Top Rated Restaurants & Cafes in Oranjestad

With slick modern decor, mood lighting, and swanky clientele, L.G. Smith's Steak & Chophouse is the epitome of resort chic dining. It serves up traditional steakhouse favorites, such as surf & turf and filet mignon, while also incorporating the island's abundance of fresh seafood with entrees like yellow fin tuna steak. Portions at L.G. Smith's Steak & Chophouse are generous, true to its American roots. After dinner, stay for live entertainment in the attached Lounge Midnight Grill, then chat with friends as you sip drinks and nibble on snacks until the early morning at this one-stop-shop for dining, drinks, and entertainment.

Located in a former townhouse in Oranjestad, the award-winning El Gaucho Restaurant has the distinction of being the first Argentinean restaurant to open on the island. The menu features a range of top-quality steaks, grilled to order, along with other savory favorites like the pincho torro caliente or giant shish-kebabs. For a taste of land meets sea, start with a calamari appetizer followed by a heaping plate of surf and turf made with tenderloin and jumbo shrimp. Even though the focus is on steak at El Gaucho Restaurant, there are several vegetarian dishes on offer that are sure to please. In between bites of your favorite dish, spare a moment to look around the dining room and check out some of the traditional decorations in honor of Argentinean homeland. For all you cigar aficionados, stay after the meal is over for stogies and your choice of fine spirits.

Papiamento Restaurant is a locally owned establishment located in an authentic Aruban manor. Patrons can dine either indoors and outdoors in settings that share a sense of history with their Dutch antique decor. The menu selection at Papiamento Restaurant has fresh seafood, cocktails, and an array of wines to choose from. The restaurant also accommodates private events for up to 200 guests and can serve a buffet of Aruban, European, Indonesian, and international cuisine. It also has a catering service for weddings and other special events. A dining experience at the elegant Papiamento Restaurant is one not to be missed.

Tucked among the hotels that tower over Palm Beach, Sopranos Piano Bar is a trendy joint for good drinks and live entertainment. Let jazz standards soothe you as you sip cocktails in an open-air booth or get up and dance along to the sounds of the piano. Request your favorite songs from Etta James, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, or anyone else you adore. Wind down with a snack and a hand-rolled Cuban cigar. At this festive joint, you'll be surrounded by a lively crowd that appreciates great tunes as much as you do. Stop by and get in on the fun.

This colorful beachfront bar and grill rocks out with live music six nights a week. Bands perform at the water's edge, creating entertainment that is as visually captivating as it is audibly impressive. Groove to the music while you sip on delicious specialty drinks like the popular Frozen Bugaloe. The island rhythms are contagious, and dancing usually spills from the floor out onto the sand. When you aren't embracing the nightlife scene, you can enjoy a tasty breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Bugaloe Beach Bar & Grill, or simply swing by to watch one of Aruba's dazzling sunsets. No matter when you come, you'll want to come back.

This hotspot in the lobby of the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino is an excellent place to spend an evening. The atmospheric open-air bar hosts a popular happy hour between 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM daily. Beyond modern decor and a chic ambiance that makes the bar worth visiting at any hour, it offers a lively nightlife scene complete with DJs and dancing from Thursday to Sunday. Start your night with a Blue Martini and a few small bites off the snack menu, which offers everything from tapas to sushi, then get to mingling with the trendy crowd. Between the atmosphere, service, and location, it's no wonder Blue has such a great reputation.