Where to eat in Rarotonga, Cook Islands- Ultimate Guide 2022
If you’re thinking about what good restaurants an island possibly has, you might want to think again. Rarotonga, Cook Islands has a lot to offer, and a lot of different places to eat. From street food at the markets to higher-end restaurants with amazing views.
And the best news is, while the prices are similar to what you’ll find in New Zealand, the portions are way bigger. Especially if you’re a carb fan (like me lol), you’ll love the Rarotonga diet, expect to gain a few kilos/pounds while you’re here!
If you’ve come across the question of where to eat in Rarotonga, read this post! I’ve used my own experience, and others’ recommendations to come up with a list 🙂 Book everything in advance, especially for dinner tables!
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Breakfast/Lunch places to eat in Rarotonga
LBV Bakery Cafe
Location: Ara Tapu, Ngatangiia District, Cook Islands (Near Muri Beach)
Near Muri Beach, they have a brunch menu that is quite similar to the ones in New Zealand, but the portion is a lot bigger! What I love about this place is their donut, it seems like ordinary cinnamon donut. But it tasted so good, and wasn’t too overly sweet 🙂
I came here a few times just to get the donuts hehe! If you ask around different people where to eat a donut in Rarotonga, this will most likely come out haha
There is some street parking along the road, otherwise, the bus stops directly outside. Otherwise, it’s a short walk for people staying in Muri!
The Mooring Fish
Location: Ngatangiia District, Cook Islands (Near Muri Beach)
It is one of the most recommended places to eat in Rarotonga, and there’s a reason why! And my top recommendation of where to eat in Rarotonga. The FOB fish sandwich was SO GOOD, the size is huge; I and my partner shared one sandwich, and it was enough! And we take away another one just because it’s too good, but we couldn’t finish them both haha!
The outside of the fish was so crispy, while the inside was very tender. The perfect combination for what a crumbed fish should taste like! And the staff were lovely, always had a smile on them and the energy was very on point!
It’s a food truck with spacious outdoor seating and easy parking along the street. They are currently closed on Friday and Saturday. Opening hours differ every day, make sure to check online first.
Flying Turtle Cafe
Location: Are Tapu, Arorangi, Rarotonga, Cook Islands (same location as Ariki Adventure)
We came across The Flying Turtle as we were walking along the street while waiting for the bus to come. It was a good choice that we made, only had time to order the basic eggs on toast, and it was really good. Not sure if I was too hungry or what, but the eggs taste so good for some reason haha. On the other hand, the island sausage was not to my taste.
You’d be accompanied by their lovely dog Tama, who’ll sit beside you while you eat hehe. They’ve also got free WIFI to use, which was a rare thing to find in Rarotonga 🙂
The Kai Guy (Tacos)
Location: Ara Tapu, Avarua District, Cook Islands (Food truck on the side of the road)
There are a few different Kais in Rarotonga, so don’t get confused. I mean all of them were very highly recommended. But the one I’m talking about is the tacos/burritos truck “The Kai Guy”.
I had a fish taco and a beef brisket taco. They were both very filling, with a good balance of vegetables, and proteins. The beef brisket sauce was very rich, but the crumbed fish can be a bit dry as it was just with aioli, but the fish was really nice!
They have some seatings, or you can just order take-away like me! Parking is very easy and spacious.
The Lucky Rooster
Location: Ara Tapu, Avarua District, Cook Islands (Near many souvenir shops)
As the name mentioned, they have a rooster named Lucky there that’ll wander around the cafe! The food was alright, I had egg benedict which was not much different than the one you can get in New Zealand.
The seating area was quite dynamic, with a semi-outdoor area that has many birds walking/flying around you haha. I was scared by a bird that jumped onto my table out of nowhere.
A convenient place to eat in Rarotonga, it is located near many souvenir shops in the Avura town center!
Captain Andy’s Bar & Grill
Location: Aroa Rd, Arorangi District, Cook Islands (Inside The Rarotongan Resort)
Most convenient places to eat in Rarotonga if you stay in the Aroa area, or if you’re snorkeling at the Aroa Marine Reserve. Which is the most popular place for snorkeling in Rarotonga! With all honesty, the food and drinks were average, but I came here many times during my trip because of the location.
It is a restaurant under The Rarotongan Resort, right on Aroa Beach which explains why so many people come here!
Dinner places to eat in Rarotonga
The Waterline Restaurant
Location: Arorangi, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
A popular choice of where to eat in Rarotonga, if you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion or just want a good vibe or view! Many many dogs wander here and sit around with you, and a cat just casually sleeps near your table. Also, direct access to the beach for sunset photos!
The food portion here is huge as per usual, they were all very flavourful 🙂 I really liked the bruschettas, they had four on a plate whereas in NZ usually there’d only be two!
Designated parking area outside of the restaurant (not street parking), book in advance if you want tables with a sunset view!
