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Is Lima Bistro worth it? If you like bright, chili-driven Peruvian food and a good pisco sour, yes: The Infatuation rates it the best restaurant on the island, and this Lima Bistro Aruba review explains what backs that up. Lima Bistro is a family-run Peruvian bistro on the Oranjestad harbor, opened by Peruvian-born chef Teddy Bouroncle. Below we cover the room, the dishes worth ordering and the kind of night it suits best.
Lima Bistro at a glance
- Cuisine: Peruvian, with ceviches, grilled dishes and pisco cocktails
- Area: the harbor in Oranjestad
- Best for: date nights and cocktail-led dinners
- What to order: market ceviche, beef anticucho, lomo saltado, crème caramel
- Price gauge: $$$$ (our estimate)
A Peruvian kitchen by the harbor
The setting is the Oranjestad waterfront rather than the hotel strip. Aruba’s tourism board tells the story of why: the chef picked the harbor because its sea air reminds him of Lima. Before opening his own place, he rose to Director of F&B Operations at the Aruba Marriott. Boardwalk Aruba notes the view over the marina and the cruise dock in downtown Oranjestad.
Inside, the look is beachy, with wooden floors, an open kitchen and Peruvian decor from the chef’s own collection. You can choose air-conditioned indoor seating or a table outside. The restaurant’s emblem is the Polaris star, the North Star, which the tourism board describes as his guiding light.
What the critics say
The most quoted verdict comes from The Infatuation, which calls Lima Bistro the best restaurant in Aruba, without qualification. The Infatuation describes a line of walk-ups that includes chefs and bartenders on their night off as well as vacationers, which tells you something about its standing with people who cook on the island for a living. Boardwalk Aruba’s blog describes the interior as very cozy and tasteful.
What to order at Lima Bistro
The dinner menu, as listed in December 2025, is built for sharing a few starters and then committing to a main. Here is how we would approach it.
Start with ceviche. The market ceviche comes with crispy calamari and a leche de tigre spiked with rocoto pepper, the punchy Peruvian chili. If you want something gentler, there is a tuna ceviche with passion fruit and black quinoa, and a ceviche of the day.
Add something from the grill. The beef anticucho, the classic Peruvian skewer, comes with potato and a panka chili sauce. The grilled cauliflower al pastor with salsa verde is the vegetable dish to know, and The Infatuation tells readers to order the grilled cauliflower with salsa verde.
Pick a main with a story. Lomo saltado, the Peruvian-Chinese beef stir-fry with onions, tomatoes, potatoes and rice, is the comfort pick, and the tourism board’s writer calls it one of the best sellers. The duck leg with a Peruvian orange sauce and mofongo is richer. For a splurge, order the lobster gnocchi with bisque and huacatay, an herb often called Peruvian black mint.
Save room. The Infatuation rates the crème caramel as the best flan on the island and calls it non-negotiable. The other dessert to know comes with lucuma dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream.
To drink, the cocktail list leans on pisco: a classic pisco sour, a passion fruit version and a chicha sour made with chicha morada, the purple corn drink. Non-drinkers get a glass of chicha morada on its own too.
The kind of night it suits
The Infatuation tags Lima Bistro for date nights and great cocktails, and that is how we would use it: a dinner where you share starters, order a pisco sour and take your time. It also suits food-focused travelers who want Peruvian flavors on their trip, not only steak and seafood.
If you are building a whole week of dinners, our guide to the best restaurants in Aruba puts Lima Bistro alongside beach and local spots, and our Oranjestad guide covers what to do downtown before dinner.
Price level
Price level: $$$$. Price level is our estimate, not exact pricing. It is based on the dinner prices on the restaurant’s current menu, checked November 2026.
FAQ
Is Lima Bistro worth it?
Yes, if you enjoy Peruvian flavors. The Infatuation calls it the best restaurant in Aruba, and the menu runs from ceviches to lomo saltado and pisco cocktails.
What should I order at Lima Bistro?
Share the market ceviche and the beef anticucho, then choose lomo saltado or the lobster gnocchi as a main. Finish with the crème caramel and order a pisco sour along the way.
Where is Lima Bistro?
It sits on the harbor in Oranjestad, Aruba’s capital, with a view over the marina and the cruise dock.
How does booking a table at Lima Bistro through The Table Desk work?
The Table Desk is an independent reservation service by All Tours Aruba, not affiliated with the restaurant. We book your table and send your confirmation by email. If we can’t book it, your full $20 comes back.
