We are heading to the Island this weekend and it has been 5 months since we were last there.. any new places to eat? any new suggestions? we were kinda bummed at the selection in December.

Bummed??? how could you be bummed so many great restarants,,,my picks,,,Capricios, Richards,Lions Den, Captain Dons,Kon Tiki,Chibi Chibi, Buddys, It Rains Fishes, Blue Moon, City Cafe. Thats a good week of "great" dinners....

Don't forget "Mona Lisa" (the greatest in our humble opinion) and "Donna and Georgio's" for excellent Italian food. We also enjoyed "De Tuin" and "Croccantino's". Can't forget "Rose Inn" in Rincon, "Gibi's" and "Maikey's Snack" also. Carol Collins

Mona Lisa, Cappriccio, Lion's Den, It Rains Fishes, and Richard's were some of our favorites. We really liked Buddy's for lunch.

Swiss Chalet was our favorite. Ate there 6 times in 3 weeks and the food was great every time. Most other places we liked were good one night and so so the next time.

Definitely Swiss Chalet. Also, if you're on a budget, Swiss Chalet, Mona Lisa, DeTuin (and probably others) have a "bar hap" menu (with just a few choices) that are great value: between 18-20 Naf. each meal. Beefeeter is nice for breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner. Gibi's is one of my favorites -- nice local place with good selection and nice people. Highest price there is about 20 Naf (and that was a GREAT NY Strip steak dinner!) There are many others, as mentioned above, to chose from.

Is Le Wok still open? I met the owner, can't remember her name, and the food was tremendous. The ambience is also some of the best on the island. Great wine list as well. Two more weeks!!

It is now called Chez Lucielle after the owner, Lucielle Martign. Check out the dining section of www.infoboaire and vitit her web site. Great food!

Web site is http://www.chezlucille.com incidentally.

Jake

Garden Cafe served one of the best meals I've ever had. The food was good and inexpensive, the setting was idillic, and the service was flawless. Ravi and his wife welcome every customer as if they were guests in their home with kindnessm attentiveness and respect. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. I have never felt so cared for and entertained- all while enjoying an excellent meal!

How is the - Pasa Bon Pizza & Bar ? Is it a place for good food, do a lot of people go there, is it a party place at the bar...day or night?

I have dined at Pasa Bon twice and have done take out numerous times. It is a SUPER spot. I did not see partying or crowds ever.

As far a pizza, I prefer Rum Runners as I like thin crust. Pasa Bon is too thick and oily for me but my friends and daughter love it. I had pizza once at Cozzolis and did NOT like it..the cheese was funky..

Annie

hoi allemaal, heel veel gegeten in het citycafe..perfect eten daar

We will be in Bonaire in 10 days and can hardly wait. We have been reading the messages about many wonderful restaurants. Could anyone suggest a few inexpensive, BUT GOOD ones so we don't shoot our whole budget on food. Heard the food is expensive there. Thanks!!

Micki, read through the Dining reviews and take down the names of the places listed as 'local' or inexpensive. Look for the 'bar hap' comments also. The Info Bonaire guide you can pick at the airport or in the lobby of just about any reseort/hotel will have hours and directions. You can find many delicious bargins, and for lunchs you can get fixing's at the local markets and make your own. If you have a small collapsible cooler or a hard sided one you can fit into your luggage you can keep drinks and sandwiches cold while out diving, snorkeling, or sightseeing. Just about all the larger places have ice available for free.
At some of the places two people can eat well off of one meal item, or if a fridge where you are staying is available, two meals from two items.

PS. when checking out prices, remember that $1.00 US is worth ~$1.72 NAF, so that a $17.00 NAF meal will be $10.00 US. I can't convert to CA $$ or EU's etc. And try to figure out how many people were on a total meal tab cited or if liquor was included on the tab.

Lunch at Kon Tiki is lovely while driving the southern route of the island. Bobbijan's has great weekend BBQ. Luigi is a new local place Becky and Tom told me about for lunch. Local fish at it's best on Kaya Grande across from Beefeaters..Hullandes Grill in Terra Cora and Giby's are also really cheap and wonderful.

Annie

The exchange rate is generally nafl 1.75 in the restaurants, 1.77 for cash at the bank or 1.78 for traveller's checks. Also check out the Dining Guide at www.bonairediningguide.com. Bon Apetit! PS also Antriol Catering is back with the original owner. Try thier A la parillia selections.

I have to echo Jenny's comments about Garden Cafe. Faith and I eat a Vegan diet. Garden Cafe is the only place on the island we can walk in and have a fabulous meal without calling ahead. What's better, there are many items on the menu which we can eat!

To be sure we always get a phenominal meal at Rendez Vous, as Chef Martin is a wizard and always makes something interesting and imaginative for us. Same goes for De Tuin, where the chef seems to come up with a new creation each time we arrive. With these two, it's best if we call ahead.

All three places are on our list of places we look forward to visiting each time we're on the island. Bonaire isn't known as a vegetarian's paradise, but these places, and others, have always tried hard to please.