{"id":4562,"date":"2025-11-13T13:19:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T13:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cura-explore.com\/2025\/11\/13\/local-food-on-curacao-where-should-you-be\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T17:37:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T17:37:51","slug":"local-food-on-curacao-where-should-you-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cura-explore.com\/en\/local-food-on-curacao-where-should-you-be\/","title":{"rendered":"Local food on Cura\u00e7ao – where should you be?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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1. Plasa Bieu (Old Market, Punda).<\/strong><\/h2>

Plasa Bieu (aka “Old Market”) is located in Punda, near the Waaigat, and really used to be the place where people from the city came to eat at lunchtime. It is a large, covered hall with several kitchenettes next to each other. Each little kitchen is some kind of family or women’s business that cooks some traditional dishes every day. So you don’t sit at fancy tables with a menu, but at long wooden or metal tables – together with locals, construction workers, office workers and tourists who know where to go. <\/p>

When you enter, you can just walk past the kitchens. Above or in front of the counter is usually a sign with what’s on that day: kabritu stob\u00e1<\/strong> (goat stew), galinja stob\u00e1<\/strong> (chicken stew), sopi<\/strong> (soup), k\u00e8shi yena<\/strong> (stuffed cheese), funchi<\/strong>, rice, fried banana, sometimes fresh fish. You choose a cuisine, say what you want, and they scoop it right up for you. No hassle, no long waits. It’s mostly homemade food, so what’s gone is really gone. <\/p>

Opening hours<\/strong> are usually Monday through Saturday, about 11:00 am to 3:00 pm<\/strong>. It’s really a lunch spot: if you come at 2:30, chances are the most popular dishes are gone. Sunday it is usually closed. <\/p>

Just pay per plate; the prices are still friendly by Cura\u00e7ao standards, especially when you consider that you are really getting local food. Water and soda can be ordered on the side. <\/p>

Accessibility:<\/strong> Plasa Bieu is located in the city, but since you often want to go somewhere else, a car<\/strong><\/a> handy. You can park at the large parking lot at the Waaigat, or at the garage on the Otrobanda side (Renaissance) and then walk across the pontoon bridge. <\/p>

In short, it’s the easiest way to taste almost all of Cura\u00e7ao’s well-known dishes in one afternoon, in a place where the locals also eat – without having to go through ten separate eateries.<\/p>

\"Plaza<\/a><\/p>

2. Eating iguana at Jaanchies (Westpunt).<\/strong><\/h2>

Jaanchies Restaurant in Westpunt is one of those places you don’t end up at by accident – you really go there. It’s all the way on the west side of Cura\u00e7ao, in Banda’bou, and has been a household name for years with locals and tourists alike who love real Cura\u00e7ao food. It is not a modern beach restaurant, but a very private, almost homey place. That’s also its charm. <\/p>

What makes Jaanchies special is the concept without an actual menu<\/strong>. Often Jaanchie himself, or someone from the family, will come to your table and tell you what’s available that day. He then lists: fish of the day, chicken, goat, sometimes lobster, and – what many people come for – iguana stew<\/strong>, that is, stewed iguana. That dish really belongs to the island and you don’t find it everywhere anymore. The dishes are served with typical side dishes such as rice, funchi, fried banana and salad. The pace is relaxed, you don’t sit there “just as fast” but you let it happen – Cura\u00e7ao-style. <\/p>

The restaurant is primarily a lunch spot<\/strong>. Jaanchies is usually open daily from about 11:00 am until late afternoon or early evening, often around 6:00 pm<\/strong>. So it’s smart not to go too late, as some dishes are made in limited quantities. On quiet days they sometimes close a little earlier, on busier days they stay open a little longer. “Finished is finished” really applies here. <\/p>

Location<\/strong> is important: Jaanchies is in Westpunt<\/strong>, close to beaches like Playa Kalki, Playa Grandi and Grote Knip. That means: you need a car<\/strong>. Public transport hardly ever gets you there at a convenient time, and a cab there and back from Willemstad is often as expensive as a day’s rental car. So ideal combo: beach hopping in Banda’bou in the morning and having lunch at Jaanchies afterwards. <\/p>

What can you expect from the food? Think honest, homemade, Caribbean food. The iguana is simmered until tender, the fish is often locally caught, and the portions are generous. It’s not a place for fine dining, but it is for “this is how people eat here.” You sit in an open, tropical setting with lots of wood and color, often with birds around you and sometimes a brisk breeze. <\/p>

Practical Tips:<\/p>