3 Best Restaurants in Huahine, French Polynesia

The great location right on the water at Fare quay and a happy vibe are the draws for this restaurant, which despite the name has been operating a few years now. Locals drink their Hinanos (a local beer) as the sun goes down and cocktails are around 500 CFP during happy hour from 5:30–6:30 every night. Menus items include grilled salmon, tuna with vanilla sauce, steamed mahimahi with ginger, or lobster with spicy coconut sauce (3,200 CFP); meat lovers have several options including steak with Roquefort sauce.

The restaurant at this popular pension prides itself on using local products in 95% of its dishes. You'll find Tahitian dishes such as Fa Fa chicken (chicken with taro leaves and coconut milk) and Punu Pualoro (smoked beef with coconut cream) on the menu. Lobster and crab, and a medley of both, are house specialties and are huge dishes. If you're brave you can also try mako shark but that might be too much of an ironic twist after a day on the lagoon feeding sharks and rays. Desserts include baked papaya with coconut cream and coconut tart.

This pleasant little thatched hut, with a coral floor and pareos hanging from the ceiling, does a brisk trade when cruise ships are in port. It's directly opposite the dock where passengers are ferried ashore, right on beautiful Maroe Bay. It has a very limited menu with the friendly French-speaking Tahitian owner offering baguettes with various fillings such as chicken and salad for those who want a snack and the heartier plat du jour (dish of the day)—which is whatever she's just cooked. It may be a platter of fish and vegetables featuring poisson cru, grilled fish, beans, and salad—with a sizeable portion of fries. The food's good and you can also buy a pareo.