Gostoso Restaurante

Tried this restaurant based on the posts here, we were disappointed. We ordered the sushi roll, but wanted shrimp instead of the mix, they said it would be another 15-20 minutes to make, so they were pushing the pre-made mix. We each selected the Golden snapper - one mango sauce, the other with a different sauce. The sauces were fine, but the snapper was the strongest tasting snapper I have ever had- it really detracted from the flavor. The chef was very nice and offered dessert free, but the intense fishiness of the snapper turned me off everything. Very hard to find the location in the dark also....but that is not the fault of the restaurant, it is the fault of the poorly marked Aruban streets.

We have been coming to Aruba since our honeymoon in 1983. We always look for new restaurants that spark our interest and offer something more that the "same-old-same-old."

We tried Gostoso at the recommendation of an Aruba resident, and we were not disappointed!

With many appealing choices on the menu, we shared the "sushi roll" appetizer to start based on other online recommendations -- a really good choice to split. Give this a try!

In addition to the sweet sauce provided with the appetizer, the house-spicy sauce was excellent.

For entrees, Karen had the seafood tempura and Steve had the goat -- two very different dishes, and both were excellent. We may switch our orders next time!

Service was attentive (and excellent) without being intrusive. The atmosphere is casually intimate.

We were "pleasantly full" after this meal, so did not have dessert or coffee.

Definitely a recommended dinner reservation!!

Wednesday, 09/22/2010
First time trying Gostoso. DW & DD had the Grouper with Creole sauce and both enjoyed it. I had the
Bacahlau Vinaigrette as an appetizer and the Bacalhau Portuguese for a main course. The dinners came with
sides of vegetables, fried plantains, and white rice. We had been to Portugal years ago and I was looking for some dishes I recalled from that trip, but didn’t see them on the menu. Most of the entrée’s seem more
Aruban than Portuguese, but there are many seafood and meat choices at reasonable prices to please most
tastes. Drinks & wine were good. It’s a small, cozy restaurant north of the downtown area.

We dined here in mid-September (off season), so we received great personalized service at this off the beaten path establishment. Jose, the owner and chef, introduced himself and the daily specials. My wife and I shared a unique appetizer, a plaintain sushi roll (best with his special pepper sauce) and also split some conch in creole sauce. Both were great. Jose mixes Portugese, Italian and Aruban touches in his cooking. As the grouper was the "catch of the day", we both ordered it. My wife had hers in a garlic and butter sauce, while mine was meuniere, with shellfish. The grouper itself was a much better value. We met a couple from Chicago who ordered the same meals and agreed with our assessment. Order the fish, hold the shellfish for a zuppa di pesce at home. A Portugese white, Vinho Verde (also ordered by our neighbors) was an excellent accompaniment. The four of us topped the pleasurable evening with coffee and a complimentary after dinner drink at the bar. Highly receommended!

I would like to try this restaurant but want people to know the prices listed on this site are quite different from the prices on the Gostoso site. Just a word of warning - it is not the bargain it appears here.

The best restuarant in Aruba..great service, unbelievable food. It's off the beaten path but well worth it..

This is the BEST hidden gem in Aruba. If you're cab driver doesn't know where it is, then call the restaurant and get directions. Or go on their website and get the directions. It's a little tricky to find but well worth it. The staff was fantastic. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere is very relaxed. The flan was everything I read about and more and I also tried the avocado salad which was also highly recommended on this website. There are some places people will rave about (Madame Jeanettes, Chef's Table, etc) that were once great, but now too popular and have lost their touch. Gostoso's blows them all away.

Returned from the island just a week ago and returned to one of our favorite restaurants on the island on 21 July. Jose continues to do a wonderful job as well as his staff. Started off with the great "suishi" which again was wonderful. I had the baucala and wife had the grouper on a skewer. The presentation of the grouper was delightful as the fish hung on the skewer on a hook, quite the contraption! Food absolutely wonderful. Very thoughtful also that they offer a couple half bottles of wine. Charming restaurant, wonderful staff and as always, Jose greeting you at the door with that pleasant smile. Highly recommnend this place, a bit out of the way, but not impossible to find.

We just returned from our annual week in Aruba. Gostoso was recommended by our taxi driver, Hubert. It was great. Food was outstanding. The most interesting menu of the week. It is a small restaurant and 30 minutes before we arrived they got a call for a party of 22. They handled it masterfully. I can not recommend this restaurant any higher!!

We tried Gostoso for the first time last year. The restaurant only had about 3 reviews at the time, but they we�re all outstanding. A year later, and the food and service are still consistently fantastic. This is one of the better finds on the island and it only has about 8 tables. My husband who does not eat seafood loves the chicken parm. Their alfredo sauce is delicious and yet so light. We ate there twice this year.