THE JOURNEY - To Culinary Excellence

Name: THE JOURNEY - To Culinary Excellence
Address: 330 L.G. Smith Blvd, next to the old Windmill, Oranjestad, Palm Beach, Aruba, 00000
Telephone: 565 0535
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.9

4.9 (102)

$50 and over

International

330 L.G. Smith Blvd, next to the old Windmill, Oranjestad, Palm Beach 00000

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 3 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Good for special occasions
Innovative
Great for fine wines

Next to the 'Old Mill' in Aruba you'll find a unique new restaurant, 'The Journey'. Michelin star trained chef Patrick van der Donk (Amuse Sunset restaurant) has made a very intimate chef's table concept.

Credit card information will be required in order to hold reservation as well confirmation by phone.

Not your usual bar seating set-up! Here you are able to dine at you own separate tables and still have a view of the chef creating your 5 1/2 course meal for a max of 20 guests per evening.
Price $130 per dinner and $80 for the optional wine paring, small bar available.
The evening starts at our cozy lounge with delicious hors d'oeuvres and bubbles, inside at a small and stylish set-up the chef will prepare every dish in front of his guests taking time to invite his guests over for a chat, he might even ask to help plating his dishes which gives a truly extraordinary dining experience. The menu changes frequently, classic dishes with a twist prepared with the best ingredients.

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
International, Contemporary American, French
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri 7:00 pm–7:15 pm
Phone number
565 0535
Website
http://www.thejourneychefstablearuba.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Patrick van der Donk
Catering
The Journey has its own catering company, Amuse Catering, with many years of experience. We have served many, from a big group of loyal locals to big events for the government, the Royal Dutch family and many other stars coming to the Island. Weddings events on the beach we also cater, set-up and organize.
Private party facilities
The Journey is a unique spot for small events. Small Weddings parties, birthday parties or business events.

Location
330 L.G. Smith Blvd, next to the old Windmill, Oranjestad, Palm Beach 00000
Neighborhood
Aruba
Cross street
opposite of Riu hotel
Parking details
Private Lot
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Chef's Table
$130.00 per person
Multiple dates available
The stand-alone tables which seats only 20 patrons the five-course chef’s choice pre-fixed menu will take your taste buds on a world tour. Once you arrive at your destination, the exciting expedition begins with a toast of bubbles and an amuse bouche on the terrace. You can opt to pair your courses with the sommelier’s expertly curated choice of fine wines by the glass or order a bottle from the impressive wine list. With the open kitchen, you will witness the chef work on his eye-pleasing creations. By the end of the evening, you will have made many new friends as you have all enjoyed such an excellent shared experience of culinary bliss. Bon Voyage!

What 102 people are saying

THE JOURNEY - To Culinary Excellence reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9

4.9 based on recent ratings

4.9Food
4.9Service
4.8Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Caribbean
International
Aruba
Best Overall
Aruba
Best Food
Aruba
Best Service
Aruba
Best Value
Aruba
Innovative
Aruba
Great for fine wines
Aruba
Good for special occasions
Aruba
International

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

"The Journey - To Culinary Excellence" offers an extraordinary dining experience on Aruba, blending "Michelin star level food" with a personal touch from Chef Patrick and his team. Guests rave about "creative" dishes, "amazing flavor combinations," and "perfect wine pairings." It's described as "a must do in Aruba," with a welcoming atmosphere and engaging interaction with the chef.

