Bonaire Food Comments

[PARADISE HUNTER]

We just go back from our first trip to Bonaire and had a great time. Being able to dive on your own schedule was fantastic! The pace of the island is slow and relaxed.

I know I'm going to catch some heat for what I'm about to say, but still want to say it......I wasn't that impressed with a number of the more popular restaurants on the island. The meals we had at Unbelievable, Mona Lisa, Cactus Blue and Will's were just average. Cactus Blue being the best of them. I had fish at both UB and ML and both times it was really over cooked. To the point that it was dry and tasteless. I suppose I had high expectations after reading all the positive posts here, but they were nothing I would go back for. Not that they were bad, they were just ok. And expensive, each meal was @$100. And I'm not trying to make this a cost thing, I expected to pay that much, but was also expecting a great meal.

We stayed at Den Laman (great hotel) and because we were so close to Buddy Dive and Capt. Don's, we walked to both for diner and had some great meals.

There are plenty of other restaurants and we look forward to trying them on our next visit.

My two cents.

PH

 

[schoude]

Thanks for the info! We will be going in April and are also staying at Den Laman - nice to hear you liked it - we are really looking forward to staying there! Did you eat at the Sunset Grille downstairs from Den Laman, if so how was it? How late does the bar stay open there if you noticed? thanks!

 

[gsk3]

I totally agree. If you live in any city that has good food, be prepared to be extremely disappointed by Bonaire. It's not awful, but it is extremely expensive and underwhelming. I don't say this to be a downer, but to make others aware to be prepared. Our trip would have been much more stress-free if we weren't constantly trying to find this mythical "amazing" meal that people kept saying was just around the next corner.

Self-catering as many meals as possible is also a good idea.

The reef is worth putting up with the dining situation, however.

 

[deeper thoughts]

thnx for the info

 

[drrich2]

Food is subjective, and people come from a wide range of backgrounds/points-of-reference.

There's also a willful personal bias factor. I've seen comedians who were very funny. I once watched a performance by one who wasn't all that funny, but the audience really liked her performance. Sometimes, when you get a large number of people together anticipating and determined to have a good time, they can 'make up the difference' for an 'iffy' performance.

Personally, I like the food on Bonaire. It's pricey since things have to be shipped in, and the 'local color' private establishments aren't going to have the economies of scale that chains like O'Charley's and Applebees have. That said, it's not extreme. I don't assume soda refills are free and usually order water with meals, and drink diet soda from a grocery store back at the room.

So when avid scuba divers come to an island they love because they get to do a lot of what they love there, and consider it special, that positive regard carries over to some extent to other areas. Hence 'good' food can become 'great' (especially if they're hungrier than usual from a day of diving).

Then again, we've had some people who just plain loved some meal they got there.

The extent to which people allow 'pleasure by association' to carry over from other things to the food will vary by person. Some people will have much the same opinion of a given meal whether it's at a cafe' in Paris or a local diner back in the U.S. Some will be 'caught up in the mystique.'

Anyway, that's my best crack at explaining the discrepancy between some of the postings. When in doubt, go with low expectations and perhaps you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Richard.

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

Thanks for the info! We will be going in April and are also staying at Den Laman - nice to hear you liked it - we are really looking forward to staying there! Did you eat at the Sunset Grille downstairs from Den Laman, if so how was it? How late does the bar stay open there if you noticed? thanks!

You should have a nice time at Den Laman. Try to get an ocean front room if possible, it's worth it. Sunset Grille is open until 10:00 and closed on Wed. They were never busy, only two or three table of customers at peak meal times all week. It may not be fair, but my experience when traveling is to dine at the busier locations until you get to know a place.

I also suggest making reservations. We were unable to walk in for dinner at Cactus Blue, Carpachios, It Rains Fishes and Buddy's BBQ night. Not a big deal for us, we just kept looking around. The island is so relaxed and your day is so on your own schedule, that I never thought about calling ahead until it was to late. But if you really want to dine someplace on a particular night, call a day or two before.

Restaurants schelduled closed days can be any day of the week. No trend. Not a big deal, just be aware.

