Carte Blanche Restaurant

A memorable night

Just had dinner with Dennis and Glen last night. What a memorable evening! It felt like an intimate evening with friends. The food was impeccable, presentation superb. They catered to several special needs in our party amicably, conversed with us throughout the meal, paced the evening perfectly - it was really one of the best dining experiences we've ever had on Aruba, and we have been coming here for 25 years. When we left, Glen ran out to hug us goodbye! Carte Blanche is clearly a labor of love for these guys and you can see and feel it in the food and service. An absolute must! Thanks again, guys - see you next trip!

This restaurant is a must. It was a wonderful experience the moment my husband and I walked into Carte Blanche. We are are both foodies. The food was over the top and the presentation was superb. It was great watching both Dennis and Glenn in action. They both work well together. They both made just like we were old friends. We are glad we had this dinning experience and recommend it to anyone. We can't wait to go back next year. I was very pleased about the evening since I was taking my husband there for his birhday. It was worth every cent I spent. Carte Blanche is now on the top our list of restaurants to go to when we are in Aruba.
I also would like to wish Dennis "Good luck with his new addition to his family".
Glenn- The choices of wine were wonderful and copliments the courses wonderfully.

Thanks to the both of you once again

The wife and I ate there on 10/20. We got reservations due to cancellations. My wife is a finicky eater and I encouraged her to be open minded. well we both had the five courses with wine pairing(a must). What a great dinner and experience for both of us. great apps,salad and main course . We will be returning,highly recommend. Thank you Glen and Dennis, you guys are a blast

My friend and I had the great pleasure of dining at this restaurant for the 1st time on September 22, 2011. I had read the reviews and couldn't wait to try this unigue dining experience.I made reservations online probably three months in advance of our visit. Although, we opted out of the wine pairing, on return I will definitely go with it as Glen was so articulate and passionate in his presentations. All the diners that had opted into this seemed totally pleased with his choices. Dennis' preparation of the meal and presentation were deserving of the highest marks. WOW is all I can say. It's a great concept and these two very congenial young gentlemen have gotten it right.

We were fortunate enough to share this dining 'experience' with close friends on our recent trip to Aruba. They celebrated their one year anniversary in September, 2011 and I had read the reviews and couldn't wait to see what all the hype was about. I am pleased to report that it's totally worth all the hype and then some! It was our most memorable meal during our stay and we hope to make this a regular stop on all future visits to the island. Glen and Dennis go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable, satisfied and that all your questions are answered. They have a unique chemistry that radiates to their guests and in no time, everyone is at ease and enjoying the evening and all that these two gentlemen have to offer. The food was wonderful, the wine selected for each course was magnificent and the evening was enchanting. If you wish to experience something unique on your next visit, don't hesitate to visit them. But, don't forget to book ahead as space is limited and they are booked solid months ahead.

Carte Blanche was the BEST dining experience I have ever had. Since I was not aware of the format of the restaurant, it was a complete surprise to be seated with only 12 other patrons. This normally would have made me apprehensive, but I soon began to enjoy myself as Chef Dennis and his partner Glen quickly made my wife and I feel at home. The overall experience is like dining with friends in their open concept kitchen. The food was delicious and the presentation of each dish was of a quality only seen in magazines. The wine pairing (which I highly recommend) made the meal that much more enjoyable and Glen’s knowledge of wine heightened each course served. The atmosphere is relaxed and both Dennis and Glen not only cook and serve but also entertain as they work. All food and drink is explained in detail during service and the entire experience lasted nearly 4 hours. There were no children at my seating and although I’m sure the staff can cater to children, I recommend that you leave them home if possible to enjoy the full dining experience. The only drawback is the restroom is located outside the dining area so you must leave the building to walk around the side. I highly recommend you try Carte Blanche when visiting Aruba.

Let's say that you invited 10 - 12 of your most intimate friends to a private dinner party hosted by a gourmet chef and a sommelier with a great sense of humor. Would you expect an amazing evening? You would, and you will get that at Carte Blanche. The appetizers are superb and the entree amazing. All of the wines and the aperitifs are well matched to the food and desserts. Not cheap, but an experience worth paying for! oh, and the friends part... by the end of the evening, you will have made some new friends.

Have been to Aruba 12 times, and always look to find something new. Saw all the previous comments and felt we had to try it. Did not know what to expect without knowing menu, price, etc. Well, it was beyond our expectations. Dennis and Glen greeted and welcomed us as if we were family. What a terrific night with food to match. There is only room for 14, so you get to meet and talk with everyone! Fun! A great way to spend an entire evening. Truly a night of PERFECTION! Thank you so much for opening in Aruba. We will be back next year.

THIS...is a dining experience!!

We ate here in January 2011 and just dined here again May 2011. I didn't think it could get any better but it did!

