Every foodie should visit this tiny Caribbean island

Netto Bar opens early (8am!), attracting a steady stream of locals and visitors well into the night. This isn’t rum as you’ve ever known it before. (Definitely DO NOT mix with soda!) With its deep, dark green hue and cough syrup-esque flavor, it’s definitely an acquired taste. Locals and the thousands of visitors who have wandered over to the backstreets of the Punda side of Willemstad, where Netto Bar has been operating since 1954, swear by the stuff. Take your Green Rum straight up in a shot, or mixed with a little fresh coconut water to get the real local flavor.

The chefs at Kome cook dishes that make them happy: everything from fried chicken to pretzel dusted calamari, shrimp and funchi to saffron scented shellfish risotto. The restaurant sits in a fully-restored historic building in the heart of the colorful and very funky Pietermaai District, aka: The Soho of Curaçao. An open-air kitchen, great eats, and welcoming atmosphere ensure that good vibes are never in short supply here. Happen in to Kome on Wednesday nights for wildly inventive tapas and a decadent house sangria bursting with local fruit flavors.

To get a real taste for authentic Curaçao cuisine – food literally embodying the soul of the island – head to Plasa Bieu. Six different eateries operate over lunchtime out of this decidedly local stand-alone food court of sorts, offering exotic local faves as iguana soup, bòkel (salted mackerel), kabes ku higra (head and liver stew), and kadushi (cactus soup). Wander around and sample broadly before settling on a selection.

Mother Nature puts on a show like nowhere else during sunset in Curaçao, the island’s location in the southern Caribbean yielding wild color combinations as the sun sinks below the horizon. One of the best places to take in the sight over dinner: Boathouse Food & Marina. Set above Spanish Waters Bay, a calm and expansive anchorage dotted with islets and lined with marinas and million-dollar homes, this stylish upscale restaurant serves a mix of Caribbean and world cuisine with a lean toward local seafood. The “Global Tastings” section of the menu here are a popularchoice, “Tasting Asia” in particular. With its carpaccio of mula, spring roll of chicken and hoisin sauce, Chinese streaky bacon (char siu) on stir-fried bok choy and Thai coconut soup with lobster you may miss the grand sunset altogether.

You don’t expect to find a farm on an arid island like Curaçao, much less a farm-to-table dining experience, but Hofi Cas Cora makes it happen. Everything is fresh and lovingly-grown on-site, giving visitors a rare taste of homegrown organic fruits, veggies, spices, eggs, dairy, meats, and more. The menu changes based on what’s fresh and in-season, and hours are limited on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to give the Hofi Cas Cora staff time to work the farm. Don’t leave without sampling the guilt-free and absolutely heavenly gluten-free pomegranate cheesecake.

Set in a restored old plantation mansion, this family-owned and operated restaurant only serves whatever Mama feels like cooking. This generally means seafood, hearty meat stews, and Curaçao staples like karni stoba and kabritu curry (goat). Primas is open for lunch only, Monday–Saturday. Try ‘em on Thursdays for authentic rijsttafel, a tapas-like Indonesian rice and side-dish spread with a Dutch twist—the best on the island.

De Gouverneur a favorite among discerning foodies visiting Curacao for 16 years. Its digs date back considerably longer (280 years!), with the building itself dating back to 1737. The current owners came along in 2001, bringing with them the De Gouverneur name and restaurant concept, which ranks among the best in all of Curacao. Local favorites like karni stoba (braised beef) and keshi yena (filled cheese with chicken, prunes, and pickled onions) get a gourmet makeover. That goes double for the rum menu which include 50+ varieties along with a constantly updated cocktail menu.

All the best eating in Curaçao isn’t confined to Willemstad, especially if your cuisine of choice is of the vegetarian variety. Head out to Westpunt and settle in at Sol Food for a vegetarian pizza experience above the sea you’ll not soon forget. The decidedly American menu (the owners are from New England) features burgers and fish too, but it’s the peace and tranquility of underdeveloped Westpunt that will keep you lingering out here, gazing out at the water long after your lunch is done. That and Sol Food’s fab homemade brownie sundae…

Unique dishes inspired by South Africa separate Zambezi from all other restaurants in Curaçao. The most unique among them all have one thing in common: ostrich. Stir-fried ostrich with vegetables, ostrich steak, ostrich burger, ostrich omelets, sashimi of ostrich with wasabi and soy sauce – if it can be made with ostrich, you can likely get it here. A variety of more pedestrian steak, chicken, seafood and vegetarian dishes line the menu here, but really, where else in the Caribbean can you get a taste of ostrich?

Set within the Avila Beach Hotel, Blues Bar & Restaurant hosts a lively happy hour on Thursday nights. Come for the live blues and dancing, but don’t miss out on musically-themed dishes – John Coltrane Mixed Meat Pincho, Chet Baker Fettuccini, Dream a Little Dream of Me Ice Cream – and fabulous sunset views over the Caribbean Sea.

You can't leave Curaçao without experiencing their food truck scene, which serve patrons from 9pm to 4am as fuel for memorable nights out. You'll be able to choose from a generous portion of grilled meats like chicken, ribs, steak, and porkchops atop fries coated in peanut sauce and macaroni salad. Check out the island's favorite food truck, BBQ Express, which can be found on Caracasbaaiweg in Willemstad. 

Don't leave Curaçao without biting into the locally made goat burger at Toko Willibrodus, a small grocery store that also doubles as an eatery popular with locals and tourists alike. Enjoy your Williburger on their garden terrace overlooking the Williwood sign, and be sure to ask the owners about the dance sessions and karaoke nights so you can take your goat burger experience to the next level (with a side of sweet potato fries, of course).