Sign in with Facebook- Join for free
- Sign In
Sign in with FacebookLatest Rarotonga hotel reviews
Helpfulness
Palace One Takeaway is located besides Avatiu boat harbour in Rarotonga's capital, Avarua.
Arriving at Avarua's Cook's Corner bus terminal, head west through Punanga Nui market place and you'll see Palace One located on the opposite side of the road to a large "Raro Fried Chicken" fast food restaurant.
Palace One is basically a glorified burger van.....in fact it isn't even *that* glorified! ;-) It does have a handful of wooden tables outside - some under a canopy and others on the grass amongst the wandering hens (don't stray over the road to Raro Fried Chicken, guys!!!). You can sit in the sunshine looking out across the harbour.....but don't expect too much action, it's not the world's busiest harbour!
I visited Palace One for a morning snack during my visit to Avarua in April 2006. Although the menu lists toasted sandwiches, calamari rings, mussels, fish, eggs and bacon amongst its meals.....at the time of my visit only burgers and hot dogs were available. Admittedly, the selection of burgers was fairly extensive (plain, steakburgers, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, a "Palace Special", burgers with eggs.....). There were also various cakes and puddings on offer.
Favorite Dish: I opted for:
Cheeseburger - Cost: 4.50 NZD (approx 2 GBP)
It wasn't particularly big or filling, but the burger was well cooked and the meat was very good. There wasn't much cheese on it, but it too was very well cooked (to the extent that it had ceased to be melted and had achieved crispiness!). Also filled with grated lettuce, carrots, tomato and ketchup
Bottle of Fanta orange - Cost: 2.50 NZD (approx 1 GBP)
Written May 12, 2006
Address: Avatiu Harbour, Avarua
Helpfulness
Saltwater Cafe is a laid back cafe/restaurant with a bright friendly owner and colourful decor.
It is located a short walk (10-15 minutes) west of the village of Titikaveka, on the main coastal road directly across from a superb sandy beach. It is in fact located at the island's "half way" point.....it is 16km to the island's capital, Avarua, whether you go clockwise or anti-clockwise around the island's perimeter road.
The cafe hosts a number of outdoor tables under a canopy. The outdoor wall exhibits colourful paintings (beach scenes, sunshine, turtles, palm trees) and small cats wander around the tables hoping to pick up any scraps from the many diners.
The menu includes a variety of seafood dishes (including a half kilo of fresh prawns served with a selection of dips (28NZD) that I was very tempted to order!), Mexican dishes (nachos and quesadillas), burgers and Pacific-style curry (chicken, fish or vegetarian).
The cafe serves a selection of soft drinks, hot beverages and a good selection of alcoholic drinks including draught Cook Islands lager and imported (Aus and NZ) bottled beers.
The cafe is open for breakfast daily from 9:30am. Main meals are served from 3pm until closing time. Saltwater Cafe is open on Sundays, unlike many other restaurants on the island.
Favorite Dish: I opted for:
Pacific-style chicken curry - Cost: 19 NZD (approx. 8 GBP)
A mild curry with a tasty sauce and peas, carrots, onions and a selection of spices. A dish of chilli sauce was provided separately on the edge of the plate to increase the potency of the curry as desired. Served with a portion of white rice, two poppadums and a side salad (tomato, grated carrots and lettuce in a tasty mayonnaise dressing).
A schooner of draught Cook Islands lager - Cost: 4.5 NZD (approx. 2 GBP)
Ice cold and very refreshing on a hot sunny afternoon........but why do the Antipodeans insist on drinking from silly little glasses instead of proper pints!!? ;-)
A bright and friendly cafe, close to the beach, with a fairly extensive and varied menu. Good quality food and cold, draught beer! Recommended!!
Updated May 12, 2006
Address: Titikaveka
Phone: 20020
Helpfulness
I had dinner at FBI Fish & Chips one afternoon during my visit to Rarotonga's capital city, Avarua, in April 2006.
This no-frills, family-run fish and chip shop is located on Tutakimoa Road, just a couple of minutes walk inland from where the buses drop you off at Cook's Corner bus terminal. There are handwritten advertising signs on the main road to point you in the right direction!
It is run by a bubbly lady (with that characteristic Cook Islands friendliness and cheerfulness) and her family.......a host of children, young and old, seem to be contributing in their own little way to the running of the place!
This contribution admittedly amounted to sitting at a table playing card games at the time of my visit.........but it adds to the laid-back atmosphere of the place!
There are a handful of tables outside, some in the sunshine and others under the shade of trees. Eating hot fish and chips in the strong afternoon sunshine didn't seem a good idea, so I sat at one of the shaded tables to enjoy my meal.
The menu includes various types of fish as well as crab sticks, prawns and other seafood....and of course large portions of salty chips! One surprising item on the menu (maybe due to a Scottish influence?!!) was deep fried Mars Bars!!
They also offer a fridge full of soft drinks and ice creams to choose from.
Favorite Dish: I opted for:
Fish and chips - Cost: 7 NZD (approx 3 GBP)
An enormous portion of salty chips and 3 battered and (almost) boneless fish. Excellent quality and very filling......wrapped in paper and very much what we consider *proper* fish and chips in the UK.....but far better value!!
