There are many delicious ways to start off your day on the island. When searching for the best restaurants on Curaçao for breakfast and lunch there are plenty of options. What about eggs benedict with your feet in the sand at the trendy Jan Thiel Beach, mingle with the locals at Plasa Bieu (the old market) in Punda and try one of the typical local dishes like pumpkin pancakes or a delicious stew, or maybe you feel more like a scrumptious lunch at the instagrammable coffee hotspot Number Ten. Whatever your morning routine, I have got you covered!
Best restaurants on Curaçao: where to go
Like the dining scene, the lunch scene is also spread out over different areas. Want to enjoy breakfast near the sea? Both Jan Thiel Beach and Mambo Beach offer plenty of choice. Here you’ll find like-minded tourists enjoying a European-style lunch or breakfast. Or do as the locals and visit one of the restaurants in the vibrant Pietermaai district, trendy Otrobanda or Willemstad. Below is the insider’s list of my favorite restaurants to have lunch and breakfast on Curaçao.
Top 10 best restaurants for breakfast and lunch on Curaçao
1. Number Ten
Thé coffee hotspot on the island for several years already, family-run with love and passion. The coffee is sublime, the food tasty and the portions generous. You can easily eat 3 days from one piece of cake, which are made in-house in the ‘cake atelier’. Don’t forget your smartphone because the setting is also very ‘instagrammable’. After your visit, be sure to stop by the adjacent Landhuis Bloemhof, a gallery with local art. On the same site you will also find the award-winning “Cathedral of Thorns”.
2. Hofi Cas Cora & The Marketplace
Hofi Cas Cora is so much more than just a place to eat. This farm-to-table restaurant is a favorite weekend brunch spot where locals and visitors alike enjoy the one-of-a-kind menu made with fresh produce from the field. Enjoy the vibe, the beautiful view and have a little stroll around the animals. Open on Saturday and Sunday from 9AM to 3PM.
In addition, you can now also enjoy the farm vibe on weekdays at Curaçao’s first no waste shop on the same premises. Next to freshly picked greens from their own fields, you will find locally grown produce from other farmers, bulk products (nuts, seeds, grains, dried fruits, etc), organic household products & preserves, and locally sourced beauty products. Inside the Market Place is a little café offering take-out and dine-in coffee, salads and sandwiches. Don’t forget to bring your own bags and jars. Open Monday through Friday from 10.30AM to 6PM.
3. La Reina
The new coffee & lifestyle hotspot in the heart of Pietermaai, where you can enjoy a perfect cortado, delicious patisserie from the famous La Vie en Rose, breakfast and lunch. Furnished with trendy tropical lifestyle items that are all for sale in the adjacent room. Thanks to the friendly service, definitely worth a visit!
4. BijBlauw
What’s the deal? BijBlauw is a boutique hotel slash concept store slash restaurant in the ever popular Pietermaai District. Here you can indulge yourself with coffee, banana pancakes, burgers and poke bowls – to name just a few menu items. All of this, in the stylish oceanview restaurant.
5. Kas di Piskador
Hidden behind the old water factory is a small fishing village where time stood still. Here you will find a few small fish restaurants where the fish is prepared the authentic Curaçao way: fried in its entirety and served with aros moro (brown rice), fries, avocado and plantain. Restaurant Purunchi is a favorite among foodbloggers, but we like to go to the underdog Kas di Piskador, at the very end of the street.
6. Kokos
The hidden secret of Jan Thiel Beach. Located at the quiet end of this popular beach area, you will find this insta-proof hotspot. Open early for coffee, smoothies and breakfast. After a little swim and snooze on one of the comfy beach beds, it’s time for lunch on the beach or in the shade of the restaurant. Or the other way around.
7. Plasa Bieu
The old market “Plasa Bieu”, the most well-known place in Curacao to enjoy a local lunch, is the place to experience a full stomach and a happy heart. Early in the morning the cooks (mostly women) start preparing their colorful and flavorful recipes, passed on from grandmother to mother to daughter. It is a place where the food is a reflection of the history of the islands: a mixture of different cultures and traditions coming from Africa, Europe, South America and Asia, turned into flavorful dishes. Order from one of the kitchen counters and enjoy real Curaçao comfort food amongst the locals at one of the communal tables.
8. Lunch at the Caribbean Cooking Class
Do you want to learn how to make your own Caribbean lunch? Learn all about Caribbean ingredients and recipes in Helmi’s Caribbean cooking class. Afterwards you enjoy the fruits of your labor during a homemade Caribbean lunch on the porch. Book your seat for the next Caribbean Cooking Class.
9. Sol Food
A lovely place, in a gorgeous setting, tugged away at the other side of the island on your way to Playa Kalki. Run by the lovely Sunshine and her husband. Famous for their pizza’s and no fried food. Only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12PM to 9PM.
10. Cravings
You don’t go here to juice up your instagram account. You go here to enjoy thé best sushi of the island, or maybe even of the Caribbean. The fish is fresh, some of it caught by chef and owner Fred himself. Some of my favorite rolls to get you started: the crazy roll, the rock & roll, the cravings roll, the dragon roll and, always, a spicy tuna handroll. Don’t forget to ask for the mulá sashimi.
Ready for dinner? In this blog, you’ll find the best restaurants on Curaçao.
