Bonaire, as you know by now, is a Divers’ Paradise. But it is also a foodie paradise! Restaurants are expensive: a not especially fancy place, with one appetizer, two mains, and a couple of drinks or desserts will easily set you back US$100. And there is a certain sameness to the food: many places are located near the water, under thatched roofs, and many serve fish. This is not a complaint: sitting by the water at a tiki bar eating seafood is surely one of the great pleasures of life. But we would only want to do it, say, ten days in a row before we needed a little break.
So we’ve scouted out some great Bonaire restaurants that are a little different (plus the very best of the seaside options). Here are our favourites, painstakingly culled from a long list of contenders. Do note that restaurant service is exceptionally friendly, but also slow.
Eddy’s
Eddy’s is the place with the very best food in Bonaire, in our extremely qualified opinion. It’s got a Caribbean flavour to it, and everything we’ve eaten there was fantastic. Appetizers are mostly fried (also not a complaint!): arepitas, empanaditas, and the most delicious thing we have eaten in a long time: patacones con camaron. I.e., smashed fried plantains with shrimp. But here’s the thing: the shrimp are in a casserole dish with salsa, covered by baked cheese.
If that’s not enough cheese for you, the seafood fiesta comes similarly attired in cheese. The catch of the day has always been amazing. And the local market platter is your chance to try the catch of the day plus goat stew, which is the second-most delicious thing we have eaten in a long time.
Also: amazing cocktails, from fruity and fancy to the Platonic form of mojito. And the desserts are not bad either!
Bagel & Bloom
You might remember us bewailing the fact that we hadn’t had a good bagel in a long time. Well, we received a [divine?] sign – just outside the airport, in fact, advertising this place. Bagel & Bloom would be a great find anywhere; in Bonaire it is incredible. They make their own bagels there, and flavours include everything bagels, which is what all other bagels secretly want to be. And they are splendid! In addition, they serve all kinds of breakfasts and lunches, most featuring bagels, on the cutest dishes ever. Pulled pork with pickled cabbage is not a traditional bagel topping, but we’re willing to let them get away with it. Even more so the guacamole bagel sandwich, which is more or less nachos on a bagel. (Right?!?!)
Mezze
This Turkish place is right on the water, with beautiful views. Mezze has most of what you’d expect from this kind of food, but it’s beautifully done, elevated, and often with a twist. The muhammara – a family favourite – was spicy and sweet both (see above). There was a ‘meaty hummus’ which turns out to be a fantastic combination. Etc. etc. We were brave and tried the Persian chicken, which has mayo and pickles. And it too was great! As were the salads, especially one with beetroot and goat’s cheese.
If that weren’t enough, they make fruity drinks!
La Balandra
This is the restaurant connected to the very fancy Harbour Village Yacht Club and luxury villas. So fancy, in fact, that when we went there without a reservation we caused a minor incident, and they had to escort us through the massive complex. The food itself is perfectly good, but it’s really the view that makes this place exceptional: you’re on a (pretend) boat prow, so you are actually out over the water. There are lovely breezes. And there are very often fish below; we saw a bunch of jack and tarpons on one side, and colourful angelfish and tangs on the other.
We had an octopus carpaccio here that was amazing (yes we know; they’re smarter than we are…) and an excellent thai curry, as well as some great sandwiches and pretty appetisers.
Hang Out Beachbar
The name of this one pretty much covers it. Hang Out might be the best beachfront bar on Bonaire. It’s on the east coast of the island, in Lac Bay, located right next to Jibe City windsurfing. Trust us: there is no better way to while away an afternoon than watching other people fall down in stunning azure blue waters! Drinks and food are better than they need to be, especially if you focus on the catch of the day (often tuna). We’ve had it in salads and as a burger. Talking of which, the burgers are great too!
Roos Suriname Food
We were delighted to find Roos, now that we know our way around a Surinamese menu. This unpretentious place had all of our favourites, and it’s about the cheapest restaurant in town. Very good fried things, and a peanut sauce worth writing home about. Plus the staff are really friendly – especially if you show them the pictures of Paramaribo on your phone!
Foodies
Obviously we were going to try a place with this name. Foodies isn’t (quite) on the water; it doesn’t have a thatched roof. But their tuna night (Wednesdays), cocktail night (Saturdays), Pub Night (Thursdays), and burger night (Sundays) mean the place is always crowded. The tuna tataki is the best we’ve eaten on the island – and we have eaten a lot of tuna tataki in a relatively short amount of time.
Stoked Food Truck
Stoked, located on Te Amo beach, serves incredible burgers and wraps. Their loaded fries are also nothing to sneeze at. Bonaire is known for its food trucks – mostly on the water, perfectly located for hungry divers – and we think this one is the very best of them.
Luciano’s
This coffee and ice cream shop is also on the water, and their ice cream is fantastic. Even better is the itty bitty cone they give you with a coffee drink.
So there you have it. The fruits of our intense research. There are also a number of places that look good that we never got to. But that’s one more reason that we’ll plan to get back here soon!
To make sure you don’t miss a single moment of meandering, minimalist, magic, sign up for our fortnightly newsletter!
