Tangelo by Torarica
All-day café-restaurant on Paramaribo's entertainment strip, from breakfast plates to late-night tapas.
Why Go
Part of the Torarica Group but a world apart from your hotel dining room, Tangelo is where Paramaribo actually shows up — office lunches, lingering coffees, cocktail-hour catch-ups. It runs breakfast through late-night tapas in a bright, contemporary room a short stroll from the riverfront casino, and the menu leans as much on Surinamese soups and Asian-influenced noodles as on burgers and sandwiches. If you want one address that covers you at 9am, 1pm, and 9pm without leaving central Paramaribo, this is it.
The Experience
Tangelo sits on the Torarica Resort strip, so it feels polished — glass frontage, air-conditioning that actually works, table service that's quick without being rushed — but the crowd keeps it grounded. Mornings are a mix of hotel guests and locals ducking in for coffee and pastries before work. Midday you'll see suits from nearby offices tucking into salads, wraps, and a rotating Surinamese soup of the day. From 5pm the lights drop, the tapas menu opens, and the cocktail list — one of the more serious ones in town — takes over. Portions are generous, plating is neat, and prices sit at the upper end of local casual dining, which is still very reasonable by international standards.
What to Try
The chicken burger with fries is the reliable crowd favourite and comes out proper pub-size. Shaolin noodles are the sleeper hit — a stir-fried, spice-forward dish that leans on Suriname's Javanese and Chinese roots. Vegetarian pasta is a solid meat-free pick. At lunch, order whatever Surinamese soup is on the board — often saoto or a peanut soup — for something local you won't find on hotel breakfast buffets. Save room for the ice cake dessert. Halal diners are well looked after: turkey bacon and chicken sausage appear across the breakfast menu.
Insider Tip
Come after 5pm and order off the tapas menu instead of committing to a main — you'll get to sample more of the kitchen (and the cocktail list) for roughly the same spend. Friday and Saturday nights the kitchen runs an hour later, until 11pm, and the strip outside gets lively, so time your visit to roll straight into the casino or a riverside bar afterwards.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Torarica Resort strip, central Paramaribo, Suriname (walkable from Torarica, Eco Resort Inn, and Royal Torarica hotels). Hours: Mon–Thu 08:00–22:00, Fri–Sun 08:00–23:00. Service windows: breakfast 08:00–12:00, lunch 12:00–17:00, tapas 17:00–22:00 (23:00 weekends). Cards accepted; USD and EUR generally welcomed alongside SRD at hotel-adjacent venues, but confirm at the till. Reservations aren't usually needed but are worth making for Friday/Saturday dinner. Dress is smart-casual — no beachwear.
Pair It With
- Torarica Resort & Casino — Directly next door — easy to combine dinner at Tangelo with a nightcap or a spin at the casino without moving your car.
- Royal Torarica Guide — Upscale sister hotel a few steps away; good base if you want to stay walking-distance from Tangelo's breakfast service.
- 101 Suites Guide — Nearby central Paramaribo stay that puts Tangelo's all-day menu within an easy stroll.
- Aanansi ATV Tours Guide — Book a morning ATV excursion, then reward yourself with a late lunch and cold cocktail on the Tangelo terrace.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — Sun-soaked river activity that pairs perfectly with Tangelo's cooled dining room and tapas hour afterwards.
- 88 Car Rental Suriname Guide — Grab a rental nearby for day trips out of Paramaribo, and use Tangelo as your reliable in-and-out meal stop between drives.
