What to eat in Bora Bora?

Polynesian cuisine is a symphony of exotic flavors and rich culinary traditions. The island’s restaurants skillfully blend fresh local products with international influences, especially Asian and Chinese.

Fish is at the heart of Polynesian cuisine. The emblematic dish, poisson cru au lait de coco (raw fish with coconut milk), is a delicious preparation of fish (often fresh tuna) marinated in lime juice, mixed with coconut milk, and raw vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions). You can find it in most snack bars and restaurants, along with other raw tuna preparations like sashimi, tartare, and carpaccio.

Other lagoon products, such as shrimp and lobsters, are also ubiquitous. They are often grilled or baked, accompanied by coconut or curry-based sauces.

Root vegetables like taro and yam, as well as breadfruit (uru), are staple elements, often cooked in a traditional Polynesian oven called ahima’a, an earth oven where food is cooked in a pit. All the foods cooked in this oven make up the famous ma’a Tahiti.

Tropical fruits such as papaya, mango, pineapple, and passion fruit add a sweet and refreshing touch to meals. Coconut-based desserts, like poe (a type of pudding made from fruit and coconut milk), are very popular.

Where to eat in Bora Bora?

To taste all the local specialties, you have the choice of trying the restaurants on the main island or dining in a hotel restaurant.

All the hotels on the main island are open to outside guests who wish to have lunch or dinner in their restaurants. For hotels located on private motus, not all are open to outside guests, and you will need to call to make a reservation if you are not staying there.

Most hotels organize Polynesian evenings with traditional dance performances once or twice a week.

Below is a small list of places we recommend:

In the Hotels

• Lagoon by Jean-Georges – Located at the St. Regis Resort Bora Bora. Inventive cuisine and attentive service in a luxurious setting.
• Le Corail – Located at the InterContinental & Thalasso Spa

Outside the Hotels

• Le St James – Located in Vaitape, in a very pleasant setting by the lagoon, this restaurant offers quality French cuisine, often based on fish.
• Snack Matira – Located in the south of the island, at Matira Point, this snack bar is a Bora Bora institution. The cuisine is simple and not too expensive, and the beachfront location is truly beautiful.