La Villa Mahana

Damien Rinaldi-Dovio opened the restaurant in 2003. Born in France, he trained under Paul Bocuse and cooked at fine tables across the Atlantic before settling in French Polynesia, and Tahiti Tourisme says the Villa has since earned a reputation as Bora Bora’s most romantic restaurant.

The kitchen joins island flavours with French technique, and any dish can be served à la carte or adapted. The Exotic menu runs from seared ahi tuna with vanilla oil to mahi-mahi with curry, banana and mango sauce, then beef tenderloin with a Tahitian vanilla and red wine sauce, and ends with banana flambéed in old island rum.

The Epicurean menu adds a salad of seafood and caviar, seared foie gras and a risotto of spiny lobster and tiger prawns with champagne sauce. Each menu has a matching wine selection, and there is a vegetarian menu with an asparagus and truffle risotto.

The Villa is on the hillside rather than the water, so plan on a taxi. From the mooring field and quays around Vaitape it is about 3 km to the south-east, along the shore of Povai Bay. Arrange the ride back when you book.

Book well ahead, as there are very few tables. Reservations are taken online through the restaurant’s website or by phone. Cards, including American Express, are accepted.