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A guide on where to eat in the Noord region of Aruba. Noord encompasses the northernmost section of the island and is the major tourist area. We stayed at a budget hotel in Noord just a few minutes from Palm Beach and most of our meals on the island were near the hotel.
Overview of Where to Eat in Noord
Noord has a very diverse collection of restaurants offering cuisine from all over the world. Finding a good restaurant isn’t a problem, but finding one that’s reasonably priced is. Friends who had visited Aruba in the past told us to expect meals to be on par with US prices and we budgeted based on that advice. Little did we know prices had risen significantly since their visits.
On our first day in Aruba, we learned the hard way that several restaurants in Noord, especially near Palm Beach, are terribly overpriced. After consulting with some locals and getting some recommendations, we were able to get back on track and not go too far over budget in the end.
The restaurants listed in this post are only in Noord. Other restaurants we visited in Aruba are listed in posts for those regions or cities. I’ll start north and work my way south. I’ve also listed dollar signs next to each restaurant to give you an idea on price. $$$ is high, $$ is on par with US prices, and $ is low.
Arashi Beach Shack (Arashi Beach) – $$
While spending the afternoon at Arashi Beach, we had lunch at Arashi Beach Shack. They have a small selection of sandwiches and burgers as well as some baskets with meat or fish and a choice of sides. The sandwiches are reasonably priced but the baskets are a little on the high side. They also have beer available individually or with six in a bucket, and some good cocktails.
You can order your meal and pay at the counter, then pick it up when it’s ready. I had a chicken sandwich basket while Marisol had ceviche. Our little one had a hot dog. Portion sizes were fair for the price and the food was good. We would eat there again.
Kouzina Restaurant (Palm Beach) – $$$
I got excited when I learned there was a Greek restaurant in Aruba and headed to Kouzina for lunch on our second day. It ended up being a major disappointment.
Kouzina has a fantastic location literally right on Palm Beach, next to the Playa Linda Beach Resort. They have Greek music blasting from their bar and a friendly, enthusiastic staff. That’s where the positives end.
We ordered feta fries to share, one chicken and one pork gyros, and a Greek salad. The feta fries were fairly priced and very good but the Greek salad was about half the size I was expecting for the price. The gyros were about five times the price I pay in Athens and also smaller than I expected. They didn’t have a great flavor, either. Overall, the atmosphere is great but I feel embarrassed this is how Greek food is represented in Aruba.
The Old Cunucu House (Palm Beach) – $$
We visited the Old Cunucu House for our anniversary dinner. It’s set in a historic mid-19th century traditional home in a quiet residential neighborhood east of Palm Beach.
The Old Cunucu House has seating indoors and on the outdoor patio, where there’s a bar and live music. Reservations are recommended. Service is very friendly but they were short-staffed and had an off night when we were there. It was very slow and took forever to get drinks and dessert, but I won’t hold it against them.
We sat outside and started with escargot and the oyster soup, which was the soup of the day.
For our main course, we shared two traditional Aruban dishes. The keshi yena is chicken baked with olives, cashews, raisins and gouda cheese. The cabrito stoba is stewed goat meat. Both were served with rice or potatoes, fresh vegetables, sweet plantain, and fried funchi (polenta). Everything was delicious.
For dessert, we shared a chuculati pinda criollo, or “hot peanut butter cup”. It’s a creamy Aruban Colonial delicacy made with hot peanuts served in peanut butter with milk and chocolate.
Pika’s Corner (Palm Beach) – $$
On Route 3 east of Palm Beach is Pika’s Corner. They specialize in Aruban cuisine and were always packed when we drove by, so we decided to give it a shot.
We sat outside and shared the calco stoba (conch stew) and calco a la parrilla (grilled conch). Both were delicious. We’d love to go back and try the meat skewers, which looked amazing. Besides the great food, our server was a little gruff but other than that, it was a good experience.
Sole Mare (Palm Beach) – $$$
Sole Mare is an Italian restaurant on Route 3. It was our first meal after arriving in Aruba and where we got our first case of sticker shock. Although service was excellent, I felt the prices on the menu were about 30% higher than they should have been.
