Curaçao Restaurants: The Best Places to Eat in Willemstad and Westpunt

After two visits to Curaçao and trying food in different parts of the island, I decided to write a post about what I think are the best restaurants in Curacao – or at least my favorites. I hope you enjoy it!

Even though Curaçao is a fairly small island, it has a surprisingly high number of good restaurants, and of all kinds.

From small local spots serving local and Caribbean food in general, to gourmet restaurants offering different types of cuisine. You’ll find everything from Italian food to Dutch-influenced dishes, Surinamese, Asian, and more.

In fact, the variety and number of good restaurants is what sets Curaçao apart from several other small Caribbean islands nearby.

Many of them have beautiful ocean views, whether right on the beach or on a cliff, both in Willemstad and in Westpunt. Others are located in the middle of the city. And some are even set in old plantation houses.

We’re vegetarian, so in all of these places you’ll find vegetarian options, in case you are too.

Here’s the list, categorized by location. And whenever they are close to the cruise port I mention that as well, in case you are just on a cruise stop for the day.

Table of Contents

Best Restaurants in Willemstad, Curacao

Willemstad has a wide variety of delicious places to eat, many of them right in the city center. Here are my recommendations for the ones you shouldn’t miss if you’re visiting Curaçao.

Soi 95

If you’ve already been reading about the best restaurants in Curaçao, this name might sound familiar, as it often appears on lists. It’s a gourmet Asian fusion restaurant in Willemstad.

We went here to celebrate my birthday, and it didn’t disappoint. We sat in the downstairs area, which has a lovely atmosphere, although they also have a beautiful rooftop with a view. It’s close to Avila Beach Hotel and near the city center.

It’s a restaurant where the portions are ideal for sharing, so you can order a bit of everything—which is exactly what we did. Our favorite dish was the lemper, a typical Indonesian snack made of glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, filled (in our case, vegetarian). Delicious!

We also ordered mushroom ravioli with yuzu sauce, nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice). For dessert, we ordered a pandan tiramisu. I have to say that while it was interesting, I preferred the main dishes much more than the dessert. But since it was dark pictures aren’t so good so I’m only posting that one!

Overall, highly recommended.

Gouverneur de Rouville

Pasta al Gouverneur restaurant in Willemstad

This restaurant is located in Otrobanda, right next to the canal, so it has a lovely view of the canal, the Emmabrug bridge, and the boats that pass by from time to time.

It’s set in a large, old house where it seems the governor of the area (Rouvillle) lived in the 19th century, and it has several different spaces: a balcony (with the view), an indoor area, and a beautiful courtyard with a fountain.

The food is international-style, and they also have local dishes such as keshi yena (a stuffed cheese dish that’s worth trying, as it’s not very easy to find on tourist restaurant menus).

We had pasta here, which was quite good—truffle fettuccine. We saw other people order salads and sandwiches, which also looked very good.

I would definitely come back.

This restaurant is quite close to the port, so it’s ideal if you’re just passing through on a cruise stop.

BijBlauw

This is a beautiful open-air restaurant with an ocean view. From the outside it can easily go unnoticed, as the entrance is through the hotel (Hotel Bij Blauw), and it doesn’t look like it would have a sea view—but that’s not the case (and in fact you can enter directly from the side of the hotel toward the sea, but it’s not obvious where that path leads).

Although we didn’t go for a full meal, we went twice for coffee (they have a great frappuccino) and a snack, because we loved the place so much.

At least the two times we went, the atmosphere was very calm. The decor is lovely, and I think it could also be a perfect spot to watch the sunset.

The photos on their website at the time we visited weren’t very appealing and made the place look quite simple, so when we were looking for a place for my birthday, we didn’t choose it. But honestly, when we went another time, we loved it.

There are a couple of other places next door, like a hotel and a café, also with ocean views. There’s no beach, but if you want to swim, you can go down a small set of stairs that lead straight into the sea.

This one is relatively close to the cruise port, but like a 25-minute walk (which in the heat can feel like quite a lot). But if you are going to be walking around the Punda neighborhood in the center, it’s there.

Munchies

This restaurant is far from the city center, so it might not be on your way. But it’s delicious! The first time we were in Curaçao it was super small, but when we came back two years later, it had expanded and is now a large restaurant (the photo is from the first time when it was more of a simple place).

They have baos, hot bowls, salads, and pastechis. Their pastechis (savory pastries) are delicious (I had one that I think was lentil curry, which I loved). I’ve also tried the baos (the tempeh one is highly recommended) and the kimchi fried rice, which was also very good.

They also have a really good matcha latte.

Just a heads-up: they open early in the morning but close at 3 pm.

Dal Toro

This restaurant is right in the center of Willemstad, on the Punda side, just a couple of minutes’ walk from the Emmabrug.

It’s a fairly spacious restaurant, mostly outdoors, with a lovely sea view. It has a casual, lively vibe.

The menu is quite varied, with pasta, seafood, and meat dishes. We ordered gnocchis and a pasta primavera, which were very good and the perfect meal the night before my boyfriend ran the Curaçao marathon (lots of carbs!).

It’s the perfect place if you’re looking for somewhere to eat in Punda with a nice view. It’s also quite close to the cruise port.

Café Van Gogh

This is a perfect café for breakfast in Curaçao. It has a wide menu of specialty coffees of all kinds, including iced coffees, sweet and creamy ones too—just the way I like them.

We only went for coffee here, but they also had empanadas, croissants, and toast, which all looked really good.

Their specialty is coffee: high quality, and roasted by them.

The café is located in the center of Willemstad and closes in the mid-afternoon.

Funky Friet

This place is very different from all the others. It’s a simple, casual restaurant, a typical Dutch snack bar.