We opted for the 5 courses and the wine pairings and everything was beyond fantastic! Love watching Dennis prepare the food and love Glen's wine pairings.

Go with an open palate (there is no menu - it's the chef's creations of the night), relax, and enjoy the entire evening of wonderful tasting dishes.

Make reservations well in advance - they only seat 14 people per night.

A little background on us: My wife and I have been to Aruba 8 times over the past 10 years. We have tried all of the top 10 restaurants each year and we always find 1 or 2 that we would repeat. Out of all the restaurants in Aruba this is know our #1 by far and away. My wife and I felt this may be #1 out of all restaurants we have ever eaten at in our life. The food is unbelievable!! Watching Dennis prepare and serve 5 star dining was something which you don't see everyday. Glen was a blast and added a nice personable touch to the evening. His wine pairings were on point!! It was a treat getting to meet people from all over. Yes, dinner was over 4 hours long, and we loved every moment of it. Dennis made my wife tear up with his presentation and attention to detail...food is A+++. This was truly a treat and will be on our our list every year going forward.

Such a lovely experience dining at Carte Blanche. Splendid service and top notch food. An evening with friends is how it is best described. Every course was a new taste sensation. Definitely recommend this restaurant as a not to miss spot.

A dining experience not to be missed! Carte blanch offers the rare opportunity to witness food preparation and discuss methods an choices with The chef Denis. His partner glen as the sommelier the pairs the appropriate wine with each course. It like dining in their own home sitting at the island while they cook in their kitchen. I highly recommend this restaurant for some who appreciates quality and gourmet food, great preparation and outstanding preparation!

A one of a kind dining experience you do not want to miss!!

There is no menu. When you arrive, you are greeted by Dennis and Glenn, who talk to you about your preferences, food likes and dislikes, allergies, etc. You are then presented with a five course dinner, and Glenn pairs the courses with wines. There are only 14 seats and there is only one seating per night. We were there for five hours, and it flew by.

When I got home, I immediately booked for July.

A fantastic restaurant that you do not want to miss. The food is superb, the wine pairing perfect and the friendly and fun personalities of Chef Dennis and Sommelier Glen is something not to be missed. And although there is planning ahead to get the reservation you want, it is worth the effort. Do not miss this somewhat hidden gem on this lovely island.

Before I arrived in Aruba in January, I made reservations at all the restaurants we intended to dine at during our stay in Aruba, including Carte Blanche. Notwithstanding that we have been going to Aruba for many years, I had never heard of Carte Blanche, but the reviews by others were quite impressive. Therefore,I decided to try this restaurant at our last night in Aruba. We made our reservation for 8:30 PM.

We left our hotel by taxi to the restaurant. The taxi driver said that we were the first passengers he had taken to Carte Blanche and he was not sure where it was located. Since the taxi driver was not sure where the restaurant was located and you could not see the name of the restaurant from the street, the taxi driver got out of the cab and told us that we were at the correct restaurant.

After you walk from the street to the restaurant, you see a sign that says: "Carte Blance Restaurant, a dining experience." That is precisely what Carte Blance Restaurant is, a "dining experoence".

When we walked into the restaurant, we saw no tables and you sat at a bar (similar to a sushi bar) that had 14 chairs. There were 2 chairs left for us and we sat down. We later found out the restaurant has only one seating for 14 people between 8:00 PM and 8:30 PM.

To say that this was a "dining experience" is an understatement. In short, Carte Blanche is an extraordinany dining eperience that is second to none.

Your two gracious hosts are Dennis and Glenn. Dennis prepares the food to perfection in front of you and Glenn carefully selects which wine goes with each dish Dennis prepares for you.

When you enter the restaurant, Dennis and Glenn personally greet you, tell you their first names and politely ask whether they may also call you by your first name. This personal touch makes you feel that you are not eating in a restaurant, but rather in a long-time friend's home, who happens to be a gourmet chef.

Before the dining pleasure begins,which is fit for heads of State and Royalty, Dennis asks you after the social greetings, whether you want a four course or five course dinner. Luckily, my wife insisted that we select the four course dinner - - there was no way, notwithstanding that the meal was ambrosia and nectar for the "gods", we could have finished a five course dinner.

There are no menus. When you confirm your reservation when you arrive in Aruba, you are asked whether you have any food allergies? If so, they will accommodate your special situation. After you arrive at the restaurant, you sit back and leave all the work to Dennis and Glenn. Dennis will prepare your food and explain what he has prepared for you. Your palate will be in for an extraordinay amazing treat - -that you will be speaking about for years to come. I can't wait for my return to Aruba so that I can, again, share this "dining experience" with my wife.

Carte Blanche is presently known to a select few, who were fortunate to dine there. According to Dennis, the restaurant has only been opened for five months and they do not advertise. However, I have no doubt that, in a short time, you will need to book your reservation at least three or more months in advance as word spreads about this fantastic restaurant.

