Gourmet products local specialties and wines West

Situated on the seafront, it is the busiest (and most crowded) market on the island. Craftsmen and farmers come from all over the island to sell local products, fruits, vegetables, samoussas, cakes (potato, chouchou...), fish, etc... You will also find clothes, baskets, jewellery, trinkets and even instruments such as kayamb. We advise you to come early on Friday to take advantage of the morning wind and avoid the crowd.

There is a small, friendly market on the seafront, which offers mainly fruit and vegetables, but also a few ready-to-wear stalls and some handicrafts. Unfortunately, its growing popularity has attracted many sellers of imported products without much interest. But don't let that spoil your stroll, a glass of fresh fruit juice in one hand and samoussas in the other while your basket fills up with all kinds of local products.

Installed a few meters from the Saint-Paul pond since 2001, this artisanal ice cream shop run by the Badts family is a real paradise for sweet tooths. Take a seat on the terrace to enjoy your treat: vacherin, ice cream cake, profiteroles, crepes, ice cream sundaes... Everything is homemade here! Find more than 70 flavours of ice creams and sorbets without gluten and without preservative, with the flavours of Reunion: vanilla of Sainte-Suzanne, passion, coconut, geranium, guava, sweet potato, honey ginger, tangor... Enough to delight all the palates!

Since 1996, this small company has been marketing arranged rums as well as preparations for arranged rums, local spices, Bourbon vanilla, and various "Pei" products. Special mention for the fruit concentrate preparations invented by Mrs Grondin and made from local fruits and plants, without artificial flavours, colourings or preservatives. You can find their stand every Friday at the Saint-Paul market (south side). Ça Lé Dou also has an online shop.

Above Saint-Leu, in the Quatres-Robinets district, discover an original healthy ice cream truck concept. Smoothie bowls, açai bowls, ice cream bars... Madame Glaces selects a maximum of organic produce to concoct its healthy, gourmet ice cream preparations. These colorful bowls with a base of mixed tropical fruits, decorated with homemade toppings, are as beautiful as they are delicious. All served in pretty coconut bowls. The address attracts a lot of people, and parking is not easy.

The Sliti estate is located at an altitude of 1,000 meters and produces coffees that are sought after by specialists from all over the world. So naturally, the prices are skyrocketing. If you are in France, order online from the website! Otherwise, come and visit the farm: Martine and Mongi will welcome you to visit their Bourbon Pointu coffee trees and their aromatic plants. You can also share a natural meal with the products of the farm.

Certainly the best ice cream maker on the island! The hardest part for the gourmets will be to make a choice among the 24 delicious flavours on offer; guaranteed without preservatives, colourings or artificial flavours. A know-how learned in Paris, at the Lenôtre school. Milkshakes, pancakes, waffles, cones, hot chocolate sauce or spreads, everything is homemade and on the spot. To sit down to eat, a nicely decorated air-conditioned room and a terrace outside. As for those who would like to make the pleasure last all the way home, there are take-out bins available.

Cellar and delicatessen during the day, wine bar in the evening, this new Saint Paul address is already a must. A passionate sommelier will advise you on how to choose your wine by the glass or by the bottle, from a fine selection (mostly natural) from small vineyards. Enjoy your beverage in the garden in the spirit of a guinguette, the place is unique and very friendly. To eat: charcuterie and cheese boards, burrata, raw vegetables... A cuisine without fuss, but with quality products. We love it!

Renowned Reunionese artisan baker Laurent Encatassamy, who won the award for the best French Tradition baguette in 2018, has set up his second bakery in the heart of the Engen petrol station in La Saline-les-Bains. Special breads, pastries, pastries (individual and to share), snacking, salad bar, carrys, samoussas, chilli sweets, macatias... you'll find delicious savoury and sweet preparations to treat yourself at any time of the day! We love the Snickers pie and the turmeric bread.

Coco is a bit like the madame jam of Reunion Island. In her jam workshop located in Saline-les-Bains, she concocts, season after season, in a copper cauldron, artisanal specialities, marmalades, jellies and chutneys with fresh tropical fruits, just picked from small Reunionese producers and natural local ingredients: organic vanilla from Saint-Philippe, cane sugar... Taste and quality are at the rendezvous in these pretty coloured pots. This is an idea for a gourmet souvenir to take home or to offer.

