Yes, you heard that right. There was one dessert at the Ritz-Carlton in Aruba so good it transcended manners. Do I recommend licking your plate in a room full of the most elevated of society? Not for any normal dish. And I was so sneaky about it that I doubt anyone but my photographer and maybe the guy monitoring the security cameras, saw it. But still, it happened, and I don’t regret it.
In early October, I was invited to Aruba to experience the Ritz-Carlton in all its glory. I have to say, it was better than the Lodge at Bodega Bay, which was named the #1 Hotel in the World by Conde Nast in 2024. The Ritz-Carlton is well known for its top-notch restaurant service, and Aruba offers so many memorable activities, but today I wanted to highlight the cuisine. This menu is probably one of the most consistently good offerings I’ve tried, and the portion sizes are generous, too.
The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba has five amazing restaurants, including the Italian Casa Nonna, American steakhouse BLT Steak, Solario’s breakfast restaurant and buffet, Madero’s Pool & Beach Grill, and Noori’s Sushi Lounge. However, they also offer custom beverages at the Yellow Bus, as well as cafe and ice cream offerings at the Ritual Coffee Culture. In this article, I’m going to break down the food and beverages so you know just where to go and what to order.
Casa Nonna at Ritz-Carlton Aruba
The Casa Nonna is an Italian restaurant located on the ground floor of the hotel. Elegant and inviting, this is the place to go for a romantic dinner. The decor is full of dark wood, terra-cotta floors, and ambient candle-lit and warm-toned lighting that gives the space an elevated feel. Guests can choose between inside seating or outside on the patio, where you can view the ocean and white-sand beach while a violinist serenades you.
The Casa Nonna had a few truly stellar dishes, including the Siamese Agnolotti, which is a veal ragu, spinach, and taleggio ravioli with a truffle sauce and marsala glaze. I could have eaten a second plate of this. We also ordered the Scampi, which features homemade spaghetti and is dressed with oven-roasted tomatoes, shrimp, and a beautiful white wine-garlic sauce.
The dessert menu looked so delicious, we couldn’t choose. So instead, we ordered the Piatto Di Mini Dessert, which features a smaller version of five of their offerings. First was the gelato, which we used as a palate cleanser between desserts. In addition to chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, there were also other options like coffee and pistachio. We opted for the coconut, which tasted so creamy and refreshing.
The Torta Di Cioccolato was a rich chocolate olive oil mousse with devil’s food cake, perfect for chocolate lovers. For something light, I recommend the Tiramisu, which had an espresso crema that was not too sweet at all. Those looking for a tropical flavor will appreciate the Panna Cotta All’Ananas, which was a deliciously fruity pineapple panna cotta tart, served with a coconut sauce.
But the most well-balanced dessert on this menu is the Torta Di Riciotta, which is a ricotta cheesecake with amaretti crust, candied orange compote, and caramel. Ours came with a strawberry on top, which was the perfect fruity punch that balanced the tartness. While it was amazing, it was not quite good enough to lick my plate.
BLT Steak at Ritz-Carlton Aruba
After Casa Nonna, our experience at BLT Steak began with high expectations. The staff and chefs certainly exceeded them. This restaurant features rustic dark wood reminiscent of an American steakhouse, suede and leather banquettes, soft lighting, and floor-to-ceiling windows with a patio for outdoor seating. Overall, the mood is louder than Casa Nonna, but is elegant with a relaxed energy.
We were impressed with the consistency of high-quality menu items here at BLT Steak. Everything we ordered was out of this world, starting with the appetizers. The Popovers came out hot, complete with whipped butter and a shaker full of Aruban sea salt, followed by the Roasted Beets, which were complemented by candied walnuts and gorgonzola.
Then came our entrees, including a perfectly seasoned Filet Mignon and the melt-in-your-mouth double-cut, herb-crusted Rack of Lamb. Accompanying this, we ordered the Grilled Asparagus, which were deliciously crunchy and as thick as a finger, and the Sautéed Mushrooms, which were buttery and savory, going perfectly with the steak.
Again, the desserts were a huge win. Our waiter recommended the Passion Fruit Crepe and the Carrot Cake, and after trying them, we were convinced that these would be the best desserts in the entire hotel. The Passion Fruit Crepe is a signature BLT dessert, filled with a fluffy souffle and finished with a tangy passion fruit sauce. Carrot Cake is one of my personal all-time favorite desserts, so of course I had to try this one, too. With a light cream cheese frosting, vanilla ice cream, and elevated with candied nuts and a rum sauce, this might just be the best carrot cake I’ve ever eaten.
But no, I did not lick the plate for this one, either.