Bottle of Coca Cola - Cost: 2 NZD
Super value, super quality.....highly recommended!!
Written May 12, 2006
Address: Tutakimoa Road, Avarua
Helpfulness
A fantastic setting just out of the Rarotongan capital Avarua. Diners look out over the ocean with an uninterupted veiw as they sit in a grand porch with terrific meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If your happy to pay 20% more you can sit out on a deck right on the beach with your meals.
Favorite Dish: The Creme Brullee is the best.
Written Apr 11, 2006
Address: 5 mins east of Avarua township on Main Island road
Website: Tamarind.co.ck
Helpfulness
Sails restaurant provides light lunches and snacks throughout the day, and then switches into full restaurant mode in the evening. With fabulous views out over Muri Beach you can sit and watch the windsurfers, yachts and swimmers while enjoying your meal.
Favorite Dish: Island fries and calamari - best lunch ever. Try a variety of the local root vegetables with delicious dipping aioli.
Written Oct 3, 2005
Address: Muri Beach
Website: http://www.sailsrestaurant.co.ck/
Helpfulness
When I checked out restaurant reviews before going to Raro, Trader Jack's had a bad rep, even though it's great a great waterside location, downtown.
One day we got stuck in the rain at lunch time and figured "how bad could it be?" so we stopped in. It became one of our favorite spots for lunch. Casual, open air (on formal days, the wait staff wore flip flops, otherwise they were barefooted).
Good food and drinks and a very nice place to chill during the hit of the day, with a great view.
Favorite Dish: The island specialty, ika mata, is great here. The appetizer, which can easily feed three, is sort of like a polynesian version of ceviche -fish "cooked" with lime juice. Add some veggies, coconut milk and cilantro and you've got a taste of Raro!
Written May 25, 2003
Helpfulness
The Flame Tree has the reputation as the best restaurant on the island for a good reason - great food, decent wine list, pleasant setting and a gay waiter snooty enough to make us feel like we were back in San Francisco.
Even though this is considered an "upscale" place, not to worry - most everybody gets around on scooters, so nobody looks all that well put together, between a day on the beach and a ride in a breeze.
Be sure to sit on the patio - no view, except of the geckos on the ceiling. The service is done on "island time", which was fine with us and gave us time to make bets on whose soup the next lizard would plop into (none did, darn!)
Favorite Dish: The coconut, cashew fudge pie was awesome (enough so that I bought the Flametree cookbook to get the recipe - email me and I'll send it to you).
Be sure to ask them to serve the pie warm.
Worth every calorie.
Written May 25, 2003
Address: Muri Beach
Helpfulness
This outdoor cafe on the south side of the island (near Palm Grove resort) is terrific. Great food, good drinks, and very friendly service - all at a good price.
It's not on the beach, but the owners have gone out of their way to make this a charming oasis.
Updated May 25, 2003
Helpfulness
well there are many place's to eat on the Island, it all depends on what you enjoy, for some thing romantic the Manuia Beach Hotel in Arorangi would be my pick, for a nice group dinner the Kikau Hut also in Aoroangi in great, good food and great service, say hi to Cath and Mick for me.
Trader Jacks has great sea food, slightly over priced, but the beer is cold and they have enteranment most nights.
Castaway Resturant has a great chef in the name of Mick, try his Steak or Tuna, its the best I have ever tasted.
If you want too try some great Island food then Castaway's have a Island Food night on Sundays, $20 bucks gets you a over 20 choice's cooked by a local lady.
For a quick snack the Moko Cafe was good, its next to Island Bike and Car Hire and the Eat In Take Away Cafe in Vaimaaga has great Burgers.
Now for the lazy one's who don't want to cook in the morning, Mama's Cafe in town has what they call Mama's Power Breckfast, you won't be disapointed.
Mama;s power breckfast. Two of everything and free extra cups of coffee.
Kikau Hut. Great wine list.
Castaway's. friendly people great pool beside your table.
Eat In Take Aways. just the best burgers to be had.
Favorite Dish: Mama;s power breckfast.
Kikau Huts curry's are great, as hot as you want,
Castaway's Steak with extra mushroom
Castaway's Island night had the best octopus curry
Eat In Take Aways, Tuna burgers
Updated Aug 31, 2002
On Muri Lagoon beach is Sails a beach restaurant. Food was excellent but prices were a little higher than average.
Written Oct 26, 2012
Website: http://www.sailsrestaurant.co.ck/muri.htm
Sponsored Links
1 Review and 253 Opinions We had 3 nites at Palm Grove before flying to Aitutaki for 10 nites. Originally I wanted something...
Smack bang in the middle of the Pacific Ocean about halfway between New Zealand and South America, lies the stunningly beautiful Cook Islands. The Cooks consist of 15 main islands scattered over...
I first visited Rarotonga when I was 8 years old, and recently returned there for my brother's wedding. It's a great place to relax, and partake in plenty of snorkelling, swimming and kayaking. The...
The Cook Islands is truly a relaxing place - I don't think that the locals have it in their nature to stress about anything. The scenery is beautiful and the food is delicious. This is the best place...
Build your own Rarotonga page
Sponsored Links
Comments