The best restaurants Mauritius

Only poets of heart and soul will fully appreciate the resolutely kinetic style of this bric-a-brac canteen, located in the middle of nowhere and featuring stuffed deer, turtle shells, Buddhas, license plates... in short, a merry mess! For food lovers, there's no need to worry, because right here, in a contagious hubbub, you can enjoy solid local cuisine at local prices. Grills, curries, stir-fries, upside-down bowls - you name it! There are also a few tables outside in the courtyard.

All dressed in red, it's a gargote on the coastal road, known to the whole area and in front of which Christmas is simmering its pots. In a very small room slightly on a half level, one can taste the best dumplings from Trou d'Eau Douce and beyond, but also fried mines and other tasty popular Chinese dishes, or Mauritian dishes based on fresh products of the day. Drinks are at boutik price (= cheap Mauritian rate)and the service is nice as anything, in short here is a good plan as we love them!

In a "small" street full of "small" squares, a few steps from the city center, it is a "small" popular address as we like them, without any decoration effect, with just a few tables and chairs placed here and there. One lines up at the crack of dawn to take away Nabeel's famous briani presented in a big pot with tempting smells: chicken during the week, fish and beef on Saturdays, there is not a grain of rice left at the end of the day, nor even a roti, another popular specialty of the house!

For years, the Frenchman Philippe has run this takeaway and catering service for lovers of good food. His credo: all the cuisines of the world! Daily choice of Asian, French, Italian, Mauritian, etc. dishes, sushi, salads, blanquette de veau, quiches...and also ready-to-cook barbecues, sauces, gratins, pastries, a fine selection of French cheeses and, to order: cold or hot canapés, terrines etc. For dessert, no hesitation, opt for the famous homemade chocolate mousse!

Led by a young, fast, friendly, resourceful team, this restaurant sparkles with life at noon and evening. You can sit on the terrace facing the sea (on the wrong side of the road, but a nice view all the same) or in the dining room not far from the singer. The menu arrives as soon as we sit down: seafood and fish especially, grilled with a choice of sauce or prepared Creole style. Some products are sold by weight like crab or lobster, or whole fish to share. There are also a few dishes for carnivores and a nice list of drinks, wines and cocktails.

This popular Asian canteen in Chinatown occupies part of the first floor of a building in old Port-Louis, whose elaborate balconies hint at its former beauty. Inside, a cramped room with a haphazard charm hosts a few Formica tables and chairs that are crowded all week at lunchtime. The chef knows a thing or two about fried mines, steamed dumplings and their broth, and other delights of Sino-Mauritian cuisine, all of which are perfectly seasoned with the right amount of herbs and spices. A delight!

Set on a seafront wooden deck with a swimming pool, it's a lively, friendly beach restaurant, with a panoramic bar that plays music and parties on certain weekends. We're on the first floor of the Mystik boutique hotel, which likes to break the codes of a tropical Mama Shelter. The menu is casual at lunchtime (mixed salads, paninis, burgers, pasta...), then more sophisticated and fusion in the evening, with local touches: braised heart of palm, tom yum soup, taro-coated shrimps, sea bream rougaille... and classic desserts. and classic desserts.

It would be a bit like the local fast food, fast and crowded at peak hours, except that in addition to the speciality filled buns (the equivalent of our hamburgers, only better and healthier), they would also serve daily specials at very low prices - pork in wine, pineapple chicken, sweet and sour fish, octopus carry... To have lunch on the spot: a handful of tables on the first floor and on the sidewalk, a few others upstairs, and waiters who take off. Takeaway and home delivery on request. Efficient and cheap.

A few steps away from the market, on a wasteland with tables and benches laid out in the open air, several street vendors line up their fast food trailers. For three francs six pennies, you can eat small local dishes, sausages, kebabs, fried mines... in a nice popular atmosphere that is reminiscent of a pretty guinguette. A small note for the fragile stomachs: there is nothing to fear in opting for this kind of restaurant in Rodrigues where the products are fresh and often come directly from the vegetable garden and/or the sea.

At the edge of the coastal road, but on the right side, feet in the water, it is a small Creole hut where you can enjoy the specialties of the day in the open air. We sit facing the pirogues moored in the lagoon or in one of the high chairs of the counter to watch Nathalie working in her pocket kitchen. All the dishes are prepared at the minute: fish and eggplant curry, crab sauté with white wine, tandoori chicken, honey sausages, fresh grilled fish... It's no cheaper than in a small restaurant, but it smells like a cool and tropical vacation!

