From resort fine dining to local roulottes, here is how to eat well in Bora Bora and which Polynesian dishes to try.
Dining in Bora Bora ranges from world-class resort restaurants to humble food trucks, and both have their place in a great trip.
Must-try dishes
Start with poisson cru, the national dish of raw tuna marinated in lime and coconut milk. Seek out fresh mahi-mahi, grilled lagoon fish, and tropical fruit like papaya and pamplemousse.
Resort restaurants
Overwater dining rooms serve refined French-Polynesian fusion with lagoon views. Many resorts offer a romantic private dinner on the beach or on your bungalow deck — a honeymoon highlight worth the splurge.
Local roulottes and eateries
For a break from resort prices, the food trucks (roulottes) and small eateries in Vaitape village serve generous plates such as poisson cru, grilled fish and steak frites at a fraction of the cost.
Tip
Because many of the luxury resorts sit on motu (small islets), budget for the cost and logistics of boat transfers if you plan to dine off-property.
Bora Bora food: more Polynesian dishes worth ordering
- Chevrettes: Freshwater prawns, served in vanilla-scented coconut milk as a starter or in a coconut curry sauce.
- Ahima'a: The traditional earth oven. Fish, pork, taro and breadfruit are wrapped in banana leaves and steamed over hot stones, usually for feasts and celebrations.
- 'Uru: Breadfruit, roasted until the skin blackens and eaten in place of potatoes or bread.
- Fafaru: Raw fish marinated in fermented seawater. The smell is famously strong; order it if you're curious.
- Po'e: A sweet, jelly-like baked pudding of banana, papaya, pumpkin or manioc, served with fresh coconut milk.
- Firi firi: Figure-eight coconut doughnuts, a classic breakfast with coffee.
- Pua'a rôti: Sweet roast pork, a Sunday brunch favorite.
Bora Bora restaurants by area and budget
| Area | Restaurant | What to expect | Budget |
|---|
| Vaitape | Roulottes | Waterfront food trucks: poisson cru, grilled fish, steak frites | $ |
| Vaitape | Aloe Cafe | Casual café in the village | $ |
| Vaitape | Restaurant St James | French cooking with local produce, over the water; Tahiti Tourisme lists it as open Monday to Saturday | $$$ |
| North of Vaitape | Bora Bora Yacht Club | Waterfront fish and steak, with a dinghy dock | $$ |
| Povai Bay | La Villa Mahana | About 8–9 tables, chef Damien Rinaldi Dovio, set menus only; dinner only, closed Sundays | $$$$ |
| Matira | Snack Matira | Beachside lunch spot, roughly 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | $ |
| Matira | Fare Manuia | Pizza, seafood and a poolside bar | $$ |
| Matira | Tama'a Maitai | Lagoon-edge à la carte restaurant at Maitai Polynesia | $$ |
| Motu resorts | Lagoon Restaurant (St. Regis) | French fine dining over the water with Otemanu views | $$$$ |
What Bora Bora restaurants cost
Tahiti Tourisme's indicative prices put a dish of the day at a snack bar from about 1,000 XPF (around $9) and at a restaurant from about 2,000 XPF (around $19). Resort dining runs much higher. At the Four Seasons, lunch mains at Fare Hoa are 3,100–5,100 XPF (about $29–48) and mains at Arii Moana 5,100–8,900 XPF (about $48–84). La Villa Mahana's set menus are 10,800–17,900 XPF (about $100–170) per person before wine pairings. A private beach dinner for two at the Four Seasons was listed at 94,900 XPF (about $895) in the resort's 2025 brochure. The good news: bills in French Polynesia generally include service, and the Four Seasons menus state that prices include taxes and service, so tipping is optional rather than expected.
Reservations and timing
- Book La Villa Mahana as soon as your dates are set; with so few tables, it fills early in high season.
- Check opening days before you cross the lagoon. Tahiti Tourisme lists Lagoon Restaurant as open for dinner five nights a week and closed Wednesdays and Thursdays; confirm with the resort.
- Bloody Mary's restaurant closed in November 2023. Its new hotel's website says "Opening October 2026", so check whether the restaurant is serving before you plan around it.
- If you're on a motu, factor in the resort shuttle to the main island; one tour operator puts it at 2,200–3,390 XPF per person round trip.
- Carry cash in Pacific francs for roulottes and small snack bars, which may not take cards.
For candlelit options, see our romantic dining guide.
