First---thank you, thank you, thank you for guiding us to the best run of meals we could have expected. We didn't have time to try all of your suggestions, which is too bad. I guess we'll have to go back to try the rest!
We usually ate one meal a day out, different place each time, and fixed the rest in the nicely equipped kitchen at Bel Mar. I don't know if it was the time of year or the times that we chose to eat, but we had the best luck with seating and service. We didn't have to wait once to get seated and usually were able to sit at the "prime" spot (like, right on the water) wherever we went.
The service was excellent to superb. We weren't ever in a hurry and followed the advice to signal for our check when we were ready. Nonetheless, we never felt like we were waiting or forgotten in the shuffle.
I think you do have to watch your check carefully. Some of the restaurants add an additional 10-15% service charge and some don't. However, if you use a credit card, the charge slip will always contain the blank line for a tip. I am sure there will be different opinions in this area, but my feeling is that if an establishment sets the tipping rate and automatically adds it, then that is it. If I am allowed to tip as I please, then I will add an appropriate amount.
We ate dinner at Blue Moon, It Rains Fishes, Richards, Mi Peron, Chibi Chibi; lunch at De Tuin, ZeeZitch, Cozollis; breakfast at Cozollis. In all cases all members of our family were able to find something they liked. My husband and I ate seafood/fish until it was coming out of our ears; my daughter stuck mainly to chicken and beef; my son roamed the menus trying goat stew, ostrich, pork spareribs, etc. At the end of the trip we were trying to choose our best meal out and really had a hard time deciding. In the end, It Rains Fishes got the most votes. Maybe that was influenced by our stop at Karel's Beach Bar for happy hour and sunset before hand 8-).
Here are some culinary highlights:
Blue Moon: pumpkin soup to die for
Cozolli's: we used the newsgroup "coupon" to get a free fresh fruit juice shake with our breakfast. The breakfast was incredible, but the "shake" wasn't what I had expected. We had very generous and tasty glasses of orange and mango juice. I was expecting something more along the lines of a smoothy. I guess the word "shake" threw me off.
It Rains Fishes: red snapper that melted in my mouth
Mi Peron: goat stew---tender, flavorful, and juicy
Richards: the atmosphere, of course, and the stuffed mushrooms
Our only disappointment: Chibi Chibi. It was our last night on the island and most of the food was good, it just didn't hit the standard set by our other experiences. My daughter had a pasta-shrimp-tomato dish that was probably the least appealing of the trip. She said the shrimp was spongy and the sauce reminded her of Chef-Boyarde Spaghetti Os. It was still nice sitting out over the water.
For those of you planning your first trip to Bonaire, I would recommend driving around and locating some of the recommended restaurants in the daylight early in your trip. Note locations, nearby landmarks and parking spaces. Lots of one way streets and dark spots can make navigation challenging, especially at night, until you get familiar with the area. Some of the restaurants (It Rains Fishes) draw you in, but don't have their name in big lights. Some of them (Richards) have a sign by the street, but give no indication of the special atmosphere they offer from the outside. You could drive right by Richard's without knowing the gem you missed.
Also, keep a list of the names that are recommended here on the newsgroup. If you have a relatively short visit, it is nice to know where you can find a great meal without having to experiment. The good restaurants are spread out pretty far too, so you would need a car to get to all of them.
We didn't set out to eat on a budget and didn't limit our choices by the price, so we earned a good number of frequent flyer miles visiting these nice restaurants. There was always an appetizer or two, dessert for some, and plenty of Amstel for all of us. A few times we took leftovers home for the next day's lunch. After tax and tip the dinner bill for the four of us averaged around $150. Depending on your frame of reference that could be pretty reasonable, or what you expect to pay for that "nice dinner out".
All in all, the food was great, the atmosphere exceptional, and always a nice end to our wonderful days of diving. |
By Rosemary Beck on Monday, July 9, 2001 - 7:05 pm: 
