Oranjestad by Day & Night: Your Guide to Aruba's Capital
The complete Oranjestad guide: shopping and sightseeing by day, restaurants and nightlife after dark. Plus the best tours starting near downtown
Papiamento Restaurant, Washington, Noord, Aruba
CuisineArubanInternational
Price per personAWG 40 to 160About US$ 22 to 89
Opening hours6 days a week · from 6 PM
ReservationsBook onlineor call the restaurant
Papiamento is one of the most well-known restaurants on Aruba, and also one of the oldest. It is set in a traditional cunucu house that is more than a hundred years old, and the whole place carries that history: cute, vintage, and unmistakably old-Aruban in feel.
Dinner here happens mostly outdoors, in the garden that wraps around the cunucu house. You are seated among lush tropical greenery, around a pool that sits behind the house, with lights strung overhead in the trees. It is the kind of setting people remember long after the trip is over.
It is a family-owned restaurant led by owner and chef Eduardo Ellis, and the menu reflects that personal, local pride, blending traditional Aruban recipes with a well-rounded international selection.

Ask to see the wine house and chat with the owner about the collection. Book ahead and ask for a garden table by the pool, magical after dark!
AddressPapiamento Restaurant, Washington, Noord, Aruba
My partner and I dined here while visiting Aruba and I would definitely come back on our next trip! Everyone working there was extremely friendly and knowledgable with the menu. Our food and drinks were absolutely delicious. Highly recommend dining here if you’re looking for an experience :)
This place was amazing. The food, the atmosphere, and the service, everything about this place was perfect. Had to be back on the cruise ship by a certain time, and I mentioned that to the waiter as soon as I sat down. As dinner was wrapping up, the manager came to the table, asked how everything was, and even offered to call a ride back to the ship at their expense. That level of attention to detail and customer service made what was already a great meal into an exceptional experience. If I'm ever back in Aruba, this place will definitely be on my list again.
Heard that this place was a MUST DO, but we weren’t very impressed. Dishes are very expensive with small portion sizes. White rice is given on the side with no seasoning. The ambiance is definitely unique, but feels like a very average back yard witha swimming pool. Probably wouldn’t go back, but glad we had the experience.
Papiamiento was a whole vibe not just a restaurant! The former house turned bar also has a humidor and cigar room onsite, wine cellar, several court yards, and gorgeous outdoor seating year round. The food is also 10 out of 10. Remember you need a reservation here because people are fighting to get in here for the food and the spectacular ambiance. #vibes #outdooreating #ambiance #5star #aruba
Papimento delivered one of our favorite meals in Aruba. Every dish was beautifully presented and packed with flavor. The seafood was fresh and perfectly prepared, from the shrimp and fish entrées to the rich, bubbling seafood gratin. The potato and beef empanada was a standout appetizer, crispy on the outside with a delicious savory filling, served with flavorful dipping sauces. The crème brûlée was the perfect finish, featuring a beautifully caramelized crust and creamy custard beneath. The tropical garden setting created a relaxing and romantic atmosphere that made the evening feel special. Service was warm, attentive, and welcoming throughout the meal. For anyone visiting Aruba, Papimento is a must-visit for excellent food, beautiful surroundings, and an unforgettable dining experience. Highly recommended! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Couples after a romantic, atmospheric dinner, travelers who want to try authentic Aruban cooking, and wine lovers who will appreciate the depth of the cellar. It is also a lovely choice for a milestone celebration.
Because the experience is mostly outdoors in the garden, and the setting is intimate and historic rather than fast and casual, it is less suited to travelers looking for a quick, budget bite or a lively sports-bar atmosphere. This is a place to slow down and settle in.
The magic of Papiamento is the garden. Tables sit in a lush, tropical setting around the pool behind the cunucu house, with lights overhead in green trees, so evenings here feel warm and a little enchanted. Inside the century-old house you will find antiques collected from Europe, some dating back to the early 1800s, along with flowers in careful arrangements and polished copper cooking utensils from a more leisurely era. Every detail feels personal.

One of Papiamento's most special features sits right on the property: a wine vault built into what was once an extension of the manor house, used long ago as a storeroom and cheese factory. Today it holds an enormous collection, well over a thousand bottles and closer to two thousand international vintages from around the world. It is worth stepping inside to browse, and asking the owner about the collection is part of the fun.

If you want one dinner that captures the soul of old Aruba, with history, a tropical garden, a remarkable wine cellar, and food with a genuine local touch, Papiamento is hard to beat. It is one of the island's oldest and most loved restaurants for good reason, and an evening in that garden is well worth it.
Book directly with our local team. Lowest price and free cancellation.

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