You come for the rum.

Oh, sure, when you get to the Netto Bar, you’ll realize that you would have gladly visited, anyway. It’s a friendly place. Everyone knows your name.

The Netto Bar is named for its founder Ernesto Koster, whose nickname was Netto. He was born in 1915, and by all accounts, loved life and his bar. His motto for anyone who wanted to succeed in life? “Traha duru, pa bo logra tur lo ke bo ke ku sodó di bo frenta.  Yuda semper kaminda bo por.”

Wait, you don’t know Papiamentu? Oh, that’s one of the island’s tongues, a  mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, French, with some touches of Arawak Indian and African languages. We’ll help you out – according to the Netto Bar website, Netto’s motto  translates to “Work until the sweat pours off your forehead to achieve everything you want in life and always help wherever you can.”

Netto passed away at the age of 89, shortly before the bar’s 50th anniversary. His protégé Jesus Zimmerman now runs the place, and it’s he who pours you a glass of green rum mixed in fresh coconut water when you take your seat. Come to think of it, everyone actually calls Jesus by his nickname, Chu. Now you’re all set — even if he doesn’t know your name, you’ll know all of his!

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