2 Best Restaurants in Samoa

Sitting pretty on a jetty that stretches out into the lagoon, this restaurant at Sinalei Reef Resort, on the island's south coast, is one of the most romantic places to dine in Samoa. The restaurant describes its cuisine as "modern Samoan" and features the freshest catch of the day and produce from local farms. Naturally, seafood is a must—consider the pan-fried coconut snapper served with fresh organic salad and the seared tuna on laupele pasta, the latter made from local spinach and served with a plum, tomato, and coconut cream sauce. American guests might like to finish off with a Polynesian version of pumpkin pie—the local pumpkin-and- pine nut tart madeleine, or the papaya-coconut cheesecake.

If all that sun and surf has you hankering for a delicious Italian meal, this is the place to go. Owners Joe and Amanda Lam ran a restaurant by the same name in Auckland before moving to Samoa in 2009 and opening this popular lunch and dinner spot just out of Apia on the Cross Island Road. Start with a classic bruschetta or seafood antipasto for two, before savoring the delicious lobster ravioli. Another favorite is pollo di pesto (oven-roasted chicken breast with a basil and pine-nut crust, served inside spinach and pumpkin cannelloni).