The best restaurants South

There is a definite dose of alchemy at this beautiful table, one of the best on the island, which pays homage to Mauritian products while sublimating them: organic fruits and vegetables from the estate, game (unforgettable braised pork and truffle sauce), venison charcuterie, etc., not to mention cocktails and desserts based on the house rums. Warm, the room opens on a courtyard with tables under gazebos. To top it all off, the prices are very reasonable considering the generosity and the quality of the dishes. Nice wine list too.

The setting is one of the most beautiful in Mauritius: a 19th century residence renovated in its original plantation style - period parquet flooring, antique furniture, fine woodwork. In the shade of an old masterly tree, the castle opens onto a French garden and distills exceptional gustatory moments. Refined and inspiring, the menu offers delicacies of Mauritian cuisine, revisited with art. Let yourself be intoxicated by the atmosphere of the terrace, the elegance of the service, the beauty of the plates, the delicacy of the dishes. A great place.

Perched on its hill, the Chamarel restaurant offers one of the most beautiful gustatory settings in Mauritius, a treat for the taste buds and the pupils. From each of the decks open on the nature, the view plunges on all the southern littoral. You can savor it literally as well as figuratively because the place, in addition to its site, offers an attractive menu of local Mauritian dishes, to be discovered via the Creole Table, a menu of authentic cuisine in 3 steps. If you are on a tight schedule, drop by in the morning for a local breakfast or during the day for a drink.

Former property of the administrator of Beauvallon, this charming table d'hôte is housed in an old wooden house. With its tin roof and its varangues, the house, built in the middle of the ^19th century, is part of the architectural heritage of Mauritius. On the menu, Indian and Creole dishes including signature dishes such as fresh palm salad or the 7 Caris du Jardin de Beau Vallon - a traditional vegetarian meal served during Indian ceremonies. Also on the menu, the catch of the day, guaranteeing fresh fish directly from the lagoon.

The words written on the façade of this former dispensary admirably transformed into a restaurant set the tone: Karay Mario, simmered memories. Here we are in Mario's den, a former tourist who realizes his dream of a beautiful table of authentic local cuisine inspired by recipes of the past. Here, there is no menu, the daily menu is elaborated according to the products available from local farmers, fishermen and producers - a way to tell the story of the culinary heritage. The setting, the decoration, the flavors, the atmosphere make this place an institution. A favorite address!

Designed by a lover of the sea and board sports, this is the coolest address in the area, as cool as the surfboards that decorate the place, the photos of kite or sailing, this beautiful old pirogue transformed into a bar. In the small room as well as in the courtyard, it is the kingdom of recuperation: from the ceiling hats to the cagettes-poufs. The menu is in harmony with the setting, unpretentious but copious, of Mauritian and Italian inspiration (pizzas). Also snacking: panini, croque, salad, French fries... Extra musical atmosphere on Friday (live)

Since Mahébourg has no real good restaurant, we will cross the threshold of the most beautiful hotel of the coast to treat ourselves to a meal directly on the seashore, facing this sublime bay where, in 1810, the battle of transfer of the island from the French to the English took place. Here we are in the bohemian chic atmosphere of Preskil Island Resort - thatched roof, wooden deck, wicker chairs. At lunchtime: snacks, pizzas, salads and specialties; in the evening, the Mauritian chef fleshes out the menu with elaborate land and sea dishes - ah, this crab stir-fry and its creamy ginger sauce!

This is the restaurant of Kaz'alala, this unique hamlet of renovated Mauritian houses, transformed into a charming guesthouse where you can immerse yourself in the local life and share convivial moments. At any time of the day, the nostrils are tickled by the appetizing smell of small dishes simmering. The cooking here is like at home, without sterilizing the dishes or skimping on the spices. God, it's good! The rustic dining room opens onto two pretty shaded terraces overlooking the garden. In the evening, you can have an aperitif around the fire. Buffets with theme sometimes.

In the dining room or on the terrace, you can enjoy a typically Mauritian cuisine, copious and at low prices. At the stove, the friendly Rosy concocts the products caught by her husband in the morning and in particular lobsters when luck smiles or when an order is placed! Think of reserving the day before to have a better chance of tasting them. Otherwise, choice of fresh grilled fish, sautéed shrimps, carry of ourites... The address is appreciated by locals and tourists alike, who also come here to pick up some good tips on the region.

