And, unlike Millertime, one of my favorite restaurants is Don Carlos. Love going there on a Friday or Saturday night when there's a singer there who's great. I think the food is wonderful and have never had a problem with the staff being unfriendly or unattentive. It's been one of my favorites for the last several years, and I go at least 3 times each visit. We always get a table overlooking the harbor... Ask 10 different people about a restaurant and get 10 different opinions...

Top 5 in no particular order:

French Steakhouse ooo la la
Promenade
Alfredos
Madam Janette
Gasparittos


Bottom feeders:
Tony Roma <gag>
Aqua Grill <pricey gag>
and last and least Captains Table <oh my god awful>

so far, andrea comes closest i think to my favorites.

haven't eaten at gasparittos so i might put the paddock or que pasa in it's place.

and i think the aqua grill is tasty with a nice presentation but way to pricey for the portions. i would put la petit cafe in my bottom feeders. if i wanted to cook my own steak i would stay home.

My favorites & not necessarily in this order:

Madame Janette
Chalet Suisse
French Steak House
Captain's Corner (in Noord)
Gasparito

The worst:

Captain's Table (La Cabana)
All fast food (except Taco Bell behind La Cabana)

~M~

My top 5 favorites:

Marandi
Gasparito
Que Pasa
Madame Janette's
Rumba

Okay, and a number 6....French Steakhouse, too.

Also like Flying Fishbone for special occasions but we don't go there every year.


Places we won't go:

La Trattoria el faro Blanco (still like the view at sunset though so we do go there for drinks but the food is mediocre for the price.)

Gilligan's (couldn't get service there to save our lives!)

Tony Roma's and Carlos & Charlies (both "chain restaurants" with mediocre food - why go to a "chain restaurant" when there are so many great ones in Aruba that you can't get at home.)

Texas de Brazil and Amazonia - we've already experienced this concept in Mexico and now here in Minneapolis at a restaurant called Mojito's so it's not a novelty to us...plus we think it's pretty pricey when I really don't eat alot at all-u-can-eat places. Not worth the money to us when you can get a great meal at the French Steakhouse (including a bottle of wine) for alot less.

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~Amy~®
19th trip to Aruba: April 11-19, 2009
20th trip to Aruba: Sept. 17-Oct. 4, 2009

Favorites: Madame Janette, Chalet Suisse, Sole Mare, French Steak House, Petite Cafe (for breakfast)


No thank you: Captain's Table, El Gaucho

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Thumbs Up: Chez Mathilde, Chalet Suisse, Hotel Astoria, Ventanas del Mar, and Le Dome

Thumbs Down: Buccaneer(price reasonable, food not), Charlie's Bar (food reasonable, price not)

Few more places: For people on a budget El Patio is excellent for take out or dine in and they are open essentially open 22-23 hrs per day. King rib is also good. Canucu chicken in San Nicholas is the best chicken I ever had anywhere in the world and is located on the way to the baby beach, southern end of the island. They make fantastic peanut sauce daily. Locals line up for take outs. Promenade is also excellent. Parillada(sp?) in San Nicholas is also good and inexpensive (less than $10 for most items on the menu), only down side is it is located in seedy side of town.

Our favorites (we have only been to Aruba 2x so far, Nov. is our third trip)

El Gaucho
Laguna (Radisson) for dinner
Que Pasa
Driftwood
we don't have a 5th yet, I will let you know after Nov. and listening to you guys I definitely want to try Madame Janette, the French Steakhouse & Le Dome

Least favorites
Flying Fishbone has a great atmosphere but wasn't thrilled with the food.
Not worth the money.
We also ate at the Hyatt's fancy restaurant (I don't remember the name) not impressed with the food, but beautiful ambiance with the swans!

Thank you guys for all the great advise on this board!!!! I have been reading this BB since our first trip to Aruba and we have learned so much from you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!

I believe it's called Ruinas del Mar. I agree with your assessment (those black swans were cool though).

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I was wondering which places have easy handicap excess?

Well let me rephase this question, which of the good restrants such as texas de brazil and madam Janette's have excess for wheelchair or crutchs?
Wanna try them in January just want to make sure they have excess.

thanks

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Karen