Ricardo's Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Oranjestad (city)

There are goods things to say about this restaurant and then, unfortunately, some bad things to say as well. First, the restaurant is situated on the beach which gives very nice views of the ocean, especially the sunsets. Lastly, the staff is courteous and pleasant with great customer service. Onto the bad: the food. I had ordered the Peruvian beef, chicken and pork skewer that was surprisingly dry and the goat cheeses appeared to be microwaved because most that I experienced and the way it should be eaten is that the outer crust is crispy and the host is exquisite to the taste. This one was moist on the outer shell and the goat cheese though it tasted like goat cheese didn’t have that punch that I’m use to. Everyone has their different opinion about food preparation, I will just leave my comment as is. Next, the humidity and heat will definitely change how you prepare yourself to eat as it became unbearable. We arrived at 6pm and left around 6:35pm and was so hot that my shirt was sticking to me and I’m not that type of guy who sweats at all. So pick your poison wisely on when you are wanting to come here. Lastly, the flies are horrendous and worse than any other outside restaurant that we visited on this island. They are relentless and makes it difficult to at least enjoy your meal while eating here. This is our experience as others may experience it completely different. I hope this review give some descent insight and frighten others from going, you would have to experience it...

We walked in a couple nights ago and there was maybe 5 tables out of the whole place that had customers at them. We left because we were sketch about it. We decided a couple nights later to actually give it a shot since we saw some stuff online we really wanted. We walked in at about 8 and again there was about 5 tables with people at them. The gentleman who helped us was very attentive and polite. When we got there, the menu was half of what was shown online. We ended up asking if they had Margherita pizza which was online and not on the menu at the restaurant. The gentleman told us they did in fact have it. I asked a woman if they had key lime pie. Again, it was online but not on the physical menu. She said they didn’t have it anymore. The Margherita pizza was a normal cheese pizza with one piece of basil on it. Not even close to what we thought it would be or it should be. We got this Argentinian Mixed Grille skewer and it was not flavorful and just bland. The steak was tough even though I ordered it medium. The chicken looked boiled and put on the grille to finish searing. The chorizo was dry and not anything special. I don’t know why this place has good reviews. We went there kind of based on them. There are a few way better options In the vicinity that are about the same price. Again, the service was great and I’m not blaming them. Go here for a couple drinks to see the staff....

We went there for a late breakfast, no wait in an almost empty outdoor area, compared to other nearby restaurants that were relatively full. Perhaps that was a sign lol. First the good: food was pretty solid. The veggie panini and Aruba breakfast were fine and came in no time. However two things left a sour taste in an otherwise unremarkable experience that I wouldn't have bothered to leave a review. First, the fresh OJ in a normal sized glass was $7 each. Now I know there's such a thing as Island prices but that is still pretty exorbitant especially compared to the food menu. The other thing which was annoying was they automatically add a 15% service charge and still ask if "do you want to leave a tip" when running my card. I don't know if this is standard procedure but for any manager reading this, it's a horrible practice and creates an awkward interaction between the server and customer. In summary, I spent about $50 for a light breakfast for 2 which didn't even include coffee. The restaurant should do better given its prime location as the first restaurant next to the Renaissance; just look at your neighbors with full tables and...