3 Best Restaurants in Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia

Guests dine under white canvas umbrellas on a terrace on the edge of the lagoon by day, or at tables set with white linen and sparkling glassware by night. This restaurant is casual chic and is the most elegant on the island. Start with foie gras or mussels and move on to grilled salmon or whatever fresh lagoon fish has come in with the catch. Desserts include coconut and papaya tarts served with vanilla ice cream. Stop by the Kiri Kiri bar for a pre-dinner cocktail.

Situated in a lovely garden with fabulous lagoon views, this restaurant is the big night out on the island. Highlights of a three-course meal may be the half-cooked tuna with ginger and mango sauce, grilled parrot fish with Marquesas butter sauce, and a warm papaya pie with coconut ice cream. If you want to splurge, there's the grilled lobster with vanilla cream at 5,500 CFP. As this is the only restaurant on the atoll, it's smart to call ahead for reservations.

You'll really know you're in the South Seas when you dining at this open-air restaurant. The gentle breezes waft in and the views—across the lagoon and out to the overwater bungalows—are fantastic. The menu has some new twists on old island favorites such as the appetizer of potted mince of mahimahi served with local potato chips and confit tomatoes, and the main course of fillet of lamb on a bed of fafa (taro leaves) with Marquesas Islands honey and ginger sauce. The decadent banana-and-rum cake smothered in coconut milk mousse is a great way to end the meal. It's wise to book ahead if you want to dine here, because a boat transfer, which may be an additional cost, is required.