Gasparito Restaurant & Art Gallery

Gasparito is widely considered the best place on the island to eat traditional Aruban cuisine, housed in a 17th-century cunucu (country) house near Eagle Beach. The interior is filled with local art, the lighting is warm and intimate, and the menu reads like a masterclass in the island's culinary heritage.

Signature dishes include keshi yena — a whole gouda cheese hollowed out and filled with a slow-braised meat and raisin mixture, then baked until molten — and pan bati, a slightly sweet cornmeal pancake served alongside almost everything. The fresh fish, typically mahi-mahi or wahoo, is caught locally and changes with availability.

Gasparito fills up quickly on weekends, so reservations are strongly recommended. The restaurant doubles as an art gallery showcasing rotating exhibitions by Aruban artists, and the combination of cultural context, excellent food, and genuinely gracious service makes it a top-tier dining experience regardless of price tier.