Pelican Nest

Sadly the Pelican’s Nest has really gone downhill from where it used to be. We have been coming to Aruba for about 20 years now and this restaurant has always been a favorite staple for us. The last few times have not been fantastic, but we still enjoy it. However today was the worst time yet. Firstly, they were completely out of stock of every single local beer - all they had was Bud Light. Then when we went to order appetizers they told us they were out of 6 out of the 10 appetizers on the menu. They told me they had the tuna tartare, to only be told 10 minutes later that they were out of avocado. They then informed us of various entrees they were also out of. My husband wanted a full fried snapper, which they said came in large or extra large size. He ordered the large, to again be told 10 minutes later that it was sold out, that the only option was the extra large snapper, for a whopping $120! This is a plain, LOCAL fried fish on a casual restaurant pier people eat in their bathing suits at…and that doesn’t even include sides. I will say my Baja shrimp tacos were delicious, but each taco came with ONE shrimp each for $23. It’s a real shame to see how bad this once wonderful restaurant has gotten because the views are beautiful and the food we did get to eat was very good.

Service is OK, servers can be a fit Kurt. Chairs and tables are all very wobbly and very close to the water edge. You definitely have to be careful getting into the chair. Also, the whole back area that actually faces the ocean is reservation only. So if you want that view, make sure you make a reservation ahead of time. Also, at night, you can hear people at the bar behind us screaming karaoke. So not the most relaxing environment. they didn’t take my order for 20 minutes, and then after taking my order, came back and told me they were out of a beer that I ordered. Also, there was supposed to be live music here on Friday nights, but when I arrived and asked about it, they said they were on a short break. They didn’t come on for at least the entire hour that I was here. when I asked them if they were coming back on soon, they kept telling 'she’s coming she’s coming' and never did. So didn't get that live music atmosphere. Also, a huge catamaran boat docked right in the middle of the restaurant during the meal. It was definitely just a bit distracting overall and wouldn’t have been my best choice for a seaside meal. The food is also quite expensive.

Get the coconut shrimp!! It was a 10/10 very flavorful, all of our food was so delicious. The staff were very friendly and attentive. It is pretty expensive, but the food is up to par. Also the restaurant sits right on the water, even though we went at night the view was gorgeous! Would recommend for a date night!

I was so impressed by this restaurant. I did not expect much, I was just hoping for a meal on the water, but everything about our meals. The cocktails were very well together, and the food was very flavorful. The red snapper with the lemon cream sauce was a meal I’m not going to forget. We will probably be back in the next few days.

We truly enjoyed our dinner at the Pelican Nest and did not regret we chose the place for a special occasion. We booked our table via OpenTable and we got a table by the water although the best tables had been booked via a different platform and when I asked to be seated at one of those better in my opinion tables, my request was kindly refused, which did not spoil our overall experience. The drinks were good, the food was good, everything was overall lovely.