Carousing for Couples Island Gourmet

Carousing for Couples

by Susan Campbell Date night with your significant other doesn’t have to be all starry-eyed, romantic dining that lasts for hours. It can also be wild, crazy fun out and about on a steamy tropical night. And you’ll find plenty to eat and drink to fuel your nocturnal adventures if you follow our lead...

Romantic dinners are great for a relationship, but sometimes you want to just grab each other’s hand and run into the night seeking entertaining and exciting things to do in a new locale.

Aruba has all kinds of impromptu enjoyment once the sun descends beneath the waves. You’ll find sensational things to do secreted away in hot spots, action-packed centers, and at indoor and outdoor venues all over the island. Let us show you where the night moves when you’re carousing as a couple on Aruba.

60

Oranjestad after-dark attractions

The air becomes thick with electric excitement in downtown Oranjestad after dark, especially around Renaissance Marketplace right on the marina. Queen Wilhelmina Park is often the focal point at the end of the outdoor mall with live music or cultural shows designed to engage the crowds. The plaza is chock-full of marvelous dining and casual gathering spots like Café the Plaza, Cilo City Lounge, SushiYa, Sidebar Bistro, and Grand Café Tropical.

Downtown Oranjestad

There are also air-conditioned cinemas with first-run flicks. You can graze and sample different styles of cuisine at places like The Dutch Pancakehouse, with crepe-style delights, or authentic Cuban food with sizzling live Latin music at Cuba’s Cookin’, or maybe some sushi and killer cocktails at NextDoor lounge. The Renaissance Marketplace is a dynamic and eclectic location where you can begin your mission to paint the town with flair.

Across the marina bridge, you can’t miss Eetcafé The Paddock (just look for the big red roof with a cow, a dinosaur, and a car on top of it) for a rousing good time Dutch pub style. And venture farther into town to find colorful and crazy Iguana Joe’s for fiery Caribbean fare and their specialty signature drink the Pink Iguana.

There’s 7 West close by for great dining and a gorgeous view of the harbor. And their interior nook is awash in cool neon lighting that later morphs into party central with a new cocktail menu and happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight!

If you wander down the new boardwalk along the sea you’ll find The West Deck for upsidedown “beer-ritas” and wonderful grilled food. It’s a perfect spot to watch the sunset, and the twinkling of the cruise ship lights upon the water.

Farther down, you will come upon Pinchos Grill & Bar set upon a pier where romance is always on tap. They even have a lover’s swing and the water is lit up at night to see the alluring tropical fish.

If you happen to be in downtown Oranjestad on a Tuesday night, you might want to stop in to see the Bon Bini Festival at Fort Zoutman for a colorful taste of local culture, dance, and food.

And late night, don’t miss the Renaissance Marina hotel’s stylish meeting place, BLUE, which comes to life with hot DJs and video walls beside their infinity pool. If dancing is really on your agenda, then head over to Reflexions at nearby Surfside Beach for some of the islands biggest techno blowouts – indoor and out. And keep your eyes open for snack trucks serving authentic street food along the way! !

61

Another exciting indoor-outdoor venue for late night is Alhambra Casino and Shops. Stop into Fusions for terrific tapas and fine wines by the glass, and they often have live music. Right across the mall is The Hollywood Smokehouse with finger-licking barbecue and a gifted bartender who creates amazing libations, and occasionally they have a band as well. There are fast-food outlets, and of course the grande dame of the mall is the newly renovated Alhambra Casino full of glitz and excitement, and open until 4 a.m., also with its own bar and lounge.

Palm Beach area pleasures

For seaside revelry on popular Palm Beach, head to the Bugaloe Beach Bar on a pier where they kick it up a notch with the island’s best bands.

Then MooMba Beach Bar is famous for barefoot dancing in the sand, especially on Sundays. For a more refined lounge-type encounter you can sample some of the finest rums available – more than 20 kinds – at cool and classy Holiday Inn Resort’s new Palm Bar. The Aruba Marriott’s Stellaris Casino is also walking distance away, and their upscale Lounge 101 is in one of the largest casinos on the island and often has live music. Marriott’s chic hotel Lobby Bar is open late night with interesting offerings like cocktails made from Aruba’s local aloe.

Sashay along the strip

Off the beach and in front of the highrise resorts, there are all kinds of delightful diversions around “The Strip,” the two-mile stretch along L.G. Smith Boulevard. Meander about without a plan and stop where the spirit and vibe seems inviting like at Sopranos for an impromptu sing-along to live piano music. Then just follow the music to find the party spots like Señor Frog’s and Hard Rock Café. For really late night dancing and high-octane energy, seek out Gusto; look for the well-heeled young crowd lined up behind the velvet rope. There are lots of stop-and-snack spots all along the strip as well.

For some enchanted evening magic, Paseo Herencia’s courtyard mall offers a wonderful waltzing water show several times a night. There are all kinds of spots to enjoy it from like urban chic outdoor Sky Lounge with neon-lit chairs that change colors. And sometimes you’ll even be treated to a complimentary cultural show or event in their outdoor amphitheater. !

Mesmerizing water show at Paseo Herencia

Just behind it, you’ll find Palm Beach Plaza Mall, a modern multilevel emporium that offers interesting diversions. Begin there around happy hour for great complimentary snacks that come with your cool aperitifs at Piazza Italia, or try the huge frozen cocktails and gourmet pizza conesto-go from Kono Pizza to get started off right.

There are also modern cinemas, and for a fun date night later, you can challenge each other at DreamBowl with glow-in-the-dark bowling. On top of that, they have virtual reality arcades, pool tables, a sports bar, and of course, late night shopping if you want to spoil each other with some unique keepsakes.

Go full-on crazy at Casibari

If you’d rather take the party to the streets, then the Kukoo Kunuku party bus should be your travel mode of choice. Their staff animation is out of this world, and the bar-hopping bus makes stops at Aruba’s coolest watering holes.

Or, you can choose the bar-hop and dinner tour that culminates in the offbeat Casibari Café for a fabulous barbecue dinner with live music, located in a surreal setting beneath Aruba’s oddest rock formations. It’s a one-of-a-kind night out you and your significant other will never forget!

Nighttime fun year-round

Sleuth out local flavor

Not far from the strip in Noord is where a friendly gang of locals, mostly Dutch expats, mingles and parties in hangouts that serve good food. Bavaria restaurant with over 50 types of German beers is bound to get you in an elbowbending spirit, and the Local Store is not a shop but a bopping bar with local cuisine and terrific live music. You can try Barney’s where the crowd often gets to singing karaoke, or Café 080, where spontaneous dancing abounds. And don’t miss Bingo! Cafe & Restaurant; it’s like the ArubaDutch version of Cheers where everybody knows your name, or will, by the time you leave!

And don’t forget, this island has events all year long, so you never know what fun and cool additional attractions might be happening after dark. Ask the concierge at your hotel what’s going on all around the island during your stay or visit www.nightspublications.com. "

Let the good times roll at DreamBowl

The Kukoo Kunuku party bus takes you to dinner at Casibari Café

Poolside fun at Blue

Seduce Lady Luck at Stellaris Casino

Bavaria’s impressive selection of German beers

62

Left photo by Luis Mejia. Right photo courtesy of Paseo Herencia. Bottom photo courtesy of Stellaris Casino

Left photo by Luis Mejia. Top photo courtesy of DreamBowl. Bottom photo courtesy of Kukoo Kunuku

63