There is not a vast number of independant restaurants in Rarotonga, but there are a several around the island, numbering in the 10's rather than 100's, plus many other dining establishments within the many Resorts that are recommended, highly rated and reviewed.  You are welcome to eat in any of the Resort restaurants, other than the one you are staying in (reservations recommended), but if you fancy going somewhere different, here are a few that you can enjoy.  Some restaurants would recommend reservations, at others its not necessary.  The restaurants are very welcoming and are grateful for your patronage, especially the smaller establishments.  Some of the larger establishments take cards (Visa/Mastercard) and cash, but some of the smaller, locally-run cafes and snack trucks will only take cash.   Some of these restaurants are included in the 'Dine Around the Island' Dining Experience Package (marked DATI), that is available when booking your Rarotonga or Aitutaki accommodation with us.  Please ask for more details of what the package includes.

Tamarind House Restaurant & Bar (DATI)

The Tamarind House Restaurant & Bar is located on the north-east coast, in the village of Tupapa, on the beach side of the coast road.  It is in an historical colonial residence, that was built in 1910 for the managers of the Union Steamship Company, then, later, the British Consul.  This prestigeous building was bought in 2003 and converted into an elegant, up-market restaurant with spacious verandahs with a wall of French doors, opening right onto the private beach and in over 2 acres of tropical landscaped gardens.  Your view here for lunch or dinner is beautiful.  The menu offers a varied mix of Polynesian/Pacific, Asian and international cuisine, with a selection of quality dishes with fresh local seafood, steaks, chicken and fresh local produce, all served on white linens, and quality china and glasswear.  They cater to many weddings and functions over the year and, although they have a kids menu, no children under 5 years are allowed after 7.15pm, so adults can have a romantic evening.  Open Tuesday- Friday lunch 11.30am - 2.00pm, Sunday brunch (May-December) 9.00am - 2.00pm, Monday - Saturday dinner 5.30pm - late.  Cash and cards accepted

Tumunu Tropical Garden Bar & Restaurant

With its friendly and fun atmospehre, the eccentrically decorated Tumunu Tropical Garden Bar & Restaurant is the oldest restaurant on Rarotonga, having been opened 33 years ago by the same couple that still own it now. It was also the first place to be granted a liquor license!   Famous for their Seafood Platters, which offer a selection of up to 10 different seafoods, they have a casual menu which includes ribeye and seafood, garlic prawns, chicken schnitzel, lemon braised fish and a vegetarian platter.   Open for dinner Monday-Saturday 6.00pm - 12.00am and Sunday 6.00pm - 10.00pm.  Cash and cards accepted.

Le Rendez-Vous Cafe & Bistro

French-owned Le Rendez-Vous Cafe is a casual but stylish cafe, just off the main road to Avarua from the airport, that offers a 'simple, authentic' French and Italian food and Pacific dishes with an Italian twist.  You can dine inside the airy open sided dining room or outside on the covered, enclosed terrace.  The cafe counter, at the front of the property, serves a wide selection of fresh coffee, juices, iced teas and other hot & cold drinks, freshly made crepes, pastries, salads, daily specials and hot snacks, to eat in or grab n go.  They make many dishes and menu items onsite, including their home made bread, great with their eggs benedict for brunch!  The dining room a la carte menu offers ribeye steaks, seafood, grills, fresh starters and mouthwatering desserts, mostly made in-house, along with a well proportioned wine list and full bar.  Open Sunday to Friday 7.00am - 2.30pm, and 6.00pm - 9.30pm Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.  Closed Saturday Lunchtime.  Cash and cards (VI/MC) accepted

Silver Sands Restaurant - Muri Beach Club Hotel (DATI)

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Silver Sands serves a varied menu of Pacific, Asian and internationally inspired dishes, with fresh local seafood, steak and local salads and vegetables (where possible) from an a la carte menu and varied buffets.  Set right on the beach and near the pool, great views accompany your meal, along with a great selection of wines.  Cash and cards accepted.  Over 18 only

Captain Andy's Beach Bar & Grill - Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa

Captain Andy's Beach Bar & Grill offers a casual menu with local and international-style dishes, served all day 11.00am - 9.00pm, right on the beachfront.  You can enjoy fresh local seafood and local produce, along with steaks, fish & chips, burgers, pizza, pasta and salads.  They can also cater for special dietary requirements and have a kids menu.  Cash and cards accepted.

