Aruban Seafood

Savaneta was Aruba's first capital and is still a fishing village, and the pier there works the way a fishing pier should: boats land, the catch goes straight into the kitchen at the end of the jetty, and it is cleaned, fried and sold by weight on a paper plate with fried plantain, funchi and a beer. What you get depends entirely on what came in, which might be snapper, wahoo, mahi mahi, shrimp or barracuda. You eat on the wooden deck over the water with the boats tied up below. It is the most straightforward good meal on the island.

What you actually see

• The pier kitchen - fish fried where the boats land it.
• Sold by weight - whatever came in that day, on a paper plate.
• Funchi - the cornmeal side, fried into sticks.
• The deck over the water - eating with the boats tied below.

When to go

Year-round, from around midday until the fish runs out, which on a busy day is early. It closes on Sundays. Weekends are busiest and the queue is long. Cash is easier than card.

Honest expectations

It sells out, sometimes well before closing, and arriving late means nothing left. The queue at weekends is long and there is limited seating. There is no menu; you take what came in. It is basic, loud and outdoors, which is the appeal but not for everyone.

Nearby

Savaneta is on the south coast; Spanish Lagoon is nearby.