Nautilus Resort Restaurant
Location: Ara Tapu, Ngatangiia District, Cook Islands (Muri Beach)
A restaurant located inside the Nautilus resort, facing Muri beach. The first place we went to eat for dinner in Rarotonga was here! We were surprised by how big the portion was, and how fast the food came out. The food came out faster than the cocktails haha, so we thought the food was pre-made. But man it was really good, everything tasted fresh; except for the mashed potato that was a bit dry.
Overall, the experience was really good. The prices are on the higher end as it is located in a resort!
Trader’s Jack
Location: Ara Tapu, Avarua District, Cook Islands (Avarua Town)
A very very popular place to eat in Rarotonga, and if you’ve searched for where to eat in Rarotonga before then you’d most likely come across this! Trader’s Jack has a huge menu and has a bit of everything from Asian, Kiwi, and Island to American. A really good place to come if you’re not set on what cuisine to eat!
They are really busy, so make sure you call up and book. The food came out a bit slow, but the service was really good. We were sitting at a not-too-ideal table (which we didn’t mind), but as soon as a table outside facing the harbor became available they asked if we wanted to move!
The restaurant can be very loud, and many families come here to eat. Many parking spaces right outside!
Kikau Hut
Location: Ara Tapu Arorangi District Rarotonga, Cook Islands (Near The Black Rock)
The cute little restaurant that we decided to go to after watching the sunset at The Black Rock, it is around 10 minutes walk which was perfect! The outdoor area was quite romantic with candles, and flowers around. However, the flowers attract ants, so try to move the flower away from your table to avoid that!
I loved their dessert wontons, which were filled with chocolate. If you have a sweet tooth and love chocolate, definitely order this 🙂
Muri Night Market
Location: Ngatangiia District, Cook Islands (Near Muri Beach)
Open on Tuesday- Thursday, and Sunday from 5 pm
Bring cash
A little night market nestled near Muri beach, where you can find good food and vibe! Come here at least once during your trip. There were many stalls available for you to choose from, and they all smelled very nice!
Come here as soon as it opens at 5 pm if possible, as many stalls would close if they run out of ingredients. And the lines get longer and longer if you come a bit later 🙁
The noodles from the Noodle tent were really good, Asian-style stir fry. And the garlic prawns with rice from Seafood Man is a popular choice! Get the churros for dessert, lots of flavors to choose from 🙂
The Edgewater Resort- The Brasserie
Location: 1 Puaikura Drive, Arorangi District, Cook Islands
This is an amazing restaurant for sunset dinner, the sun is setting directly in front of you. It is a big restaurant, with an indoor and outdoor area; a small area on the beach facing the ocean! The view was amazing, seeing the sky change color and waves crashing!
The food was average really, but the view is definitely worth visiting. They had a dinner live show as well!
Progression Dinner
Amazing experience
Meet the locals
Need to pre-book
It is one of the top things to do in Rarotonga and the best answer to your question about where to eat in Rarotonga question! Having a three-course meal in three different local homes, how amazing does that sound? A very unique experience, with lovely locals, and amazing food that’ll fill you up for the whole night!
Get to know the local way of life better, and talk to tourists from different backgrounds! Bond with different people while filling your stomach up. They offer A LOT of food, so make sure you come with an empty stomach!
You do need to pre-book this tour in advance, they currently run on Monday and Thursday!
Other places to eat in Rarotonga
Vaima
Recommended by many people, popular choice especially if you’re celebrating a special occasion!
Antipodes
Looking for somewhere fancy to eat, and with a good sunset view? This is where you should go, but the price does reflect the fanciness of this restaurant haha 🙂
Baby Pancakes
I’ve been to baby pancakes, it wasn’t really to my taste. As I’m not the biggest pancake fan, they’re really popular and busy though! You should definitely give it a try if you love some pancakes 🙂
Tuoro Tapas Bar
I heard they had really good tapas food, and they have a good view looking over Rarotonga! They are only open a few days a week and during lunchtime only, so plan ahead if you do want to eat here!
Final tips on where to eat in Rarotonga
It can sometimes be a hard task to decide where to eat, and how to get there. Especially for someone like me who has difficulty making decisions, so hopefully, this guide on where to eat in Rarotonga would make the process easier and quicker haha 🙂
Make sure you book ahead if there’s a specific time and seat you want, all the restaurants get really busy during the peak dinner hours between 5:30-7:30 pm, and restaurants with sunset views get booked out even quicker!
Driving is probably the most convenient way to get to restaurants for dinner if you’re not drinking. Taking the bus is possible, however, there’s only a clockwise bus at night and they only come every hour, so it might be a bit of a hassle waiting for the bus 🙁 I took a taxi once, and it was quite expensive so I wouldn’t recommend it! Otherwise, walking could be an option, walking off all the good food you’ve just eaten hehe.