It is one of the true tables d'hôtes in the area and the best address in this category. Marie-Ange and Rico, well-known figures in Chamarel, run this simple and friendly restaurant, specializing in Creole cuisine. Marie-Ange is a chef at heart and cooks, according to the products of the market and the vegetable garden, old recipes of the Mauritian cuisine and sometimes some Indian and Chinese dishes. We sit down for a menu of the day composed of several dishes with achards, plus the unavoidable banana flambé for dessert and Rico's ti-punch as an aperitif!

For a little while, we'd walk by without seeing him. Masked by a vegetal barrier, drowned in the row of semi-detached houses, the Ajoupa is a pocket handkerchief bar composed of a yard and a handful of tables and chairs. We are in one of the most typical dens of Mahébourg: a sort of headquarters of the Creole community. "Welcome, man, do you like reggae my brother? "Good, because we love music here, especially the music of the good little local bands. As for the rest, it's mini prices for maxi products: curry or stew, boiled mines, upside down bowl..

Perched on the edge of the Cygnes crater lake, this glass-walled restaurant offers a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside, the south of the island and especially the superb tea plantations around. If Mauritian specialties and local dishes based on meat or fish are on the menu, tea also inspires some dishes, offering a different taste experience: Bois Chéri salad and tea vinaigrette, green tea chicken... and good wood-fired pizzas. Tea and herbal tea tasting offered on site. Store.

With its success, the little take-away food shop, so well placed in front of the beach, has become a full-fledged snack bar with chairs, tables, umbrellas, a semblance of a sheltered terrace... all cheerfully painted in blue, yellow and red, and adjoined by a few tin stalls lined up in front of the football pitch (coconuts, juice, candied fruits, etc.). You can sip a cold drink and/or eat one of the local fast food classics: boiled mines, Creole-style white rice, chicken curry, upside-down bowl, etc.

On the roadside, facing the public beach, several wooden tables wait under a tin awning, like a big Creole hut open to the sea breeze. During peak hours, customers also wait and sometimes suffer from irregular service and average quality food, which is a shame because the setting is nice. Choose a dish that is not too expensive among the many Asian-Mauritian specialties on the menu: shrimp curry, sausage rougaille, seafood vindaye... And for those who don't like it, a pizza or a beef fillet.

4km from the village, open for more than 30 years, it is an institution of Chamarel. Dressed in wood from floor to ceiling, the room opens onto the outside in a lodge style and offers an exceptional view of the surrounding mountains, Le Morne and a part of the lagoon. It's big, often taken over by groups, so bet less on intimacy than on "a food coup that mirrors this island mosaic and transforms any meal into a gustatory experience" as José Hitié, the owner, likes to say - Ah, this seafood bisque flambéed with rum!

It is the only restaurant on the coastal road to Blue Bay. Friendly, it is especially known for its delicious pizzas cooked on a wood fire, crispy as you wish. The menu also offers a choice of mixed salads, pastas, grilled meats and some Mauritian specialties such as vanilla chicken. Recently renovated, the Blue Bamboo now has its own bar open to the indoor terrace planted with bamboo, which we prefer to the main room despite its large pizza oven. Musical evenings on weekends (reservations recommended).

In the "Cheap" section, it is one of the best addresses in Mahébourg. The huge room, which opens onto the street, has a bar in the background. The welcome is friendly and the menu varied (crab, shrimp, duck, steak with creole, chicken curry, ourite vindaye, grilled fish...). It also serves the traditional fried, good and copious mines.

Chinese cuisine without frills and quality prepared by a Shanghainese chef, and served in a simple room with a terrace. A mile-long menu of Asian specialties based on vegetables, seafood and various meats: cream of corn with chicken, upside-down bowl, peking duck, ginger fish, etc. and some European and Creole specialties to please all taste buds: octopus salad, braised deer steak, beef stew... Recommended and frequented for years by the locals which is a good sign.

The strength of this restaurant, well known in the area and open for a long time, lies in its unique location: directly on the waterfront (although on the wrong side of the road), facing the entire bay of Mahébourg. If you're looking for a pleasant location, you'll have to pay a little too much for this Mediterranean and Creole-inspired cuisine. The Chef's specialty: the mangrove crab of Vieux Grand Port. When the terrace offers the view, the room displays a feminine and flowery decoration, made of big bouquets of artificial flowers.

The restaurant is housed in an old warehouse, on the edge of a landing stage from where the sugar-laden boats used to leave. The place is part of the Mauritian heritage and saw hundreds of slaves pass through... Atypical, the setting gives off an old-fashioned je-ne-sais-quoi that some will find too old-fashioned and others wonderfully outdated. The extensive menu offers fish and seafood dishes, Creole specialities, meats and grills etc. The quality is unfortunately irregular. Large sheltered terrace on the water's edge.