How to choose a restaurant to go to in Mauritius

Written by Nora Gobish

One of the joys of traveling is eating the local food. This is especially true when visiting Mauritius and discovering the large selection of restaurants, cuisines and the delicacies of Mauritius.

If it is your first visit to Mauritius, it is a little bit difficult to find a restaurant to your taste as it is in any new place. 

So how can you get information about restaurants in Mauritius? What are the criteria you should follow in order to know if a restaurant is a good one? 

To know for sure it is hard, and basically requires some research while basing your decision on reviews and recommendations about the restaurant. 

Our suggestion is for you to follow these criteria:

• Is the restaurant clean
• Is there a good smell in the air (smell of good food, fresh air etc)
• Are customers eating there 

If the restaurant does not look clean, than the kitchen is probably not clean and you should definitely not eat there. 

If you don't smell the scent of food in the air, it probably means either they have excellent ventilation or in some cases you are going to be served with leftovers or with food that is not fresh. Follow your senses. 

If the restaurant is empty you should ask whether it is empty because it is very expensive or because the food is not good. If people inside only drink and do not eat anything, than maybe the food is not a good. 

Following these simple criteria will increase your chances of finding a good restaurant. 

Other factors you should consider when choosing a restaurant in Mauritius:

• The menu - Make sure to have a look at the menu displayed on the outside before going in – check the selection, the prices etc.
• Price range - Good food does not necessarily mean breaking your saving account at the bank. It is easy to find good meals for medium prices in Mauritius.
• Variety - If you go with a group of people, the menu should offer a variety of dishes to satisfy the taste of everyone in your group.
• Parking – If you or your guests are arriving by car, make sure that there is parking place close by or even at the restaurant.
• Special requests– Check if the restaurant can follow your special requests - is it offering healthy dishes, low salt dishes, no monosodium glutamate, vegetarian dishes, Halal etc. This is important if you or one of your group has allergies or special dietary requests or other needs.
• Reservations - Call ahead to find out if reservation is required, make sure you do so when needed.

Choosing a restaurant by luck

A restaurant that looks nice on the outside may be misleading. In Mauritius you better do not rely only on the exterior or the decoration of the restaurant, it will sometimes not reflect the level of the food and service. You can have a wonderful surprise or you can end up having a bad meal. Before making your decision also consider the other criteria mention in this article.

Ask the locals Mauritians for their recommendations

One can obtain a lot of information at the tourist offices; however you will often get the best advice from the locals you meet. Ask some locals for their recommendations for the best places to eat. With that, keep in mind that they may recommend you on local places to dine out, rather then on restaurants offering international and more upscale food.

You can also try and have a good look on the streets at lunch time or dinner time – just observe and see where the locals are heading for their lunch and dinner.

Popularity of a restaurant in Mauritius

One of the best criteria is to choose a popular restaurant. Most likely a popular restaurant means that the food is good and for sure more fresh as it requires daily supply. Of course this is not certain because a restaurant could be popular due to its location (this is usually relevant in Port Louis, Grand Baie, Pereybere and Flic en Flac and near the biggest tourist attractions), or if the restaurant is very cheap focusing on low prices rather than on quality. Choosing a restaurant due to the popularity is one of the best criteria, however it must not be the only one!

Ordering food in Mauritius

If you see on the menu an unfamiliar dish that you have never heard of before, or you want some information about any food served, just ask the waiter about it. The Mauritian waiters are known for their good service and they are always willing to explain what are the main ingredients of the dishes and how they are prepared.

Traveling with children in Mauritius - table etiquette

In Mauritius and Rodrigues no one minds children howling through the meal, and you will often find that the parents just raise their voices accordingly to be heard over their kids.

So enjoy, and bon appetit :-)