Te Vaka Restaurant - Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa

Set right on the waters edge, the open air Te Vaka Restaurant serves an a la carte menu but also has themed menus all through the week.  From traditional Umu earthoven feast with Polynesian show, pizza night, steak and ribs night, to island BBQ night, an Asian menu night and a roast selection on a Sunday. Cash and cards accepted.

Sails Restaurant & Bar (DATI)

The Sails Restaurant & Bar is a stylish restaurant, with white linens, sparkling glasswear and elegant island decor, in a prime postition right on the beautiful Muri Beach, and has been serving guests for 25 years.  Being right on the sand, Sails is an ideal place to spend more time than just eating,  by having a swim or kayak before relaxing with lunch, cake and coffee, cocktails or dinner.  The menu offers a selection of Pacific, Asian and International dishes using fresh local seafood and produce, New Zealand steaks, homemade breads, delicious desserts, and a full bar with a good selection of fine wines, cocktails and popular drinks, to enjoy, whilst enjoying the beach views. Wi-Fi internet access (fee). Open 7 days all day 9.00am - late.  Cards and cash accepted.

Kikau Hut Restaurant (DATI)

The Kikau Hut is a casual restaurant on the north-west coast of the island, with and indoor dining room and outdoor terrace overllooking the tropical gardens.  They serve a casual menu with international and island style dishes, using fresh local seafood, curries, fish & chips, chicken and salads, with homemade cakes and desserts, and a well stocked bar for your drinks choice.  Live music on some nights and can cater for parties or groups on request.  They offer a local pick-up/drop off service (on request when booking) from local hotels or the airport.  Open 7 days dinner 6.00pm - 9.00pm.  Cash and cards accepted.

Le Rendez-Vous Cafe & Bistro

The French-owned Le Rendez-Vous Cafe & Bistro is a fresh, casual cafe serving tasty French and Italian fare with a Pacific touch, or Pacific dishes with a Mediterranean twist, but everything is homemade.  You can eat in the dining room or outside covered terrace, or grab 'n' go from the counter.  They serve a selection of cocktails, fresh milkshakes and cold drinks, freshly-brewed coffee and teas, and a well-stocked wine list and bar, to go with delicious pastas, steaks, local seafood, homemade burgers, salads and homemade breads, and finished off with mouthwatering desserts, like homemade fresh crepes, cakes, and pastries.  Open for breakfast and lunch 6 days a week (closed Saturdays) from  07.00am - 2.30pm &  for dinner Wednesday & Friday 6.00pm - 9.30pm

Waterline Restaurant & Beach Bar

The Waterline Restaurant & Beach Bar is a small, boutique restaurant, right on the beach front with great sunset views.  Open  for lunch, dinner and drinks all day, the beach chairs are a great place to chill and enjoy the view, before or after your meal, and the shaded decks offer a great view wilst you dine. The menu offers a Pacific/International menu, with fresh local seafood, island curries, New Zealand lamb and steak, and delicious desserts, with a well stocked wine list and full bar.  Live music is available some nights, and it is a popular venue for parties and weddings, due to its location, style and amenities.  Open for lunch Tuesday - Friday 11.30am - 2.00pm, dinner Tuesday - Sunday 6.00pm - late.  Cash and cards accepted.

Antipodes Cafe (DATI)

Located at the Antipodes Mediterranean-style boutique villa, the recently opened Antipodes Restaurant and Cafe offers al fresco terrace dining with stunning clifftop ocean and sunset views.  They serve a Mediterranean-Pacific menu of fresh a la carte dishes plus sharing boards and platters and daily blackboard specials, alongside a small, but varied wine list.  They use fresh local produce and where available, local organic garden ingredients in the dishes.  Open for lunch Wednesday thru Monday and dinner Monday and Wednesday to Saturday.  Closed all day Tuesday.

