foodie page
Chef Koen will cook and pair a five-star meal for you at the villa. Cook the local fish you bought that morning on the beach 5 mins from the villa. Contact @ +599 9 523 0677
Chef Brandon runs a fantastic team that often services the villa. Contact @ +599 9 671 3131
Boris the Bartender: Have an amazing night at the villa with two of the best bartenders on the island. +599 9 511 8581
The villa kitchen is professional-grade from top of the line refrigerators, ovens to plateware and cutlery.
Chef + Bartender
Shopping @ Centrum
On the way from the airport, Centrum Supermarket is the best place to shop. Map The only thing to please NOT buy is fresh fish as this you will have daily at the local beach off the fishing boats. One thing that is handy for quick fry in the kitchen is a bag of frozen shimps. See shopping list for some more ideas …
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So many great Gouda options. Also dutch goat cheese is great. You can find them in large wedges in the dairy aisle.
Select some bread - put it in the freezer until you need it.
Sprinkle paprika and some slices of tomato.Use the Panini Griller - please switch it off when finished.
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The meats on the island are very good.
Goat is local and makes for a wonderful curry stew. Pick meatly cubes. Cook slowly and with love.
Black Angus tenderloin and tomahawks are also yummy. Usually imported from Texas. Marinate in olive oil, pepper, peperoncino.
Make a separate slow-cook pan of lots of garlic, salt, peperoncino and rosemary. Use for meat, vegatable and potatoe drizzle.
Remember to boil the potatoes first and then fry slowly in olive oil. -
Vegetables and herbs are mostly hydroponically grown on the island. Super yummy.
Eggs are all local, free range.
Fresh squeezed orange juice is also a must. Buy lots of limes and bagged or frozen fruit for drinks. (See cocktails) -
Buy fresh mint, big bag of brown sugar, a bag or two of fresh passion fruit and a lot of fresh limes … Passion Mojito
See some cocktails here. -
Fish is always fresh down at Playa Piskadó See fish here
Buy fish directly from the fishing boats. Barracuda, Mahi Mahi, Blacktail Tuna, Yellowtail Tuna, Red Snapper, Queen Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, Wahoo, Sailfish, Amberjack, Bluejack, Black Grouper, Lobster, Octopus, Lion Fish and many more.
You can get them to fillet the fish but for the tuna tell them not to chop the fish into steaks but rather fillet out the belly and top cut this way. Link here -
Curacao has wonderful white potatoes that have a sweet undertone. Buy artichokes and asparagus to steam with virgin olive oil. For guacamole buy large avocados, red onions, lime and cayenne pepper.
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Tuna is a great fish for soup but you must remove the bloodline and clean the fish before putting it in the pot.
Click to see filleting
After boiling and straining the fish bones, fry separately lots of white onion, leaks, garlic, paprika with sea salt and fresh pepper.
When everything is boiled. add vegetables to lightly cook before serving - okra, etc. whatever is yummy.
Click to see making soup
Playa + Punta Kalki
AROUND THE CORNER: Down at the beach, within the gated community, there is a beach club on the cliff called Punta Kalki and also a restaurant and bar on the public beach, Playa Kalki
The new Punta Kalki boasts one of the most beautiful bar and restaurants on the island. Just behind the security gate on the way to Cliff Villa stop for a cold beer or glass of frosted Magarita overlooking Playa Kalki.
Kunuku Pachi Colá
LOCAL: 3 mins from the villa. Kunuku Pachi Colá is a hidden local family run local spot. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Try the delicious goat stew (kabritu stoba) one of the most famous dishes of the ABC islands. Yummy.
Turn right at the gate and then left when the pass the beach.
Isabelle Off The Beach
LOCAL: 3 mins from the villa. This is lovely American style restaurant in a beautiful old-Dutch house with an inspired el fresco garden.
Sol Food
LOCAL: 5 mins from the villa. Turn right at the gate and continue down the seaside road. Known as the best pizza on the island. Their brownies are great. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12 - 9. Tell Sunshine (the owner) that we sent you!
LOCAL: The next town is called Barber. Every Sunday they have a food market. Try the pumpkin raisin pancakes. (put Marshe Barber, Kaya Emiterio F. Doran, Barber in your map.)
If you are adventurous, another dish to try is "Sopi di Sangue" or "Blood Soup" in English. It is a traditional soup that is made from pork blood, vegetables, and spices. Blood is mixed with onions, garlic, tomatoes, celery, and other vegetables, and simmered in a pot with broth, herbs, and spices. The resulting soup is thick and hearty, with a slightly sweet and sour taste from the vinegar.
Barber Market
Head down to Willemstad …
Helmi Smeulders
Helmi Smeulders, is a wonderful island chef. Book ahead. She doesn’t cook at the villa but can cater and it is a fun city excursion.