In conclusion, we give Carte Blanche a "10" rating and thank Dennis and Glenn for their graciousness and in allowing us to share with them an incredible, wonderful evening.

we were not sure if we were going to keep our reservation here as there is no printed menue,wow are we glad we did an amazing experience we have eaten in some great rest. in new york,Carte Blanche is equal to them don't miss this gem

Wow, wow, wow.....and wow!!
Amazing food, service, and concept! If you want a "dining experience/event" then this is it!

You can choose 4 or 5 courses with or without wine pairings (they also have a wine list to choose from.) They use the best, freshest ingredients for every course and the flavors and presentation are amazing! They also do an awesome job to cater to your tastes by inquiring in advance about any likes/dislikes.
Some of the items we had included an oyster shooter, cerviche, foie gras, and lamb chops. We also went with the wine pairings and they were spot on - complimented each course very nicely.
Thanks again for a wonderful evening!

A truly unique restaurant for Aruba. Great ambience, personal attention, excellent food and presentation. Appetisers and deserts were great. The veal medallion was a bit boring though. Wine paring by Glen was very enjoyable. It is expensive but the price is reasonable for the experience.

If you prefer 5 star dining, don't go to Carte Blanche in Aruba. You have to be prepared for 6 star dining in this restaurant.
Not only is the food the freshest and most well prepared, you get an explanation of everything that is being made as it's done right in front of your eyes. It was the most friendly and accommodating dining experience we have ever had anywhere in the world. These guys have a great concept and know what they are doing. Don't ever change...stay who you are. We will be back.

Truly a remarkable experience. Small, intimate, friendly setting, and it was one of the very best meals we have ever had - and we have had some wonderful meals in many places! It was so good we had to go back for our last evening's meal - and when we return to Aruba this will be our first choice!

There is only the chef, Dennis, and the wine steward, Glen, 14 seats and one seating per night. We arrived at 7, and left at midnight (by our own choosing - there was no rush) and we thoroughly enjoyed the food, the wine, the company, and our hosts. While you can interact with other diners, you can also opt to have a quiet, intimate meal.

This is unlike any other restaurant on the island. It is somewhere for a special night out, an evening of true dining. We savored every bite (and took pictures of each course - something we've never done before!), enjoyed each glass of wine and left thrilled with the experience. It is more expensive than other places on the island, but it is a meal you will remember for a long time afterwards, and one you would pay significantly more for in New York or Boston.

Dining at Carte Blanche was the highlight of our vacation to Aruba this year! Wonderful!

Friendly people, nice environment and great food! A absolute 'must go' place

Went to Carte Blanche with my beautiful wife Camille for our 21st anniversary and were not disappointed. Recommended to us by the owner of another resaraunt named Barefoot.We were very pleased with our entire evening,the food was a 5 course meal cooked by chef Dennis who made up a menu that was fantastic. The restaraunt is inside the mill in front of the Mill resort, the maitrade/bartender s name was Glen and he and Dennis were the most gracious of hosts. It was like eating at there home , very comfortable seating and a great ambiance,you see everything prepared in front of you and I would recommend this dining experience to anyone visiting OUR ONE HAPPY ISLAND ARUBA.

WE DECIDED TO TRY CARTE BLANCHE FOR OUR LAST DINNER BEFORE RETURNING HOME.WHAT A GREAT TIME WE HAD.EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT.DENNIS PREPARED A FOUR COURSE DINNER FOR US WHILE GLEN SELECTED THE WINE PAIRING FOR EACH COURSE.IT WAS OUTSTANDING.

My wife and I went to Carte Blanche on Sunday, October 3, and we were completely blown away with the amazing food and service. This is a new restaurant (and a new concept), and it really works. The chef. award-winning Dennis van Daatselaar, and maitre d'/sommelier/bartender Glen Bonset are the only persons running the show, and you are able to watch the cooking and interact with both of them as though you are eating a fantastic meal in a private home. Both guys are funny and charming. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough--we had the five-course, and all elements were divine. One of the most interesting aspects is that when reserving, you can make them aware of what you like and don't like (e.g., seafood only, vegetarian only, meat, no this vegetable or that fish, etc.), and the menu will be designed around your wishes. Just amazing on all levels. We will absolutely be back!

My dinner at Carte Blanche was a brilliant experience. I enjoyed the nice setting (you sit in a confortable chair at a low bar, and you see the chef prepare a delicious meal, just in front of you) and the kind service. I choose the 5 course chef surprise, and was surprised indeed! This was new, exclusive and luxuruous!!! Especially the desert of chocolate carnache, mango and a chocolate martini spoiled me! Of course the wines served were delicious and outstanding as well. If you like fine dining, Carte Blanche is an experience you should not miss!