Cuisine
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A Taste of the Tropics
International Cuisine with Caribbean flair
For centuries, Bonaire has stood at the crossroads of the world, where sailing ships from every point on the compass arrived with goods to trade as well as their culinary traditions. To this day, our food retains the influences of the dishes that arrived aboard those ships, from the Netherlands, Italy, France and Germany to Colombia, China, Suriname, Indonesia and many others. In short, Bonaire is a food lover’s paradise, where restaurants put a unique Caribbean spin on many international dishes, pairing them with wines from all over the world.
Culinary Workshop
There is so much history and character in our food and local ingredients. Sharing recipes is just not enough to get all the knowledge to boast about all the great secrets our cuisine holds. Click the button below and discover a whole new world of food.
Culinary Capital
Let your taste buds explore
Culinary Capital is a program developed by the World Food Travel Association to recognize destinations by looking at their culinary attributes through various dimensions and structures. Bonaire was recognized as a Culinary Capital in June of 2022. To see some of our local dishes along with stories from our locals that have an impact on the culinary industry on the island you can visit the Bonaire webpage on the Culinary Capital website. Keep an eye out for our culinary content on our website and our social media platforms.
There’s no better way to experience the soul of the Caribbean than to dine on Bonaire. Since we live on a tropical island, many of our dishes naturally feature fish in a dizzying array of combinations. You’ll also find local stews and soups featuring goat. Or iguana. Many of these recipes also include some of the few local fruits that grow on the island, including soursop, limes, mangoes, shimaruku (a local cherry) and a small brown fruit called mispel.
If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll enjoy the end of the meal as much as the beginning. There is, of course, our tantalizing and world famous rum raisin cake. But living in the tropics has also given us a taste for cool, sweet ice cream and sorbet. Of course, you’ll find the usual flavors, but you’ll also find far more exotic ones like Ponche Crema and tropical sorbets like Rum Raisin and Mango.
On Bonaire, we’ve long believed that sharing a traditional meal is the best way to bring families together and make new friends. We’ve saved a seat for you.
