Rarotonga Restaurants

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Occupying the main floor of the Rarotonga Sailing Club, this airy, nautically decorated restaurant offers a variety of salads, sandwiches, and "island fries" -- sweet potato, taro, and banana. At dinner the chef turns his attention to fresh fish and vegetables, plus mussels and steaks flown in from New Zealand. You might be offered Cajun-style pan-seared tuna or Moroccan-style lamb shanks. Weekend afternoons are especially lively here; club members gather to sail their radio-controlled miniature yachts out on the lagoon. I went there every morning for their excellent coffee and to avail myself of their Zenbu WiFi hotspot, and I also ate there sometimes in the evenings. I liked their food but most of all I loved their very efficient, friendly and helpful staff, they made my stay in Rarotonga special.

Favorite Dish: Caesar Seafood Salad, plenty of scallops and prawns.

By Nathan Fitzgearl

Of all the little cafes in the Muri area, this is the absolute best staple for backpackers/budget travelers: tasty, hearty food at cheap prices. It features a wide variety of big, ambitious burgers - each named after the motu (islets) in the lagoon, some for under $10. As well as sandwiches and several full-sized dinners with side dishes for only NZ$18 - a great price in any 1st world country. And Gail, the delightful little lady who runs it, knows how to take excellent care of her customers; her wonderful service skills are second to none. So the ambiance is just as pleasant and satisfying as the food. When I'm in Rarotonga, a good percentage of the meals I eat are at Kai Kai Time. It's a cute, clean, reliable cafe I recommend to anybody.

Favorite Dish: My personal favorite is the Koromiri burger - very juicy and keeps me full for many hours. Don't miss the salads, either, they have just the right touch of sweetness to them.

Trader Jacks is on the water front of the main town of Rarotonga. It has a couple of bars and a restaurant all with view of the Pacific Ocean; a fantastic setting. We sat and watched locals racing the 6 man canoes whilst we ate.

Favorite Dish: Pizza. Oddly enough Trader Jacks is a seafood restaurant but we visited the restaurant twice and the best thing we tried on the menu was the pizza! It was the best pizza I've had in years and one of the best meals we ate on the island. They also do a desert pizza that the girls tucked into, again fantastic!

With indoor and outdoor seating, this place is somewhere where you can grab a bite to eat. The servings are large, but you pay for it. Can get quite busy during the day.

Favorite Dish: I had a ham, cheese and tomato omlette at a cost of NZ$14.50.

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Apparently, the first thing to go in a cyclone, Trader Jacks is right on the water. It opens at 6pm (feel free to have pre-dinner drinks at the bar next door while you wait for your table).

While it is known for it's seafood, it does also have meat dishes on the menu.

Favorite Dish: I had the seafood platter for 2. It doesn't look too filling when you get it, but it is. For those not a fan of raw fish - there is quite a bit in this dish. A good idea to book ahead as it gets very busy.

This small coffee shop has a few tables indoors and about 5 outside on the deck, each with it's own big umbrella for shade.

Toasted sandwiches and burgers are the main menu items with fish & chips and also bacon & eggs also available.

Favorite Dish: I had a ham & cheese toasted sandwich and a bottle of mystery juice (I guess it was home made as it had no label - turned out to be orange and mango). This plus a ham, cheese and tomato toasted sandwich and a fanta cost us NZ$12 - a good price for 2 meals.

This place is fantastic. It is a very small Italian restaurant, with only 5 or 6 pasta's on the menu. There are only 6 tables here, so it is very important to reserve a table. The service is very friendly and there are local and imported wines and beers on the menu.

There is a menu outside so if you walk by during the day, you can have a look at what they offer before they open (opens at 6pm). Open Tuesday to Sunday (closed monday).

Favorite Dish: The Gamberi was simply divine - spaghetti in a tomato based sauce with prawns, chilli and capers. Just perfect and only cost NZ$24.50 - and this was the most expensive thing on the menu.

For desert I had the home made chocolate cake drenched in chocolate sauce. Best chocolate cake I have ever had.

Open 7 days, from 11am, this restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. Sit on the deck and enjoy an unspoilt view out onto Muri Lagoon - and the service is as good as the food.

Favorite Dish: Seafood Ceasar Salad - best scallops I have ever had!! Pleanty on the menu to choose from and the cocktails are worth a try as well.