Great Restaurant, but avoid Arturo.
I have visited the Old Cunucu House multiple times over the years...the first time more than three decades ago. This place is a gem and a mainstay on the island, rich with history and culture. People come to eat outside and enjoy the ambience as well as the best of traditional, local Aruban cuisine. I've been back many times, as there are multiple menu items I want to try from their menu. The food is incredible. And the two ladies who own it (sisters) are absolutely delightful and gracious, and clearly take pride in their business. For all intents and purposes, this place is five star.
BUT....
There is, however, one major negative here, and I want to warn the world so you can avoid it and hopefully it will never happen to another party.
ARTURO, one of the servers there, greeted/seated guests and every guest wanted to sit outside. He specifically told us NO and led us inside to a dark, cold room NO ONE wanted to be in. He told us he didn't want to seat us outside because it was too hot. Never mind that we told him we came to sit outside. We thought we had no choice.
One guest put her foot down and refused to be bullied into being in there. She refused, and stated again she wanted to dine outside. Arturo literally got visibly angry, did an overdramatic, heavy sigh and said with clear anger, "FINE! LET'S GO OUTSIDE." and stomped outside like a belligerent child. All this on full display for me and all the other guests to see.
While I'm sitting at this table eating a decadent meal, not enjoying being isolated in a dark room, I tried to get Arturo to understand that guests come here, to the island of Aruba, to sit outside at this legendary dining establishment. He complained that it was too hot. I tried to gently convey that this is about the guests' request and experience, not his. I reminded him that when guests come here, they see this place as Paradise. His verbatim response:
"Paradise? This is hell."
He literally opened his mouth and said this to me - a guest, in front of other guests.
When I left, I was floored by the terrible service and incensed to see all the people who were allowed to sit outside as they had requested.
So while this restaurant is amazing, avoid Arturo at all costs. He will ruin your experience. And if you can't avoid him, do not be bullied by him.
Date of experience: 20 April, 2024
Date of experience: 20 April, 2024
HORRIBLE
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.
Verified
There are better options
We were encouraged to try this restaurant by several locals. It was VERY charming and had great atmosphere, but the rest of the experience was inconsistent. The service was friendly and warm, but there seemed to be confusion about who was serving us. It took over an hour to get any food, despite an almost empty restaurant. Our appetizers were forgotten and our drinks/water were never refilled during the meal. The shrimp cocktail appetizer was adequate, but not special. Don’t bother with the Arubian sampler- overly fried, generic tasting. They did not have the iguana soup. Of our 4 meals, 2 were excellent (keeshi yena, garlic shrimp) and the mixed skewers were very good (terrific sauce). The coconut shrimp were average, and no one at our table liked the mango chutney accompanying them. Mashed potatoes were served with some of the dishes and tasted institutional-school cafeteria grade. Overall, I would eat some of these dishes, again, but not likely here.
Verified
Love this local gem
We have eaten here before and went back with our son and daughter in law. It is one of the few if not only places on the island that has Iguana soup and I have wanted to try that. Iguana soup was okay almost like a chicken soup. Iguana is tasty but a lot of small bones. I had the seafood Palm Beach which was outstanding. My wife had the Keesha Yena and throughly enjoyed it. One member of our party had the goat and it was tasty but a bit tough and another person had the cod fish dish which was excellent. On a previous visit I had the stewed oxtails which I would highly recommend.
Verified
Bad experience
I've been living on the island for 13 years and I've always wanted to try their food, I work in the tourism area and when they ask me about a local restaurant I always recommend them, after yesterday's experience I think my recommendation will not be for you. The reasons... let's start with the poor service, little or no attention to the table, unjustified delay of the food and the truth is that their food is nothing different from what you can get anywhere else at a lower price.
Verified
Authentic Aruban Food
Visited in May for my 60th birthday, they surprised me at the end of dinner with cake and ice cream. This was a nice treat. The food was good, the service was good. This was our first night, which was a great start to a memorable vacation with my family and friend.
Verified
No todo es lo qué parece
Fuimos con Patricia mi mujer el último día de nuestra estadía en Aruba 🇦🇼 movidos por la curiosidad de que era el único lugar de la isla donde se podía comer sopa de iguana y el famoso pastel keshi yenah plato típico de la cocina arubiana. Pedimos la famosa sopa de iguana y el famoso pastel más una entrada de croquetas de pescado y algo más. Cómo dice algún tango valió la pena más por el lugar una antigua casona de 150 años de antigüedad que por la comida en si y la rareza de la sopa. Pedimos 2 copas de vino y dos aguas y no justificó el precio final excesivo a todas luces. Buena atención
Verified
Amazing Local Food
During our first visit to Aruba, My husband and I wanted to "Taste Aruba". This lace was recommended and did not disappoint! My husband had the Palm Seafood dish, I had the Cabrito Stoupa . Our plates were clean at the end of the meal. We even shared the Iguana soup which to our surprise was delicious. Our Waitress Jasmine was cheery, and made us feel wonderful. If we were here longer, we would be here daily.
Verified
Amazing food and staff
I typically do not write reviews, however I felt The Old Cunucu House deserved one. The food was absolutely incredible, from the appetizers to the main course to the desserts. This was only enhanced by live local music and the amazing staff and atmosphere. So if you are trying to decide where to go, I would without question recommend the Old Cunucu House Restaurant. Just go, you will not be disappointed.
Verified
Authentic Aruban Food, Yummy
This restaurant needs more than a five rating. The food there is superb. I ordered goat stew. The meat was so tender, served in a gravy with rice, and veggies. I like the fact that it is away from the tourist areas. The staff are welcoming and attentive. Prices are very reasonable here. I’d highly recommend this restaurant; it’s really good.
Verified
A Must Visit
The Old Cunucu House Restaurant is a gem. The food was A+ and our server Jazmin was exceptional. They serve authentic Aruban dishes. We had the red snapper, oxtail, goat and coconut shrimp; everything was amazing. The only thing i would ding them for is the musician, but everything else kind of made up for that.