MooMba Beach Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Aruba

Buckle up folks, this is a long one 😅

I'll start with the highs. The atmosphere was great. Alongside the gorgeous ocean views we were sat right in front of a live performer with a great voice and awesome song selections.

From security to the servers and all those folks working in between, everyone was welcoming, friendly, and generally nice.

Our waiter was great, T, you deserve so much better, sweetheart.

Now let's get into the nitty gritty. We started with a round of shots (we were there celebrating my friends 35th birthday - I made the decision to come here because I read the reviews and thought it would be the best way to bring in her birthday 😒).

The Green Tea shots were lackluster. I wanted to ask if the green tea was on the beach with us. They tasted OK enough, but as a group that loves a green tea shot, we were not overly impressed.

On to the appetizers. We decided on the Argentinian chorizo, fried calamari, and a Caesar salad. The sausage dish had raw onions, the potatoes were not crispy, and came out cold, almost like it had been sitting waiting on the calamari to be done... which itself tasted as though it was fried in old oil, lacking seasoning to the point that even the "homemade arrabiata sauce" they provided on the side wasn't enough to salvage the taste of it, in fact I think it made it worst. You know it's a rough start when the only good thing is the damn salad.

The calamari was comped, thanks for that.

For dinner the birthday girl had the Moomba's Fettuccine Carbonara, I had the Mooomba Burger, and my friend had the Grouper Filet. Neither of us were happy.

The Fettucine Carbonara while the sauce was good, came with grilled beef strips that LOOKED and tasted far beyond well done...

The Moomba Burger came with an onion ring on top that looked like it was fried in the same oil as the calamari so I skipped it. The burger itself wasn't seasoned. The bread was too thick and made the burger taste even dryer. The best thing? The French fries which surprisingly didn't taste like old oil.

The Grouper Filet, while well seasoned, had to have been frozen because the texture was mushy. The veggies were cold and so were the mashed potatoes. The lemon butter sauce was lumpy and also... cold.

At the end our server brought out our checks and when we were set up to proceed through payment he actually asked if I would be tipping 💀 NOT THAT I WASN'T going to tip but because where I from, it isn't asked 🤌🏾 and no other establishment had asked prior or after our time here.

After leaving a cash tip we left unsatisfied and disappointed. Maybe you have to come here drunk to fully enjoy...

This review is a tough one so please read it fully to get an understanding of how I rated it. First off, the atmosphere is amazing. Definitely choose the beach dining option if you go! It was very comfortable and serene.

Now the food and service….the service started out great with initial drinks and appetizers! I had the ceviche and I must say it was very, very fresh and good!! Didn’t care for my first drink at all (forgot the name of it…it was recommended by a local), but my next rounds (yes rounds) of drinks were on point! Where the service fell short was not at fault of our server, it was a HUGE fail on the kitchen. We were a party of 8 and all placed orders at the same time. As the food was coming out of the kitchen, we noticed that the last 4 to order were the first to get their food. We patiently waited until we started to see tables that arrived after we did, get their food before the first 4 at our table that ordered. At this point, we alerted our server and she escalated to her manager. Eventually, the manager came over and explained it was his kitchen who was at fault and personally delivered our remaining dishes as well as made accommodations to our final bill as a good faith gesture. When I tasted my food, it more than made up for the disappointment of it being so late to arrive! I had the Grouper with Shrimp upgrade and the flavors and seasonings far exceeded my expectations!! Lastly, the Crème Brûlée that I had for dessert was a great presentation. It was brought to the table while still inflamed, but the high winds of Aruba quickly extinguished it before I could get a good picture. I would give the taste of the Crème Brûlée a 3 out of 5, as I have had some phenomenal ones throughout my dining experiences.

If the kitchen stays on its toes, one could easily have a 5 star...

🌴 Sunset Vibes & Sizzling Flavors at Moomba Beach Bar & Restaurant 🌅🍴

If you’re a foodie like me who lives for bold flavors, beachy vibes, and meals that hit every note—run, don’t walk to Moomba Beach Bar & Restaurant in Aruba!

Picture this: you’re sitting right on the sand, the Caribbean breeze in your hair, a live solo singer serenading the sunset, and the waves gently crashing in the background. Pure magic. ✨

Now onto the food—because WOW. Our incredible server, Alan (shoutout to you!), suggested the pinchos, and let me tell you, he did not steer us wrong. These skewers—grilled to juicy perfection—come in shrimp, chicken, or beef. We went for the chicken and beef combo, and each bite was packed with smoky, savory goodness. They come with your choice of sides: I swapped the fries for flavorful rice (fries and I are on a break 😄), and my sister went with creamy mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies. Everything was cooked just right and plated beautifully.

We kicked things off with their coconut shrimp appetizer—and oh. my. goodness. Crunchy, golden, perfectly seasoned, and served in generous portions that had us fighting over the last one (lovingly, of course).

The portions are big, the flavors are bold, and the beachside setting? Pure paradise. 🌺🍹 From start to finish, this meal was the highlight of our trip—and a total sensory experience.

If you’re looking for an Aruba dining spot that brings the flavor and the feels, Moomba is your...