6 Best Restaurants in Moorea, French Polynesia

Named after the Kahaia tree from which the restaurant's roof and beams are made, this lovely venue is part of the Sofitel Moorea Ia Ora Beach Resort. Just 28 diners sit at chunky tree trunk tables on groovy chairs and wiggle their toes in the sand. Bohemian candelabras grace every table. The fare is a modern take on French cuisine; there are no heavy sauces and the emphasis is on fresh ingredients prepared in a simple way. The prawns are marinated with tandoori spices and the blue fin tuna steak is marinated with soy sauce, honey, and sesame and cooked to taste. Desserts are light with the exception of chocolate dacquoise (a nut meringue) cookie with coconut cream.

"The Golden Unicorn" is a charming little spot that wouldn't be out of place in a French village. The tables are immaculately set for dinner with fine glassware and apricot colored tablecloths, while lunch is more casual. The specialty dish is an intriguing mixture of tempura tuna, shrimps, rice, and ginger sauce, while lighter fare includes smoked salmon and crème fraiche and poisson cru "a la Chinois" (Chinese style).

Dine on French and Cajun food while listening to a jazz or soul band at this restaurant near Le Petit Village. A favorite dish is slipper lobster (a small relative of the crayfish) served with a vanilla sauce. Crab cakes and Cajun gazpacho spice things up. The decor of all white is plantation style with white cane chairs and tables. The best deals are the two set menus—the discovery (4,500 CFP) and the Cajun (5,100 CFP). There are regular party nights with a DJ and dancing into the late hours.

This lovely restaurant at the Moorea Pearl Resort is considered one of the best on the island and it's also the most expensive. Chef Pascal Bionaz, who was previously with the Relais & Chateaux Taha'a Island Resort (also in French Polynesia) is said to create "gastromonic delights" and "dream creations." The menu is a three-course degustation, at 9,000 CFP, with five choices of appetizer, seven of main course, and four of dessert. Three of the dishes, including the lobster tournedos, attract an extra supplement (from 600 to 1,000 CFP). You can start with crab tartar on hibiscus and honey jelly, move on to the roasted mahimahi stuffed with lobster with a side of pasta with cuttlefish ink, and finish with Morello cherries soufflé. The resort offers "reduced taxi fares," which you should inquire about when booking.

Lobster ravioli is the specialty dish at this restaurant, considered one the best on the island, right next to the Hotel Hibiscus. Other seafood dishes with a twist are raw tuna sashimi with ginger and garlic sauce and scallops with Calvados, an apple brandy. Traditional French fare such as beef fillet with foie gras is a hearty choice and might best be followed with a light dessert such as lemon sorbet with vodka, or the local innovation—a half-frozen coconut!

"The Little Turtle" is one of the best restaurants on the island. Some people call it Chez Roger as that's the chef's name. There are great views of Cook's Bay and the shark-toothed mountain. The menu is classic French with dishes such as frogs' legs sautéed in garlic and beef tenderloin with brandy sauce. The chef will flambé your lobster or crêpes suzette at your table. This is an expensive night out (the lobster is 4,700 CFP) but it will be a night to remember, and there's a free shuttle to and from your hotel.