Is it summer already? I can’t believe how quickly time has flown by this year. Even though we’re at the half-year mark, I feel like my to-do list is neverending. Recently, my husband and I have been making an effort to go out and try restaurants and cafes that have been on our list in Curacao.

In between our staycations at various hotels around the island, we’ve been busy – busy eating, that is! Here are my reviews of restaurants and cafes I’ve tried in Curacao recently.

Table of Contents

• Noça Bakery
• Haven Restaurant
• BKLYN
• Coffee Bar at The Nomat
• Disfruta Mas Fruity Fusion at Mambo Beach
• Reefs Cafe and Co
• James
• Taqueria Maya
• Kat’s Final Thoughts

Noça Bakery

I was scrolling Instagram one day when I came across a suggested post about a cute little bakery called “Noça“. The cafe looked bright, colorful, and right up my alley. It wasn’t long until I dragged my husband to stop by the cafe on a Saturday morning. We arrived just before closing and picked up a box of treats.

Since that first visit, I’ve been back at least 3 times. I’ve tried their doughnuts, pizza slices, pastel de nata, funfetti cake, sausage and egg roll, coconut cake, and more. Everything they bake looks delicious. My husband says they have the best doughnuts on the island, and that’s a coveted title for him. They also bake gluten-free pastries on certain days.

Noca Bakery also has a cafe menu and sit down service. The air conditioned cafe is a lovely place to do some remote work. No sea views here as this bakery is located in a residential area of Santa Rosa, but the lively decor makes up for it. Last time I was here, my husband and I sat down for lunch. We shared a quiche, breakfast BLT sammie, and a lox bagel sammie. Bonus points for having decaf espresso so I can enjoy an iced decaf latte! I highly recommend this cafe.

Haven Restaurant

I had my eye on Haven ever since I spotted the West End building being remodeled in Otrobanda. The building was finished sometime last year though it retains its original Art Deco style roots, and is now home to several new restaurants. The building now hosts a Curacao gift shop, Curacao Interactive Experience, a gelato shop, Greenhouse Restaurant, Haven Restaurant, and Elevation Rooftop Bar.

My husband and I had a lovely sunset dinner at Haven Restaurant earlier this year. The restaurant has an air conditioned indoor section with a bar, and an open air terrace facing Punda and the Swinging Bridge. The decor of the restaurant is chic and contemporary with a Caribbean flair. I loved being able to see the sunset and feel the sea breeze sitting at the edge of the balcony.

The menu at Haven is on the eclectic side. You’ll find Spanish tapas, ceviches, Italian pastas, steakhouse classics, and Asian dishes. While I normally prefer a restaurant that specializes in a specific cuisine, I have to say the food here was excellent. We started with the plantain guacamole and tuna tartare which were fresh and bright. My main was the Green Curry Mahi Mahi with a side of rice. My husband got the scallop risotto with a side of brussel sprouts. My curry was excellent and the fish cooked and seasoned perfectly. I tried the risotto and it was deliciously creamy as well. My husband said the scallops were great – no notes.

BKLYN

I’ve been meaning to write about BKLYN for the longest time. My husband and I love this restaurant, and we came here for another date night earlier this year. BKLYN is a modern gastrobar located in Pietermaai across from Avila Beach Hotel. It’s in the same plaza as other heavy hitters such as Seafina, Mosa Caña, and Rozendals. There are so many great restaurants in the area, but I highly recommend BKLYN if you like delicious small bites, excellent craft cocktails, and a cool low-key vibe.

BKLYN only has indoor seating, but that’s where the action is anyway. We personally love sitting at the bar and chatting with the bartender. The restaurant is outfitted with comfortable lounge seating and dining tables downstairs, and additional seating upstairs in the loft. The bar is the main attraction in the restaurant hosting a plethora of liquors from around the world. There is also a handwritten chalkboard with the wine menu, and a window looking into the kitchen.

The menu at BKLYN is tapas style and meant for sharing. I would describe the menu as creative modern takes on casual dishes… in an elevated way. Does that make sense? It’s a good thing I’m not a food critic. Out of all of our visits, we’ve pretty much had the entire menu. Some of our favorites are the China Town (peking duck pancakes), The Bomb BKLYN Dogs (hot dogs, but better), The Riveroli (ravioli), and Tuna Pops. I’d be remiss not to mention their excellent cocktails. I usually get a sweet tiki drink, and my husband gets the Ol Dirty Bastard with smoked cinnamon and bourbon. This is a great restaurant for a date night or friends night out!

Coffee Bar at The Nomat

Some time last year I had been browsing Instagram, as I do, when I stumbled upon a post from an account called The Nomat. The pictures of this new boutique hotel were chic and modern like out of a magazine. I DM’d them to ask where and when they’re opening and they let me know they’d taken over Villa Tokara and are trying to open by Spring 2026. Fast forward to Spring 2026, I see they’ve launched a soft opening by introducing their coffee bar to the public. Of course, I had to check it out.

The Nomat is located right across from Avila Beach Hotel in Pietermaai, and just past the popular Sal the Kitchen restaurant. When I visited in May, there was no signage for The Nomat. You had to know where the old Villa Tokara was. Past the entrance gate is a beautiful long walkway dotted with foliage and the hotel at the end. I should note, there is construction happening on the property as the hotel team is building a new restaurant nearby.