At the crossroads, just in front of the covered market of Mont Lubin and close to the gas station, it is THE canteen of this part of the island, the one where the whole Rodrigues of the heights rushes. A "boutik" as we say here where only fresh, good, well cooked, tasty and copious food is served: fried mines, upside down bowls, snacks and daily dishes at low prices. On Fridays, Mirella prepares the typical Rodriguan dish based on pork curry, corn, brinjal and red beans. A nice and bright room where you can sit down and/or take away.

At the southern exit of La Gaulette, bursting with bright colours along the coastal road, it is the HQ of the sailors of the region, kitesurfers in the lead! In season (from June to October), it is crowded. The rest of the year, it's always full of surfers, cool people, travellers who have come to challenge One Eye and who love this family bar atmosphere where they can enjoy delicious pizzas (especially), lasagne, grilled fish, chocolate fudge... Live music on some weekends and a great atmosphere after a great day of sports in the fresh air

Well-known to local gourmets who used to come here to stock up on calissons and macaroons, Emma and her team run this little open-air café at one end of Ruisseau Créole. Here, a few ladies are busy concocting the famous cakes, and a selection of freshly homemade sushi, maki, sashimi and more, made to order. There's no mischief to be found on this relaxed terrace, where gourmet pleasures are the only thing on offer! Good news: honest prices mean you can enjoy twice as much. Also available to take away.

Set on the water's edge in an old house, it's one of the few beach clubs in Mauritius and promises a pleasant moment of seaside and/or gustatory pleasures. For the hire of a deckchair, you can enjoy a pretty beach on the edge of a superb lagoon, with a restaurant-bar and a few sofas under stretched canvas. The menu features tasty Mauritian and Thai dishes to be enjoyed on a sun-bed or the terrace. There's also a Rhum Lounge for cocktails and tapas. A stylish decor and a magical atmosphere at nightfall when the lanterns light up in the badamier.

We love the setting of this small restaurant which offers the privilege of a lush tropical garden well set back from the coastal road and the charm of a pretty wooden house nestled among the trees. We are on Thai soil, at the cook Ousaporn's who prepares, as in her country, spring rolls, chicken skewers with satay sauce and other dishes from there. Sensitive taste buds, please check the icons so you don't come out with your mouth on fire! In the adorable vegetable garden are grown the herbs used to make the dishes so tasty.

Designed by former world snowboard champion Rok Flander, this is the peninsula's surfers' eatery, with a relaxed, trendy look, featuring sheet metal, raw wood, a dugout canoe for a table, surfboards hanging from the ceiling, and a great island vibe that you'd expect to be overheated during the kiteboarding season. Supervised by a top chef, the menu is simple yet sophisticated enough to justify the prices of a good restaurant. Open non-stop, the place also offers a good selection of cocktails and drinks to sip in cool mode.

On the sublime Saint Géran peninsula, in a wooden structure on stilts above the lagoon, this table enjoys a beautiful setting in osmosis with nature. At the crossroads of several culinary influences, Tapasake, a combination of tapas and sake, is a fusion of pan-Asian flavours in Spanish tapas mode: sushi, tacos, bites made from first choice products revisited by the Chef. The service is as elegant and relaxed as the atmosphere is hip and trendy, energized by the Dj's musical programming.

Sab is sand in Creole and also the diminutive of Sabrina, the owner of this restaurant with its eclectic and personalized decoration, a mixture of three influences: the sea (decorative motif of the fish), the kitchen (collection of kettles, pots...) and the Indian origins of the island (beautiful Indian table as a bar-counter). Once the tour of curiosities is over, you will taste a cuisine drawing its inspiration from various sources, notably Asian, Indian and Creole. Prices are more expensive than average, but it is the only restaurant in the area.

On the first floor of the Observatory building (the aptly named), this is the only restaurant to offer, from its large shaded terrace open to the four winds, an unobstructed view of Port Louis Bay and the harbour. In the breeze or in the room, in the calm, you can taste a well executed Italian cuisine based on fresh products: antipasti to share, fresh homemade pasta, pizzas (ah this Pollo and Tartufo!) and a selection of dishes like over there, including vegan and/or gluten-free plates. And you can bring me a little Limoncello with the Tiramisu!

The restaurant occupies a large open-air square of lawn, slightly below the main road. You can dine in style under a large thatched gazebo or under the moonlight. It's a nice place, even just for an evening cocktail concocted by the owner himself. The menu features well-crafted fusion cuisine (honey chicken, venison stew, grilled squid...) and a selection of tapas and kebabs to nibble on around the bar, where guests flock on Saturday evenings for live concerts in a relaxed local atmosphere.

