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There are lots of dining options in Bora Bora. You can wiggle your toes in the sand as you sip French wines and tuck into fresh seafood or dine inches away from the lagoon under Polynesian designed "huts" with soaring cathedral ceilings. You can have light meals at small eateries known as "snacks" in Vaitape and around Matira Point or take a boat over to one of the motu resorts to feast not only on the fine food but sunset views of Mt. Otemanu. The daily catch is always on the menu along with chargrilled meats and a selection of French and international dishes that often includes duck, lobster, shrimp curry, and various fish and meat dishes graced with vanilla sauce—expect to find it on almost all menus (it has a subtle rather than a sweet taste). The signature Tahitian dish is poisson cru (raw tuna marinated in lime and coconut milk), and it's generally excellent. You may also be served delicious coconut bread (homemade bread with shredded coconut cooked on a barbecue) at a motu beach picnic. Almost all restaurants provide free transport for diners, with most motu boat transfers operating until around 11:30 or midnight every night. Tipping is not expected.
This café and bakery in Vaitape serves delicious strong French coffee and yummy pastries and tarts, as well as burgers and paninis. There are also light main meals such as fish and salad. When you're done eating, you can browse the Web on one of their four Internet stations.
Like Café Aloe, this popular hangout on the main island is suited for those watching their francs. Menu items include thin pizzas and a whole array of Italian pastas, along with the local fish (such as mahimahi) given the French treatment, as well as crepes. The signature dish is the Seafood Gratin, a huge meal with lobster, mussels, fish, squid, and other delicacies in a creamy sauce.
If you are not staying at the Bora Bora Pearl Resort, dinner reservations are difficult to get, so make a point to come here for lunch. The resort's boat dock is right at the northwestern tip of Motu Tevairo, and the crossing from the main island only takes 10 minutes or so. The indoor-outdoor restaurant overlooks the pool and serves everything from club sandwiches and paninis to pork ribs and sautéed shrimp with chili sauce.
The comfortable furniture at this restaurant gives it the feel of a local hangout, while the floor-to-ceiling windows bring the gorgeous lagoon right indoors. Meals range from Chinese specialties to thin-crust pizzas and inexpensive burgers and fries.
