AZAR at Lunch: Same Fire, A Midday Menu Worth the Visit

Tartare, Steak Frites, and that Octopus dish: inside Aruba's most exciting new lunch menu.

There are restaurants you discover, and there are restaurants that become part of the rhythm of a place.

AZAR belongs to the second category.

It's one of Aruba's most beloved dining rooms, the kind of place everyone seems to know, recommend, and return to. For years, dinner has been the main event: open-fire cooking, bold flavors, and a room that feels polished without feeling stiff.

Now comes lunch. And frankly, Aruba needs more lunches like this.

Not because we're lacking places to eat at noon. We're lacking places that make lunch feel exciting again. Places where the menu isn't an afterthought of wraps, Caesar salads, and grilled chicken breasts repackaged for daylight hours.

I don't want lunch to be efficient. I want it to surprise me.

That's exactly what AZAR is offering: a menu developed by Chef Teddy Bouroncle and Angelo Conti.

Rather than shrinking the dinner menu, they've created a midday experience with its own identity. Many of the dishes are exclusive to lunch, but they carry all the things we already love about the restaurant: boldness, textures, and combinations that make you stop for a second and think, well, that's clever.

The room helps. Stepping inside from the Aruban heat is a pleasure in itself. Warm wood, natural stone, and a large communal table give the dining room an inviting energy. It works for almost anything: a business lunch, an intimate date, a birthday celebration, or simply an excuse to escape the sun for a few hours. And because lunch runs until 3 p.m., there's no rush. You can slide in for a quick bite, or you can stay and let the afternoon unfold around you.

Every leisurely lunch deserves a cocktail

and AZAR's cocktail menu understands something many restaurants miss: daytime drinking is its own category. The goal isn't intensity. It's refreshment.

The Sangria Apassionata does exactly that. Built around passion fruit and sparkling wine, it lands

somewhere between a sangria and a spritz. Fruity without becoming sugary, playful without trying too hard, it's the kind of drink you order because it sounds fun and then immediately recommend to the table.

The Blue Flame Spritz leans into the Hugo Spritz trend, and for good reason. Elderflower, mint, and fresh aromatics from the lavender soda make it feel tailor-made for the heat.

The Guava Rum Mule surprised me the most. Guava cocktails have betrayed me before: too sweet, too thick, the kind of drink you regret halfway through. This one isn't. It's cold, balanced, and dangerously

easy to drink.

Agua Bendita, a vodka-based cocktail, continues the theme. Refreshing Aloe, bright, and made for the middle of the day.

Honestly, arriving sweaty from the Caribbean sun and being greeted by these icy drinks feels less like ordering a cocktail and more like receiving a reward.

Almost forgot to say that If you're into wine, then AZAR got you. They have their own red blend and unoaked chardonnay. Not just any house wine, bespoke bottles in their own branding in collab with La Igriega, from Mendoza, Argentina.

Then came the appetizers.

And this is where the menu starts showing off.

It's not a huge menu, but it doesn't need to be. There's acidity and creaminess, crunch and freshness, smoke and spice. More importantly, there are dishes that feel uniquely AZAR.

The Tuna Acevichado Tartare instantly became one of my favorite dishes on the menu. At first glance, tuna tartare isn't exactly groundbreaking; every restaurant has one, but AZAR tops theirs with Guasacaca, the Venezuelan avocado sauce that's tangy and packed with personality (and herbs). I never would have guessed how well it works with tuna. The richness of the fish softens the punch of the sauce, while the guasacaca gives the tartare an edge that keeps you coming back.

And then come the tostones. Not crackers. Not pita chips. Tostones.

Crispy fried green plantains that add texture, salt, and an unmistakably Latin soul to the dish. Once you've had tuna tartare this way, it's hard to imagine settling for anything else. A dish I started craving before I even finished it.

The Pork Belly Tacos lean Mexican, but avoid feeling uninspired. Crispy pork is tucked into soft tortillas with guacamole, chipotle, and tatemada sauce, creating a bite that's smoky, creamy, and just spicy enough. The best part is that they're juicy without dripping all over you, which honestly feels like a small miracle these days. Ask for an extra wedge of lime if you can! it takes them from excellent to unforgettable.

The Beef Tataki arrives with zero interest in being subtle. Tenderloin is sliced thin and topped with truffle cream, local mushrooms, and crispy onions. This is not a shy dish. It's a dish that wants your attention and, frankly, deserves it.

Then came the ceviche, because of course it did. A menu by Chef Teddy Bouroncle without ceviche would feel incomplete.

The AZAR Rocoto Ceviche takes the structure of a classic Peruvian ceviche and gives it a softer side. The smoky rocoto leche de tigre is rounded out by sweet potato, and instead of limiting itself to fish, the dish brings octopus into the mix.

Most ceviches announce themselves with acidity. This one seduces.

It's smoky, a little sweet, served ice cold, and somehow disappears much faster than you planned.

But the appetizer I haven't stopped thinking about is the Octopus. If papas bravas and grilled octopus had a particularly attractive child, this would be it.

Tender octopus is layered with crispy potatoes, smoky chorizo, chimichurri, and a spicy diablo sauce that sneaks up on you in the best possible way. Every bite tastes a little different. Some are spicy, some herbaceous, some smoky.

Together, it's magic.

Even the bread service deserves a moment.

Thank God someone finally understands that bread deserves more than butter.

AZAR serves toasted sourdough with a smoky spread layered with chipotle and tatemada flavors. It's savory, addictive, and infinitely more interesting than the tired olive oil and balsamic routine that somehow became the default at so many restaurants. The bread becomes more than a starter. You save pieces to scoop up ceviche, swipe the last streaks of truffle cream from the Beef Tataki, and chase every lingering sauce on every plate.

