Brass Boer, the oceanfront restaurant at Delfins Beach Resort in Bonaire, has completed its biggest renovation since opening in 2017 — and the standout addition is a private table for two at the end of a pier, framed by herbs and the Caribbean Sea.
The restaurant is the sister of De Librije, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in the Netherlands, and held the number one spot on Caribbean Journal's 50 Best Restaurants in the Caribbean list for three consecutive years. The revamp leans into that pedigree while doubling down on Bonaire itself.
Three new palapas anchor the redesign. Designed with chef Jonnie Boer and Thérèse Boer alongside Dutch firm EVE Architecten, they were prefabricated in the Netherlands by Mudde Bouw, shipped across the Atlantic and assembled on the island, with palm-leaf roofs built to handle the trade winds. There's also a bigger outdoor terrace, a new entrance, refreshed private dining rooms and a walk-in wine cellar devoted to Thérèse Boer's collection — one that has earned the restaurant a White Star from Star Wine List.
The pier experience is called Yerba Mesa, and it's a tribute to Jonnie Boer, who died in 2025 and was known for his obsession with herbs. Dinner starts with Champagne and the restaurant's signature caviar egg, followed by a personal menu introduction and à la carte ordering. Book for 5:30 to 6 p.m. to catch the sunset, and note that $14 from each guest goes to culinary education at MBO Bonaire, funding student visits to the island's farmers and fishermen. The pier also hosts Table 14, an older private-dining concept honouring Johan Cruijff, with a six-course dinner and donations to the Cruyff Foundation.
In the kitchen, chef Stefan Martens still serves the six-course tasting menu alongside à la carte options, including De Librije classics like the 2006 Egg Caviar and the Deconstructed Apple Pie from 2009. Local sourcing has grown too — Bon Tera, a farm growing produce in Bonaire's dry climate, now supplies tomatoes, basil and mint. A new Brass Boer Lounge on the water adds a casual spot for Champagne, cocktails, oysters and caviar.
Bonaire built its reputation on diving — shore snorkelling, protected reefs, an easygoing pace — but food is fast becoming part of the island's identity, and Brass Boer sits at the centre of that. Staying at Delfins, a Hilton Tapestry Collection property, means you can snorkel the house reef, grab a drink at Club Tropicana and walk straight to one of the Caribbean's best dinners. For food-loving divers, this island now delivers on both fronts.
Original reporting: Caribbean Journal