Solario at Ritz-Carlton Aruba
Solario includes an à la carte menu and a Breakfast Buffet, and it is located in the same place as Casa Nonna. During the mornings, the large windows offer a lot of natural light and some ocean views, and those who wish to sit on the patio will feel that delicious ocean breeze. Breakfast here is unhurried and generous, and the staff is attentive and friendly.
We mostly enjoyed the breakfast buffet, but the staff also suggested we try some à la carte menu items, including the Pastechi, which is authentic to Aruba. This flaky half-moon pastry pocket was well worth it, classically filled with cheese (although we also tried the beef version offered at Ritual Coffee).
The breakfast buffet is a great mix of upscale sweet and savory options, including a custom made-to-order egg station. Around it were the expected highlights of a strong luxury resort breakfast: homemade waffles, an extensive fruit bar, a salad bar with plenty of fixings, yogurt, muesli, and overnight oats, plus a selection of meats (speck, salmon, and others) accompanied by two styles of olive salad and a good range of cheeses. The prune tart and coconut tart were both excellent, and the Aruba cookie was a nice local touch.
Madero’s Pool & Beach Grill at Ritz-Carlton Aruba
For lunch, visit Madero’s, which sits between the resort’s two pools. Relaxed and informal, the easygoing atmosphere was perfect for those relaxing beach and pool days. We experienced this restaurant mostly via poolside and beachside service, where servers took our orders right from our beach loungers, zipping around on hoverboards to speed up service.
The menu leans toward Latin-inspired and pool-bar classics, with offerings like Ahi Tuna Tacos, Poke Bowls, various sandwiches and wraps, and salads. A highlight of this menu is the cocktails and tropical drinks, which hit the spot during those hot summer days. We loved the Lychee Spritz, which is a brand-new mocktail that tasted so good, we ordered it twice. They also made the best piña colada that I’ve ever had.
The Yellow Bus at Ritz-Carlton Aruba
If you want an extra special drink, stop by The Yellow Bus, which is a pop-up cocktail bar run out of a yellow VW-style bus just outside of Madero’s. Started by Jose, one of the bartenders, this service offers a 100% personalized service. Just tell the bartender what you’re feeling like, and he will concoct an original drink just for you, served in a glass, pineapple, or coconut. He made us a frozen coconut and banana smoothie with Bailey’s Irish Cream, served in a Ritz-Carlton branded coconut.
Ritual Coffee Culture at Ritz-Carlton Aruba
Ritual Coffee Culture is a cute shop off of the main lobby, and it’s the place to go if you need a quick pick-me-up or if you’re leaving the hotel early. While Ritual Coffee Culture does indeed offer some amazing caffeine options, we couldn’t resist trying their delicious Aruban Pastechis. They also offered sandwiches, breakfast bowls like yogurt, overnight oats, and generous fruit bowls.
One highlight, however, is that it doubles as an ice cream shop! Guests can choose from upscale classics like Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, and Coffee, but there are also a bunch of tropical flavors like Mango Sorbet, Wild Berry Sorbet, Coconut, Ferrero Rocher, and Italian Cheesecake. Our favorite was the Black Hawaiian, which was a coconutty flavor colored midnight black with activated charcoal.
Noori’s Sushi Lounge at Ritz-Carlton Aruba
The Noori Sushi Lounge sits in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton, Aruba. Refined and sunset-oriented, this chic bar is complete with an open-air terrace, soft lighting, spectacular ocean views, and live music. Since it’s open later than most other restaurants, it works both for an early dinner and a late-night snack, but one thing you won’t want to miss is the Bahada Di Solo, a daily cheer to the sunset with a sample of their signature drink. Dress in your best cocktail attire and enjoy!
The Cadushi Cocktail was among the first tastes of our stay. Made with a cadushi cactus puree, lime juice, and Aruban rum, this drink is served in a handmade cocktail glass made to look like a cactus, and is often topped with a slice of dried pineapple or dragonfruit. This was the best specialty cocktail I’ve ever had.
If the drinks somehow weren’t enough to wow you, just wait until you have a peek at the menu. The house-marinated olive salad starter is out of this world, and we were also impressed with the steamed dim sum. We, of course, had to order the Ritz Carlton Roll off the sushi menu, and we complemented that with the Volcano roll, which ended up being one of the best entrees at the entire restaurant. Visually, it was perfect, with each roll stacked in the shape of a mountain with special tuna salad “lava”, and blackened shrimp tempura tails curving up toward the sky.
So which dessert had me foregoing all manners? It was none other than the Ginger Orange Brownie. Though simple in name, this dish not only looked spectacular but actually tasted just as good, too. Well-balanced and not overly sweet, it began with a base of fudgy brownie, layered with cheesecake and topped with billowy squiggles of whipped cream, strawberries, and a ginger-orange jam. Served with ice cream and dollops of tangy strawberry compote, I couldn’t help myself. Manners went out the window.
