7 more places to eat in Mo'orea

One day I will have eaten EVERYWHERE

At the beginning of my newsletter journey, I wrote about 7 places to eat in Mo’orea that are all still excellent and highly recommended. Since then, I’ve collected a few more favourites for you to try.

Let me know in the comments:

• Where have I missed? What should make the next ‘places to eat’ article?

• Have you eaten at any of these places, and what did you think?

1. Chez FouFou

Chez FouFou is a little roulotte (food truck) in Maharepa with a million dollar view of the turquoise lagoon. Located opposite the pharmacy in a carpark, the tables look out over the water and moored boats and, if you’re lucky, you might see some dolphins swim by.

The portion sizes here are generous and the food is fresh and colourful. The poke bowl is one of my regular orders, full of vegetables like cabbage, corn, seaweed and carrot. Otherwise the tacos (note: I would personally classify this as a burrito) are super flavourful.

2. Rudy’s

Rudy’s is an institution and has been in the same location for more than 40 years. The decor is old school and the food is more on the fine dining side; think French cuisine and perfectly plump steaks. They also offer a shuttle to some of the main resorts.

I’d heard a lot about the parrotfish in the various forums that I lurk in, and when I tried it I could see why. I have no idea how they cooked it but it was incredible. I’m looking forward to taking my family here when they visit later in the year!

3. La Grand Voile (aka Chez Greg)

La Grand Voile is a casual dining spot surrounded by colourful wooden buildings (including a very cute little boutique where you can pick up souvenirs), manned by… you guessed it… Greg.

The fit-out is comfortable (although it can get hot) and the food is a bit more elevated than you might find at your standard food truck. There’s also a good amount of variety, with a selection of wraps, poke bowls, burritos and burgers. Vegetarians are also catered for with tofu options.

4. Golden Lake

Craving some Chinese? Golden Lake is… well, pretty much your only option if you’re on Mo’orea. But it’s a great one! We’ve been getting takeaway regularly from here for a while and the consistency is excellent.

Our favourite dishes include the garlic prawns, the beef with chilli, and the roast pork (with crackling!) served with coconut milk. It feels somewhat familiar to the Chinese food we get at home and different at the same time.

5. Moz Cafe

Cafe culture doesn’t seem to be as much of a thing here as it is back home in Melbourne, where we take breakfast and brunch very seriously. One place that does an excellent breakfast is Moz Cafe in Maharepa. Popular options include pancakes, as well as traditional Tahitian breakfasts such as raw fish with coconut milk, or fried fish with onions.

The cafe is on the second floor, giving tables on the balcony a nice slice of view of the ocean and the seabirds nesting in the top of the coconut tree. Portions are generous and pricing is reasonable.

6. Caramel'in

I was conflicted about including Caramel’in (just across from Moz Cafe) in my roundup. When we first arrived here, I was a little obsessed… specifically with the almond pain au chocolat! Over time, I’ve found the pastries getting smaller and the price getting higher, which I guess is happening everywhere. Shrinkflation, am I right?

I’m surprised that, as a French colony, there isn’t a lot of great patisserie here. Caramel’in fills that void offering a colourful selection of treats including croissants, pain au chocolat, brioche, eclairs, tarts, little cakes… I could go on and on. Go early in the morning to maximise choice and avoid disappointment.

7. Coco Beach

How did I manage to forget about Coco Beach in my original article?! It’s a whole experience; taking the boat across to the little island, looking back towards Mo’orea, having a mid-meal snorkel, eating with your feet in the water.

The standout for me here is anything on the barbecue. We had some amazing octopus the first time we came and the fish brochettes were perfectly cooked.

My aunty and her two friends, Wendy and Lynette, enjoying the day out.

There’s always a lot of Coco Beach questions on the forum, but basically:

• Book early - it books out quickly!

• If you book the shuttle boat, that includes your table (so if there’s no availability on the shuttle for that time, no table available for your size party)

• You can book the boat as early as you like to explore and snorkel, you’ll have the table for the day

• Last boat back is around 3pm

If you’re interested in a more in-depth review of Coco Beach, I’ve written about it here.

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