Since 1941, Charlie's has been the heart and soul of San Nicolas, famous for its interior decorated with eclectic bric-a-brac left behind by decades of international visitors. It also serves surprisingly good food, including delicious fresh fish and shrimp and killer steaks. They also bottle and sell their own brand of hot sauce called Honeymoon Sauce.

This bar is a legendary marker in the neighborhood of San Nicolas. It’s been around for eight decades, and the first thing you notice are the tchotchkes that hang on the wall. It’s a well-decorated bar with a reputation for last call lingering into the wee hours of the morning, but don’t be fooled, this isn’t a dive bar per se.

What we found was Charlie’s Bar (a true hoarder’s paradise brimming with character), a street music festival and very friendly locals. It was a great trip!

Palm Beach's liveliest beach bar hosts frequent happy hours and a rollicking Sunday-night dance party in the sand, which the whole island tends to show up…

This bar, founded by Dutch couple Charles and Marie Brouns, has been an island legend for more than 70 years. Many people visit just out of curiosity or to study the outrageous decor: banners, pennants, posters, stickers and bric-a-brac cover the ceiling and walls. Though many come the first time to gawk while they sip on a cold beer, Charlie's keeps them coming back with surprisingly good seafood, especially Creole squid and "Shrimps Jumbo and Dumbo." (Dumbo because they got caught!) Chef Charles (the third generation of Charlie's) and Chef Rosalba also cook a mean Argentine-style steak, and their trademark "honeymoon sauce" is fabulous, and hot, hot, hot!

Known for its terrible service, outstanding seafood and steaks, and cold drinks, Charlie’s Bar has been an island tradition since 1941!. The interior is clad with a collection of miscellaneous artifacts collected over the years and/or provided by its clientele making for quite the eclectic decor. Unfortunately, we only got to experience the “terrible service” part of this Aruban staple since we got turned away by the bartender claiming that they were closed even though we arrived 45 minutes before they were supposed to have closed.

De meest authentieke ziel van San Nicolas komt ook naar voren in de panden, waaronder de onmisbare Nicolaas Store en de beroemde Charlie’s Bar. De voormalige, oorspronkelijk bekend als een detailhandelaar in boeken, kranten en cadeauartikelen, herbergt tegenwoordig het Kulture Café, beheerd door Fundacion Museo Arubano. Tijdens de restauratiewerkzaamheden werd besloten enkele historische elementen te behouden, waaronder de gekleurde tegels en enkele meubels met een absoluut Caribische sfeer.

Charlie’s Bar and Restaurant is an artistic and cultural experience in and of itself, but add in their creole seafood and especially the Hoere Hap, and you might think you’ve died and gone to heaven. For classic Caribbean pub food, head on over to Big Mama Grill for their beach-bar atmosphere and the Seafood Sandwich. Or enjoy sipping a craft beer or cocktail, listening to live music, and munching on the Grilled Grouper Platter at Rum Reef Cocktail Bar & Grill Aruba.

If you’re looking for a fun and one-of-a-kind bar experience in Aruba, visit Charlie’s Bar & Restaurant, a legendary local watering hole in the heart of San Nicolas. Charlie’s Bar is a local institution that has been family-owned and -operated since 1941. What makes Charlie’s Bar so interesting are all the eclectic knickknacks, collected over many years, that hang from the ceiling and cover every inch of the walls inside the bar.

If you’re in the San Nicolas area, Charlie’s Bar & Restaurant is a must-visit. The eccentricity of decorations and delightful personality of its staff make this the perfect destination for travelers looking to capture a deeper look into the island. Charlie’s has been operating since 1941, its quirky atmosphere shows through a worldly interior decor that consists of gifts from visitors located all around the globe.

Zeppenfeldstraat 56, San Nicolas (Kitchen open from 11.30am to 7pm. Closed Sundays and holidays). In the colourful town of San Nicolas, a town worth visiting for the street art alone, Charlie’s Bar opened in the early 1940s when the town was nicknamed the New Orleans of the Caribbean. Over the years, this once booming town fell into decline, but it is now reinventing itself as a centre of music, art and culture.

We can’t decide what we love most about Charlie’s Bar; the food, drinks, or the cozy local vibe?. When you make a stop in San Nicolas to visit Charlie’s—an island institution since 1941—the first thing you’ll notice is their iconic bar filled with a (seriously) unique collection of international memorabilia. This lively spot serves up a list of brews alongside a range of casual bites.

Additionally, O’Neil Caribbean Kitchen, Kamini’s Kitchen, and Neighba all offer mouth-watering and flavorful Caribbean dishes that you must try.”Lastly, one of the most well-known spots on the island, Charlie’s Bar, has been serving cold beer, smiles, and long-time stories of the island since 1941. This truly is a unique and fun “hole in the wall” worth visiting.

Enjoying a drink at Charlie’s Bar has been a long-standing beloved tradition on the island since 1941. The walls and ceilings are adorned with decades of international memorabilia for a festive and funky atmosphere that’s unforgettable. It’s a feast for the eyes (and the stomach) as every square inch offers something exciting to inspect.

