September 19, 2018

Where to Eat in Bonaire

With Bonaire being such a small island with very few Resorts and known mostly for its diving, we didn’t expect to find such so many great dining options. Here are a few that we experienced and can recommend.

Brass Boer – Best Overall, Best Cocktails

We stayed at the newest resort on the Island Delfin’s Beach Resort. They also happen to have one of the Island’s top restaurants right on site. We actually dined at all three Brass Boer dining options – the Waterfront Restaurant, the Beach Bar and the Food Truck. All three were exceptional. I can’t lie, we actually hit the food truck multiple times during our trip for the burgers and fries (the sauce on the fries was unbelievable!). The Beach Bar also boasted our most favorite cocktails on the island.

The cocktails at the Brass Boer Beach Bar were our favorites on the island.

We enjoyed light fare at the Brass Boer Beach Bar.

The burgers and fries from the Brass Boer Food Truck at Delfins were exceptional.

You can reserve this private table on the water at The Brass Boer.

Karel’s Beach Bar – Best View

Karel’s Beach Bar is situated right in the heart of downtown on a pier that sits right out over the water giving it an unobstructed view of the water. We had dinner here our first night on the island and were seated right out at the edge of the pier with the best view of the sunset. The menu included a wide variety from burgers to seafood platters and the cocktails were also amazing.

Karel's Beach Bar sits directly over the water on a pier offering unobstructed views of the water. — Karel’s Beach Bar sits directly over the water on a pier offering unobstructed views of the water.

Karel's is the perfect place to enjoy the sunset. — Karel’s is the perfect place to enjoy the sunset.

It Rains Fishes – Best Meal

It Rains Fishes was on my list of restaurants to try while visiting Bonaire. However, it was also the top restaurant that our Hotel Staff Recommended (besides Brass Boer). This is also located downtown along the water front. However, like most of the restaurants downtown, it does have the main street between it and the water. The decor was as beautiful as the food. This was by far our favorite dinner from our trip. I have to say, my husband’s choice of the Lobster Risotto was incredible. I would recommend reservations as we saw many walk-in’s turned away as the night went on.

It Rains Fishes has amazing food and the view is beautiful.

At Sea – Most Foodie

At Sea is located just on the edge of downtown but not on the water like many of the other restaurants that we visited. However, I had read so many great reviews that we had to give it a try. We chose the Surprise Menu – you select the number of course, let the chef know of any allergies, then you sit back and are surprised each course with a selection specially made for you by the chef. It was amazing! It really forces you outside of your “safe food choice” zone. Ours included fresh local fish dishes and some of the best desert we had on the island. If you are looking for a true “foodie” experience, this is a must.

At Sea was our most Foodie experience with the Chef's Choice menu. — At Sea was our most Foodie experience with the Chef’s Choice menu.
(photo courtesy of Trip Advisor)

Bobbejan’s – Best Spur of the Moment BBQ

Our first day on the island as we were exploring downtown and headed to our reservations at Karel’s, we past Bobbejan’s. It is a cute little BBQ joint in downtown. The smell of the smoked BBQ rolling out of the restaurant was amazing. We ended up parking just across the street so we peaked inside and decided we would be back. However, be sure to go on the weekend. They are only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the line is out the door. They offer the usual BBQ fare of ribs, brisket, pulled pork and sides. If you are a fan of BBQ you don’t want to miss Bobbejan’s.

Bobbejan's offers fantastic BBQ, but us only open on the weekends. — Bobbejan’s offers fantastic BBQ, but us only open on the weekends.

The Local Groceries

Most of the accommodations on the island include either a kitchenette or full kitchen. We found it most convenient to stock up on snacks, fresh fruit, meats and cheese for sandwiches and fresh croissants from Van Den Tweel to have for breakfast and lunch. They also had wonderful, fresh baked goods and a smoothie shop. Most of the labels were in Dutch, but part of the fun was picking different foods than we have a home. The view from our room was by far the best on the Island so we spent several meals enjoying the view from our private balcony and an Amstel Bright (yes Bright, not Light).