102 Reviews

D
Deborah
New York City1 review
5.0
Dined on June 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
How do you measure perfection? You felt like you were in your friends home whom happens to be an extraordinary cook! Then he also has Jeremy who helps to make your evening one of true perfection!
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A
Anne-Marie VIP
San Antonio9 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 3, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a wonderful experience. If you love a culinary treat this is the place for you
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J
Jonathan VIP
Houston13 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 21, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We ended our trip here. What an incredible ending. To be able to eat Michelin star level food while hanging out with the chef was amazing. Each step of the journey is exquisitely planned to make your palate explore new tastes. The champagne and converstaoin then leads to the first few dishes that can be paired with a wine. During the intermission we are giving a drink to cleanse our palate and we end with the main course and dessert. Having a seat up close and watching the chef work and explain his process was priceless. We are grateful to have ended our trip here and we look forward to returning next time we are on the island. And we can't forget that Jeremy did a great job asisting chef.
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P
Paul VIP
Southwest Florida37 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 21, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Truly a culinary experience! The wine pairings were amazing and thoughtfully matched with each course. Chef Patrick is a master. It is expensive however it is worth the price!
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S
Sharon
San Antonio1 review
5.0
Dined on May 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Loved the experience of each course served . The presentation and story behind each preparation was excellent. Chef even wrote up a preparation for me for the salmon which I brought home and tried last night. Very great experience that I was able to share with my daughter. One suggestion for future consideration, many folks were too reserved to go up front to see what the chef was doing and how he prepared things. A cool idea might be a small camera pointing down to the plating area that broadcasts to a few small screens on the walls. Having a birds birds eye view of the level of preparation would be awesome.
THE JOURNEY - To Culinary ExcellenceResponded on May 22, 2025
Dear Sharon, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed each course and the stories behind the preparations. It’s wonderful that you were able to share this experience with your daughter—those moments make everything we do even more special. We’re also delighted that the chef’s salmon preparation inspired you to try it at home! That’s exactly the kind of connection to food and creativity we hope to spark. Your suggestion about adding a camera for a birds-eye view of the plating area is fantastic. We love hearing innovative ideas that enhance the experience for our guests, and we’ll certainly take it into consideration for future improvements. Thank you again for joining us. We hope to welcome you back soon for another memorable dining experience!
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R
Richard
San Antonio23 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 13, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
A great chef's table; it was all good. It was a small group of only 6 people that were all fun to interact with. One of the better chef's tables in Aruba. We did 5 chef's tables that week.
THE JOURNEY - To Culinary ExcellenceResponded on May 22, 2025
Dear Richard, Thank you for sharing your experience! We're happy to hear that the intimate setting of just six guests created a lively atmosphere and memorable interactions. Your kind words mean a lot, especially knowing you sampled several chef's tables during your week in Aruba. It’s an honor to be recognized among the best, and we’re committed to continuing our tradition of delivering unique culinary adventures. We look forward to welcoming you back for another exceptional evening! Kind regards, Team the Journey
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S
Sira VIP
Baltimore / Maryland9 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 12, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
All the courses were delicious. I wish there were more courses, not because I was hungry but I didn’t want the experience to end. Would definitely do this again.
THE JOURNEY - To Culinary ExcellenceResponded on May 22, 2025
Dear Sira, Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We really appreciate it. We would love to welcome you back in the future for another culinary Journey. Kind regards, Team The Journey
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A
Arie
Caribbean2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Again it was amazing as always, perfect cooperation with the maitre and sous-chef, wonderful wines and most of all the best prepared food on Aruba. When you’re on Aruba, it is a MUST go!
THE JOURNEY - To Culinary ExcellenceResponded on May 13, 2025
Dear Arie, Thank you for your review and your kind words. We loved hosting you. We hope to welcome you back for a new Culinary Journey. Kind regards, Team the Journey
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J
John
Baltimore / Maryland4 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The name of the restaurant is "The Journey", and it truly was a journey. A fantastic journey through the life of a master chief and a master class on flavor and experience. Chef Patrick van der Donk was amazing in not only the food, but in how open he was with his experiences as a chef, father and husband. His food was as stated, truly amazing. We were given two flutes of champagne, closely followed by an amuse bouche which was an excellent indicator that this was going to be a splendid journey. The small soup of pumpkin and carrot was simply amazing. Rich, creamy and flavorful. Complex in it's simplicity. Followed on the side by a Dutch croquette of pureed beef, crispy and perfectly cooked. Soon after, we went inside to begin our journey. We were seated at a lovely prepared table for the two of us and some homemade bread. We followed that on with a hot smoked salmon served cold with a mélange of garnished. Due to my issues with salmon, on short notice, they served me with snapper. Truly excellent. The second course came out perfectly spaced, a playful grouper fried and seasoned to perfection plated on a small piece of toast in a stew of mussels. To die for! It was the best fish I have ever had, period. The next course was a ribeye skewer with baba ghanoush. The meat was so tender and smoked, the whole plate was again a feast of excellence. The main course was probably the most incredible creation I have had, it was a veal cheek and oxtail soup where the meats were blended together and crisped up in the shape of a rectangle place on the "best mashed potatoes" ever. The final pièce de résistance was the dessert. Again, fantastic in presentation and flavors with plating that was well above most high-end standards. This place and the experience is pricey, but it's also a once in a lifetime experience that you will never forget. Take the time, book the journey and you will be amazed.
THE JOURNEY - To Culinary ExcellenceResponded on May 9, 2025
Dear John, Thank you for sharing your heartfelt review. We really appreciate you took the time to write us a review. We’re thrilled to hear that Chef Patrick’s passion resonated with you from the opening champagne to the unforgettable veal cheek and oxtail.” Your words capture the essence of our culinary journey, and we're delighted that even the special substitution made a difference. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another memorable experience. Warm regards, The Journey Team
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R
Rose VIP
Orange County1 review
5.0
Dined on May 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The chef was amazing and the entire experience phenomenal. Best food I’ve tasted during my time in Aruba - 10/10 would recommend to anyone.
THE JOURNEY - To Culinary ExcellenceResponded on May 9, 2025
Dear Rose, Thank you for your glowing review! We love the fact that you found your experience phenomenal and enjoyed what our chef has to offer. Your kind words and 10/10 rating truly motivate us to keep delivering the best culinary journey in Aruba. We can’t wait to welcome you back for another unforgettable experience. Warm regards, The Journey Team
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FAQs

THE JOURNEY - To Culinary Excellence is rated 4.9 stars by 102 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Home
United States
Caribbean
Aruba
Aruba

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 3 times today

Experiences are available.

Google Map for THE JOURNEY - To Culinary Excellence

330 L.G. Smith Blvd, next to the old Windmill, Oranjestad, Palm Beach 00000

Additional information

Cross street
opposite of Riu hotel
Neighborhood
Aruba
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri 7:00 pm–7:15 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
International, Contemporary American, French
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Private Lot
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Patrick van der Donk
Additional
Beer, Chef's Table, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.thejourneychefstablearuba.com/
Phone number
565 0535
Catering
The Journey has its own catering company, Amuse Catering, with many years of experience. We have served many, from a big group of loyal locals to big events for the government, the Royal Dutch family and many other stars coming to the Island. Weddings events on the beach we also cater, set-up and organize.
Private party facilities
The Journey is a unique spot for small events. Small Weddings parties, birthday parties or business events.

THE JOURNEY - To Culinary Excellence

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Experiences

Chef's Table

Menu

Chefs tasting Menu

Chef's tasting Menu$130.00

What 102 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is THE JOURNEY - To Culinary Excellence restaurant rated?

Is THE JOURNEY - To Culinary Excellence currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information