Local guide · Curaçao
Banda Abou: Curaçao's Wild West Side Has the Best Local Food
7 spots · updated May 27, 2026
Banda Abou — literally 'the west side' in Papiamentu — is where Curaçao sheds its tourist skin and gets real. Fewer resorts, more village life, and food that locals actually eat every day.
- When
- Weekends are best for Kofihowz and Landhuis Dokterstuin. Most spots are open from mid-morning through early evening. Confirm hours before driving out — Banda Abou operates on island time.
- Try
- Keshi yena at Landhuis DokterstuinFresh coconut or fruit batidos at Batidos GallopFish soup at Sopi Pa BoGrilled fish at Sabor di Playa WestpuntSnacks and cold drinks at Tur Tur Snack after the beach
- Good for
- Road trip lunch stopsAuthentic Antillean cuisineBeach-side snacking after Klein Knip or LagunExploring local village life
Where to get them?
Order: most good reviews from locals first.
KofihowzWest ·· 163 reviews
Sabor di Playa WestpuntWest ·· 12 reviews
Sopi Pa Bo / Soup For You· 55 reviews
Island BreezeWest ·· 396 reviews
Tur Tur SnackWest ·· 45 reviews
Landhuis Dokterstuin "Restaurant Komedor Krioyo"West ·· 873 reviews
Batidos Gallop (official name of the smoothies truck)West ·fewer than 3 reviews yet
More about this guide
The road to Westpunt is one of Curaçao's most scenic drives, winding through dry kunuku landscape, past salt pans, and into fishing villages that feel unchanged for decades. Along the way, a handful of snekkies and restaurants reward anyone willing to venture past the Willemstad bubble.
Kofihowz at Savonet is the undisputed crown jewel — a coffee and breakfast spot hidden on the historic Savonet plantation grounds that draws lines on weekend mornings. Nearby, Landhuis Dokterstuin in Barber serves traditional Antillean komedor krioyo food in a colonial landhouse setting. At the far end, Tur Tur Snack at Lagun is a no-frills seaside snack spot beloved by locals who come after a swim at Klein Knip.
The Westpunt road also passes through Barber, a small village with Batidos Gallop serving fresh fruit smoothies roadside — the kind of stop you make once and never forget. Sopi Pa Bo near Souax is a local favourite for hearty soups, and Island Breeze at Tera Korá covers the full comfort-food menu for working families in the area.
Sabor di Playa Westpunt, right at the edge of the island, is about as far west as you can eat — fresh fish and local plates with the Atlantic on both sides.