If you’re looking for Caribbean specialties (like stobas) or island classics (like spare ribs), the Cactus Café in Westpunt is a great option. It’s not a Viennese café, but it’s a fantastic restaurant in the west of Curaçao. The Peanut Banana Soup is the restaurant’s signature dish. You’ve got to try it!

Ride your droshky west

You can’t miss the Cactus Café driving along the southern beach road (coming from the east of the island) in the direction of Westpunt. Just after the fishing village of Lagun, it is the first palapa you’ll see on your left as you enter Westpunt. The parking lot is right next to it, and you’ll find the Rancho Al Sobrino Resort right opposite. A large signpost draws attention to both.

Aerial view of the Cactus Café – the only 2 floor palapa in Curacao we know

All Quiet on the Western Front?

That’s the name of an old movie classic. It doesn’t apply to the Cactus Café. Many people still know the owners from the Trio Penotti restaurant. Taco & Emelin (the owners of the restaurant) have only recently opened in Westpunt. It’s been a great addition to the west of the island!

In between, the Cactus Café in Soto was located on a small hill. I got talking to Taco here a few years ago and he invited me to have one of his home-smoked whiskeys after dinner. Thank you, Taco! That was a truly unforgettable evening for all of us. It was also our first contact with the African Peanut Soup with Banana, as it is called on the menu. Word of mouth had already spread about it, so we decided to head to Soto in the evening.

The legendary Peanut Banana Soup à la Taco

A lot of exitement about the Peanut Banana Soup

Many restaurants around the world have a dish that’s been hyped. If you google Cactus Café Curacao, the banana soup is always mentioned as a highlight. Why is that? And rightly so! It’s a “secret recipe” and the taste of this soup is unique.

It’s also vegan, which is really trendy right now. We’ve never eaten anything like it anywhere else in the world. And it’s more than just a soup, with a creamy consistency and sweet local bananas.

Spoiler alert: Taco gave us the original recipe, and Maike recreated it for Christmas. It was a big hit, and we’ll have more on this at the end of the article.

Stoba, the goulash of the Caribbean

Stobas are Caribbean stews that are simmered for hours. Be it with beef, goat (=kabritu) chicken or papaya. But the goat meat here is quite different from what you’d find in Europe or the USA. It never smells or tastes like … you know! It just smells and tastes delicious: try it!

Stoba tasting (meet, goat, chicken) – all three variants are tasty

You can also have funchi, chips, rice, or whatever else you like as a side dish. Just choose the one that suits your taste.

Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer restaurants on Curacao that offer local (meat) specialties. It seems like the trend on the island is moving towards “healthy”. Asian food with lots of vegetables and at best chicken from the wok, Thai curry and vegetarian dishes. That’s fine, but the traditional dishes are also worth a sin!

Side dish “Funchi” – typical Curacao: read our article regarding Funchi

My ribs, your ribs

It’s a classic and you can get it almost anywhere on the island: spare ribs in a delicious barbecue sauce. Whether on the beach, Truki Pan or from the Green Egg at the luxury resort: The difference lies not only in the taste, but above all in whether the ribs come off the bone easily and hit all your taste buds almost fat-free on the palate. Taco can do that! His ribs are among the best on the island. Try it out!

A barbeque classic: tender ribs with fries

The wine thing

In the late afternoon, after a visit to the beach and with sea salt still on my tongue (and on my feet), there’s nothing better for me than a sizzling evening beer. On the other hand, I like to enjoy a good glass of red wine with dinner. Of course, it shouldn’t be as warm as the island. On Curacao, red wine has to be served chilled to taste good.

Unfortunately, the wine at the Cactus Café is served warm and unchilled. You have to order a few ice cubes first, which in turn waters down the wine. Dear Taco: There’s still room for improvement. You should keep and serve your delicious wine perfectly chilled. => Small suggestion for improvement

Peanut banana soup at home

Now, let’s get back to the star of the show: the banana soup. Taco shared the original recipe a few years ago (=still in Soto). Maike has made it several times, and we and our guests love it at home. It’s always a hit!

As a large pot of soup is usually not empty after a meal, Maike has “developed” the experience for us and quickly turned it into a main course: some chicken breast (in the pan), Asian rice (basmati or jasmine) and the leftovers of the Peanut Banana Soup: DELICIOUS!!!!

Peanut Banana Soup à la Maike – Xmas dinner

So, what do you think? Are we twisting the recipe or has Maike created something new and delicious for us? Is that allowed? Let us know in the comments if you’ve already tried the soup at Taco & Emelin and how you liked it.

Conclusion

You should definitely check out the Cactus Café on your island tour. Either because you’re staying in the west anyway, or because you want to stop off on the way back from Playa Kalki (which is also worth a day trip). In addition to the legendary Peanut Banana Soup, there are world-class ribs, perfectly cooked fillet of beef (sous-vide), traditional stobas and everything that makes a good dinner.

Is there anything else I should mention?

Maike adds at this point: The delicious fish Mahi Mahi with Taco’s homemade Saus Krioyo and Burrito. You can choose whether by Burrito she means the Mexican dish, which is also available here in a vegetarian version, or the red tomcat Burrito. The latter is practically part of the inventory and we already got to know him as kitten.

Kitten named Burrito

Just have a good time at the Cactus Café! You can find the latest info and event details on their Facebook page.