Eating in Bonaire??????

[mbb97fxdwg]

Hi Fellow SBer's,
Got a question. We are going to Bonaire in June. Probably staying at BuddyDive. What is the scoop on eating while we are there? I see alot of places offer full kitchened apartments. Does this mean that places to grub are scarce/expensive? How much $$$$ should I figure for meals? Also, drytime is beertime so how expensive are adult malted beverages??? Thanks again for FYI.

Michael B.

 

[El Orans]

Casablanca
Richard's
City Cafe
Sushi restaurant

Lots of them...

Lots of beer as well.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Bonaire is one of those places where you can spend as much as you'd like on meals. For a pricey but always excellent meal try Richard's. For an inexpensive limited menu Bonaire-ish lunch try the Rose Inn in Rincon. (The owner died last year so I'm not sure if his family's kept it going or not)
We've been known to pack one suitcase with frozen meat to help keep the food bill down, but lately we've just been making a trip to the cultimara (grocery store) and fixing/eating most meals in the apartment at Buddy's/Lion's Dive.
The full pension is certainly an option to fix the cost, but you really shouldn't deny yourself a few meals out, as the local fare is tasty and a bit different from the usual Caribbean kitchen.
Rick

 

[scubaaaronh]

Right across from the plaza resort there is a little place called Old Inn, they have really great baugettes(subs), and a good dinner menu. Lunch ran like twenty bucks a sub and fries being like 7 bucks. For a nice itallion meal there is a place north of town called Bistro De Paris, great conch chowder in a homade bread bowl, the dinners were very very good coming form someone that doesnt like itallion food, if memory serves me right with soup and dinner i think it was like forty or fifty bucks. Casablancas, a carnivore dream (uuuummmmm ccaaasssssaaaaabbbbllllaaannnccaass man now i really cant wait to go back) Mixed grill (it has sausage chicken steaks ribs pork chops,) for two is incredible, enough food for dinner and left overs for a couple days lunches, about fifty buck for dinner and very well worth it. Steaks are huge. City Cafe has about one of the best burgers around for about 6 bucks with fries we ate lunch there often. Richards was a little more expensive for us but we did the shrimp bisque with our dinner which was about seven dollars a bowl(best i've ever had) bill was about sixty bucks Tables are on a deck over the ocean. A great place for a very nice dinner watching the sunset over klein bonaire. It rains fishes was really good for fish but i would rather go back to richards. There is also a subway and a KFC there as well. There is an itallion restaurant right by city cafe that was also good. All there pasta is home made but i cant remember the name maybe someone can jump in and help me on that one. We were by the rib factory eating dinner one night and the smell made me wish we had another day to try it. We will be going there for sure next feb. There are a ton of other restaurants there that we didnt get to try, maybe next time. All were great quality food. if you go to www.infobonaire.com there is a link to restaurants check that out also.

 

[Doc]

Aaron said a lot.

I can only add- be adventurous. There were places all over that island that we stop and eat at.

Much as we have "pick your own lobster" here in the US, there are places where you can pretty much so pick your own Goat. Hey, if I put anybody off by that, enjoy your familiar fare at Colonel Sanders.

A lot of Goat dishes, stews and more available everywhere. In the town center, you could find two "locals" places that were mini-cafetria type joints. Nobody went hungry.

With Bonaire, it wouldn't hurt to buy a breakfast package if available or be ready to lay in groceries. Breakfast service at sit downs isnt fast. We did well getting meat pies and strong coffee at the many roadside stands that the cabs congregate around in the early hours. We did "Maiky Snak" every morning, walking distance from our favorite flop, the Flamingo.

Our favorite place for dinner has to be the questionable looking place right near the playing fields to the East of town. Like I said, pick yer own goat! Getterdone!

Sit down and yummy? The Rice Table Indonesian place in Krinkydink. Killer.

Bonaire... great diving and food, too!

 

[Tamas]

What about night life? What is there to do after the H2O?

 

[scubaaaronh]

What about night life? What is there to do after the H2O?

At plaza there is a bar on the beach if you want or night divng. We did lots of night dives. Other then that there is a bar downtown. We didn't go there not much into the club scene. Sitting on the beach with a margaritta after a dive was nice though.

 

[scubaaaronh]

Aaron said a lot.

We did well getting meat pies and strong coffee at the many roadside stands that the cabs congregate around in the early hours. We did "Maiky Snak" every morning, walking distance from our favorite flop, the Flamingo.


[/b]

they have the meat pies for breakfast? Where was that at i'm trying to picture where it is near? We might have to do that on our next trip a couple times.

 

[TheRedHead]

I thought the Lion's Den restaurant on the property very good. The Argentine beef they use has a very rich flavor and the manager is a classically trained chef. We had a 1 bedroom apt with a kitchen, but didn't use the it very much. Groceries are very expensive there and the selection limited. I thought most of the restaurants better than Caribbean average.

Not much to do at night, Tamas. Everyone's too tired from the 5+ dives they've made.

 

[Rick Murchison]

What about night life? What is there to do after the H2O?

Usually there's only time left after the night dive for dinner and bed. Gotta get some rest to be down on the reef for sunrise, don'tchaknow...
Rick