2 Best Restaurants in Samoa

It's not hard to understand why Paddles at the Marina is one of Apia's most popular haunts. The views across the lagoon are wonderful, and soaking up the sunset with a cold Vailima (local beer) is the perfect start to an evening meal. Regulars rave about the oka (marinated raw fish), which is best accompanied by the Samoa twist on French fries, either taro chips or breadfruit chips. Owned by the Rossi family, who turn on a warm and friendly Italian welcome, the restaurant also has fine-tuned traditional Italian dishes prepared with fresh local produce, including delicious fish lasagna. Here you can also sip the best espresso on the island.

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).