De Gouverneur Restaurant in Curaçao: Willemstad’s Finest
My Doost, our adventures in the Caribbean island of Curaçao continues! This time it’s all about one of the best restaurants owned by our new friend Wilfred who you will hear much more about soon. The plot of land that the restaurant sits has a long history dating back to 1737.
The restaurant is named after Governor Abraham de Rouville who was appointed by the King to lead the island from 1866-1870. He guided the island to a period of strong economic development and was loved by his people.
Most of the furniture is brought from Indonesia and the European countries. This giant metal fountain was shipped in from Europe and lifted into place by a huge crane to create a centerpiece for the patio.
We started off with Gouverneur beer specifically imported for the restaurant because it sports the same name.
We began our meal with one of my all time favorites, coconut shrimp, that was delicious and then we tried the Cuban Banana soup, which is creamy, sweet, and spicy all at the same time – a must try. Wilfred shared with us that this dish wasn’t originally on their menu and was created during their “Cuban Night” but it was requested so much that they had to bring it back!
For our main dish we wanted to get a taste of their local cuisine, so we tried the popular Keshi Yena which is cheese on top of chicken, prunes, and baby onions — some of my favorite ingredients together. The dish was savory and filling and highly recommended!
The drinks were vibrant in color and taste, super tropical, and layered: “The Caribbean Vibe” with Blue Curacao, pineapple juice, and Jamaican rum and the “Gouverneurs by Sunset” made with fresh lime juice & Passoa (passionfruit liqueur) and frozen layers of Cointreau & pineapple juice.
Meet the chef and her lovely assistant!
De Gouverneur is a beautiful structure, and one of my favorite seating areas was the one in the balcony with a view of the famous UNESCO world heritage site called Handelskade.
You can see Handelskade depicted in the painting below by local artist Melissa Vijay Bharwani whose work will be featured at De Gouverneur. See more of her work at Dhan Arts on Instagram.
The building is quite large and has many different areas making it also a great choice for meetings, weddings, workshops, happy hours, and there’s even a bar with a Motown theme. You’re going to love spending time at De Gouverneur.
[…] art is also featured at one of the best restaurants on the island, De Gouverneur which sits directly across from the buildings they […]