Meat Us Grill: Poolside Steaks at the Courtyard Marriott
An open-air grill on the Suriname River, where sizzling steaks meet sunset breezes.
Why Go
Tucked into the pool deck of the Courtyard by Marriott on Anton Dragtenweg, Meat Us is the kind of place where the smoke from the open-air kitchen mingles with the river air and a chilled Parbo lands on your table before you've settled in. It's a slightly unexpected find inside a business hotel ΓÇö but locals and expats have quietly turned it into one of Paramaribo's easiest, breeziest sit-down dinners.
The Experience
The setting is the sell: a lantern-lit terrace wrapped around the hotel pool, with the Suriname River glinting just beyond the palms. Ceiling fans whir, the grill hisses in view, and staff work at a relaxed Surinamese tempo ΓÇö friendly, unhurried, quick with a refill. The menu leans international-with-a-grill-heart: steaks, ribs, and burgers on one page, pastas and pool-day salads on the other, plus a handful of Surinamese-leaning dishes for anyone chasing local flavor. It's not haute cuisine ΓÇö it's honest, generous plates in a setting that feels a little like a mini vacation from whatever brought you into town.
What to Try
Come for the grill: the tenderloin and the mixed-grill platter are the safe bets, ordered medium-rare and paired with the peppercorn or chimichurri sauce. The pasta side of the menu is stronger than you'd expect from a steakhouse ΓÇö the seafood pasta is a good hedge if you're not in a red-meat mood. Start with a caipirinha or a Parbo Djogo (the oversized local lager) and finish with a strong Surinamese coffee on the terrace.
Insider Tip
Book a table for around 6:30 pm on a clear evening ΓÇö you'll catch the last of the light off the river before the fans and lanterns take over, and you'll dodge the after-work business-dinner rush that fills the terrace closer to 8. Ask specifically for a poolside table; the interior seating is fine but the whole point is to be outside.
The Practical Stuff
Anton Dragtenweg 50, inside the Courtyard by Marriott Paramaribo, about a 10-minute taxi from the historic centre. Reservations are wise on weekends and easy to make through the hotel. Dress is smart-casual ΓÇö no one will blink at shorts, but most guests dress up a touch. Cards are accepted; SRD cash also fine. Parking on-site through the hotel gate.
Pair It With
- Waterkant sunset stroll — Walk off dinner along Paramaribo's riverside promenade ΓÇö 10 minutes away and lined with wooden colonial facades lit up after dark.
- Courtyard by Marriott Paramaribo Guide — The hotel above the restaurant is the easiest pairing: dinner downstairs, nightcap at the lobby bar, and no taxi hunt at midnight.
- Aanansi ATV Tours Guide — After a day tearing through the interior with a nearby ATV outfitter, Meat Us is the ideal 'clean up and eat a real steak' reward.
- 't Vat / Rumhuis nightcap — Cross into the Zorg en Hoop neighborhood for a rum flight ΓÇö the classic follow-up to a Surinamese grill dinner.