We started with an order of escargot, which was swimming in a thick buttery garlic sauce. Marisol had the linguine ai frutti di mare and I had the spaghetti with meatballs in a marinara sauce. She loved her dish but I felt mine was subpar for the price. The sauce was watery and the meatballs didn’t have much flavor.
Sultan (Palm Beach) – $$
Next door to Sole Mare is Sultan. This restaurant and hookah bar has been serving authentic Middle Eastern dishes since 1989.
When visiting Middle Eastern restaurants, I like to try a bit of everything. We shared the family platter for two, which consists of shish taouk, kafta, kebab, lamb, kibbeh, falafel, hummus, babaganoush, warakenab, malfuf, tabbouleh, Arab rice, and Arab bread. It was easily one of the best meals we had in Aruba. I washed my dinner down with a Balashi beer, and had baklava for dessert. The baklava is dry and not very good, so give it a miss.
Overall, service was friendly and attentive and it’s a place we’d definitely visit on a future trip. The only thing that turned us off was the 15% service charge added to the bill, which the server claimed is not a tip. She then got a little nervous and proceeded to tell us that we didn’t have to tip her if we didn’t want to. It was a little uncomfortable.
Local Store Aruba (Palm Beach) – $$
Local Store Aruba on Route 3 started out as a rum shop in 1980 and has transformed into one of the best burger joints on the island. It’s a favorite for both locals and tourists.
The menu is filled with typical bar food, including a great selection of wings, burgers, wraps, and sandwiches, as well as a couple soups and salads. There are also snacks such as fries, fried pickles, popcorn shrimp, chicken tenders, and quesadillas. Service is friendly and prices are fair.
I had the Local Store burger, which is topped with melted American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mayo, and mustard. Marisol had an order of wings. We couldn’t have been happier with the food and the experience and it’s on our list of places to go back to.
Gelatissimo (Palm Beach) – $
Gelatissimo is in a small food truck park next to Local Store Aruba. They have a good selection of gelato served in cones or cups with optional toppings. We stopped by for dessert on our first night.
Island Grind (Palm Beach) – $
In the same food truck park is Island Grind. They have great coffee and other drinks such as lemonade. We visited a few times to get our caffeine fix in the morning. The drive-through is convenient.
Linda’s Dutch Pancakes (Palm Beach) – $$
We had breakfast one morning at Linda’s Dutch Pancakes on Route 3. It was a great change from the monotony of our hotel breakfast buffet.
We each ordered our own pancake. I had the bacon and apple, Marisol had the cheese and bacon, and our little one had the apple and raisin. Overall, service is fantastic, the pancakes are amazing, and it was easily the best breakfast we had during our trip.
Bingo (Palm Beach) – $$
Bingo is next door to Linda’s. We stopped in for dinner one night and were impressed by both the quality of the food and service. In fact, it was the best service we had during the trip.
Bingo has a nice menu with lots of choices including several different appetizers and salads, steaks, burgers, seafood, sandwiches, and vegan dishes. Even better, for most dishes you can choose a small or regular order. The smalls are a pretty decent size and Marisol was barely able to finish her meal.
For our meals, I started with a French onion soup and had the Bingo burger, which is huge and served with curly fries. Marisol had the gambas fettuccine, which is fettuccine with shrimp and fresh vegetables. Our toddler finished off the kid’s shrimp, which comes with applesauce and fries. All of the food was excellent.
We couldn’t skip dessert and had a hard time deciding. Our server helped out and recommended the chocolate mousse. It’s rich and creamy and was the perfect way to finish off our dinner.
Café 080 (East of Palm Beach) – $$
Café 080 is just off Caya Frans Figaroa. It’s a friendly neighborhood bar with a relaxed atmosphere that’s been around since 2009. They have a varied menu with meals falling into three different price levels as well as lots of snacks. Some of the dishes are Dutch or German while others are more international.
We went for dinner one night and both had the tomato soup and fish and chips. Both were delicious, especially the fish, which was grouper. We’d be happy to go back again.
Nikkei Sushi Bar (Tanki Flip) – $$
Nikkei Sushi Bar is on the south side of Noord in Tanki Flip that opened in 2017. They offer both Japanese and Peruvian specialties.
We visited on our last night in Aruba for dinner. We started with edamame and ordered five different sushi rolls. The sushi is very good and so is the service. Prices are fair.