On the second floor of an old stone building, the Café de la Presse is one of the trendiest places in the capital: a loft-like open space where you can have a coffee or a milkshake, work on a table, read on a couch, chat with your neighbor, have a mixed salad, an old-fashioned sandwich with fries, a Poke Bowl or a dish of the day before succumbing to Michelle's homemade red velvet cake or cheese-cake. Zinc, wood, copper, antique objects... and a nice urban atmosphere.

Run by Moïse and his wife Claudia, managers of a small fish cooperative, this restaurant occupies a pretty stone village house and its adjoining courtyard, which are often crowded. This is because the table is one of the few still serving freshly caught fish and seafood of the day, chosen directly from the stall. Afterwards, there's no fuss: the beast is simply slow-roasted in a charcoal oven and, if desired, seasoned with garlic butter. Delicious! Moïse also grills meat and poultry, and it's just as tasty.

This dapper Creole-style house with its stone walls and tin roof stands on the outskirts of Centre-de-Flacq, on the grounds of the former sugar estate. Formerly devoted to supplying workers with everyday products and small daily dishes, the Chinese store closed at the same time as the factory and has now been refurbished to become a café-bakery-pastry-grocery store where it's a pleasure to sit down. The short, healthy menu features homemade products and drinks, including iced teas, kefir, sweet and savoury dishes...

Among the tables in the Grand Baie La Croisette mall, we prefer this brasserie-style restaurant offering a not-too-long selection of Asian, French and American dishes - lava stone-grilled flank steak, red chicken curry, fish à la plancha...and moules-frites on Fridays! All to be accompanied by a glass of wine from a choice of some twenty vintages. French chef Stéphane officiates in the kitchen and selects the produce. Bright dining room and large, colorful terrace overlooking the Place de la Croisette.

Brother of the famous Min Koo alias Marcel, the king of pork sausage, whose gleaming orange-yellow hut has always stood in the port area, Georges displays his Chinese origins through a simple and quick cuisine made mostly of boiled mines decorated in many ways - beef, chicken, minced pork, ourite, etc. We appreciate the impeccable cleanliness of the place and the friendly courtyard at the back. Also some chicken legs, pork chops or lamb chops with salad and chips.

Halfway between the entrance to Flic en Flac and the seafront, along the main road leading to the coast, this atypically-decorated eatery has the advantage of being set in a large, green, flower-filled courtyard. The furniture is entirely handmade from pallets and salvaged wood. You can eat under straw kiosks or under the varangue, and you'll be happy to add your beer or soda cap to the hundreds of others lining the bar. On the plate, spicy Thai dishes: papaya salad, various curries, pad choy stir-fry, etc.

Created in 1955, a benchmark in Mauritius, the island's oldest coarse fishing club, long privately owned, is now open to all, with its large shaded terrace and oceanfront garden. Before taking a seat, take a look at the photos of fishermen displaying their trophies. Big fish have always been caught in the West! From boat to plate, it's just a short step via a menu inspired by the ocean (tuna sashimi, sea bream) but not only (Caesar salad, burger). At weekends, it's a place to immerse yourself in local life. Swimming pool.

It's hard to imagine a more charming setting: on one side, the pretty red-roofed chapel of Cap Malheureux, right in front of the intense turquoise of the lagoon, with a view of Coin de Mire island off the coast. We have lunch with our feet in the sand under the branches of a huge banyan tree, sitting without fuss at one of the plastic tables. Sandrine and her team cook the fresh fish of the day, which is chosen directly from the cooler before it is prepared, grilled on the barbecue and accompanied by rice, salad and/or French fries. Come early because it's crowded at lunchtime! Typical.

This new artisanal pastry shop has taken up residence in the heart of Les Filaos Inn and is already receiving compliments from gourmands. Amélie concocts sweet delights to be savored in the calm of the garden with a fresh juice, an iced coffee, a milkshake: orange and almond cake, chocolate mousse dome, pie, cheesecake, etc. Everything is homemade! If you come by at any time for a sweet break, you can also sit down for lunch on the terrace and enjoy this little corner of greenery - choice of quiches, salads and daily specials.

More than just a grill, it's the catering arm of one of the North's busiest bars, the adjoining Banana Beach Club. Every day, you can dine to the sound of music, with your eye caught by the collection of guitars hanging on the walls - a rock'n'roll atmosphere and a live concert. On the plate: top-quality steaks and chops of course (Australian beef and lamb), but also seafood grills, a seafood platter for two, a few vegan dishes and classic desserts. Wine list from France and South Africa, cocktails at the Banana.

