Restaurant Prices in Bonaire

[TRACI]

So I have never been to Bonaire, what kind of restaurant prices can I expect? From what I have seen on the few menus I have looked at, the food is kinda of expensive. Looks like it is best to get a rental that has a kitchen to save some $$ on meals.

[rfb3]

I went last year with a few friends that go every year... We took coolers with our own food. I thought it was overkill, but I have heard the meat there is not aged and can taste funny...???
At any rate, we only ate out a few times, but seems like we spent ~$100 per couple for dinner. We were driking too, so that adds to the cost.

[rye_a]

You can find great rentals here

[mike_s]

Originally Posted by rfb3

I went last year with a few friends that go every year... We took coolers with our own food. I thought it was overkill, but I have heard the meat there is not aged and can taste funny...???
At any rate, we only ate out a few times, but seems like we spent ~$100 per couple for dinner. We were driking too, so that adds to the cost.

did you have any problems taking fresh meat in a cooler down? going through customs/immigration? (some countries don't allow fresh produce or meat being brought in).

Did you freeze it beforehand to keep it cold longer or what?


For comparison, the meat in Aruba taste different than the US meat, but I didn't think it was bad. It was a very rich taste. most of it was Argentine beef. I really liked the argentine steakhouses they had their (in aruba).

[Kokomo]

The Casablanca is an Argentinean grill. The meat was pretty good but the place was pricey. We ate meals at the Bistro de Paris, Lion's Den (Buddy's), Captain Don's, Bon Pizza, City Cafe. We didn't think the prices were that bad at these places. There is a local grocery store (something like the Catamara) and we bought food from them and cooked in. You just have to be careful because the store is pretty empty just prior to the boat coming in from S.A. You need to find out what day there delivery is scheduled for.

[DiveSooner]

Originally Posted by TRACI

So I have never been to Bonaire, what kind of restaurant prices can I expect? From what I have seen on the few menus I have looked at, the food is kinda of expensive. Looks like it is best to get a rental that has a kitchen to save some $$ on meals.

BINGO!

We ate in as much as we could to save money. Spaghetti, soup/ sandwiches, salads, etc. The rentals usually have a full array of cooking / mixing utensils. Expect to pay around $25 pp for an average meal and a couple of beers, some more exepensive, others less.

[rfb3]

Originally Posted by mike_s

did you have any problems taking fresh meat in a cooler down? going through customs/immigration? (some countries don't allow fresh produce or meat being brought in).

Did you freeze it beforehand to keep it cold longer or what?


For comparison, the meat in Aruba taste different than the US meat, but I didn't think it was bad. It was a very rich taste. most of it was Argentine beef. I really liked the argentine steakhouses they had their (in aruba).

As of last July, C&I did not have a problem with the meat, or any other food being brought in (or out)... We actually brought some home with no issues. However, make sure its still in its original packaging... That's the key. And, yes, we froze it before packing into the cooler... Its cold at 30k feet. Almost all the items were still frozen when we unpacked it.

[Diver Kat]

We stayed at the Deep Blue View which is a B&B. With only 5 rooms, it's like having your own house. Esther cooks a killer breakfast to order, so mostly a light lunch was all we needed to tide us over to dinner. There is a full size fridge for the guests. We'd pick up cold cuts & snacks from the grocery store and then eat dinner out. Having breakfast included kept the food budget down and still allowed us to have nice dinners out, and experience the island. Didn't hurt that their dive/drive/stay packages are very reasonable (with lots of extras) and that the place has amazing views, and amazing hosts.



Deep Blue View, intimate resort. Dive Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean

[Skyjunky]

Expect to pay at least $10 for lunch and $20 for dinner-not including booze.

I think Casablanca was the best bang for your buck. Get the mixed grill. It will feed a whole village.

You can buy some pretty decent beef from Argentina at the supermarket. Relatively cheap.

[dallasdivergirl]

I always pack tons of clif/luna/kashi bars for breakfasts & snacks. We hit the store for snacks and beer (i love dutch beer & I was in heaven). I live in Dallas & the food seemed to be about the same as going to lunch & dinner at home. I will say when I do go on vacation, I have usually been being really good on $$ for a while & I don't mind spending.

City café was fairly reasonable for lunches.