The first restaurant I visited when in Aruba 14 years ago was Salt & Pepper. I decided to revisit the place to see how they've been doing and if it still has the vibe I loved that long ago.
Salt & Pepper is a place my grandpa soul loved so much the first time I went. I have always been a fan of souvenir and curiosity stores and this restaurant has walls filled with a collection of salt and pepper shakers that I could spend hours looking at. The style is very old dutch café, very wooden, dimmed light, vintage-style bar and an outdoor terrace to sit and people-watch.
I was hanging out by the beach with my friend by who recently arrived from Holland and thought it could be nice to go somewhere and have dinner. I had one thing on my mind: French Onion Soup. Also it has been extremely hot in the Happy Island and a cold beer was needed too. Look at me craving soup when it's hot. Love a contradictory moment.
S&P welcomes walk-ins and the casual style of the place would allow us to sit and enjoy our beer and dinner in our beachy clothes so nothing to worry about. We chose a table inside to escape the tourist traffic and a loud singer on a stage nearby. Don't get me wrong, there's a place also for those vibes but we wanted to have a quieter time.
The Menu: extensive. I always struggle a little with extensive menus because of my indecisiveness but the restaurant's pride is their big offer on cold and hot tapas at affordable prices. Found my onion soup there and I was happy. Everything else was gonna be extra. Our server was not Casper the Friendly Ghost folks but when I'm determined to have a good time I'll stay unbothered.
The French Onion soup pictured above was only $7! It was massive and served in a way I have never seen before in a regular soup dish instead of a tall bowl. Layers of Dutch Gouda cheese covered a delicious golden brown broth perfectly seasoned. 100% would go back just for that one.
On the menu something else caught my attention, The Prosciutto and Brie Salad. It was also a generous serving of chopped greens and things, Prosciutto, walnuts, sliced Brie cheese and sweet balsamic dressing. Unforch, it had too many white and red onions in it which overpowered the other goods. $13.50 and a 🙁.
The onion rings were fantastic! super crispy. $6.50 for 5 thick rings.
My friend's picks were: Chicken wings, Chicken Pincho with Peanut Sauce and Onion rings too. He expressed everything was tasty!
In the past I had the Burgers which I highly recommend and their Vegetable creamy pasta which was also a mega hit!
I spent some time before leaving going thru the walls admiring the salt and pepper shakers in the most unusual shapes and themes. On their social media people are encouraged to bring a pair of shakers in exchange for a glass of Sangria. It's up to you to decide if that's a good deal or not.
Would I go back? Yes! Salt & Pepper is part of fond memories. Would I go with a date there? I think it's a fun idea. Something else to see. They also offer Breakfast (going for that one next, the menu looks great), Lunch and Sunday Brunch. All the info is on their Facebook Page
I link the menu here.
Well that's all on Onion Night at Salt & Pepper 🧅
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