The best restaurants Mauritius

Timetable

There is no schedule more variable than those of the restaurant world and this is also true in Mauritius. Some street vendors are present from the morning, others just pass by; some gargotes open continuously, others close as soon as the food is exhausted; some urban tables also serve coffee and open from morning to night, others stick to the classic lunch and/or dinner hours, etc. In all cases, the more touristy the area, the wider the range of opening hours. A particularity: Port Louis being an economic and administrative capital (and not a city in which one lives), restaurants, apart from the food-courts and other fast-foods mostly gathered on the sea side at the level of Caudan, are generally closed in the evening. In a more general way, the closing hours of the restaurants are Sunday evening and/or Monday. But, once again, it depends on the tourist rate and the season. Be aware that on holidays and weekends, tables are usually very busy - reservations are often necessary. In any case, it is impossible to be left stranded: whatever happens, you can always go to the "Chinese" or buy dumplings or a dholl puri from a street vendor.

Concerning the particular case of the restaurants located in the hotels, which are very numerous and count among the best tables of the island, the policy is the same for all: they are open to the external customers, but only according to availability and on reservation. The higher the season, the more you have to book in advance. This is where you can have the pleasure of dining by the sea, or even directly with your feet in the sand, because in Mauritius, few independent restaurants have a waterfront location. It is generally also the hotel restaurants that, with a few exceptions, have the most beautiful settings with structures largely open to nature and the ocean.

Budget & Tips

You can eat for absolutely any price in Mauritius, starting for a few rupees in the street (street-food) and along the beaches with street vendors (samoussas, fritters, dumplings, faratas, dholl puri and other exotic snacks), or at the table of the numerous Indian, Creole or Asian gargotes scattered in the towns and villages. It is not only cheap but also very good, spicy without tearing the palate - a harmonious blend of local products and a cuisine with diverse influences. The most popular dish for less than 100 Rs: fried mines. Not expensive either: the food-courts stands in the malls and other fast-foods not necessarily American.

For a good table in an independent restaurant (understand: out of the hotel), count around 15 to 25/30 €, rather 35 € if you opt for expensive products like lobster or camel. You will pay an equivalent price (from 15 €) for a nice mixed salad, pasta or pizza in a hotel restaurant at lunchtime by the sea or the pool. In the evening, in resorts, prices are higher, especially for a select dinner at a luxurious establishment - prices equivalent to those of the good and great French restaurants in this case.

What costs extra

Tipping is neither obligatory nor generalized and remains a free gesture at the discretion of the client.

Concerning taxes, they are generally included in the price. As it is not systematic, always remember to check this information at the bottom of the card, otherwise you may be unpleasantly surprised to find yourself with a final bill that is 15% higher than expected, which is the amount of the VAT, the equivalent of our VAT.

The local way

A number of Creole mansions and former planter's houses have been transformed into restaurants, offering their elegant, old-fashioned setting to lovers of character. Lunch is served in the green, as a park surrounds these beautiful homes, in the dining room with its period furniture or under the varangue, to the gentle song of the birds. Prices are reasonable, and the Creole cuisine is less sterile than in hotels. In general, the houses are the heart of an estate that can be visited, a way of combining culture and gustatory pleasures. This is the case at Saint Aubin in the south, at Eurêka near Port Louis, at Domaine des Aubineaux near Curepipe and at Château de Labourdonnais in the north (in the latter case, the restaurant overlooks the residence but is not located there). La Demeure Saint Antoine, in the north, is both a restaurant and a select guesthouse. Le Château de Bel Ombre in the south is a top-class gourmet restaurant, available by reservation only.

Other typical restaurants set in buildings with character: Chez Tante Athalie next to Jardin de Pamplemousses, Jardin de Beau Vallon, Karay Mario and Kwizine Mama in Mahébourg, Rhumerie de Chamarel in the south near Terre des Sept Couleurs.

Kids

The family being an important value in Mauritian society, children are welcome in the vast majority of restaurants where a menu is generally dedicated to them, as well as high chairs if needed.

Smokers

It is forbidden to smoke in public places in Mauritius and therefore in restaurants, which one would sometimes be tempted to do spontaneously as the structures are often open to the outside - the principle of the varangue, large covered terrace.