Anna-Maria's Autentico Ristorante Italiano

As an Italian from Brooklyn, I can attest that Anna Maria's is without a doubt the BEST Italian restaurant in Aruba! We were among the first to eat at Anna Maria's when it first opened (the cab driver even had difficulty finding it back then - not a problem today of course!) and have NEVER been disappointed! Every year we make sure to email our reservation request well in advance, so as not to miss out. This year I had the calamari as an appetizer, and it was as tender as I have ever had it. The main course was puttanesca, which I rarely eat, because it needs to be prepared very carefully. When I ordered it, the waiter, Jeanne-Pierre, noticing that I was wearing a white silk shirt, asked if I would prefer rigatoni instead of spaghetti, which of course was a much appreciated suggestion. It was by far the best puttanesca I have ever tried, achieving the perfect balance of flavor in the ingredients, especially the olives and anchovies - neither was overwhelming, and the result was absolutely perfect. But the most wonderful part was Anna Maria's home made tira-misu - hers is the best we have ever had, including in New York City and even in Italy - the flavor was absolutely extraordinary. As time share owners, we will be repeat customers of Anna Maria's for as long as she and Chris are willing to cook for us - when you're so far from home, the home cooking that they offer really makes you feel at home!

My wife and I just returned from dining at this restaurant and I must say, it was very disappointing. Pasta with clams, mussels, some shrimp and probably, wahoo, was $40.00.
My wife ordered Clams over pasta, and she told the waiter the clams did not taste right. She asked if she could have another pasta instead. The waiter brought it back to the kitchen and soon returned, telling us that we would be billed for both the pasta that she returned as well as the new one that she wanted. This was the first time in my entire life, I was ever faced with this announcement. Several minutes later, he returned and apologized, and reversed this terrible response, charging us only for the one she actually ate.
Several nearby tables had not been cleaned well after the people left the restaurant. The stood dirty for at least 45 minutes, perhaps longer. There were two waiters and no bus boy.
Napkins from the tables lay on the floor for almost as long.
Perhaps this was an off night, but I won't find out, because we will NOT return.

Anne Maria continues to be our favorite restaurant and that opinion has not wavered especially after our visit there on October 11. We have been fans of Ann Maria for four years. Even with our high expectations, every time we go we continue to be impressed by the food, service and attention to detail.
Jean-Paul is an outstanding waiter and we are glad that he was our server now for the past two years. For the food, starter salads were excellent with tasty dressings, main course be it traditional lasagna or another type of fish was fine, properly prepared and quite a nice presentation. Many other selections as well looked great. Best Cappuccino we think in town. Since everything is prepared fresh, you will be spending a bit more time at the restaurant but who cares! It's not that you have a show to catch and the owners are very cordial. Can't wait until our return next year.

My wife and I have been to Aruba 19 times, and have eaten at several Italian restauraunts. We dined at this restauraunt on October 3. We shared the Fried calamari appetizer, which was the best calamari we have ever had anywhere. The frutti di mare was fresh, the sauce was light and delicate. You can choose how spicey to have your sauce on a scale of 1 to 10. My wife hadp enne alla vodka, which was also delicious. The service was slow but impecable. You cannot be in a hurry when you eat at this restauraunt. It is a bit expensive, but well worth it.

My friend and I ate here a few nights ago and were extremely disappointed. This restaurant is in someone's house and there is no sign at all so you have no idea where it is. We finally found it and we're greeted by a server who did not smile or greet us. We sat in the yard where there are apporximately 8 tables. Our server barely talked, smiled or read any specials. We shared the calamari and shrimp appetizers and they were bland and somewhat undercooked. My friend had the spaghetti puttanesca which he said was good. I had the spaghetti carbonara and if you're Italian like me you should know how this is supposed to taste. There were fresh pieces of bacon in it which were good but a very peppery taste to it. In fact, there was a dark watery residue at the bottom from all the pepper. This is not how carbonara is supposed to taste. We also shared a side order of meatballs and they weren't even round, more like little hockey pucks and the sauce there were in tasted like a can of Hunts tomato sauce. The best part of the meal was dessert which was a cannoli. I left a similar review on Tripadvisor and was absolutely floored at the nasty, unprofessional message that the owner left me. He was so rude that he shouldn't even be in a business that deals with people. If you don't like his food, he leaves nasty messages. I wouldn't return to this place because of the people that work here and of course since the food is NOTHING to write home about.

We heard about ANNA MARIA'S last year - a little too late to take it in - but what we heard was all favorable and, though we normally like to wait a while to let a restaurant go through any start up issues, the comments we were hearing were so favorable as to entice us into going sooner than later. A new trend in Aruban dining is that of private casual dining and it is fair to say that ANNA MARIA'S is part of that trend. What that entails are small restaurants which accommodate no more than 30 (and sometimes no more than 20) patrons each day that they open and they do so in exquisite settings and with the finest of food and ambiance - some with fixed menues and some without - and some with themes and others without. ANNA MARIA'S to no ones' surprise is ITALIAN themed and it does not have a fixed menu. From the moment you arrive at ANNA MARIA'S home which has had the rear portico converted into a most quaint dining area you feel as if you have been whisked off to ITALY and are treated a visiting royalty. Service is deliberately slow and impeccable (do not plan on rushing your meal or having it rushed - you will be there for a while), the ambiance is sublime, and the made-to-order, homemade food is simply delicious. This is one classy operation and the experience is truly an enjoyable one - maybe eating on a gondola in Venice might be more original - but this comes so close that you do not even notice the difference. The foods are authentic Italian and the sauces are made of the finest ingredients (the sweetness of the San Marzano tomatoes came through wonderfully in the tomato sauces). Some dishes may not appeal to everyone, but there is something for everyone on the menu - including children. All-in-all, it is a wonderful dining experience which is leisurely presented and enjoyed - even more so when the evening is concluded and the chef makes the rounds to be sure that you are satisfied. There is no question in our mind that ANNA MARIA'S is by far the best Italian eatery in Aruba and that it leaves all others far in the dust. It is about time that Aruba had an Italian restaurant of this calilbre and it is a welcome addition to the Aruban dining scene. Do yourself a favor - GO and ENJOY. This place deserves every compliment that one can imagine.

A very good meal at Anna Maria was had by all. Had heard good things about this restaurant but were told to be patient because everything was made fresh to order, and therefore dinner service was long. We went with a group of 12 which had us concerned as to whether this small restaurant could handle such a crowd. There was not a problem. The owners, who run the place and are the chefs, made sure not to take a lot of reservations at the same time our group was dining, so as to give us the proper attention and service.
The restaurant itself is out of the way, in the backyard of the owner's home. It is nicely decorated and a comfortable setting for dinner.
As for the food, it was basic and delicious. It is true that everything was made fresh to order, and the freshness was noticable. Flavors do not compete with each other and each ingredient stands out. Several of our group had a wonderful paella that had to be ordered in advance at the time of our reservation. They said it rivaled any paella they had in Spain. The crepe stuffed with ricotta and spinich topped with a sweet tomato sauce was incredible.(Note: the tomato sauce used on all the dishes was very sweet...unusual/different than what we are use to in the Northeast US). All pastas were liked except that the vodka sauce tasted a little like tomato soup. Fish dishes were well prepared.
Overall, a different, very good experience that is worth trying.