Special lunch

[Kikkycat]

DH & I will be docked in Willemstad on January 28, 2009, which is the date we'll be celebrating our 10th anniversary. The ship leaves at 5pm, so dinner will be onboard our ship. We're interested in finding a spot to have a nice lunch, preferably with a lovely view. Any ideas?

[michmike]

Right downtown on the waterfront in the old fort area is an Italian place called LaPergola which we thought was wonderful. Nice view of the water. We'll be going back for another meal there when we are in Willemstad in Feb 09.

[cruiseapril]

Fort Nassau has an incredible panoramic view and fine dining. They have a website. We took a taxi up there in April- very nice.

[Kikkycat]

Fort Nassau looks interesting but they don't start serving until 6:30pm, about an hour and a half after our ship sails.

 

La Pergola is on my list - thanks!

[caribbeanboy]

or you have bistro le clochard at the Riffort Village which is a 5 minute walk from the megapier. They are member of the chaine des rottiseurs. Awesome food.

[Kikkycat]

The Bistro was the first place I checked after searching the board and reading several good reviews. However, the information I found said they only served dinner. They don't have a functioning website of their own that I could find. Are they indeed open for lunch?

[caribbeanboy]

I will check for you later. There is another one called the Wine Cellar with very good food too.They are open for lunch. It's like a 15 minutes walk from town or if you are coming from an excursion you can ask the taxi to drop you there. The owner is a member of Chaines des Rottiseurs.

[cruiseapril]

Hi- The Fort Nassau website says that lunch is served noon-2 p.m. Monday thru Friday.

[Kikkycat]

Cool - do you have that website please? The one I found (caribbeanedge.com) had this info:

 

Fort Nassau - Willemstad

Cuisine Style:

International

Price Range:

$26-$50 per person

Dining Service:

Dinner

Dining Hours:

6:30 pm to 11 pm

[caribbeanboy]

The Fort Nassau is good but not excellent. But you will have an awesome view over the harbour (and your ship)

[Mrs007]

Hi caribbeanboy. Can you tell me if there is much shopping near Bistro le Clochard and also, what types of meals they serve. I see from this website that they are open for lunch.

http://www.curacao-travel.com/restaurants.html

 

We will be in port from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. What else could we do during that time?

[MissKise]

I would make the day a special one with a trip to KONTIKI beach, with a lunch, couples massage under a thatch hut, and relaxing on the beach enjoying each others company. A few drinks, a light lunch and some snorkling or swimming in the sheltered area.

 

WE loved this beach.

[Kikkycat]

Thanks Miss Kise - that's awesome advice for most people but the one time I bought my DH a massage he hated it. And he doesn't swim - never learned how. So strolling the city will be our main agenda there.

 

Did anyone ever find out if Bistro le Clochard is open for lunch?

[Shelby Cruiser]

We had lunch at a very nice restaurant in Curacao in the past & plan to have lunch there again while on the Grand Princess in Feb. '09. The restaurant is called Bistro le Clochard. They serve continental cuisine in a beautiful furnished jail or former cistern in vaults of old fortress. They have local specialities & nice desserts & it was noted in past comments on cruise critic that it was one of the most popular restaurants. Its on the Otrabanda side of the canal & is a little expensive but well worth the money. We are anxiously awaiting our return. If go to Curacao search on the web & look up restaurants, it should be listed.

 

Enjoy & happy anniversary.

 

Donna

[Kikkycat]

Many thanks, Donna. I had searched after reading so many recommendations for Bistro le Clochard and found that most websites indicated they opened for dinner, which won't work as we sail at 5 or 5:30pm. Hopefully they will indeed be open for lunch for our trip in late January. It sounds delightful.

[2CoolCanucks]

You should have no problem finding a place for a delicious hot lunch in Curacao... most of the island locals eat their "big meal of the day" at lunch time and then "snack" at supper.

 

There is a beautiful restaurant in the Hotel Kuralanda which is within walking distance of the pier. (Close to the swinging bridge)

It is in a courtyard so it has the ambiance of the outdoors yet has the seclusion of a garden. It is also part of a museum atmosphere with many local artifacts and murals displayed. Very interesting place all around.

 

The prices are reasonable to high end. Quality food with delightful presentation. There is no "view" so to speak ... (Fort Nassau has the best view in my opinion but you will need to take a taxi to get there.)

 

Fort-Waakzaamheid also has a nice view of the sea. It is perched on a hill close to the Mega pier and has a lovely terrace ambiance. It will take a very short taxi ride to get there.

They have a website under that name. (.net) You can view pics there. Hours for lunch 12:00 - 14:30. Their menu and prices are listed in Florins.

 

The last one I would recommend ( and all of these are for FINE dining) is the Restaurant & Cafe Gouveneur de Rouville. It is also within walking distance to the Mega Pier on the Otrabanda side. It has the options for inside dining (usually airco) or inner courtyard - outdoors under a lovely canopy of trees -dining. It has a website de-gouverneur.com where you can read more. It is on the Otrabanda waterfront and the site has a lunch menu for you to peruse.

 

I recommended these for you because you said it was for an anniversary. These places will have the higher price tags.

 

PS. There are also lots of "regular" places to eat a great lunch within walking distance of the pier. Lots of outdoor cafes and if you see the words Krioyo/Crioyo, it means local food and flavor. Enjoy! Eet smakkelijk. :)