Flying Fishbone Aruba: Is It Worth It?
If dinner with your feet in the sand and the sea moving around your table sounds like your kind of evening, there is a good chance you have already seen The Flying Fishbone in Aruba while planning your trip.
Sitting down for dinner with your table and feet directly in the water may sound slightly strange at first, but after about ten minutes with a cocktail in hand, it starts feeling surprisingly normal.
We booked around sunset, which definitely adds something to the whole experience, but even once the sky started getting darker around the beach, nobody seemed in much of a rush to leave.
We already knew dinner here would not be cheap, especially somewhere this well-known, but the food was genuinely good, and the service stayed friendly throughout the evening. Even around sunset, when nearly everyone seemed to be moving around the water tables taking photos, the whole place still felt very laid back around the shoreline.
Are Flying Fishbone’s Water Tables Worth It?
For us, yes. The water tables are the reason Flying Fishbone has become so famous, and the main reason we booked it in the first place.
What surprised me was not the water tables themselves, but how relaxed the whole experience felt. For one of the most photographed restaurants in Aruba, it never felt particularly touristy or overcrowded.
The tide gradually moved around the table throughout dinner, sometimes reaching your ankles and sometimes pulling back again. It sounds like the sort of thing that could feel like a novelty, but after a while, it simply became part of the evening.
I think we would still have enjoyed Flying Fishbone from a regular table, but it would have felt like a very different experience. The water tables are what people come for, and after finally trying one ourselves, I completely understand why.
Is The Food At Flying Fishbone Actually Good?
The food ended up being much better than I had expected from a restaurant that is so heavily marketed around the setting. Not because it was some life-changing meal, but because everything felt exactly as it should have for a restaurant charging these prices.
Portions were generous, service was friendly throughout the evening, and food arrived surprisingly quickly considering how busy the restaurant became around sunset.
A lot of people book Flying Fishbone because of the setting and, understandably, that tends to be what people come for rather than a culinary experience. I never came away feeling like we had paid for the water tables and settled for average food.
How Expensive Is Flying Fishbone?
Flying Fishbone is more on the expensive side, but I think most people already know that before they book. Aruba, in general, is considered to be an expensive place to visit.
Between the water tables, beachfront location and reputation as one of Aruba’s best known restaurants, this was always going to be one of the more expensive meals of our trip. We booked it expecting to pay for the experience as much as the food.
What surprised me was that the prices never felt quite as extreme as I had imagined beforehand. Once converted back into pounds, many of the mains were not dramatically different to what you might expect from a good restaurant in the UK, particularly somewhere with a similar waterfront setting.
There are plenty of cheaper places to eat in Aruba, and if your only goal is finding the best value meal on the island, Flying Fishbone probably would not be my first recommendation. Most people are booking it for the water tables, sunset views and the overall experience.
That is ultimately why the pricing never bothered me. We knew exactly what we were booking and, by the end of the evening, I never felt like we had overpaid for what we received.
Booking Flying Fishbone
Reservations can easily be made online through the Flying Fishbone website, but I ended up contacting the restaurant directly before booking.
Flying Fishbone is located in Savaneta on Aruba’s south coast, making it an easy addition to a day exploring nearby places like Baby Beach or San Nicolas. We wanted to time dinner around sunset, and I was also curious about the water tables, particularly after being told they could only be guaranteed for the 4pm seating.
Staff replied quickly and explained that later reservations could still be allocated a water table, but availability depended on existing bookings, cancellations and tide levels on the day.
Our reservation was eventually booked for 6pm, which turned out to be a great time to visit. We arrived while it was still light, watched the sunset during dinner and stayed long enough to see the restaurant after dark.
Despite being told a water table could not be guaranteed, there were still some available when we arrived, and the staff offered us a water table first. Obviously, there is no guarantee this will happen every time, but if sitting in the water is important to you, I would still recommend asking regardless of your reservation time.
Is Flying Fishbone Family Friendly?
Flying Fishbone feels more like a restaurant people visit for a special occasion than somewhere families choose specifically because it is child-friendly.
That said, we saw families dining throughout the evening, and nobody seemed out of place. Whether children enjoy it will probably depend more on their age and personality than on the restaurant itself.
Younger children may get restless during a longer dinner, while older children and teenagers are more likely to appreciate the water tables, sunset views and overall experience.
I certainly would not avoid Flying Fishbone purely because you are travelling as a family.
FAQs: Flying Fishbone Aruba
If you are still planning your visit, these are some of the most common questions people ask before booking Flying Fishbone.
What To Wear To Flying Fishbone Aruba?
Flying Fishbone has a casual dress code, although the restaurant does ask guests not to wear swimwear, bikinis or see-through beach cover-ups.
During our visit, some people were dressed up for sunset photos and special occasions, while others were wearing shorts and lightweight holiday clothes. Since many guests remove their shoes at the water tables, comfort is probably more important than dressing formally.
Are Reservations Required At Flying Fishbone?
I would definitely recommend making a reservation, particularly if you are planning to visit around sunset. Reservations can easily be made online, and booking ahead gives you the best chance of securing your preferred dining time.
Can You Get A Water Table After 4pm?
Yes, although it cannot be guaranteed. ‘Feet in the water’ tables can only be reserved up to 4pm. Later reservations can still be allocated a water table, but availability depends on existing bookings, cancellations and tide levels on the day.
Our reservation was at 6pm, and we were still offered a water table when we arrived, so it is always worth asking, even if you are dining later in the evening.
Do We Think Flying Fishbone Is Worth It?
Yes, I think Flying Fishbone is worth it. I don’t normally do fancy, expensive restaurants when I travel. I am much happier eating pad thai from a roadside stall in Bangkok or grabbing empanadas from a local bakery in Colombia than booking one of the most famous restaurants in a destination.
The Flying Fishbone ended up being one of the few exceptions. We booked it knowing we were paying for the experience as much as the food, and I do not think there is anything wrong with that. The ‘feet in the water’ tables lived up to expectations, the food was genuinely good, and the service stayed consistently friendly throughout the evening.
Could you eat better food elsewhere in Aruba for the same price? Possibly. There are plenty of other excellent restaurants in Aruba, and some probably serve better food for the same money, but that isn’t why we booked the Flying Fishbone.
For a first trip to Aruba, a special occasion or simply a sunset dinner somewhere a little different, I think Flying Fishbone earns its reputation.
We left having enjoyed the entire evening and, looking back, I would definitely book there again.