The new Restaurant
Savaneta is slowly shaping up as Aruba culinary heart.
First there was Brisas del Mar, featuring seafood with a Caribbean flair. Then the Flying Fishbone arrived on the scene triumphantly serving seafood with a Continental flair, and now the Old Man and the Sea, with an American-born chef, laces its creative seafood dishes with contemporary flair, and romance, naturally.
The just opened Old Man & the Sea is simply gorgeous. Set in a former residence in Savaneta, two houses down from the Flying Fishbone restaurant, on a private, pristine beach, it is made up of just a handful of beautifully set tables, nestled between coconut trees under the moon and the stars.
The crisp white linens and the hand-decorated show-plates are part of the artistic décor with teak-wood deck furniture, colored throw pillows, potted plants, an ivory grand piano, bric-a-brac found objects and a private dining area, under a thatch palapa at the end of a wooden pier where an antique canopy bed serves as the majestic dinner table.
The owner Jonathan Vieira is one of Aruba’s most famous musical prodigies. His mom Osyth is an equally famous silk painter, and ingenious decorator and designer.
The Old Man & the Sea Restaurant is the family residence turned most charming seaside eatery with an exhibition kitchen.
“Try the shark fin soup,” said Osyth, “it is outstanding.”
The restaurant deserves a visit, soon, for the complete experience, from a pre-dinner aperitif at the small side bar to dessert, coffee and cordials.
The Old Man and the Sea flaunts a state of the art wine vault, I saw some boxes of Almaviva, with over 1,000 bottles to complement Chef Gary’s cuisine.
