Noord●●○○#121 of 160 Places to Eat in Noord

Lily's Empanada Aruba

Name: Lily's Empanada Aruba
Address: Boegoeroei 24b, Noord Aruba, AW
Rating: 5

★★★★★5.0 out of 5 · 1 reviews

local

caribbean

Photo: © francisn831 via TripAdvisor

About

Lily's Empanada is tucked into Noord, away from the high-rise strip, and runs like a family operation—because it probably is. The menu centers on empanadas, which here means hand-folded Caribbean pastries filled with local flavors. It's budget-friendly and clearly built for regulars who know what they want. The single review on file gave it straight fives across food, atmosphere, service, and value, which is a clean sweep but also just one data point. What you can bet on: this is a local spot, not a tourist factory. The vibe skews casual, kids are welcome, and you don't need a reservation. It ranks #121 out of 160 eateries in Noord, which puts it in the middle of a crowded field—plenty of competition, but it's holding a spot. If you're hunting for empanadas specifically or want to eat where Arubans actually go for a quick, cheap bite, it's worth the detour. Expect counter service and a straightforward menu.

At a glance

Area: Noord
Vibe: local
Price: ●●○○
Reservation required: –
Kid friendly: ✓
Cuisine: caribbean
Dietary options: —

Photos

Recent Pulse

We're still listening.

We'll show you what travelers are saying about this spot as soon as enough recent reviews come in. Check back shortly.

Similar restaurants

Noord●●○○© WashPA0214 via TripAdvisor

Wacky Wahoo's

Wacky Wahoo's sits along the main road in Noord, and the name tells you what you're getting into — this is casual seafood, nothing fussy. It ranks #13 out of 161 restaurants in Noord and picked up a Travelers' Choice award in 2025, which lines up with the 4.7 food rating and over 3,200 reviews. The menu leans Caribbean and seafood, and the mid-tier pricing means you're not spending Barefoot or Flying Fishbone money. The upside is you can walk in without a reservation, order something fried or grilled, and leave without drama. The 3.8 atmosphere rating is honest — it's a casual spot, not a date-night setup. Service sits at 4.5, which is solid but not flawless, and a few reports mention slow turns during peak hours. If you want reliable seafood in Noord without the planning or the upscale bill, this works.

casual

seafood

Noord●○○○© Management via TripAdvisor

Garden Fresh Cafe

Garden Fresh Cafe is inside the Playa Linda Beach Resort on the high-rise strip, but it's not a poolside grill — it's a counter-service café that shows up at #10 of 161 Noord restaurants for a reason. The 4.8 atmosphere score makes sense once you see the setup: light, casual, zero fuss. People bring kids. Nobody's stressed. The menu leans healthy without pretending you wandered into a juice cleanse. The 4.6 food and value ratings hold across a thousand-plus reviews, which suggests consistency more than flash. It's café-style, so you order at the counter, grab a table, and the staff brings it out. Service scores a 4.5, which tracks for that format. Budget-friendly at one dollar sign, and it works for breakfast or lunch if you're staying nearby or just off the beach. The Travelers Choice nod for 2025 confirms it's doing something right — likely just keeping it simple and not overthinking it.

casual

cafe

Noord●●○○© Management via TripAdvisor

Che Bar

Che Bar sits in the Paseo Herencia Mall in Noord, steps from the high-rise hotels on Palm Beach. It's a casual bar and café that punches above typical mall fare—the #25 ranking among Noord restaurants and a 4.7 service rating tell that story. The menu leans bar classics and café staples, nothing fussy, and the kitchen turns out food that holds up to the atmosphere, both sitting at a solid 4.5. Prices land in the moderate range, and the place works for families; you'll see kids here alongside couples killing time before dinner reservations elsewhere. The real draw is consistency. Walk-ins are fine, the staff keeps things moving, and the value rating suggests you're getting what you pay for without surprises on the check. It's a reliable mid-day or early evening stop when you want something decent without leaving the Paseo Herencia complex.

casual

bar

Stay nearby

Palm Beach

Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino

The Aruba Marriott sits on L.G. Smith Boulevard in Palm Beach, right where the high-rise strip meets the sand. It's a full-scale resort with a casino attached, so expect crowds, especially around the pool and lobby bars. The 4.7 cleanliness rating and 4.6 service score suggest the operation runs tight despite the size, and sleep quality holds at 4.5, which matters when you're paying top-tier rates. It ranks #20 out of 26 hotels in the Palm-Eagle Beach zone, so it's middle-of-the-pack for the area — the location and service scores pull it up, the value rating at 4.2 reflects what you're spending. If you want the Marriott reliability and don't mind resort-scale energy, it works. The beach access is the real asset here; Palm Beach is wide and swimmable, and you're walking distance to most of the strip's restaurants and bars.

Palm Beach

Barcelo Aruba - All Inclusive

Barceló Aruba sits on Palm Beach, the high-rise hotel strip on the northwest coast, and it's fully all-inclusive — drinks, meals, non-motorized watersports, the works. The 4.7 location score tells you what you're paying for: direct beach access and walking distance to the casinos, shops, and other resorts that make Palm Beach the busiest stretch of sand on the island. It ranks #5 among Noord hotels with over 12,000 reviews, so you're looking at volume and consistency more than boutique charm. Service and cleanliness both land above 4.3, which matters when you're dealing with buffet lines and pool crowds. Sleep quality and rooms sit at 4.2 and 4.1 — solid but not exceptional. The value subrating is the lowest at 3.9, which tracks for a top-tier all-inclusive on prime real estate. If you want to park yourself on Palm Beach and not think about meal planning or bar tabs, this does the job. Just know you're trading some refinement for convenience and location.

Palm Beach

Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort Spa and Casino

The Hyatt Regency sits on Palm Beach, right in the thick of the high-rise strip. It's earned back-to-back Travelers Choice awards and consistently ranks in the top half of Palm Beach properties — not leading the pack at #14, but comfortably above average with a 4.4 overall rating across more than 7,000 reviews. The location score is the real standout at 4.8, which tracks; you're steps from the beach and surrounded by restaurants and tour operators. The resort runs full-service — spa, casino, multiple pools — so it attracts families and couples who want options without leaving the property. Cleanliness scores high at 4.6, and service hovers at 4.5, suggesting the staff keeps things moving despite the volume. Sleep quality and room ratings sit at 4.4 and 4.3 respectively, which is solid if unremarkable at this price tier. Value scores lowest at 4.0, so expect to pay for the convenience and name. If you want Palm Beach proximity and don't need boutique intimacy, it does the job.

Similar tables

Noord

Wacky Wahoo's

Noord

The Old Cunucu House Restaurant

The Old Cunucu House sits in Noord, close to the Palm Beach strip but tucked into a residential pocket that feels less polished by design. The building is a restored Aruban country house—cunucu means countryside—with thick walls and courtyard seating that picks up the breeze on most nights. It lands at #30 among Noord restaurants, and the food, atmosphere, service, and value all score consistently around 4.1 to 4.2, which is solid for a midrange place that doesn't take reservations. The menu pulls from Caribbean seafood and international standards, so you're not locked into one lane. Families show up regularly; the vibe is casual and the price tier is mid-range, so it works for groups that want something more local than the beachfront chains without the formality of a tasting menu. Expect decent execution, not fireworks. It's the kind of spot where 1,293 reviews settle into a 4.1 because it does what it says—nothing revelatory, nothing broken.

Source: TripAdvisor · view on TripAdvisor →

Photos by individual contributors as credited above.

Review summaries are AI-paraphrased from public traveler reviews.