The coffee bar is within the lobby/main entrance of the hotel, and there’s both indoor and outdoor seating. The design of the cafe is in line with what I saw on Instagram – chic, contemporary, almost editorial. I liked the juxtaposition of a modern cafe interior with the bones of a historical 18th century mansion. The menu was small for this soft opening, so my husband and I got a couple of coffees and warm banana bread which were all delicious. I’m excited to come back when they’re ready for their grand opening!

Disfruta Mas Fruity Fusion at Mambo Beach

This is one of the most popular smoothie cafes on the island, and they just opened up a new location on Mambo Beach. I mentioned Disfruta Mas before as a suggested stop on Caracasbaaiweg on the way to/from Jan Thiel Beach. The Caracasbaaiweg location is always super busy so I was glad to see another location is now available.

The cafe at Mambo Beach is small and no frills. There’s a cold bar with frozen fruit chunks, a hot display with tequeños and empanadas, and a fridge with ready-to-go beverages. The menu is expansive and you can make any combination of smoothie with the fruits they have. They also now offer protein powder, so you bet my husband got a peanut butter banana protein smoothie. I got a mango, pineapple, strawberry smoothie made with orange juice instead of milk. Their smoothies always hit on a hot day. Their snacks are just okay, in my opinion.

Reefs Cafe and Co

I’ve been wanting to try out Reefs Cafe and Co for a while now. This cafe is located at the Dolphin Suites hotel at Mambo Beach. There are no ocean views from the cafe, but you’re just a stone’s throw away. This is the only cafe I’ve encountered so far with paid parking. There is a paid parking lot in front of the cafe, and you have to pay 5 XCG to park but the cafe will refund you when the parking pass is presented with your bill. Not a dealbreaker, and at least your car will be monitored by security personnel. I’ve heard horror stories about cars parked at Mambo Beach.

The cafe itself is completely open air with tropical vibes. There is plenty of shade and a nice breeze that comes through. I liked how colorful the space was! The cafe serves as the main restaurant for hotel guests as well, so we saw a few tourists during our visit. In terms of the menu, they offer a pretty basic breakfast and lunch menu. They have smoothies, juices, coffees, french toast, pancakes, croissant sandwiches, wraps, bowls, etc.

Between my husband and I, we ordered a couple of smoothies and a ham and cheese croissant. They were fine, nothing to write home about. My smoothie was very mint forward, but I didn’t mind it. I wish they had a more exciting menu that makes them stand out, but since it’s a hotel restaurant they offer a standard hotel menu. Overall, I would come back here if I wanted a change of scenery but it’s not at the top of my list.

James

Another trendy brunch spot? Sign me up! James had been on my list for a while, but I never had a chance to swing by until a month ago. This cafe is located down an alley off of Nieuwestraat in Pietermaai connected to a boutique hotel called Pietermaai Oasis. Even though this place is tucked away, it was jam packed when I visited. That’s a good sign!

James has mainly indoor seating and a handful of seats outside. The menu offers brunch classics like eggs benedicts, french toast, pancakes, chicken and waffles, avocado toast, croissants, and even pastechis. They also offer items more firmly in the lunch category, such as sandwiches, bowls, and burgers. Even though they’re only open until 3 PM daily, they still offer a cocktail and bites menu making this cafe perfect for a girls’ brunch.

We got the shakshuka and chicken and waffles to share. Both were delicious! Bonus points to James for having decaf espresso on deck. The inside of the cafe is Instagram-worthy with pop art inspiration. While you won’t get any beach views from this cafe, the food alone would make me come back. It’s just tough when you have beachfront cafes like La Reina just a few minutes away that have great food and ocean views!

Taqueria Maya

Also a relative newcomer on Nieuwestraat in Pietermaai is Taqueria Maya, a Mexican restaurant. They opened up about 2 years ago, but I kept putting off having a date night there because we have another Mexican place closer to us. I’m so glad we made the time to have dinner here, though because the experience was excellent.

You can’t miss Taqueria Maya if you’re walking down vibrant Nieuwestraat. There are colorful streamers hanging alongside string lights, communal picnic tables with various salsa bottles, and upbeat latin tunes playing. The menu is what you would expect: snacks, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and desserts. They also do margarita happy hours every Friday on their margaritas. I liked that the restaurant was open to the street so we could people watch.

During our visit we ordered original margaritas, chips and guacamole, a chicken quesadilla, al pastor tacos, fish tacos, and churros. The portions are on the small side, so even though it sounds like a lot of food ordered, it was just right for us. The margs were made perfectly. The chips and guacamole were just okay, nothing special. Our tacos and the quesadilla were great, though I’d love more than just two tacos for 19 XCG (~$10.50 USD) personally. The churros were the perfect finish – crispy and not too sweet. Overall, I had a great date night here and the food was delicious.

Kat’s Final Thoughts

I say this every time, but I’m truly grateful to live on an island with such great dining options. There are always new restaurants and cafes popping up, and I’ve got a running list of places I still need to visit. One of these days I’ll do a favorites list because even though I try new places often, I also keep going back to the same restaurants that I love.

This list is not in any particular order, but if you had to prioritize visiting any of these places, there are a few you should definitely add to your list. I would add BKLYN for a great dinner, Noça Bakery for delicious treats, and Disfruta Mas for fruit smoothies at Mambo. Special shoutout to Haven Restaurant if you prefer dinner with a view downtown.

Have you been to any of these places yet or are any on your list? Let me know in the comments below! Thanks for reading!