The most iconic items here are the fries with all kinds of sauces and toppings. The best ones we tried were topped with Parmesan and truffle mayo, plus a few other small toppings I can’t remember.

They also have other typical Dutch snacks like kaas soufflé (fried cheese pastries), croquettes, and more, as well as burgers.

Highly recommended if you’re craving something simple and fast food–style.

Best Restaurants in Westpunt, Curacao

In the Westpunt area (North West of Curacao), despite having many visitors and tourists staying there, there aren’t many restaurants. Here are my thoughts on some of them.

Playa Forti Restaurant

My favorite restaurant in Westpunt is Playa Forti. I love the view, perched high on the cliff, with a stunning view of the turquoise sea and Playa Kalki in the distance.

The restaurant is open-air but covered (like a fully roofed terrace), so there’s no issue during the rainy season or with too much sun during dry weather.

They have all kinds of food: local dishes, pasta, burgers, and a vegetarian section (with Beyond vegetarian burgers!). I’ve tried that vegetarian burger many times here, as well as pesto pasta and a tofu dish.

Since it’s a beach-area restaurant, the vibe is very relaxed. There’s a spot where many people jump several meters down into the sea, so lunch always comes with that “entertainment” of watching people hesitate in fear until they finally jump (honestly, it looks scary—I wouldn’t do it!).

There are also lots of iguanas, as in the whole area, which are basically the restaurant’s “pets” (though they’re free to roam).

Bahia Restaurant

Bahia Restaurant has a stunning view of Playa Lagun (one of the best beaches in Curacao). It’s right next to the beach, on top of the cliff, and to get there you just have to walk up a set of stairs from sea level.

It’s hard to choose which restaurant has the best views, but this one is definitely up there.

We ordered pesto pasta and a vegetarian burger. The food is good, but I like Playa Forti’s food better. Still, I would definitely come back, mainly for the view.

Like Playa Forti, they have a bit of everything on the menu and a casual, relaxed vibe.

That said, the restaurant is smaller, so you have to go early to find a table—especially since it’s right on the beach itself (and considering there are very few restaurants in the Westpunt area).

There are also iguanas roaming around near the edge of the cliff.

Isabelle Off The Beach

This restaurant has a slightly more formal atmosphere, ideal for dinner. It’s small, with only a few tables, so reservations are necessary (in low season we managed to get one the same day).

The menu focuses on seafood, with some options like burgers and tacos. There aren’t many vegetarian options, so we ordered tacos and quesadillas. The food was fine but not spectacular—more on the basic side (maybe other dishes are better; some of them looked good and the restaurant has great reviews, but the vegetarian options were limited and basic).

We expected a bit more from this place, but it’s still a good option in an area where there are hardly any places to eat dinner.

Other Restaurants Worth Visiting in Curaçao

Here are a couple of other hidden gems—less obvious, but just as good.

Landhuis Daniel

If you want to experience something different, a great idea is to eat at an old Curaçao plantation house (landhuis). Landhuis Daniel is one of them, located along the road to Westpunt.

This old plantation house is now a hotel and restaurant. Being surrounded by open land, the atmosphere is very different from most restaurants in Curaçao. And the house itself has several art pieces on display.

We went here for another one of my birthdays (the first time we visited Curaçao). We ordered a goat cheese salad and a cheese fondue. The salad was very good, but the fondue was good but a bit plain (maybe other sides besides normal white bread would be good).

That said, the restaurant has very good reviews overall, so I think it really depends on what you order (though there weren’t many vegetarian options).

For example, they offer a rice table (rijsttafel), which is a selection of many small Indonesian dishes and is probably delicious.

You can easily combine a visit to this restaurant with a visit to Shete Boka National Park, since it’s right on the way. If you want to learn a bit more about the park, you can read this post with my tips for visiting Shete Boka.

Rialto

I’m including this one because it’s my boyfriend’s favorite restaurant.

It’s a super simple restaurant serving Surinamese and Javanese food, very popular with locals for lunch. It’s tasty and cheap (by far the cheapest lunches we had on the island… possibly even cheaper than many meals we cooked ourselves).

It only has two tables and a small counter, so you have to go early or order takeout. What we always order is roti, a typical Surinamese dish consisting of a kind of flatbread served with potatoes and green beans in a curry sauce (if you order it without meat) that you eat with your hands.

The people who work there are incredibly friendly.

It’s located behind the Emmabrug, on the Otrobanda side, across from the large parking lot. It closes in the mid-afternoon.

This one is very close to the cruise terminal.

Karakter Restaurant

This one makes the list more for its location than for the food. It’s located at Karakter Beach (very close to Daaibooi Beach), inside a resort (Coral Estate). It’s a simple beach restaurant, but what makes it special is that it’s literally right by the sea.

We tried a veggie flatbread (good) and a potato Wellington (a pastry filled with sweet potato, more or less). They also have seafood, salads, burgers, and more.

We went to this restaurant because in the afternoon we were planning to visit the 8 Experience Spa, which is also inside the resort, so it’s a great option if you have a plan like that (the spa day pass is highly recommended).

Just a heads-up: don’t forget to bring your ID, as to enter the resort you have to go through a security gate where they’ll ask for it.

Brass Boer

I haven’t eaten here, but I have eaten at the same chef’s restaurant in the Netherlands, De Librije, which was excellent and my introduction to fine dining in life, and which has been on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

So I have no doubt that this restaurant, now run by his family, is just as delicious and one of the best restaurants in Curacao.

I also know it’s an oceanfront restaurant within a beach club, so you can enjoy a lovely beach day in addition to visiting the restaurant.

The restaurant is located a little north of Willemstad, on the northwestern side of Curaçao (but not too far north—relatively close), near Blauwbaai Beach.