Hidden Spirit Cafe & Grill at the Maire Nui Gardens

The Hidden Spirit Cafe & Grill is a small, casual cafe with outdoor terrace and garden seating, and set in the beautiful 7 acre Maire Nui Botanical Gardens (small entry fee roughly £1.50), with pretty lily ponds, (complete with ducks!) lush tropical flowers, towering palms, green lawns and mountain views.  The Cafe has a regularly changing Pacific style menu for lunch and dinner with fresh local seafood, salads, sandwiches, steak and meat dishes, followed by homemade desserts, including their cheesecakes with fresh, homegrown fruits, for which they are renown. Evening dining is a bbq-style grill menu, where everything si cooked fresh in front of you. Also, they open early for delicious breakfasts too, and the gorgeous gardens are as much of an attraction as the food here.   Open lunch Monday - Friday 10.00am - 4.00pm, Saturday 12.00pm - 4.30pm Sunday 10.30 - 3.00pm, dinner Tuesday-Thursday 6.30pm-11.00pm (booking essential for night time grill)

Spaghetti House Pizzeria & Grill at the Edgewater Resort & Spa (DATI)

The Spaghetti House Pizzeria & Grill is located at the Edgewater Resort and is a laidback Italian restaurant, serving Resort guests and visitors daily.  They offer a home-style, Italian country menu, with traditional dishes, including fresh-made pizza, pastas, salads, local seafood and imported meat dishes, followed by sweet desserts and ice creams. They have a full bar and a good wine selection.  Open 7 days 5.00pm - 9.30pm. Cash and cards accepted.

Sandals Restaurant & Barefoot Bar at the Pacific Resort (DATI)

The Sandals Restaurant is set right on the beachfront at the Pacific Resort, with dining in an open-air covered terrace overlooking the ponds or on the beach with sand between your toes, shoes optional!  Breakfast is buffet style with fresh fruits, pastries, juices, hot items and cereals.  Lunch and dinner menus offer a selection of Pacific and International dishes, with local fresh seafood, lamb, chicken and steaks, fresh salads and sandwiches, plus a full bar with a good selection of wines and tropical cocktails.  Open 7 days breakfast 7.30am-11.00am, all day dining 11.30am-9.30pm.  Cash and cards accepted.

Vaima Polynesian Bar & Restaurant (DATI)

Owned by Cameron and Dorothy, a pair of Scottish ex-pats from the Isle of Arran, the Vaima Polynesian Bar & Restaurant is right on the beach on the south coast of the island.  Their menu has European-Polynesian mix with fresh local produce, seafood and meats, including fresh fish and chips, fish curry, orange glazed lamb, pasta, catch of the day fish and even Scotch fillet steak.  Delicious desserts round off your meal, and the bar serves a wide range of good quality wines, international and local beers and fresh and fruity cocktails.  Guests can dine in the dining room, on the deck, or actually on the sand of the beach, great to watch the sun go down with a cold cocktail.  Dining for lunch and dinner, bar opening at 5pm.  Live music on some evenings.

The Yellow Hibiscus Restaurant at the Palm Grove Resort (DATI)

The Yellow Hibiscus Restaurant, located within the Palm Grove Resort, and is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Their menu offers quality Pacific rim/International dishes, using as much local produce as they can. Breakfast is for guests only and is a tropical buffet with hot options available to purchase.  Lunch and dinner is available to non-guests.  There is live music each Friday and Sunday, and a popular Sunday Barbecue buffet, including ribeye steak, fresh fish and numerous fresh salads.  Reservations are strongly recommended. Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner to guests and non guests, cards and cash are accepted

Moana Restaurant at the Moana Sands Hotel (DATI)

Located within the Moana Sands Hotel, the Moana Restaurant and Bar is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and offers inside or outside seating areas, with the outside deck overlooking the lagoon.  They offer a fresh Pacific-International menu, using freshly caught fish and local produce alongside pizzas, pastas and good wine, beer and bar selections.  They are open 7 days a week to guests and non-guests and accept cards and cash.