None of this is meant as a complaint or in a negative manner towards the island. We loved Bonaire. Wished we could have stayed longer and look forward to our next visit. Just my opinions and observations. Hopefully these posts will be helpful to others.

PH

 

[bcaderunr]

Having been to Boniare twice now -- renting a house for 2 weeks in January the last trip, I think that the last 2 posts have hit it on the head. Our experience was that the "underrated" places weren't all that bad and the "highly" rated places weren't all that great. Having a reservation definitely got you a better table and a warmer welcome at most restaurants. Try 'em all with an open mind and decide for yourself is what we finally concluded.

 

[akirawut]

Food is subjective, and people come from a wide range of backgrounds/points-of-reference.

There's also a willful personal bias factor. I've seen comedians who were very funny. I once watched a performance by one who wasn't all that funny, but the audience really liked her performance. Sometimes, when you get a large number of people together anticipating and determined to have a good time, they can 'make up the difference' for an 'iffy' performance.

Personally, I like the food on Bonaire. It's pricey since things have to be shipped in, and the 'local color' private establishments aren't going to have the economies of scale that chains like O'Charley's and Applebees have. That said, it's not extreme. I don't assume soda refills are free and usually order water with meals, and drink diet soda from a grocery store back at the room.

So when avid scuba divers come to an island they love because they get to do a lot of what they love there, and consider it special, that positive regard carries over to some extent to other areas. Hence 'good' food can become 'great' (especially if they're hungrier than usual from a day of diving).

Then again, we've had some people who just plain loved some meal they got there.

The extent to which people allow 'pleasure by association' to carry over from other things to the food will vary by person. Some people will have much the same opinion of a given meal whether it's at a cafe' in Paris or a local diner back in the U.S. Some will be 'caught up in the mystique.'

Anyway, that's my best crack at explaining the discrepancy between some of the postings. When in doubt, go with low expectations and perhaps you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Richard.

This is why I never drink Amstel when not on Bonaire. I know I'm not going to enjoy it the same way, don't want to ruin the memory.

 

[Doctorfish]

I've been to Bonaire 10 times +, over the years and have not been overwhelmed by the food overall. The "good" restaurants are generally not so good and service tends to be slow. I now head out to local places like Bobbejans or Mi Banana. Cheap, quick and predictable. If my wife and I want something higher end, we try to go to one of the restaurants right on the water so that if the food is so so, at least the ambiance is good. I go to Bonaire to dive; if I find a good restaurant, that's a bonus, not an expectation.

 

[Mike]

We just go back from our first trip to Bonaire and had a great time. Being able to dive on your own schedule was fantastic! The pace of the island is slow and relaxed.

I know I'm going to catch some heat for what I'm about to say, but still want to say it......I wasn't that impressed with a number of the more popular restaurants on the island. The meals we had at Unbelievable, Mona Lisa, Cactus Blue and Will's were just average. Cactus Blue being the best of them. I had fish at both UB and ML and both times it was really over cooked. To the point that it was dry and tasteless. I suppose I had high expectations after reading all the positive posts here, but they were nothing I would go back for. Not that they were bad, they were just ok. And expensive, each meal was @$100. And I'm not trying to make this a cost thing, I expected to pay that much, but was also expecting a great meal.

We stayed at Den Laman (great hotel) and because we were so close to Buddy Dive and Capt. Don's, we walked to both for diner and had some great meals.

There are plenty of other restaurants and we look forward to trying them on our next visit.

My two cents.

PH

A good two cents!

I've rarely found divers foody opinions reliable at all. I continuously chuckle at the Cozumel forum where people make an amazing fuss to proclaim how amazing some restaurants 30 cents worth of beans and 10 cents worth of tortillas can be. If you live in a big city you've more exposure in a 1 mile radius to awesome meals then you'll find in these caribbean destinations. Let's face it at least 50%of the experience eating on vacation is the environment or the view. A lot of stuff can taste good when you're sitting on a beach, watching a sunset in paradise, on vacation without a worry in the world.