Old Cunucu House, The

I was really looking forward to an authentic Aruban meal and made a 7:30pm reservation. It was not to be.

We arrived promptly but our indoor seating was delayed and disorganized. No one acknowledged us for several minutes. Lots of empty tables. The outdoor area was lively but unfortunately no tables were available.

Finally we were seated but customers arriving after us were given menus and their drink orders were taken before ours. The server seemed very uninterested in us and in a bad mood.

Our drinks and appetizer actually arrived pretty quickly but we then spent over an HOUR watching other tables who arrived 15-25 minutes after us proceed to get their food and enjoy their meals. By "waited an hour" I mean that after an hour (it was now 8:50pm) I lost my patience and asked one of the servers what happened to our food. They gave a flimsy excuse about how the time depends on what you order, which is BS.

I personally saw another table that was seated after us, served the same entrees we ordered.

The runner was also obviously confused and kept trying to deliver food to the wrong tables so I suspect our entrees ended up with someone else.

We decided to leave as we couldn't wait any longer and put up with this horrible service.

They ended up comping up for the drinks and appetizer but really never explained what happened.

What a shame. I had to leave hungry and they lost a customer. They didn't just lose me - I have friends coming in a few weeks with a large group and I was hoping this would be on my list of recs.

We’ve had dinner at the Old Cunucu House twice, in 2017 and 2019. The traditional Aruban dishes (pumpkin soup, goat and beef stews, conch and keesha yeshi— an unusual mix of chicken, Gouda cheese, olives and raisins, conch) are truly delicious. Many of these dishes are found in the Local Specialties section of the menu. The fresh seafood is also worth ordering.

This is a small place with a fairly casual atmosphere. The point is the outstanding traditional food.

The four of us were excited to taste their food. We reserved a table and got a table right away. But that’s it! Long wait to get water, then longer to get drinks, then more wait to order food. Long wait for the food to be served. The waitress brought us wrong wine (easy fix) then wrong food for one of us. I got goat stew (much more bones than meat, it was nothing special). My husband ordered Keshi Yena, but got coconut shrimp instead. She took the dish away and in less than 5 min brought the correct order. However, it was poorly done; they didn’t have the time to prepare that dish. What made me unhappy is that the dish was plain chicken with Gouda cheese, no olives, onions, raisins and cashews; that is what makes their dish famous. We felt they cheated on us. The red snapper was too dry. Desserts: três leches cake was good, coconut cake dough was very dry, tasting like an old cake. We do not recommend this restaurant.

First visit and last, when we walked up to the restaurant there was a dog standing outside and then as we went to our table inside we had to step over another dog! The place is nice, I'm all about history and authentic quisine, but the instant mashed potatoes was a complete turn off. Won't go back.

This was our first visit . The local food was very tasty and freshly prepared. We had liver and onions....delicious, and goat stew, very tasty. Nice atmosphere...in an old house. Service was friendly and attentive. Would visit again next time.

I love all typical Arubian food and this is the restaurant for this. I had the beef liver with onions. The others had garlic schrimp, goat, keshi yena and pumpkin soup. For desert the quesio and as a surprice "pan bollo". By the way they promised the recipe for this one. I did not get to pay so I can't say how painful that was.

A must visit spot when on the island. The food and atmosphere are amazing. The seafood is amazing, and I'm pretty sure this is one of the only places near the resorts you can find goat. A real gem!

My wife and I visit this place every year when we make our annual pilgrimage to Aruba. This year we went there 3 times. we love this place because it is so authentically and completely Aruban. You can go to Wendy's or Pizza Hut or McDonald's if you want American food. But the Old Cunucu House has Aruban cuisine at its finest. Dishes are ALWAYS prepared expertly and delicious!
This year, I had Keeshi Yena (Chicken, olives, spices, raisins, cashew nuts and LOTS of melted Gouda cheese--"keeshi" is Papiamento for "cheese"). It's a traditional dish, and it melts in your mouth! Then, I had Seafod Palm Beach: mussels, shrimp, scallops, squid and maybe a little whitefish in a fabulous creamy sauce with Pernod. I think this is my favorite dish-- it is "wow-good!" My wife had carni stoba (Stewed beef), which is also extremely delicious. They also have a creamy pumpkin soup, very delicately and expertly seasoned, that I recommend highly. In fact, in the 20 or so times we have visited this place, we have always had a superlative dining experience.
We usually eat outdoors, but the inside dining room is very pleasant. The restaurant is an old Aruban farm (cunucu) house. the restaurant is owned by a very charming and friendly Aruban lady who makes everyone feel at home with her Aruban hospitality, as do all the members of her staff.
If you go to Aruba and miss this place, shame on you-- you missed tasting the essence of the wonderful cuisine of this island's rich culture.
This place is WONDERFUL for lunch or dinner. Also, their prices are very reasonable, compared to some of the more upscale restaurants that in my opinion are not as good.

OK, I have not been here for 10 months. But I will be going back soon. My wife and I dine here at least 3 or 4 times every year when we visit Aruba. This is a family-owned business, and they are the most wonderful, sweet and hospitable people! The food is authentic Aruban, and will make an Aruba cuisine lover of you. Every dish is carefully and meticulously prepared, and DELICIOUS! Their carne stoba (Beef stew) and cabrito stoba (stewed goat-- my favorite) are, well, melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. Their bacalao (fish hash) is a traditional Caribbean favorite, and I recommend theirs. They also have fresh fish ("catch of the day") that is always worth trying. If you go to Aruba and want American food, there are plenty oif places to accommodate you. But if you want a real taste of Aruba, along with genuine Aruban hospitality, I think this is the BEST choice on the Island!

An Arubian friend took me to this restaurant a few years ago and I have to make a stop there at least once everytime I'm in Aruba. What to say but 'dushi!' Ask for the 'peanut butter cup' for a nice end to the meal. Yummmmm....