Papillon Restaurant

A flea market, a chintzy bar, a burger joint, a little ``7-eleven``, and other non-descript retailers surround this gem of a restaurant. We had been several times in this marketplace but never thought Papillon would deliver. Well we were wrong. From the escargots with a puff pastry crust, exquisite crab cakes to the corvina fish entree all begged us to the desert. The service was absolutely the best we have experienced to date even in comparison to Passions the night before. Papillon is a must for anyone to try and will be returning again.

we had a group of 6, walked in without a reservation but they were happy to seat us.

Food was excellent, the folks were super.

Definitely going back before we leave Aruba.

In our three years of return visits to Aruba... we've never found a better restaurant! The service was exceptional... very friendly and attentive! The food is the best on the island. We loved it so much, we are going back tomorrow... what an amazing place to dine and share a wonderful evening. My husband had the french onion soup and the chicken breast. He said the soup was the best he's ever had anywhere. I had the chevere salad and the boeuf bourguignon. Both amazing! All house/home made fresh. The depth of flavor was amazing. It is a must do dining experience!!!!

We visited Papillon for the fourth time in three visits to Aruba. We always love it over there and in our opinion this might be the best restaurant on the island. It has a nice Caribbean/French flair and the food is absolutely delicious. This time they had a special of grilled scrimps, fettucini with alfredo sauce, green aspargus and grilled tomato's. It was very, very good. They have a nice winelist which include some wines you can buy on the glass or as half a litre. If there would be Michelin stars giving out in Aruba, this is certainly a good candidate. We can't wait to be back againj.

Dining at Papillon was one our best experiences in Aruba. We chose to eat inside near the bar where it was very cozy and the music was delightful. The escargot en croute was perfect with a light, flaky crust over a bowl of tender and very plentiful snails simmered in a mouth-watering broth with a touch of Pernod (and not salty, which is always my complaint). The crab cakes were also wonderful, but the very best was the pear tarte tartin (recommended by our fabulous waiter Maurice) and the fresh blueberry martini (which followed a perfect crisp white wine (also recommended). Can't wait to return.

Been to many restaurants on Aruba but my experience this restaurant is by far the best on the island.
So many restaurant but all the menu's look the same.
And so do the winelists
But papillon is different
And the chef is really the best, the staff really know what the talk about and everybody knows what service and fine dining stands for.
Tina and staff, thanks!
Ps: make sure you take the banana cheesecake as desert, it is greaaat!

We visited Papillion on our last night of our visit, wished we had come sooner. Everyone was extremely friendly and the food was terrific. We went for the early bird special and had the 3 course meal, highly recommend it.

Good food and good service

Four old friends visited Papillon on March 24, 2012. We were pre-advised to select a table inside, due to two competing noisy music clubs outside. We were greeted warmly and ushered inside to a charmingly intimate atmosphere, evocative of how I picture Paris in the 1920s to have been, complete with soft flattering lighting and muted torch songs. Peter, our waiter could not have been more accommodating. Three of us ordered the escargot- a favorite dish--and after this offering, I never have to eat escargots again (except from this chef!). They came in a garlic-butter sauce in ceramic cups covered with the most divine pastry, delicately and expertly seasoned and browned to perfection. The presentation and taste of our entrees was perfection, and we thoroughly enjoyed them. I will save their description for another time, as I skip to the desert: all four of us had the creme brulee. It was served on an interesting ceramic plate, and was done in the classic style, with the presentation deserving of 5 stars. One off note: on the plate with the creme brulee was a scoop of handmade sorbet, tasty on its' own, but the flavor, passionfruit, I think, contrasted with the sweetness of the creme brulee. This restaurant and its' chef richly deserve much praise!

We had a really delicious meal (3way) everything was presented nicely and the taste was remarkeble good, full f flavour, jammie!
The service was also excellent (thanx Peter), and for a vegatarian like me enough choice. The ambianche is warm and friendly, the hostes bid us a warm welkom!
We will be back for sure!