Fun and entertainment North

Judging by the number of people in the place as soon as the sun goes down, this is one of the HQs of the North, one of those trendy places where it's hard to find a place to eat at the weekend. Its success is based on three key factors: a friendly owner, a conceptual decor (here in red and black with cans recycled as tables and chairs, and cheerful lanterns) and, above all, a SITE - facing the sea, in the open air, in rooftop mode. The kitchen concocts small dishes at all hours, but the main attraction is the salsa evenings on Wednesdays, the blind test on Thursdays and the DJ nights at weekends.

The red lacquered grand piano, a major decorative element, is the icon of this place, and also the "border" between the outside part of the bar, very lounge under its stretched canvas, and the inside section, design and fun, with its flat screens and its red billiards. It is one of the trendiest places in Mauritius, quite busy on weekends, more cocooning the rest of the time, with a fire-breathing fountain and large sofas where you can lounge on the terrace. Nice selection of cocktails and wines, and a small menu of dishes to nibble without necessarily sitting down.

With its 30-meter-long infinity pool set in a semicircle on the lagoon horizon, it's the most beautiful rooftop in Mauritius! As magnetic by day, when it plunges into a panoramic view of the blue bay and the northern islets, as it is at sunset, when the music swells, the shakers get busy and the night shimmers like a glittering, glamorous, musical clamor (DJ). Semi-submerged tables and deckchairs, lounges with sound systems, everything is state-of-the-art, not to mention the decor and the Indian and Levantine cuisine.

It's one of Grand Baie's must-see institutions. For 30 years, its music scene has been attracting locals and travelers alike, in a clever mix of styles, ages and nationalities. Partly in the open air, under a giant flamboyant, in the tempo each evening of live bands and/or DJs, we sip exotic beverages (great cocktail menu) in a cool cosmopolitan atmosphere. Upstairs: Blue Note, a more intimate jazz club. Adjacent: The Grill restaurant for the hungry, otherwise a tapas menu on site.

It's not just a traditional casino with a wide choice of slot machines and the usual gaming tables that welcome addicts from 10 am in a subdued atmosphere where no daylight is shining. It is also a local institution whose reputation extends beyond the borders of Mauritius thanks to the poker tournaments that are organized there and in which some of the great players of this world sometimes participate. Nota bene: for players at an advanced stage of addiction, casinomauritius.mu is operational 7 days a week and 24 hours a day!

For several years now, it has been the leading disco in the north of the island: high-tech soundproofing system, top-notch sound system orchestrated by top-notch DJs, nice clientele in the prime of their lives (20 - 25 years old on average - selection at the entrance). We appreciate the lounge area where you can have a drink or a cocktail "in peace", and the 2 dance floors flanked by their respective bars (one indoor, the other outdoor) with a different musical program. Theme nights and live bands. At its best from midnight/1am!

You're immediately drawn in by the decor, the energy of the team and the energy of this huge, danceable, multi-space resto-bar-lounge, which aims to be a place of sharing and pleasure, cool during the day and festive on weekend evenings when the music scene blazes to the rhythm of the shakers. More than just a restaurant, N'Joy is a platform for young artists and headliners. The quality programming is as eclectic as the clientele, with travelers and locals mixing in a great musical atmosphere - live concerts and DJs.

On the coastal road, the one for mid-week and weekend revelers, this is the other trendy club in Grand Bay with Insomnia, cosmopolitan and quite crowded on Fridays and Saturdays - especially late when the bars close. One of the few clubs also open during the week. No standard musical program, it varies according to the DJs in residence and those invited, including some names of the international night. On Facebook, you can catch the program and the dates of the theme nights. Several bars on the spot.

This was the first bowling alley to open in Mauritius (others have since followed, notably in the Bagatelle and Cascavelle malls). It features eight lanes, four pool tables and a large lounge bar serving a choice of drinks and cocktails. Rain or shine, it's a great place to meet more Mauritians than travellers. The musical atmosphere and lighting effects give the whole place a festive air. The friendly staff are always on hand to offer service and advice. Very busy at weekends.

It's not just one of the few restaurants willing to serve late on weekends, but also a bar-lounge in a pleasant setting, set back from the busy road and partly in the open air - wooden tables and chairs under umbrellas, decor made from salvaged objects, sand in the outdoor areas... it's like a piece of "beach" just a stone's throw from the beach! The menu offers a choice of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, wines, shooters, spirits... to accompany salads, pizzas, Creole dishes and more. Happy Hours from 4pm to 8pm daily and live music on Friday and Saturday.

This impressive bar is the highlight of the Anno 1743 restaurant, itself the nerve center of the restored Balaclava ruins. Staircases and a stone wall lead from the old powder mill to the adjoining distillery, where a majestic "rum library" backs onto the walls of yesteryear. Wherever you look, on either side of the sublime copper distillation column and high up to the ceiling, you'll find the largest collection of local rums, exclusively from the 6 active distilleries in Mauritius. Tasting sequence.

Accessed by a staircase lined with an impressive wine library, this exclusive lounge-style bar is camped on the roof of the Anno 1743 Restaurant, itself housed in the restored ruins of an old 18th-century powder mill. A historical sequence, or rather, an aesthetic one, because it's so beautiful! In a pure white in perfect harmony with the basaltic grey of the remains, this terrace in the sky offers a sublime view of the ancient chimney, the banyan grove, the river below... The menu offers a selection of whiskies and cocktails + snacks.

The alchemy of a good nightclub lies in the personality of the people who run it, and the quality of the music and ambience, which, through a snowball effect, influence the style of the clientele. And so it goes with this trendy Mauritian nightlife spot, often crowded and attracting the island's golden youth, students on work placements in Mauritius, expatriates and tourists passing through... Two spaces in one and two bars: one indoors, the other in an outdoor courtyard. DJs, themed evenings, sports broadcasts...

The terrace overlooking the turquoise of the bay, the tables under canvas or umbrellas facing the boats that leave, return or yodel at the mooring, the pretty shops in the small adjoining centre... Welcome to the local Saint-Tropez! Under the sunshine as well as at sunset, this is the most pleasant café in the "town centre" where you can take a break between two shopping sessions in a small "marina" atmosphere. A menu of snacks, salads, fresh juices, ice creams and cocktails at any time of the day. For lunch or dinner, it is also an Italian restaurant.

This intimate, convivial bar, located on the first floor of the famous Amigo seafood restaurant, cultivates the same concern for excellence through a short, but demanding and cutting-edge menu of signature cocktails or revisited classics, to be accompanied by homemade tapas. While retaining the sense of welcome and quality products that have made the family-run restaurant such a success since 1985, the youngest son puts his mixologist talents to work to create tasty, cosy evenings.

Atypical, the place is also the only Caveau de Sabrage on the island.