Bucatini Market & Cucina is the Italian restaurant at JOIA Aruba by Iberostar, next door to J.E. Irausquin Blvd 230 in Noord on the Eagle Beach side. It holds a 4.9-star Google rating across 231 reviews (checked September 2026), and the dinner menu runs from a $21 wood-fired pizza to a $180 sharing steak, with most pastas at $30.
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About Bucatini Market & Cucina
It does two shifts. Breakfast runs from 7am to 11:30am every day, and dinner from 5:30pm to 10:00pm Tuesday to Sunday, with the Monday evening off (hours per the restaurant’s own OpenTable listing, September 2026). The dinner menu is Italian with vegetarian options; reviewers single out the sauces and describe the food as full of flavour. As with Gaia across the resort, the reviews are unusually heavy on named servers, which says the front-of-house team is the strength here. There is outdoor seating, the room suits children and groups, and the bar does cocktails and beer.
What reviewers mention
Servers who explain the menu and look after first-timers, a warm welcome that several people describe as the highlight of their first evening in Aruba, and breakfast staff who get the same praise as the dinner team.
The full menu with prices — checked September 2026
Transcribed from the restaurant’s own published dinner menu on its OpenTable listing — the booking channel JOIA’s own site links to — which the restaurant last updated on 15 May 2026. Prices are in US dollars and can change. Breakfast is a buffet with no published price list; everything below is the dinner service.
Antipasti, soup and salads — $8 to $35
- Tavola Antipasto Bucatini $35 — one bountiful plate from the antipasto buffet, chef’s selection; built for sharing, refills not permitted
- Tavola da Giardino $22 — marinated vegetables, spreads and breads
- Pane all’Aglio (garlic bread) $8 · focaccia with olive tapenade $8
- Bruschetta $15 — porchetta, gorgonzola spread, candied pecan
- Fritto di Primavera $16 · Mozzarella in Carrozza $18 · Polpetta (lamb and beef meatball) $20
- Burrata Caprese $24 · Cozze (mussels, San Marzano tomato, white wine) $24 · Fritto Misto $26
- Minestrone $15 · Insalata da Giardino $16 · Kale Carbonara Caesar $18
Pasta and risotto — $26 to $38
- Pesto Casarecce $26 — the cheapest pasta on the list
- At $30: Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe · Rigatoni alla Vodka · Spaghetti Carbonara · Bucatini e Polpettini (plant-based meatballs) · Tortellone agli Spinaci · Risotto e Funghi
- Rigatoni alla Bolognesa $32 · Linguini Vongole $32
- Lasagna al Ragù di Manzo $35 — made fresh daily with braised short rib · Gamberi Risotto $35
- Spaghetti Nero Frutti di Mare $38 — scallops, shrimp, white fish and baby clams
Wood-fired pizza — $21 to $35
- Estate $21 · Stracciatella $23 · Prosciutto $26 · Salsiccia Piccante $26
- Pistacchiosa (mortadella and pistachio) $32 · Tartufata $32 · Gamberi $35
Secondi and sides — $35 to $180
- Chicken Parmigiana $35 · Branzino $46 · Duo di Mare (black cod and whole prawns) $50
- Tagliata di Manzo $51 — 10 oz skirt steak · Stinco di Agnello $58 — lamb shank on truffle polenta
- Tournedos alla Rossini $70 — 8 oz filet mignon with foie gras and truffle
- Bistecca alla Fiorentina $180 — a 40 oz USDA Prime porterhouse for the table
- Sides $9 to $12 — mashed potatoes, fries, baby potatoes, polenta, mixed vegetables
Kids, desserts and coffee drinks
- Bambini menu $8 to $12: pizza Margherita $10, kids’ pasta $10, chicken tenders with fries $12, fruit cup $8
- Desserts $12 to $15: Tiramisu, Lemonisimo, Pizza Fritta (ricotta-limoncello mousse) and Lampone Panna Cotta all $15, Affogato $14, two scoops of gelato or sorbet $12
- Carajillo $13 · Espresso Martini $18
Our verdict
Pasta is the heart of the menu and the sensible way to eat here: $26 to $38 a plate with most at $30, so a shared antipasto and two pastas lands around $45 to $55 a head before drinks. The wood-fired pizzas from $21 and a real kids’ menu at $8 to $12 make this the easiest JOIA restaurant for families. The secondi climb fast — the $70 Tournedos and the $180 forty-ounce Fiorentina are steakhouse territory, and if steak is the whole point, Gaia House of Grill across the resort is the dedicated grill room. Two practical points from the restaurant’s own listing: there is no dinner service on Mondays, and payment is by card only — cash is not accepted.
Getting there
Bucatini is inside JOIA Aruba by Iberostar on J.E. Irausquin Boulevard between Eagle Beach and Palm Beach. If you are staying on the hotel strip, a rental car is the easiest way to reach it and everything else on this side of the island; taxis add up fast at night.
Hours and practical details
- Address: J.E. Irausquin Blvd 230, Noord, inside JOIA Aruba by Iberostar
- Hours: breakfast 7am to 11:30am daily; dinner 5:30pm to 10:00pm Tuesday to Sunday
- Typical spend: pastas $26–$38, pizzas $21–$35, secondi $35–$180; Google visitors estimate AWG 20–140 per person
- Dress code: casual (per OpenTable)
- Payment: cards only — cash is not accepted (per OpenTable)
- Good for: breakfast, dinner, children, groups, outdoor seating; vegetarian dishes; cocktails and beer
- Reservations: accepted
- Phone: +297 699 9352
Rating, review count and opening hours are from Google Maps and change over time; check the live Google listing before you go. We have not reviewed this restaurant in person yet; the impressions above are drawn from what Google reviewers report.
More restaurants nearby
Gaia House of Grill is the same resort’s grill room, and the rest of the Eagle Beach strip is a short walk along the boulevard. For the full list with filters by area, cuisine and rating, see the Aruba restaurants directory, or our hand-picked best restaurants in Aruba.
Inside Bucatini Market & Cucina
Photos via Google Maps: Bucatini Market & Cucina, Bucatini Market & Cucina, Kozen Takaesu, joanna conforti, Bucatini Market & Cucina · see the listing on Google Maps
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