Once you’ve finished snapping shots of the gorgeous street art, head over to Charlie’s Bar which is somewhat of an island institution dating back to the 1940s. The eclectic spot was a favourite hangout of scuba divers, who started hanging their underwater discoveries on the wall which turned it into somewhat of an unofficial museum.

Probably Aruba’s most colorful and historic watering hole, Charlie’s Bar is an island institution since 1941. The bar offers great food with a unique atmosphere and is decorated with international memorabilia, a collection that spans over eight decades and covers the walls from floor to ceiling. And that is no exaggeration.

Charlie’s restaurant and bar sits in the San Nicolas area of the island. This part of the town formerly acquired a reputation for prostitution, but it is making great strides toward becoming an art district. Currently, you’ll find 10 or 12 stunning murals on exterior buildings painted by local and international artists.

Beyond its fame as a memorabilia-filled watering hole, Charlie’s Bar serves excellent food. Their garlic shrimp is legendary, and the menu includes other satisfying options like burgers, steaks, and local specialties. Pair your meal with a cold Balashi beer or one of their signature cocktails for the full experience.

I’m not much of a nightlife guy, so I came in the middle of the day for lunch and a beer. The lunch was decent, but of course that isn’t why someone comes to Charlie’s. The place is covered top to bottom with random junk from every corner of the globe, all interesting in some way with plenty conversation starters.

Walk into Charlie’s Bar, a family-owned and operated pub that’s been open since 1941 to a space chock full of memorabilia and bartenders ready to make you smile. And if you’re lucky, there will be a one-man-band singing all your favorite tunes. Note: Charlie’s is open from 11:00AM-5:00PM and closed on Sunday’s.

Charlie’s Bar and Restaurant is located at Bernard van de Veen Zeppenfeldstraat 56, San Nicolas, Aruba. In my post Ultimate Guide for Things to See and Do in Aruba, I shared about an area that has a mural tour. Charlie’s Bar is located in that area so make sure you see the murals while you are there!

In San Nicholas, further than Savaneta, but if you are going to Baby Beach, you might stop in for lunch or a beer and a snack on the way home. It is a tiny bar, plastered with memorabilia with decent bar food and very friendly people. Hard to find, but follow the signs when you get to San Nicholas.

That would have been a shame as lunch was a scant few hours later at Charlie’s, a place so oozing with local colour that Sloppy Joe’s in Key West or Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop in New Orleans seem sedate by comparison. Try the mouth-watering ribs with one of the local drinks and you’ll be in heaven.

I stop for a drink at Charlie’s Bar, an Aruban institution since 1941, where banknotes pinned haphazardly to the walls crinkle in the breeze. The sun is scorching beyond its open doors, while inside a handful of patrons sit under a ceiling of dangling number plates, fishing floats and life buoys.

While I haven’t eaten here, we just had some beers, I still wanted to mention it here since this place is off the beaten path, away from all of the touristy areas, and a “must visit” when you come to Aruba. If not for the beer or for the food, then certainly for the eclectic decor!

The perfect place to stop for travelers on their way to Baby Beach, this off-the-beaten-path watering hole may be a bit out of the way, but it's worth the drive. The original Charles and his wife opened the bar in 1941 near the Lago Refinery as a spot for…

A neighborhood institution for over eighty years, it’s not hard to believe Charlie’s Bar’s age once you catch sight of the interior. Decades worth of bric-a-brac, antiques, and left-behind junk cover every available surface along the walls and ceiling.

Charlie’s Bar & Restaurant, an established local haunt, offers a historical ambiance paired with delicious international and local cuisine. For a quick bite, Big Mama Grill can’t be missed, known for its tasty burgers and casual setting.

The sunset picture is taken from the balcony of our unit at La Cabana. We’re on the fourth floor, the top floor, the penthouse as Pam calls it. We sat on the balcony having a drink, getting a little sun, watching it drop into the ocean.

Verder kent het San Nicolas een wereldberoemde bar: Charlie’s Bar. Charlie’s Bar bestaat sinds 1941 en is een begrip op het Benedenwindse Eiland. De bar hangt vol met duikvondsten, krantenartikelen, (verkeers)borden en andere trofeeën.

Located in the heart of San Nicolas, this interestingly decorated bar is a major hotspot. This is a locally owned bar that is away from all of the hotels and tourist areas. You are sure to have an authentic experience at Charlies.

Charlie’s Bar, a legendary watering hole established in the 1940s, is a must-visit. Decorated with an eclectic collection of memorabilia, it’s a place where stories of the town’s past come to life over a cold Aruban beer.

Hang out at Charlie’s Bar in St Nicolas, a famous bar since the 1940s, when scuba divers began to hang their underwater discoveries on the walls. This is one of the best places to visit in Aruba to meet locals.

Binnen raak ik niet uitgekeken op alle versiersels en snuisterijen. Tony, de zwager van Charlie, vertelt: ‘De gestoomde garnalen zijn hier favoriet. Ook hebben we altijd een veggie special’.

While you’re here, check out “Aruba’s most famous bar” Charlie’s – a hole in the wall plastered with thousands of personal memorabilia from all their visitors.

After a quick tour, have lunch at Charlie’s Bar, a beloved local spot known for its eclectic decor and delicious food.

On Tito’s advice, we head for Charlie’s Bar, the most famous bar on the island, to let things sink in.