Chef’s Table: Helmi’s famous dinners provide a chance to savor her artistry in stunning, handpicked island locations.
Cooking Classes: For those looking to bring a taste of the Caribbean to their kitchens, Helmi offers hands-on classes that showcase her innovative techniques.
Below are pictures from the cooking class. Book at helmismeulders.com
Brass Boer
If you are heading down to Blue Bay book an evening at Brass Boer.
It is a collaboration between Dutch Michelin-starred chef Jonnie Boer and restaurateur and entrepreneur Willem Alberts. Jonnie Boer has three Michelin stars. Jonnie Boer Boer was awarded his third star in 2004.
Jonnie Boer is the head chef and co-owner of De Librije, a restaurant located in Zwolle, Netherlands, that has held three Michelin stars since 2004. +599 9 869 7215
Below are pictures from the tasting menu, $160 per head.
Mundo Bizarro
One of many wonderful restaurants and bars along Nieuwstraat, in Willemstad (but in my book the most authentic and wonderful.) Don’t go for the food but the music and atmosphere.
Interestingly, the restaurant is housed in a historic building that was once a brothel, and some of the original architectural features, such as the wrought iron staircase, have been preserved.
Stroll down this street of colonial buildings and enjoy the food and atmosphere on an always perfect night. 12 Nieuwestraat, Willemstad, Curaçao - website
Live music every Thursday starting from 20:30
Saint Tropez
Saint Tropez Ocean Club is a slice of Miami’s South Beach. Just south of Punda in the restored Pietermaai area. Mohito at the Ocean front bar is a nice break when walking downtown.
152 Pietermaai, Willemstad, Curaçao
De Visserij Piscadera
At De Visserij in Willemstad, you can enjoy all kinds of fish: from fruits de mer to fish & chips . You can end the evening with a drink in Het Kleine Café.
De Visserij is located in Piscadera
La Reina
Next to Saint Tropez Ocean Club is a quaint coffee and snack cafe. 86 Kaya Wilson Godett, Willemstad, Curaçao
Kome Restaurant
Drawn from the language of the ABC islands, Kome, the Papiamentu word for Eat, simply describes what this place is all about, which is eating of course!
6 Johan van Walbeeckplein, Willemstad, Curaçao
De Gouverneur
Near the Harborfront street, lined with brightly painted 18th century buildings is a good watering hole called the De Gouverneur. This 200 year old building dates back to when the British captured Curaçao in the early 1800s.
Try Keshi yena, (cheese stuffed with spiced meat, olives, capers, pickled onions, and prunes)
De Rouvilleweg, Willemstad
Plasa Bieu
Visit the Plasa Bieu is the Old Market in Willemstad. Local fare includes Curaçao cuisine (Krioyo).
Try stewed salted pork tails, bòkel (salted mackerel), kabes ku higra (head and liver stew), kadushi (cactus soup), bonchi kòra (red kidney bean soup) goat stew (stoba), and, if you have any room left, try some yummy Iguana soup.
The history of Plasa Bieu dates back to the 1800s, during the time of slavery in Curacao. In those days, the market was known as Marshe Bieu, which means "old market" in Papiamentu, the local language. The market was a place where slaves could go to buy and sell goods, and it became an important center of commerce and culture in Willemstad. As slavery was abolished in 1863, the market evolved into a popular gathering place for people of all backgrounds.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Plasa Bieu became a hub for food vendors, who sold traditional dishes like kabritu stobá (stewed goat), karkó (conch), and sopi mondongo (tripe soup). Over the years, the market grew in popularity, and many of the vendors became famous for their unique recipes and flavors.
In the 1980s, the government of Curacao renovated the market and renamed it Plasa Bieu, which means "Old Square" in Dutch.
Ostrich Farm
While Ostriches are not native to this desert island, head to Groot St. Joris in Santa Catharina and have a slice of South Africa. Play with chicks and have a dinner of Ostrich carpaccio and Ostrich steak at Ostrich Farms. Delicious I promise you.
Curaçao Blue
Visit Landhuis Chobolobo where they make the famous Blue Curaçao Liqueur. Buy some for a villa sundowner. Here are the cocktail recipes
It is an amazing story how it was made from the dried peels of the Laraha bitter orange from Spain. The Laraha orange now grows on Curaçao but it originated from the Seville orange, which Spanish explorers brought over in the early 1500s.
You don’t want to eat a Laraha orange, as it is very bitter, but someone worked out that they could extract the delicate favour and Curaçao Liqueur was born. The blue is just food coloring :)
The Hidden Green Movement
Kumpra Lokal - Buy Local … Many people are surprised when they hear that local food is produced on a desert island.
The Hidden Green Movement put local farmers in the spotlight.
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