Cook Islands Restaurant Tips by worldkiwi

Restaurant Name: The Cafe

The Cafe is arguably the best cafe in Avarua. As well as providing one with one's caffeine fix (smell the freshly ground coffee), The Cafe serves hearty and delicious breakfasts until 2pm. You can have a yummy piece of cake or a muffin at any time!

Favorite Dish: The BELT (Bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato) is highly recommended. The cheese and tomato omlette is also delicious.

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Theme: Coffeehouse
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (in the Cooks) 21283
Address: Eastern end of Avarua
Directions: The Cafe is across the road from the Para O Tane Palace to the east of the Post Office.
Other Contact: coffee@the-cafe.co.ck

Restaurant Name: Samade

The Samade Bar is a long established haunt of travellers to Aitutaki. The bar/restaurant is right on the beach front at O'otu Beach. At high tide the water is about a metre away! The restaurant's fare is simple, with a seafood base. The fish steaks are delicious. You can get a cold beer and a meal here even on a Sunday, when most other things are shut around the island. If you are coming for dinner, ring in advance and they will pick you up and drop you back to your accommodation for a small charge.
I had dinner and lunch here on two separate occasions. For my lunch I had a delicious fish burger and for my dinner I went on a Saturday night - BBQ night. Thick and juicy fish steaks were served with barbecued pumpkin and cold salads. Yum. The dinner cost $18.50 and it was very filling! Good value.


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Theme: Seafood
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: O'otu Beach, Aitutaki.

Restaurant Name: The Spaghetti House

The Spaghetti House is situated at the road end of the Edgewater Resort's driveway, on the western side of Rarotonga. The bus stops at Edgewater Resort's reception on both clockwise and anti-clockwise routes, so you can reach the restaurant easily from anywhere on the island.
The food is well priced and tasty. In fact, it was one of the best priced restaurants I ate in on the whole holiday.


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Theme: Italian
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter

Restaurant Name: The Rarotongan Beach Resort

On our first night in the Cook Islands, nobody felt like cooking, so we walked down to the Rarotongan Beach Resort for dinner. We happened to catch barbecue night. For $36 one could feast on the BBQ buffet. There was a nice range of salads, soft, fresh, mouthwatering bread rolls and BBQ fish steaks, lamb, and succulent island pork. It was all delicious. The desserts were also yummy! I loved the coconut cake.
The a la carte menu was extensive and, I thought, very well priced for a resort. My friend had a delicious island style fish'n'chip meal, with fried arrowroot and taro chips! I tasted a bit of her dinner and it was good! To top everything off there was a show after dinner with modern takes on Rarotongan music. It was a very nice evening and a great way to start out holiday!


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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Address: Southwest corner of Rarotonga Island.

Restaurant Name: Blue Nun Cafe.

Kai is the Maori word for food. At the Blue Nun Cafe, on the Arutanga waterfront on Aitutaki Island, you can get cheap hamburgers and delicious chips (fries if you're American). The fish burger goes down well with a cold Cooks Lager! It's not flash, but it is good!


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Theme: Fast Food
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Directions: In the Orongo Centre, on the Arutanga waterfront.

Restaurant Name: The Pacific Hotel

The Pacific Hotel is a rather exclusive and totally beautiful resort on the western side of Aitutaki, about 30 minutes walk north of Arutanga town centre. Luckily they're not too exclusive and on our last night in beautiful Aitutaki, we decided to splurge on our dinner. The menu is expensive, but I am pleased to report that the food is delicious. The poolside restaurant has fine views out to sea, over the nicely landscaped pool and gardens.

Favorite Dish: A bit dubious about the price of the food, I was weary of my "fresh" crab salad when it arrived on the table in front of me. Oh my. I needn't have been so concerned and my aprehension evaporated! It was a truly fresh crab salad and absolutely mouthwatering from start to finish. This was followed up with a Marlin steak. I should have the pan-fried sea-perch - that was just brilliant (my friend let me try a bit of hers). I also have to say that I tasted the best squid I have ever had anywhere at this place. It melted in my mouth and this is a sign of not only fresh squid, but squid prepared by someone who knows how to prepare squid!
The food here surprised me and was worth every precious cent I paid.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 31 720 (on Aitutaki)