Finding the right restaurant

There are over two thousand places to eat on the island in our directory, so the trick is narrowing it down. There are four ways in, and they suit different moods.

When you know what you want

Type it in the search box at the top of any page — a restaurant name, a dish, a cuisine, a town. Suggestions appear as you type, and search understands the way we actually write food here, so farata, mine frite and dholl puri all work. Press enter to see the full results.

When you are browsing

Explore restaurants is the full directory. Filter by region, town, cuisine, price, whether they open now, and features like sea view, family friendly, halal or parking. On a phone the filters sit behind the Filters button so the photos get the space they deserve, and the bar tucks away as you scroll down.

When location is what matters

The Foodie map shows every venue as a pin, grouped into clusters you can tap open. Use Near me to centre it on where you are standing, or pick one of the six regions. Tap a pin for a photo, the rating and a link straight to the page.

When you cannot decide

What should I eat? asks a few light questions — who you are with, what you feel like, where you are — and comes back with a short, reasoned shortlist. Chef Zil, our assistant, is on hand for the same thing in conversation: ask "somewhere quiet for a first date in Grand Baie" and you will get real suggestions with links.

For inspiration rather than a decision, look at Collections (hand-picked themes like rooftop dining or best street food) and the Best of lists, which are ordered by our ranking engine rather than by anyone paying for a spot.

Reading a restaurant page

Photos first, then the essentials: opening hours, address with a map link, phone and WhatsApp, cuisine tags, menus, reviews, videos and anything the restaurant has announced this week. If they take bookings, the button is at the top and at the bottom of the page.