Fodor's Expert Review Tamarind House

Now here's a stylish setting to savor South Seas fare—a charming Colonial house, set amid lush grounds right on the lagoon. Built in 1910 to accommodate the managers of the Union Steamship Company, and later the home of the British Counsul, Tamarind House opened as a restaurant in 2004. Proprietors Sue Carruthers and Robert Brown had previously run a small café in Rarotonga but wanted a gorgeous setting for a more upmarket restaurant. Diners can start with ika mata (the Cook Islands version of raw tuna with lime and coconut) or shrimp with papaya, before moving on to a vegetarian lasagna with taro leaves and pumpkin, island fish or coconut chicken curry, or an array of fresh daily seafood specials. Tamarind is also popular for morning coffee and cake.