I’ll be honest with you — when I first set off to Aruba, I thought all of my memories would be about sand, beach, sun and perhaps a few cocktails here and there. What I didn’t expect was an island full of great food in every direction. And, since it’s a Caribbean Island, the fish was fresh and lobster was widely available, one of my favorites!
Above, the lobster at Atardi Restaurant at the Marriott, which you can get with a Filet or in my case, I chose to try it with Red Snapper on the side. They serve it with tomatoes, asparagus and potatoes.
Because I stayed at the Marriott (be sure to see my write-up), Atardi was a favorite foodie pick. After all, they serve you dinner right on the beach and I mean, RIGHT on the beach.
You slip off your shoes and they seat you right before sunset; my recommendation is to get there a a half an hour before it’s slated to go down or earlier. Order a drink and take in the breathtaking view of the ocean before you, while you absorb your day and look at their scrumptious menu.
Since I’m a huge fresh fish and lobster fan, it was hard to resist lobster as noted above. They also have a lobster salad which consists of an apple-celery salad, apple cream and a lobster claw. Can you say heaven?
The dish that also had me at hello was their Tropical Bouillabaisse, which is a seafood mix served in a coconut cream, saffron based soup. Yes, really. If you saw this scrumptious blend on the menu, you’d have to order it right?
Because they’re right on the ocean, it didn’t make sense to order steak or Beef Tenderloin, even though they served the latter with a Bearnaise sauce and potato gratin. YUM!
Truth be told, the Lamb Tenderloin was egging me on, saying “try me, try me,” especially given its side of roasted pumpkin, asparagus, pear and lamb juice. That said, I had to stick with seafood all night, pairing my choices with a crispy Sauvignon Blanc to start and Chardonnay for my main.
Appetizers included Crab Salad with avocado, potatoes, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and micro greens, and Tomato Caprese for salad fans. And they did have Prosciutto which was hard to pass up, but only until I saw the Sashimi Snapper and Tuna Carpaccio on the menu.
The Snapper was served sashimi style, with a yellow sweet chili sauce, cilantro and caramelized sweet potato and the Carpaccio was served with pecans, cilantro, ginger, lemon juice, olive and sesame oil.
A l’il crab anyone? The chef insisted, so how could I say no?
For mains in the seafood category since you’d be silly not to order fish in Aruba, they offered Salmon with green beans, orange and fennel salad in a orange-mango sauce, Blackened Mahi Mahi with tomatoes, olive salt and a roasted pepper sauce, a Shrimp stew with green peas, cilantro and white rice, Scallops with leek fondant, crispy polenta, arugula salad, roasted tomatoes and corn (they were to die-for) and Soy Tuna with shitake mushroom broth, bok choy, carrots and sweet coriander. Ouch, right?
The best two dishes in my humble opinion goes to the Red Snapper with creamy coconut basmati rice, plantains and pineapple salsa and the Sea Bass (it melts in your mouth), which they serve with cauliflower puree and green beans in a champagne sauce.
If I return, I’d be keen on trying the Macademian Grouper, which they serve with bok choy, black quinoa chaufa and creamy red curry sauce — my waiter couldn’t stop praising it despite the fact that I went for other options.
Shrimp lovers should order their shrimp dish served in a yellow corn puree with corn salsa and lemon garlic butter sauce. It definitely had a wow factor.
A sweet lover? Atardi has you covered with plenty of options to choose from. Their chocolate tart is served with caramel, fruit compote and vanilla ice cream and their Coconut Cake (which my neighbors said I must order), has a white chocolate coconut mousse filling and is topped with pineapple sauce and toasted shredded coconut.
Needless to say, I shared it with the staff. If I didn’t, I feared I would devour the whole thing. They also have an Apple crumble which is served with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch and cinnamon apples, Creme Brulee with a black forest compote and a Peanut Butter and Chocolate Layer Napoleon which is topped with peanut butter cream and Himalaya salt, a must order if you are traveling with kids.
While you’re finishing your meal and the sun has already set, you may as well order a specialty coffee. When in Aruba, or anywhere in the Caribbean for that matter, things go slowly and you’re there to relax. Why rush, especially when you can order something called an Old Pirate’s Treasure which is made of Grand Marnier, brandy and coffee. In hindsight, I should have ordered it just for the photo.
They also have something called a Star Chaser with Crangelico, Kahlua and coffee, a Palm Beach Dream which is served with Tia Maria, Bacardi Rum and coffee and the Aruba Moonlight, which has Ponche Crema, Kahlua, Bacardi and hot coffee. You can order them with or without a dollop of whipped cream.
What else is lovely about this on the beach fine dining restaurant, is that they have live entertainment nightly, which varies in style depending on the night you’re there. Think jazz, easy listening, 1970’s and light pop. Let’s just say it is tres tres romantic!
Steak lovers will love the fact that there’s a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse on the premises and for sushi lovers, it’s worth mentioning that there’s sushi bar in the main lobby. If you stay there, you’ll be all set every day: sushi for lunch and romantic dining with fabulous wine every night. Even if you don’t stay there, try Marriott’s restaurants out when next in Aruba.
Their sushi bar ETSU, has a great selection. My favorite was the Seared Tuna Tataki with Ponzu, ginger, radish, green onions and sesame oil, but their rolls are divine as well. From eel, salmon, tuna, hamachi, and spicy snow crab, they have more sushi and sashimi options than most resort hotels.
DETAILS:
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