After an afternoon at the beach, this is the ideal cool stopover for a gourmet break! Almost all the fruits of Reunion Island can be found in home-made sorbets: pineapple, banana, coconut, letchi, mango, passion fruit, etc. And for those with a sweet tooth, around twenty flavours of ice cream are on offer: vanilla shortbread, chocolate, tiramisu, stracciatella, and many others. Quite simply a delight! There is a terrace behind the counter where you can sit down to eat, but the best thing is to sit quietly in front of the ocean. Pots, cones, cups, half-litre and litre.

Located in the marina, La Case à Pains is the best old-fashioned bakery and pastry shop in the West. You can enjoy traditional breads, organic breads and melt-in-the-mouth pastries. The opportunity to stock up for your picnic of the day. But above all, it is one of the few places open in the morning if you want to have breakfast before your diving or fishing trip. You will be well installed there, unless your arrival coincides with that of the cruise buses. The big drawback is that the terraces need to be better cleaned.

Initiated in 1844 in the town centre of Saint-Paul, this small market was composed in the 19th century of a long house and two halls surrounded by a high rubble wall. In 1976, it was covered with reinforced concrete shells. Although turned towards Malagasy handicrafts, you will find there the same products as on the fairground market of the sea front, the atmosphere in less. But here, it is less expensive. The negotiation is easier when you buy in groups... You can also eat good Creole food far from the crowd.

Rhum Métiss, it is above all the story of Cédric and his artisanal rums produced locally without colourings or preservatives, with fresh seasonal fruits. On the strength of his first successes and many awards in competitions, he innovates, creates new ranges, opens one and then three shops, to offer more than 200 references of punches and arranged rums, including the most awarded in the world! The flavours and colours of Reunion Island, sugar cane, victoria pineapple or bourbon vanilla are all there. Voted best craftsman of the year in 2020.

It was about time that this covered market located in the heart of the city and closed since the 1980s, opened its doors again. Completely renovated and inaugurated in December 2014, it hosts seven huts dedicated to the sale of local and artisanal (really made in Reunion) and quality products. You are sure to find a small souvenir "Made by Reunion", certified by this label created by the Chamber of Crafts to promote local crafts: musical instruments, ceramics, braiding... The place brings together beautiful Reunionese know-how.

Coffee lovers, discover this charming Creole hut away from the city, transformed into an artisan roastery. In the tropical garden, enjoy a cappuccino or golden latte prepared by a barista. The beans roasted on site come from exceptional terroirs around the world and are grown using sustainable methods. You can also taste Bourbon pointu coffee, Réunion's black gold. The owner is a passionate and fascinating character. Good "zik" and Wifi available for digital nomads.

This wine cellar and delicatessen, located in the Engen service station at l'Ermitage-les-Bains, is open every day, including Sundays and public holidays. Here you'll find a rich selection of wines, beers, champagnes and spirits, as well as local and imported delicatessen products (Coco Passion jams, Cluizel and Les Cabosses chocolate, La Maison du Roi cookies, cheeses, charcuterie and even caviar). Kaz Lagon makes cheese, ham and charcuterie platters to order.

On the port of Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, below the Case à Pains, this renowned fishmonger's sells a wide variety of fish from Reunion Island: marlin, banana tuna, big eyes, dolphinfish... A permanent arrival guarantees the freshness of the products. We appreciate the friendly team who always give good advice for the preparation and cooking of fish. For those who don't have the time or inclination to cook, the fishmonger's also offers a range of home-made delicatessen products: rillettes de la mer, tartare, salads..

You enter here on the small farm of Maximilia Vitry. Visit Caféicoles plantations and fruit orchards, Creole picnics, tasting and sales of sharp Bourbon, you will find at the Café-yesterday the authenticity of the Reunion Island. From Saint-Leu-les-Bains, take the D 12 to the D 3 Trois-Basins/Rowboat; at the D 12-D 3 junction, take the Rowboat direction; At Notre-Dame-des-Champs, take the private road Roulin, then follow the Café-yesterday sign. Call before the visit to ensure the presence of the owners of the places!

Here's a bakery we'd like to hear more about! Discovered and tested by chance in the course of our explorations, it could well be one of the best bakeries in Saint-Paul, or even on the island, for its breads, viennoiseries and sandwiches in particular. In fact, L'Île aux Pains was one of the lucky candidates selected to take part in the 2023 grand final of "La meilleure boulangerie de France". A bread with Cilaos lentils, a roulé boucané and a tam-tam pina enabled the bakery to win over the jury.