Restaurant at The Little Polynesian Resort (DATI)

The Restaurant at the Little Polynesian Resort is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, for guests and non-guests.  They offer a varied Polynesian-International menu, featuring strongly with fresh local fish and produce, where available, and include Seafood pastas, slow roasted chicken, steaks, burgers and catch of the day, followed by delicious deserts.  They have a well-stocked bar with a large range of Australian and New Zealand wines, local and imported beers and spirits, and freshly made fruity cocktails.  Breakfast is served between 7.30-11.00am, all day dining 11.00am-9.00pm and a' la carte menu from 6.00-9.00pm.  Credit cards and cash is accepted

Restaurant at the Nautilus Resort (DATI)

The award-winning Restaurant at the Nautilus Resort is a stylish Polynesian beachfront restaurant that offers fine dining in the main dining room, and more casual dining on the outside terrace overlooking the beach, but the food is delicious either way.  Open daily for breakfast lunch and dinner for guests and non-guests, but reservations are recomended to guarantee a table.  The restaurant is a member of the prestigeous Chaine Des Rotisseurs, international Association of Gastronomy, founded in France around 1248, and resurrected in it's current form in Paris in 1950.   Breakfast is a tropical continental buffet with hot extras, lunch and all day dining offers fresh local seafood, lighter dishes, salads and burgers, while the dinner menu serves a varied selection of Pacific, Asian and international dishes, such as Thai Green curry, Duck Laksa, prime Filet Mignon, pan-seared Parrot fish, seafood pasta or slow-roasted lamb, each with suggested wine pairings or European or New Zealand fine wines.  Enticing desserts to follow plus a full and extensive bar menu and wine cellar at the beach side lounge bar.  They also offer a kids menu and room service to guests. They are open for breakfast 7.30-10.00am, lunch 11.00am-3.00pm and dinner from 6pm, plus a happy hour for drinks between 5.00-6.00pm. Cash and cards are accepted.  There is live music each Wednesday and Sunday.

Aqua Cafe Muri Beach (DATI)

The al fresco island style Aqua Cafe and cocktail bar is located within the Muri Beach Resort, overlooking the pool, gardens and the famous Muri Beach.  They offer a full bar with a selection of cocktails and popular drinks, gourmet tapas, light bites and daily blackboard specials, using fresh local ingredients, 'with special focus on fresh local fish - straight off the boat!'  They are open from 3.00pm and have a drinks happy hour.  They are open to guests and non-guests and accept major credit cards and cash.

Palms Restaurant at the Club Raro Resort (DATI)

The onsite Palms Restaurant at the Club Raro Resort offers great food, cool cocktails, as well as a full bar alongside the pool and the beach.  The casual menu offers popular dishes, such as pastas, burger, salads, fresh local seafood, homemade pizzas, and steaks.  The bar serves popular drink selections alongside cocktails, fruity mocktails and smoothies and wine selections.  They have a Happy Hour between 4-6pm and serve specially priced Club snacks 2-9pm.  The restaurant is open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and cards and cash is accepted.

Trader Jack's Bar & Restaurant (DATI)

Trader Jack's Bar & Restaurant is right on the waterfront at the Avarua Harbour, with an upstairs dining room overlooking the harbour, and the beachside bar with oudoor terraces, right alongside the small beach area.  The upstairs restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, with the downstairs Vaka Bar open all day.  They serve a casual menu of fresh seafood, tuna and sashimi, homemade pizzas, steaks, burgers and salads, with Texan BBQ nights, live entertainment and a vinyl retro disco some nights.  The bar offers a range of popular drinks and cool, refreshing cocktails to sip as you watch the sunset over the harbour. The restaurant is open from 11.30am-2.30pm and 6.00-9.00pm, and the Vaka Bar open 11.00am-midnight.  They accepted major credit cards and cash.

21.3 Vaiana's Bistro and Bar

Vaiana's Bistro and Bar is located on the north shore right on the beach and close to the airport.  They have a full bar, with a good selections of wines and drinks, open from 11.00am til late, with happy hour at 4.00pm, and DJ party some nights.  they serve a quick food menu of fish and chips, burgers and salads, and is a nice spot for afternoon or sunset drinks, with a nice, sandy beach and shallow water, good for swimming straight of the beach, and just chilling.

The Lucky rooster Eatery (DATI)

Nonno Emilio - Ristorante Italiano (DATI)

Coco Grill Restaurant at the Islander Hotel (DATI)

Anchorage Restaurant at the Sunset Resort (DATI)

Oceans Restaurant at the Crown Beach Resort (DATI)

Flambe Restaurant at the Crown Beach Resort (DATI)

On the Beach Restaurant at the Manuia Beach Resort (DATI)

Beluga Rarotonga (DATI)

Alberto's Steak House

Laguna Restaurant & Bar at the Moana Sands Lagoon Resort (DATI)