Recently opened, this new restaurant is located at the northern entrance of Port Mathurin, a bit removed from the bustle of François Leguat street. Refreshed by a small breath of air, it consists of a large shaded terrace on stilts overlooking the river where the very first inhabitants settled. On the slate, the dishes of the day are chosen according to the fishing and the arrival of the producers. Fish, seafood, chicken and duck are cooked in the Rodrigues style, according to traditional recipes. A winning equation: the restaurant is always full!

The menu is limited, which isn't necessarily a bad thing: a few tapas, burgers and salads, an Italian-style beef tartar, an Asian-style tuna tartar, a few good meat dishes and veal kidneys that reveal the owner's nationality. Stéphane, a Frenchman who has travelled all over the world, has taken it upon himself to run this friendly, musical resto-bar, with its selection of fine bottles, live concerts and enchanting evening sings - in short, the promise of good times with friends, laughing, humming and toasting! Atmosphere.

In addition to offering a privileged view of the ^18th hole, the Tamarina golf restaurant has the particularity of standing over a ravine with its exuberant tropical vegetation and the gentle song of the river flowing in its bed. We are in the green, drowned in the nature, the mountain of the Rampart set up like a protection, in a warm frame which is not without evoking an African lodge. The menu is a mix of dishes from here and elsewhere (salads, burgers, pasta...), without forgetting the Mauritian touch. At the end of the day, it is pleasant to have a drink.

Here is a small restaurant run by Shivam who has been working hard for a few years. Smile, quality, service and success are all there. On the menu, fresh fish and Asian flavors. The fillet of old red fish and its sauce with dried tomatoes is delicious. The pad thaï keeps its promise, the vegetarian or not curries delight the most gourmets. If you don't have room on the terrace, climb the spiral staircase. A room made of wood in a salvaged style awaits you. Facing the window, you can sit down as if you were at the bar with a breath of air.

If you don't arrive at Nomad by chance at the end of this unlikely road, you'll want to come back! Breakfast, lunch, happy hour or dinner, it's all possible. With its large terrace haloed by umbrellas to enjoy some welcome shade, and its indoor room with its rather industrial decor, Nomad welcomes regulars and travelers alike to feast on eggs Benedict, masterfully-cooked burgers, generously-proportioned salads and ceviches... It's a popular spot, so book ahead! There's also a games room to keep the kids busy.

Protected by a clutter of green plants in pots, it is a trattoria pure juice, with its old sofas like at the mamma's, a TV connected to Italian channels, an everlasting smell of pasta and pizza... The dishes are chosen à la carte or on the slate, the service is (sometimes) slow, but nice, some tables are nice at night on a wooden deck and it's a real treat in a talkative and good-natured atmosphere. Not necessarily the best Italian restaurant in the area, but does very well when the Botteghita, the Voglia Matta or 1974 are full

Izumi is one of the island's few Japanese restaurants, with a balanced blend of light wood and pure materials and colors. In addition to a sushi bar and two private dining rooms, it offers two teppanyaki tables that put on a show. While the menu offers a range of classics (gyoza, tempura, noodles, sushi, sashimi, soups, etc.), in the evening, you're more likely to opt for one of the many menus featuring starter, fish, meat, vegetables, miso soup, rice and the chef's dessert. Beautiful terrace overlooking the lakeside village of Port Chambly, with views of the river and sea.

On the edge of the main road, the front of the Bedford truck sets the tone for a convivial decorative style: salvaged wood furniture in the courtyard and a subtle marriage of rustic and contemporary touches in the dining room. Food and wine pairings are the common thread running through this attractive resto-bar, extended by a wine shop where you can choose your bottle directly from over 250 references, or opt for a wine by the glass (fine selection). The menu offers a choice of tapas and plates to share, and tasty dishes prepared under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Jerry Bastiaan.

Nestled on the banks of the Tamarin River, hence the name, with tables scattered under magisterial trees or under a lodge-style canvas, is the third Poivrier, a restaurant already present in Grand Baie in the north (Le Jardin) and in Azuri on the east coast (La Plage). Here you'll find all the ingredients that have made the Poivrier brand such a success: a site, a professional team led by Olivier and Warren, fresh produce and quality bistro dishes inspired by French and Italian cuisine. In the evening, the amber lights create a magical atmosphere! Reservations recommended.

Twin brother of the famous Happy Rajah in Grand Bay, the best Indian restaurant in the north of the island, the Phoenix restaurant has all the same advantages: a convenient location at the entrance of a shopping centre, a diligent service by a welcoming team, great Indian chefs at the stove, and a quality of restoration combined with very tight prices... The varied menu offers a selection of about sixty dishes, including traditional Indian dishes from the 17th century. The setting is subdued and warm, with ochre plasterwork and Rajasthani antiques.