Which, to me, is always the sign of a good meal.

Nothing gets left behind.

Lately, I've noticed a trend. People skip mains. They order three appetizers, share everything, and call it a day. I get it.

But at AZAR, I would encourage you to rediscover the main course.

Because the mains aren't filler. They're where the restaurant continues to surprise you.

The Huancaína Short Rib Pasta was the dish I was most curious about. Huancaína is one of Peru's great sauces: creamy, a little spicy, and traditionally spooned over boiled potatoes. So naturally, I wanted to know what would happen if AZAR turned it into pasta sauce.

Turns out, it works. Really well.

The sauce coats every noodle without becoming heavy. The short rib is sweet and tender, and crispy toppings keep the dish from leaning too far into comfort-food territory.

More importantly, it's interesting.

And I know that's a vague word, but I keep coming back to it.

I don't want lunch to be predictable, I want it to surprise me.

The AZAR Burger earns its place on the menu.

Actually, let me say that differently. Burgers are exhausting.

Every restaurant insists theirs is special. Most aren't. This one is.

It's stacked with bacon jam, cambonzola cheese, grilled onions, and pickles. The bacon jam brings sweetness, the cheese adds funk, and the onions melt into the beef in a way that feels almost unfair. And yes, it's worth ordering.

The AZAR Auténtico Chicken Sandwich is equally memorable. Thankfully, it's not another chicken breast hiding behind lettuce and mayonnaise. Instead, shredded chicken is folded with Peruvian chili sauce that brings warmth without overwhelming the palate. The bun is soft, the filling is rich, and the whole thing feels like a sin.

Then there was the Steak Frites.

An icon. A dish so common it's easy to forget how difficult it is to get right. Dry steak. Sad fries.

A sauce that tastes like it came out of a packet or a can.

AZAR avoids all of that.

The steak is exactly what you'd expect from a restaurant built around fire: juicy, tender, cooked perfectly. The fries are exactly the fries you want next to a steak, crispy enough to steal on their own and sturdy enough to survive an aggressive dip in sauce.

And suddenly you're reminded why classics become classics.

Ten out of ten.

The dish that surprised me most, though, was the Arroz Meloso with Short Rib.

Rice is humble. Rice is everywhere. And yet somehow this dish makes it exciting.

The short-grain rice is creamy, with crispy edges everyone at the table quietly fights over. Braised short rib melts into it, while Korean barbecue flavors, kimchi, and gochujang bring sweetness, acidity, and just enough spice.

It's comforting.

It's punchy.

It's memorable.

And honestly, that's what I've come to admire most about AZAR's lunch menu.

Nothing is basic.

Not the tartare.

Not the rice.

Not even the salad.

I have a confession: no matter how many proteins are on the table, no matter how creamy the pasta or how perfectly grilled the steak, I need a salad. Not because I'm trying to be virtuous. Quite the opposite. I need that cold, crisp bite that resets the palate.

So naturally, I couldn't ignore the Blue Cheese Salad.

Local Boston lettuce is dressed with blue cheese cream and paired with grilled pears and pecans. The pears bring sweetness, the pecans add crunch, and the blue cheese delivers just enough funk to remind you it's there.

And yes, I left thinking about something ridiculous.

Coleslaw.

If AZAR can make a salad this good, imagine what they could do with coleslaw. Imagine it beside the steaks. Imagine it with the burger.

I love coleslaw, and I think it belongs next to grilled food the way fries belong next to burgers.

So consider this less a criticism and more a gentle request.

AZAR, if you're listening:

Give us the coleslaw.

At this point, you might expect me to tell you about dessert.

I'm not going to.

Not because I don't believe in dessert. I absolutely do. But after cocktails, appetizers, salads, pasta, steak, rice, sandwiches, and more than a few moments of shameless indulgence, I simply wasn't willing to leave AZAR on a stretcher.

So I ordered an Americano.

And honestly, it was the perfect ending.

The menu has an entire section called Midday Boost, which includes Espresso Martinis in several variations, a Wake-Up Call with espresso and orange liqueur, a Carajillo, and enough caffeinated cocktails to convince you that maybe the afternoon doesn't need to end yet.

We stayed for nearly three hours. We talked, laughed, and watched plates come and go while the air conditioning felt heavenly after the heat outside. At no point did we feel rushed. The service was seamless, the food kept arriving, and the afternoon unfolded at exactly the pace we wanted.

I've spent a lot of this review talking about flavors. About smoky sauces and creamy pasta. About tartare topped with Guasacaca and ceviche sweetened with potato. About burgers that justify their existence and rice dishes that refuse to be ordinary. But what stayed with me wasn't a single dish. It was the feeling. The feeling that lunch can still be special. That a meal in the middle of the day can become the highlight of your week.

This isn't the place for a quick bargain lunch. It's something else.

It's where I'd celebrate a birthday. It's where I'd take friends visiting Aruba. It's where I'd go on a random Wednesday when life feels repetitive and I need a reminder that ordinary days deserve extraordinary meals.

You can come for a quick lunch and be out in an hour. Or you can stay. Order another cocktail. Have the espresso martini. Take a nap. Open a bottle of wine later and keep the day going.

That's the beauty of it.

That's really all I want from a restaurant.

I want to wake up craving something I can't get anywhere else.

AZAR gave me a few of those things.

The tuna tartare.

The octopus.

The rice.

And maybe, one day, the coleslaw.

Here's the menu for you to take a look and if you have decided to make a reservation here's their OpenTable link.

All original visuals by Enrique Balestrini.