Run with kindness by Natacha, set up in the open air on a shady terrace with trees, this table has the charm of Italian inns or neighborhood cafés. Expatriates meet there and travelers drop by for a breakfast, a homemade juice, a cookie. They also come to have lunch with a mixed salad, pasta or a dish of the day, with or without a glass of wine or a beer, and they willingly give in to the pleasure of a sandwich since all the products are fresh. At any time of day, you can stop in for a real espresso, short and strong.

It's a small grocery-cafe as we like it, respectful of the environment and short circuits, and offering mainly bulk products to limit two of the problems of our time, waste and overconsumption. You come directly with your jars (or you buy some on the spot) and you fill them with seeds, dried fruits, cereals, without forgetting the delicious preparations of Laetitia like these seed breads, dried fruits without sugar, cereal bars, tomato-pesto-avocado sandwiches, etc., to take away or to taste on the spot with a small coffee.

In a house at the back, about 600 meters from the beach, it is a small local address well known to the people of the area who come there in large numbers on weekends to succumb to the gourmet, but healthy pleasures of this delicious table of healthy cuisine. On the plate: only fresh, freshly prepared, sourced directly from the producer for small dishes that smell of the land and the garden: detox drinks, boosters, eggs with truffles or Benedict, quinoa bowl, homemade bread with seeds, wraps, pancakes... to be savored in the calm of the flowery garden.

Just 450 meters from the entrance to the Jardin de Pamplemousses, this popular little snack bar serves as a canteen for many locals - a sure sign that the place is popular! If you're just passing through and don't feel like taking a long lunch break, this is the place to be, as the dishes are prepared in advance and presented in a display case. All you have to do is line up at the counter to be served a plate. The food is healthy, fresh and tasty, just like real Mauritian cooking: choice of curries, boiled mines, variety of dumplings, etc. Recommended!

In the shade of lush trees, it is a small restaurant with an evocative name. You can enjoy it… crocodile (!), all the sauces and all the forms, even in a burger… Also some dishes from the sea and the land (canard conflict, red woolly filet grilled…) and Mauritian specialities (various curries), salads, snacks, ice creams and desserts. 

In the same decorative, plant-based spirit as the adjoining La Terrasse restaurant, these 3 kiosks are the fast, cheap version of the Quartier des Serres. Fancy a fresh juice, a smoothie, a local street food snack or a sweet treat? This is the place to be when you don't have the time or inclination to grab a bite to eat, before or after your visit to the Château. You can order takeaway or sit at one of the high tables. Next door: La Corbeille grocery store and boutiques.

Half-inside, half-outside, this new tapas/cocktail bar and semi-gastronomic restaurant cultivates French savoir-faire (the managers and chef hail from France) through several short but high-quality menus of home-cooked dishes based on fresh produce: tapas for aperitifs in lounge mode; a sunny menu at lunchtime (poké bowl, fresh tagliatelle with prawns...); more elaborate proposals in the evening, including dishes with black truffles. It's beautiful and tasty, and you'll have a wonderful time under the varangue or in the lounges of the large garden area.

At one of the corners facing the market, hidden by dozens of potted plants, this address, whose interior is reminiscent of a Chinese store, holds the record in the sector in terms of implausibility and decoration (r). One sits between windows filled with shells and animal figurines to unwind a menu offering a myriad of Chinese and Mauritian dishes: dumplings, fried mines, meat and fish with all kinds of sauces... Come more for the originality of the place than for the cuisine, or just for a drink.

Like all golf restaurants, this one opens onto the course through a set of huge windows. Light-coloured furniture decorates a circular, high-ceilinged room that is dimmed with soft lights for dinner. We are on a luxury estate, so the atmosphere is chic and relaxed. La Potinière, a historic Mauritian restaurant, orchestrates a menu that is both light (tapas, salads) and more gastro-traditional. For a coffee or a drink, opt for the outdoor deck facing the green.

On the public beach of Bel Ombre, wild, quiet and deserted (wrongly) by travelers, everyone knows François' pretty blue-roofed caravan. Every day, the queue speaks volumes about the flavor of the fried dumplings and mines that our man concocts in his pots and sells in the shade of the filaos, facing the ocean. A few picnic tables complete the picture, making for an exotic, no-frills, local taste experience in the form of a cool beach lunch. To make sure the roulotte is actually there, check it out on facebook.